Eager to start gardening

It's been warm (50s and 60s) for the past week, and the sun has been shining! I"m feeling the urge to garden, but it's still almost 2 month away from being safe to do any real planting of vegetables and flowers. Mother's Day is usually the benchmark, though we had frost after Mother's Day last year.
I decided to go to Lowe's and buy afew seeds to start indoors. Once I got there I also decided that I needed some pots, some bare root roses, some cherry trees.... $7 worth of seeds turned into $120, but that's the way it goes sometimes I guess!
The cherry trees are pretty big and look healthy. We've tried planting cherry trees before with dismal results, but I think the place we tried them just isn't a good spot. These will go on the other side of the property, near my $10 Big Lots dwarf pear tree that has flourished despite being almost completely neglected.
I got some little peat moss, plastic covered "greenhouses" and planted broccoli, spinach, artichokes, romaine, squash and some sunflowers, plus basil, fennel, and oregano in another pot. We'll see what happens. I tend to lose interest in seeds as time goes by. I usually buy most of our vegetable plants as established seedlings At Pettitti Garden Centers in Tallmadge Ohio (http://www.petittigardencenter.com). They always have a nice selection of vegetable plants.
Last year a persistent groundhog decimated all of our cruciferous veggies and lettuce, so we have to re fence the garden this year before planting.

Sweet Potato Citrus Cupcakes

2 leftover baked sweet potatoes and a box of lemon cake mix were my inspiration for these light and airy cupcakes. You can frost them as much or as little as you would like. I prefer just a little because I don't think that they need much, but the frosting recipe makes enough that you can add more if you wish. Without frosting, they would be great as breakfast/brunch muffins.
Simple to make, the sweet potato makes them moist enough that you don't even need to use any oil.

1 18.25 oz box lemon cake mix
1 1/3 cups orange juice
1 1/2 cups baked sweet potatoes, mashed (about 2 medium sweet potatoes)
3 eggs

Frosting:
1 8 oz package cream cheese (softened)
5 cups confectioners sugar

2 tbsp orange zest (optional for garnish)

Preheat oven to 350. Line two 12 cup muffin tins with paper liners. Combine cake mix, orange juice, sweet potatoes and eggs in mixer bowl. Beat for 30 seconds on low, then 2 minutes on medium.
Spoon equal amounts batter into muffin cups.Bake for 18-22 minutes or until pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes then frost as desired.
To make frosting - combine cream cheese and sugar in mixer bowl, beat on low until combined.

Ready for Spring

I am not one of those people who lives in Ohio and complains incessantly about winter. I love the change of seasons, but at the end of every season, I start to get antsy for the next one. I've reached that point with winter. The seed/plant catalogs are arriving in droves and I'm deciding what I want to order and plant. Cant' wait for the flowers to start blooming, and we are going to try our hand at beekeeping this year. For today, I need a little color!

Maple Bacon Sweet Potato Soup

I wanted to do a different twist on a baked potato soup. Sweet potatoes pack a great nutritional punch, so I'm always looking for new ways to fit them into the family menu. Use REAL maple syrup for this, not "pancake syrup". Meat lovers will want to use pork bacon, but I use turkey bacon and it works just fine.

Maple Bacon Sweet Potato Soup

12 strips bacon (plus extra for optional garnish if desired)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup chopped sweet onion
5 cups peeled sweet potatoes, chopped in 1” cubes
2 14 oz cans Chicken Broth
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground clove
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp liquid smoke
1/4 cup maple syrup (plus extra for garnish if desired)
1 cup evaporated milk
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper


Fry bacon until crisp, drain, crumble in small pieces and set aside.
Melt butter in a large stick pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sautee for 5 minutes. Add sweet potatoes and Swanson broth. Bring to a boil, then Simmer on low for approx 20 minutes, or until potatoes are soft.
Carefully transfer portions of the mixture to a blender and puree. When all batches are pureed, return them to the pot. Add the bacon, liquid smoke, maple syrup, evaporated milk, salt and pepper. Stir over medium until heated through.
Ladle into individual bowls. If desired, garnish with a spiral of drizzled maple syrup and sprinkle of crumbled bacon.

Tangy Lemon Pepper Crab Salad Dip with Tortilla Crisps

A foot of snow this weekend has me thinking towards summer. We met the little guy above on Assateague Island several years ago.
This summery recipe was a Dannon yogurt contest winner for me awhile back.

2 cups canned or fresh crab, drained and cartilage removed
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped sweet pickles
1 cup Dannon plain yogurt
1/3 cup sour cream
2 tbsp lemon juice, divided
1 1/2 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, divided
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder, divided
6 Burrito size flour tortillas
4 tbsp butter


In a large bowl, combine crab, onion, pickles, yogurt, sour cream, 1 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp lemon pepper seasoning, old bay & 1 tsp garlic powder. Combine thoroughly and refrigerate.
In microwave safe bowl, melt butter in microwave (30-45 seconds). Add remaining tbsp lemon juice, 1/2 tsp lemon pepper & 1/2 tsp garlic. Mix. Brush tortillas with butter mix. Cut tortillas into wedges with a pizza cutter, and Bake in 400 degree preheated until they reach desired crispness (approx 10 minutes).

Easy Focaccia Bread

This is one of those recipes that tastes/looks like you put a whole lot more effort into it than you actually did. You can use either homemade pizza dough (my favorite crust recipe is listed under pizza in the label section) or refrigerated dough. I never have any leftovers when I make this!

Fresh or refrigerated pizza dough
1 tsp olive oil
1 cup Italian salad dressing
2 tsp Italian seasoning
3/4 fresh grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 400. Lightly oil a pizza stone with the olive oil. Spread the dough on the stone, and made indentations in it with the tip of a wooden spoon. Pour on the dressing and spread it over the crust. Sprinkle with italian seasoning, then the grated cheese.
Bake 20 minutes or until golden brown. Slice into wedges and serve.

Red Pepper Shrimp Linguini / Dei Fratelli Tomatoes

Afew months ago I was a winner in a Dei Fratelli Tomatoes contest for my recipe for Red Pepper Shrimp Linguini. Spicy and easy to prepare, I make this all the time. The less mess I have to make, the better sometimes, and only 2 pots are needed for this one.
My prize from the contest was a box of Dei Fratelli products every month for a year, and I just got my first one yesterday. There were other items in the box (like salsas) that were spirited off by my family before I could take a photo, but I will definitely make use of every item. This brand is one of my favorites as they use real food ingredients. No high fructose corn syrup, no need for a chemistry degree to decipher the label.

http://www.deifratelli.com/recipes/recipes_contest09.php

Red Pepper Shrimp Linguini

Ingredients:
1/3 cup Olive oil 1 cup White onion, sliced thin 1 cup Red bell peppers, sliced 2 1/2 Tbsp. Garlic, minced 1/4 cup Fresh basil, finely chopped 2 Tbsp. Oregano 1 Tbsp. Rosemary 1 tsp. Salt	1/2 tsp. Black pepper 3/4 cup Mushrooms, sliced 1 14.5 oz. can Dei Fratelli Chopped Italian Tomatoes 1 1/2 pounds Fresh large shrimp, cleaned and deveined, tail on (can substitute thawed frozen cooked shrimp) 1 pound Linguini, cooked al dente per package instructions
Preparation: Heat oil in large pot with lid. Add onion, peppers, garlic, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt, pepper and mushrooms. Sautée over medium heat 5 minutes. Add tomatoes. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add shrimp and simmer until shrimp is pink and hot (if using frozen cooked shrimp, approx 5 minutes to heat through). Toss with cooked pasta