Mini Rueban Sliders for St. Patrick's Day

Want a fun twist on the Reuben sando for St. Patrick's Day? Try Mini Reuben Sliders.  They are better than the real thing and oh, so easy!

Mini Reuben Sandwich Sliders

Ingredients:

Rye Bread Sandwich Minis (Mini Loaf)
Cooked Corned Beef
Sauerkraut (drained)
Swiss Cheese
Thousand Island Dressing

Instructions: 

Top a single slice of Rye mini-loaf with corned beef, sauerkraut (be sure to drain first in a napkin), and Swiss cheese. Cover another slice with Thousand Island dressing liberally and top on sandwich.  Bake at 450 degrees for a few minutes, until slightly brown and cheese is melted.

Check out my other St. Patrick's Day Hosting ideas, St. Patrick's Day recipes, and how to make a Shamrock Cake.

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Halloween Pasta Night with Pumpkin Sage Sauce

Well, it's that time of year again...Pasta Party Time!  Every year, I host a quick and easy dinner before trick-or-treating by hosting a pasta bar.  What's great about the pasta bar on Halloween is:

1. You can make all the sauces ahead of time and just re-heat and boil your noodles in a flash on Halloween night.
2. You aren't a slave to your kitchen while being distracted by door-ringing trick-or-treaters.
3. Everyone loves pasta.
4. Your guests can use a selection of noodles, sauces, meatballs and toppings to create their own personalized dish.

This year I'm opting for the following pasta bar options:

Noodles:
Wheat-enriched thin spaghetti
Harvest-colored pumpkin shaped noodles
Mushroom-stuffed tortillis

Toppings:
Fresh basil
Parmesan
Romano
Black olives

Meatballs:
Elk meatballs
Turkey meatballs

Sauces:
Traditional marinara sauce 
Alfredo
Sage Pumpkin Sauce

Now, for those of you who are just reading this blog, let me tell you...THE SAGE PUMPKIN SAUCE IS TO DIE FOR!  It's so easy to make (20-30 mins) and is a great Autumn twist on the classic.  So...here's the recipe.  Promise to try it!

Pumpkin Sage Sauce

 Pumpkin Sage Sausage Sauce

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
1 pound sage-flavored sausage (Johnsonville)
4 TBSP fresh garlic
1 medium red onion, finely chopped
1 bay leaf
4 to 6 sprigs sage leaves, diced
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 cup cream or milk
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Coarse salt and black pepper
1 pound pasta
Fresh Romano/Parmigiano blend

Heat a large, deep nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan and brown the sausage in it. Remove sausage from pan (drain if desired). Add to pan the remaining tablespoon oil, and then the garlic and onion. Saute 3 to 5 minutes until the onions are tender.

Add bay leaf, sage, and wine to the pan. Reduce wine by half, about 2 minutes. Add stock and pumpkin and stir to combine, stirring sauce until it comes to a bubble. Return sausage to pan, reduce heat, and stir in cream. Season the sauce with the cinnamon and nutmeg, and salt and pepper, to taste. Simmer mixture 5 to 10 minutes to thicken sauce.

Return drained pasta to the pot you cooked it in. Remove the bay leaf from sauce and pour the sausage pumpkin sauce over pasta. Combine sauce and pasta and toss over low heat for 1 minute. Garnish the pasta with lots of shaved cheese and sage leaves.

PS - The side of meatballs were a real hit!  I highly recommend making your meatballs from turkey, as they absorb the taste of the sauce better than red meat.  Plus, they are so much healthier and the leftovers freeze well.

Pop Culture Halloween Costumes Through the Years

My brother as Reno 9-1-1; maybe the funniest ever!

Is it just me, or is Halloween the perfect holiday? I think some of my first memories are of Halloween.  Maybe I was a little bit dark child, or maybe it was just that I've always loved to play dress up, but as both a kid and an adult.  I absolutely love Halloween--and I don't even like candy (and never really have)!

I can still remember every costume I've ever worn. Usually, I wanted to be something pretty: a princess, angel, genie, cat.  There was the year I wanted to be a punk rocker in the 1985, but my mom made me go as a half-boy/half-girl instead.  Then there was the year of the way too young and inappropriate french maid, the Egyptian princess, and Elvira.

In the 90's, I enjoyed getting into character, so I dressed up as Britney Spears (before she was popular) and during a dinner at a late-night restaurant, convinced the staff I was actually "Britney Bitch." They were so enamored with "Britney", each chef came out one-by-one for autographs of posters they had of her in the kitchen.

