Foodie Fave: Champagne Jello Shots

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Ok, guys. We’re about to get next level with jello shots – champagne jello shots! The minute I saw this post from Sugar and Cloth I knew I had to share it with you all. Especially with New Years’ Eve right around the corner, these are the perfect compliment to that champagne glass in your hand. Cheers, darlings!

  • 8 oz Champagne or Cava
  • 4 oz Gin
  • 2 oz fresh squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 oz simple syrup (quick recipe below)*
  • 2 packages Knox gelatin
  • Edible gold leaf for garnishing (optional)

Combine the simple syrup and lemon juice in a cocktail shaker filled with ice. Shake well, then pour into a medium saucepan and sprinkle with gelatin. Allow the gelatin to soak for two minutes, then heat over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the gelatin is fully dissolved (about 5 minutes).

Remove from heat and add the gin and Champagne, stirring well to blend. Pour into a very lightly greased loaf pan and chill until fully set, several hours or overnight.

Turn out the set gelatin onto parchment paper, then slice carefully (a thin knife works best) into rectangles or squares.

Garnish with edible gold leaf using a paintbrush (use one you can reserve for food only — you don’t want paint chemicals in your food!). Gold leaf crumbles and sticks to things (like fingers!) easily, so be gentle — just pull off tiny corners with the brush (they will stick), then place them gently on top of the gelée squares.

*If you don’t have simple syrup here is a simple easy recipe. In a small sauce pan over medium high heat, add 1 cup of sugar and 1 cup water. Bring it to a simmer. Watch it closely for roughly 5 minutes until it has a syrupy consistency.

champagne-jello-shots-colleen-jeffers-10

*Photo: Sugar and Cloth

Happy Eating (and Happy New Years’!), XO.

Cornbread Stuffing with Sausage

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Two posts in one week?! Well it is the week of eating so, we wanted to bring you as many tasty recipes as possible to get ready for the big day.

So technically this is dressing and not stuffing because my future father in law will probably be stuffing the bird with aromatics but let’s be real, whatever you call this dish is just semantics. IT’S FREAKING TASTY, is all that matters. This dish reminds me of my mom (& uncle). Mom and I both adore when there is sausage in stuffing or dressing. We are also big fans of cornbread, so this is a family favorite. My uncle typically made his stuffing with white bread but one year to mix it up he did cornbread and it was epic. So in reverence to my late uncle and his impeccable cooking skills I am going to attempt to replicate his yummy side for my future in laws.

  • 1 lb. sausage (I did it with chorizo to give it a spicy flair)
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 tbsp. of fresh sage
  • 1 tbsp. of fresh rosemary
  • ½ tbsp. of fresh thyme
  • 2 cloves smashed/minced garlic
  • 2 cups or 3-4 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 stick butter
  • 2 cups of chicken or turkey broth
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup
  • S&P to taste
  • 1 family size pan of cornbread (So think like 2 jiffy boxes worth, made in advance & don’t use the sweet/honey cornbread)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Crumble the cornbread into a large bowl and set aside while you brown the meat. Drain the fat before adding sausage to cornbread bowl. Sauté the onions, celery, garlic, and butter until semi-translucent. In another bowl whisk together the broth, cream of chicken soup, herbs, and s&p. Pour into cornbread, sausage, and veggie mixture and stir together gently.

Spray a 2 quart baking dish with cooking spray or grease with butter and spoon mixture into pan. Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes or until browned & heated through.

Happy Eating, XO.

Crockpot Cranberry Sauce

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Guys, I’m in a bit of panic mode. Not only is this my first time HOSTING thanksgiving, it’s for my prospective in-laws! Eek! I needed to streamline all the cooking and not be in utter meltdown mode this week. Alas, I found a real simple cranberry sauce recipe that is from scratch and uses real cranberries. Can’t impress the MIL with canned cran sauce, now can I? Also, I mean, we have a food blog after all. Anyway, it’s really great because it comes out a bit chunky or chutney-like consistency so your guests can see that it’s homemade. I doubled the recipe, but this seems to be the recommended amount to make. I just figured since its yum I can save in a jar for leftovers for the week. Note some of the other sides I am serving for this holiday meal with my new family are: the mushrooms in poblano sauce, roasted Brussel sprouts (I added pancetta and balsamic glaze for a sweet & salty twist), and garlic chive mashed potatoes. Stay tuned for the corn bread “dressing” stuffing recipe we will be posting shortly as well…Boy menu planning has been a treat but stay on top of our Instagram to see how my first ever turns out…

