Cheesy Bacon Hashbrown Muffins

 

 

I love hashbrowns but making them usually takes more time than I have in the mornings so around our house they are generally reserved for weekends only. This recipe is great because I can quickly make a dozen hashbrown "muffins" and keep them for great grab-and-go breakfasts during the week since they freeze so well. They would also be perfect to serve at a brunch.

 

Ingredients: Hashbrown potatoes, shredded cheese, bacon, salt & pepper. I found the "just add water" hashbrowns pictured above at Costco, but refrigerated shredded potatoes would work just as well. Or for the super ambitious, you can use a grater and shred potatoes yourself.

Fry Little Piggies: For a dozen muffins, I used 3 pieces of bacon. But feel free to make some extra to eat while your muffins are in the oven. It will make your tummy happy. After the bacon is cooked, use a paper towel to blot off the grease, and crumble it into small pieces.

Prep Muffin Tin: Grease the muffin tin with non-stick spray. I've been using coconut oil spray lately and it smells lovely.

Add Hashbrowns to Tin: Fill each hole of the tin with hashbrowns, and then press them down with the back of a spoon. After you smush them down, the tin will be about 2/3 full.

Add Cheese & Bacon: Sprinkle some shredded cheese and cooked bacon crumbles on top of the hashbrowns.

Fill Tin with Hashbrowns: Top with remaining hash browns and pack them down firmly.

Bake: Pop the tin into the oven preheated to 350 degrees for about an hour. The tops will be lightly browned.

Yummmm: The hashbrown muffins should pop out easily when you turn the tin over. The bottom and sides will be crispy and the insides will be soft and delicious!

Store the leftovers in an airtight bag or container in the refrigerator for a few days or in the freezer for a few weeks. These make a quick and easy breakfast on the go.

Variations: You can substitute the cheese and bacon for whatever veggies or breakfast meats you like - ham, sausage, peppers, onions, etc.

Easy-Peel Hard Boiled Eggs

 

Let's face it. Peeling a hard boiled egg sucks. For this reason, I reserved eating hard boiled eggs for Easter or when someone else had prepared some deviled eggs. I had even considered buying the already cooked eggs from the grocery store, but something about that totally grossed me out - not to mention they were VERY expensive. So after several failed attempts I finally found a pretty good system of preparing hard boiled eggs.

The first and probably most important thing to know, is that you do not want to use fresh eggs.  You don't want to use spoiled/expired eggs either, but don't try to boil the eggs you bought today.  Let them sit in the refrigerator for at least a week.  I tend to make hard boiled eggs when I notice my eggs will be expiring in the next couple days and I don't want them to go to waste. Fresh eggs will not peel as easily.

Step 1: Put some eggs in sauce pan.  I usually don't stack the eggs - just make a layer on the bottom.

Step 2: Completely cover eggs with water. Add at least 1" of water above the top of the eggs.  Add some salt to the water (about a tablespoon).  The eggs won' taste salty - it just magically helps in the peeling process.

Step 3: Cook on high until the water comes to a roaring boil and then turn off the heat.

Step 4: Immediately after turning off the heat, put a lid on it. Set your timer to 17 minutes. Don't take the lid off the pot until the 17 minutes is over.  The eggs are still cooking in the hot water.

Step 5: Shock the eggs in freezing cold water.  Some people use an ice bath, but I think the water coming out of my tap during a Detroit winter is cold enough! Keep them in the cold water until the eggs no longer feel warm. This takes about 5 minutes. If you are using an ice bath, you will need to keep adding more ice as the ice melts. If you stick your hand in the water, it should feel VERY cold.

Step 6: Once the eggs are cool, pour the water from the pan.  This is where you would THINK you are finished, but you are not! (Here comes the secret awesome wonderful way I peel them...)

Step 7: Shake them eggs! Hold the handle of the pot and shake the pan back and forth (not up and down because we aren't trying to flip the eggs out of the pan!). You'll want to shake the pan hard enough the eggs bump against each other and the side of the pan and the shells crack, not too hard or you will end up breaking the actual eggs. Trust me, I learned this from experience.