In my college years, a group of my gal pals and I all dressed up as the Spice Girls, and following that, I began to make couples costumes with my soon to-be-husband.  We've been the Scooby Doo gang, a Genie and an Astronaut, and the Incredibles.

Costumes are just so much fun, I wanted to share some of them with you.  I have found that the best costumes 1) are homemade, 2) allow you to get into character, and 3) have some element of pop-culture.  That's why we seem to move towards movie/tv celebrities in past years.

This year, my husband and I are going as two pop-culture icons.  Can you guess???  I'll be sure to share photos!

The Early Years

My totally age-inappropriate French Maid costume, circa 1992 I think

The College Years

2X Brittney - This time in her "Oops! I did it Again" Video

The Scooby Doo Gang - Doesn't my hubby look exactly like Fred?

My 20's (the childless years)

Apparently before the age of digital film - I was "I Dream of Jeanie" and my hubby was an Astronaut

The characters of "Chicago"

My brother as Justin Timberlake as Beyonce in the video "All the Single Ladies"

My hubby as G.W. Bush, my brother as Brett Michaels, my sis as Kat Von Dee and my sis in law as Nancy Kerrigan

The Family Years

The Incredibles - Still one of my favorite costumes

The Incredibles Plus Child

My son's first Halloween

My son's second Halloween

Last Halloween.  My son kept saying "I want to suck your thumb!"

Goldie Locks and the Three Desserts

As I have not so subtly hinted before, I am not much of a dessert person.  I just tend to shy away from the sweet stuff.  But since going back on Weight Watchers which cuts my wine habit in half, I have been fulfilling my wine cravings with summer pies.  I'm not sure this is a good thing for the waist line, and am thinking of retreating back to the alcohol for my waistline's sake. 

Not that I haven't found yummy, low-point desserts in the meantime!  But we managed to make three--yes three--desserts in seven days last week.  Yikes! 

You know the story of Goldie Locks? Well this is the the Weight Watcher version of that story and I am Goldie Locks and this is my guide to desserts.

This one was too sweet (and really, really bad for you!).

A coconut creme pie with fresh coconut from the bulk section, fresh whipped cream, and the secret...extra thick pie crust made by doubling (yes, twice the butter, shortening and flour) the Crisco crust recipe. We tried to use a coconut milk whipped cream recipe I found on Pinterest, but guess what...it didn't work.  Liers! I just wasted $4 in coconut milk!

This one was too bland.

I used sugar-free vanilla pudding with fat-free milk and topped it with fresh black berries and fat-free whipped cream (from a can, in the dairy aisle--very good!).  Though the berries dramatically helped, overall it was pretty bland.  Though at 35 calories, I can't complain too much.  My sweet tooth did relent after eating it.

This one was just...right.

How about this fancy pic!  I'm getting better with my iPhone!

I found this recipe on Pinterest as well, and Bravo! it was delicious.  If you like lemon bars or tart foods, this one's for you.  It's incredibly easy and although the crust is a little heavy on calories, the filling is actually not that bad for you since it's made with Greek Yogurt and very little sugar.  In fact, I might recommend the filling on a reduced-fat graham crust or even philo dough!

It is delicious, and a must try!!!  Bonus points if you grow your own Rosemary.  So here's the recipe for this Lemon Rosemary Tart. 

 Lemon Tart with Rosemary Crust

Created, photographed, and shared by Good Things Grow

for the crust

• 1 1/3 cup spelt flour
• 3 tablespoons cane sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, chopped
• pinch of salt
• 1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
• 1-2 tablespoon ice water

for the filling

• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup cane sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Preheat the oven to 350˚F. Lightly butter a 9-inch tart pan and set aside.

Place the flour, sugar, rosemary, and salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse a few times. Add the butter and pulse until little pea sized bits start to form. Add in the ice water, starting with just 1 tablespoon. Pulse a few more times, then check the dough to see if it holds together when pressed between your fingers. If not, add the 2nd tablespoon. The dough may still seem crumbly, but as long as it holds together when pressed it will be perfect.

 Dump the dough out into the prepared tart pan. Starting from the center, work your way out to the sides by pressing the dough firmly into the pan. Make sure you press it up along the sides evenly. Pierce the bottom with a fork a few times and place in the oven to bake for about 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack for at least 5 minutes before filling.

Meanwhile prepare the filling. Place the yogurt and sugar in a bowl and whisk until thoroughly combined. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time, then add the lemon juice and zest. Whisk until smooth and everything is evenly combined.