  • 1 bag fresh cranberries (12 oz)
  • ¼ cup fresh orange juice (use the bottle stuff if you don’t have an actual orange)
  • ¾ cup orange marmalade (smuckers is fine but I balled out and bought some artisan ginger orange marmalade)
  • ¾ cup white sugar
  • ¼ tsp cinnamon

Optional is I zested a lemon and the orange I juiced for some freshness

Combine all the ingredients in the crockpot & stir. Cook on HIGH for 3 hrs or until the cranberries begin to pop. After that 3 hrs or so, gently smash the cranberries up against the side of the crockpot to help the rest pop while you stir. Remove the lid and then cook on HIGH for another r30 minutes without the lid on. Did I mention that stove top and oven space is limited & therefore precious for such a big meal? So this crockpot wonder was a LIFESAVER! Hope you guys dig it too…

 

Happy Eating, XO

Cold Brew Coffee (with Cardamom!)

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In honor of International Coffee Day yesterday, we’re bringing you an international coffee recipe!

I’m sure by now you’ve heard of cold brew coffee. Especially now that Starbucks has started featuring it. For those of you who aren’t sure about it: No, it’s not cold coffee. You can still drink it hot. Yes, it’s so much more delicious, flavorful and fresh than regular brewed. No, you don’t have to use it all at once. It can stay in the fridge for up to two weeks. Yes, it gives you an excuse to use one of your cute mason jars for real (and not just decoration).

My British friend (told you this would be international) recently introduced me to this British fellow, Mike Cooper, after discussing homemade cold brew coffee. I thought I needed huge special equipment and my own goddamn coffee tree to make cold brew. But therein lies the beauty – you only need a bowl and a strainer. (Oh, and that cute mason jar.) That’s it. However, I will warn you – it does take about 24 hours to make, but it’s well worth the wait. Trust.

  • 2 cups fresh coffee grinds
  • 4 cups filtered water
  • 1/4 cup cardmom pods (optional)*
  • Paper towel or a sieve

In a large bowl, pour in the coffee grinds and water. *If you’re making cardamom coffee, mix in the pods. Cover it with a tea towel and place in the fridge. Our British fellow says to leave it for 20 hours but I’ve been doing between 24-28. You’ll see a nice foam at the top when you take it out.

After the wait is finally over, you’re going to strain the grinds. If you’re using a sieve, strain the coffee into a medium sized bowl. Once strained, covered another bowl with the paper towel and pour the coffee over it.

If you’re using paper towel, you’ve already cut to the second part and will only need to strain once. Cover a medium sized bowl with the paper towel and pour the coffee over slowly, letting it strain through.

At this point the coffee is really concentrated, but it gives you the freedom to choose how strong you want your cup to be. Pour a little coffee into a cup, and using piping hot water (or cold for iced coffee) fill it to your liking. If you’re a big fan of iced coffee like my husband, you can also use the concentrate to make a few iced cubes for next time.

cold-brew-coffee

 

Happy Drinking, XO.

Foodie Fave: Turmeric & Almond Milk Latte

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Yeah, yeah, I know we’ve been giving you a lot of drinks lately, but lesbehonest. There’s always room for drinks. And with fall right around the corner (although it may not feeeel like it) you need a couple of cozy drink options.

For a little while now, I’ve been a fan of turmeric and its super powers. So, I’m really excited to see it popping up in so many recipes. Especially a creamy latte such as this from Figs and Pigs. When the fall weather finally comes, grab your knit sweaters and biggest mug and settle in with this super easy recipe. (And obvi throw in an Instagram shoot bc you’ll have everything for the perfect photo. #fall)

  • 2 1/2 cups of unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1″ grated ginger
  • 1 tsp honey
  • 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp coconut oil

In a pan on a medium heat add all the ingredients. For the ginger, squeeze the grated pulp so just the juice is used in the latte. Discard the pulp. Heat until just before boiling whisking all the while for about 6 mins. Serve immediately.

Turmeric Almond Milk Latte

*Photo cred: Figs and Pigs

Happy Drinking, XO.