Raspberry Sangria

  Carrabba's restaurant makes a delicious Blackberry Sangria that I wanted to replicate at home. I found a copycat recipe online, and set out to gather ingredients. Due to difficulty in finding some of the ingredients and/or the cost, I decided to pretty much scrap that recipe and come up with one of my own. I liked it even better than the blackberry. I found the raspberry syrup at World Market, they have quite an assortment of flavored syrups (Not pancake syrup!) If you want it to be a little bit stronger, use 4 cups of cran-raspberry juice instead of 6

1 bottle sweet red wine (I used Sutter Home Sweet Red)
1 cup Chambord Raspberry liquor
1/2 cup raspberry syrup
6 cups cran-raspberry juice
Sliced lemons and oranges, fresh raspberries

  Combine all of the liquid ingredients in a large pitcher. Add fresh fruit. Chill for at least 2 hours. Serve over ice

Pineapple Shrimp Fritters

  Just in time for Lent, this recipe is a twist on a traditional crabcake, using chopped shrimp and rice. If you have rice leftover from something else, this would be a great way to use it.  White or brown rice will both work. Pineapple adds a tropical flair for February days, which can be dreary.

1 lb cooked shrimp (tails removed, deveined), chopped in small pieces
8 oz can crushed pineapple, drained
1 tsp seafood seasoning
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
2 cloves finely minced garlic
3 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup mayo
1/2 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup olive oil

  Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray or line with parchment paper.

  In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Form into 12 equal size patties. Place on prepared baking sheet. Drizzle fritters with olive oil (if you have a spray bottle, even better). Bake for 20 minutes.

Fairy Tale Pumpkins

This project couldn't be easier, and they make great holiday decorations. Fun to do with the kids too, but be prepared for a huge mess. Spread lots of newspaper!
  All that you need is a bottle of all purpose craft glue,  paint brushes, an assortment of glitter, and small pumpkins.
  Wash and dry your pumpkins. Pour the craft glue into a small bowl. Using a paintbrush, brush the glue onto you pumpkin, then start sprinkling with glitter. Make sure it's thoroughly covered. Rotate the pumpkin by the stem. I like to let them dry on an old plate or non-stick tinfoil. Don't let them dry on the newspaper, too much chance of the glue sticking to the paper.

Chicken Enchilada Cornbread Dumpling Soup

I am very excited, my Chicken Enchilada Cornbread Dumpling Soup was chosen as the grand prize winner in the 2012 Dei Fratelli Ripened contest. I was a runner up in this contest several years ago. Part of the prize is a monthly delivery of Dei Fratelli products for a year. It's a lot of fun to get those boxes every month. They make an excellent pizza sauce, and their salsa is great too. I use their products a lot, so that will come in handy.

  I had a lot of fresh cilantro from my garden and wanted to make good use of it. If you wanted to really spice it up, you could substitute a hotter chili pepper for the green chiles

https://www.facebook.com/DeiFratelli/app_106171216118819

  Chicken Enchilada Cornbread Dumpling Soup

3 tbsp canola oil
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into small pieces
1/2 cup diced onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 chopped red bell pepper
2/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup finely chopped green chiles
28 oz can enchilada sauce (about 3 cups)
2 14 oz cans chicken broth
2 cups chopped tomatoes

Dumplings:
2 8.5 oz boxes corn bread mix
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk

Garnish:
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 cup sour cream

  Heat oil in large skillet. Add chicken breast. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add onion, garlic, pepper, cilantro. Saute for 5 more minutes. Pour into large stockpot. Add chilies, enchilada sauce, broth and tomatoes. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes.

  In a bowl, combine corn bread mix, eggs and milk. Spoon onto top of soup mixture. Cover and simmer on low for 25-30 minutes, or until pick inserted in dough comes out clean.

  Garnish with cheese and sour cream

Summer Berry Goat Cheese Grilled Sandwiches

Where has the time gone... Summer is really busy here. Horse shows and outside chores are keeping us really busy. Of course summer is the best time for fresh produce, and it's berry season! It's always fun to come up with new recipes to use fresh berries in. Muffins are great, but sometimes you want something a little different.

My fresh herb plants are doing great this summer, and I never miss an opportunity to use them in cooking. Dried herbs can be substituted for fresh, just use 1/8 tsp. Any hearty bread will work. I chose a multi grain. This recipe is for one sandwich, but it can be easily multiplied to make as many as you would like.

Summer Berry Grilled Goat Cheese Sandwiches

2 thick slices of crusty bread
1 tsp butter, plus extra to butter bread
1/4 tsp finely chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp honey
1/2 cup fresh blueberries
1/3 cup crumbled goat cheese

Butter bread slices on one side, set aside.

In a small saucepan, melt 1 tsp butter. Add chopped herbs, honey and berries. Simmer and stir over low heat for 3 minutes.

Spray a non stick skillet with cooking spray. Put one slice of bread, butter side down, into skillet. Place crumbled goat cheese on bread, then spoon berry mixture on top. Top with remaining slice of bread, butter side out. Push down slightly.

Brown each side over low heat until bread is golden and cheese is melted. Approx 4 minutes each side (will depend on exact heat of skillet and thickness of bread)

Red Hot Ranch Meatballs

Just in time for the Superbowl - Red Hot Ranch Meatballs. I suggest using pretzel sticks instead of toothpicks to serve these as appetizers, so that your guests don't have to worry about what to do with the toothpicks. These are hot! Serve a side of ranch for dipping.

Red Hot Ranch Meatballs

1 lb ground chicken or turkey
.4 oz packet of ranch salad dressing mix
1/2 cup finely diced celery
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 tsp minced garlic
3/4 cup Frank’s Red Hot Sauce
3/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Form into equal sized meatballs. Bake for 25 minutes.

Serve with celery sticks and ranch dressing for dipping.

Strawberry Snowflake Cupcakes

Red and white for Valentines Day. Strawberries and snow! These light and fluffy cupcakes are very simple to make. I started with a cake mix to make them even simpler. Don't be intimidated by the meringue icing. If you have a stand mixer, it's a breeze. A hand mixer would also work.

Strawberry Snowflake Cupcakes

18.25 ox box of white cake mix
1 can lemon lime soda
2 cups chopped strawberries (divided)
1 1/2 cups seedless strawberry jelly

Frosting:
5 large egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cream of tartar

Preheat oven to 350. line 2, 12 cup muffin pans with paper liners. In a large bowl, combine the cake mix and soda. Mix until just combined. Fold in one cup of chopped strawberries.

Bake cupcakes for 25-30 minutes until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Allow to cool.

When cupcakes are cool, fill a pastry bag with a tip withe the strawberry jelly. Using a paring knife, cut a small hole in the cucake. Press the pastry tip into the cupcake and squeeze in a small amount of jelly. Note - If you don’t want to do this step, you can wait until after you frost the cupcakes. Make a small indentation in the frosting, and put a tsp or so of jelly under the chopped strawberry garnish.

To make the frosting -Put afew inches of water in a saucepan the right size to hold the bowl of your electric mixer slightly above the water. Bring the water to a boil. Combine the frosting ingredients in the mixer bowl and set it over the boiling water. Whisk it constantly until the sugar is totally dissolved, mixture is smooth and it feels hot to the touch. About 2-3 minutes.

Transfer to the standing mixer, fitted with a whisk attachment, and beat on medium high speed until the meringue is shiny and will hold stiff peaks. About 5-7 minutes.

Spread the frosting on the cupcakes with a spoon or spatula. Use the back of the spoon to make it “spiky”. Garnish with remaining chopped strawberries.