Pour the filling into the crust and bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes or until the center is set and only slightly jiggles when shaken lightly.

Allow to cool completely then place in the fridge to chill for at least 1 hour before serving. Tart can be made the day before and kept covered and chilled in the fridge. Serve with fresh whipped cream if you’d like.

via HappyYolks.com

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St. Patty's Party

What do mini leprechaun hats, gold coins, mint cake, and Ruben sandwiches have in common? They were all part of our St. Patty's party on Saturday!

I found a recipe for a spinach-inspired appetizer.  It was super-easy.  Just take frozen spinach, Muenster cheese, Parmesan, bacon, salt, and green onion and spread on Puff Pastry sheets.  Roll up and cut, then back at 375 for 10 minutes.

Puff Pastry Roll Ups

The hosts: Even my dog got in on the holiday, with his green "faux hawk".

My son and I donned mini-leprechaun hats.

I added gold coins to my hurricanes and topped the candles with mini-hats.  Then I added bowls of beer chips and pretzels to go with our green beers.

I found clear plastic plates for easy clean up, and made each party-goer a green shamrock cookie with their name on it and used it as a place marker.

On the menu?  Mini Rueben Sliders.  They are better than the real thing!  Just buy the mini-loafs of Rye bread, add corned beef, sauerkraut (be sure to drain first in a napkin), Swiss cheese and Thousand Island dressing.  Bake at 450 degrees for a few minutes.

For dessert? Try this pretty mint cake.

How to Make a Pretty Mint Cake

Disclosure: I suck at baking.  The good news?  My husband is great at it!  So when preparing for Saturday's St. Patrick's Day party, I made the food, and he made the cake.

I found this great recipe on Pinterest for a Mint Chocolate Cake.  It turned out amazing (thanks to my hubby) and it was beautiful to boot.

Here's how you do it.


St. Patrick's Day Mint Chocolate Cake

Ingredients

Cake:

2 Boxes of White Cake Mix (and the eggs and oil to make it)
2 TSP Mint Extract, separated (we couldn't find plain "mint" so we used peppermint)
Green Food Coloring
2 TSP Unsweetened Cocoa Mix
Dark Chocolate Bar (like Hershey's)

Frosting:
1 Stick Softened Butter
1 Pound (Half a Bag) Powdered Sugar
1/4 TSP Salt
1 TSP Vanilla
1 Pint Whipped Cream

Instructions

Make white cake according to mix directions.  Separate into four bowls.  Leave first bowl as-is.  In second bowl, add cocoa mix.  In third bowl, add 1 TSP of mint extract and one drop of food coloring.  In fourth bowl, add 1 TSP of mint extract and four drops of food coloring.

Pour equal parts of the four cake mixes into two 9" cake pans, swirling with a spatula as you go to create a pretty swirled pattern.  Bake according to cake mix directions.  Let cool.

Once cooled, cut off the cake tops so each cake is perfectly flat on both sides.  We chose to keep one of the tops in place, so the cake had a dome shape, but good practice is to make it flat on top.  Make the frosting.

To make the frosting, beat the whipped cream until stiff.  Set aside.  In a mixer, blend butter and vanilla.  Mix together salt and powdered sugar and add to butter mixture.  Beat until well mixed.  Fold in whipped cream. 

Place frosting atop one of the cakes, and then stack the second cake atop the first frosted cake to create a double-layer cake.

Frost the outside of the cooled cake and refrigerate until time to serve.  Garnish with flakes scraped from dark chocolate bar.

Patty-Cake, Patty Cake, Leprechaun Man

I'm a big fan of under-rated holidays.  A Marti Gras doesn't go by where we don't blare jazz music and make Louisiana Low Boil.  Cinco de May hits and we are watching Spanglish and eating enchiladas and homemade chiro's.  And St. Patrick's Day is no different.

This year, because St. Patty's falls on a Saturday, we are planning on hosting a few of our favorite people to help us ring in the Leprechaun!

So, what's on the menu for St. Patty's.  So far, this is what we've got:

Green Beer (just add a couple drops of food coloring into your beer.  We use Michalob Ultra.)

Mini Reuben Sliders (That was my idea!  How cute, right?)

Spinach Cheese Swirls

NW Low Boil (a hosting fave!)

Shamrock Cake 

...And of course, the family favorite, Shamrock Cookies

What are your St. Patty's ideas!  Share them with me and I'll report back!