Step 8: Peel off the shell. You should be able to use thumb and just push the shell right off the egg. Turn on the water and rinse off any little shell pieces that are left on the egg. Easy peasy, right?

Store the eggs in an airtight container or zip-top baggy for up to 5 days in the refrigerator.

Valentine's Day Cookie Cake

 

Show your lover some love this Valentine's Day with a homemade Cookie Cake! I came across a recipe for a cookie cake and thought it was the best idea because I always lose steam halfway through making regular cookies.  Once the first batch is in the oven, I usually decide I no longer want to roll the dough into balls and end up eating the leftover raw cookie dough and feeling pretty miserable afterwards.  Solution, one giant Cookie Cake!

 

Ingredients: 3/4 cup softened butter, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 1 cup plus 1 tbs. all purpose flour, 1/4 tsp baking soda,  1 egg, 1 tsp pure vanilla extract (not pictured), 1 cup of M&M's.
 

Cream Brown Sugar & Butter: AKA - use the back of a spoon to mash your butter and brown sugar together.  (Note: It's important that you use softened butter and not melted butter.  I'm not normally one for following rules when I cook, but baking is another story.  Using softened butter will give you a fluffier cake and using melted butter will make your cake flat.)

Add Egg & Vanilla: Mix one egg and one teaspoon of vanilla extract into your butter/sugar mixture.

Add Flour & Baking Soda: Add 1 cup & 1 tbs. flour and 1/4 tsp of baking soda.  I have no idea who discovered that 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon is the right amount - but that is what the cookie recipe told me to do.

Mix in M&Ms: Fold in 1 cup (I used a HEAPING cup) of M&M's to the batter.

Pour Batter into Pie Pan: Pour the batter into a greased pie pan.  I sprinkled some more M&M's on top for some extra pizazz.

Bake that Cake! Bake the cake in a 325 degree pre-heated oven for 27-30 minutes until a tooth pick comes out clean.

 

Eat it! Or give it to your Valentine! Either serve this as is or top it off with some ice cream! Yum!

Adult Mac & Cheese

Last year for my birthday, my friend Meghan treated me to dinner at Granite City.  I had never been there before and the waitress suggested I try their Adult Mac & Cheese.  I was in heaven.  It was the best mac and cheese I have ever eaten and even though I was completely stuffed halfway through, I ate every last drop because it was just that amazing. I'm pretty sure Meghan had to stop me from licking the bowl clean.  It was THAT good. 

A few weeks later I had the craving for this amazing mac and cheese - so I was bound and determine to make a copycat version and I have to admit it, it's bowl licking delicious! Eric says it is in his top 5 favorite things I cook.  We eat this a couple times a month and it never disappoints.

Ingredients:
- 1 box (16 oz.) rigatoni pasta
- 16 oz. alfredo sauce
- 3/4 cup shredded pepper jack cheese
- 3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
- 1/4 cup crumbled bacon (or real bacon bits)
- 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

Cook the Pasta: Prepare pasta according to the directions on the box.  I like my pasta extra saucy, so I usually use a little less than the full box of pasta.

Heat Sauce: While your pasta is cooking, heat the alfredo sauce in a sauce pan. You could be fancy and make your own alfredo sauce, but I find that a jar from the grocery store tastes pretty delicious and is a heck of a lot easier.

Add Cheese: Once the sauce is hot, turn the heat to low and slowly add the cheese to the afredo sauce. Stir the sauce as the cheese is melting. You can probably use any sort of cheese you like, so if you aren't into spicy food - don't use pepper jack!

Add Red Papper & Bacon: Stir in as much or as little red pepper as you'd like.  I suggest 1/2 tsp.  I have a high spicy tolerance so I add a lot.  If you don't - take it easy.  Add about 1/4 cup of crumbled bacon or real bacon bits. (Note: if I am using real bacon bits, I usually pour them into a microwave safe bowl and nuke them for about 30 seconds to crisp them up a little bit before adding them to the sauce.)

Drain, Mix & Serve: Once the pasta is finished cooking, drain it and mix it with the cheesy alfredo sauce. Serve and enjoy immediately!

If you are a fan of baked mac and cheese, you can easily bake this.  After you completed the above steps, pour the mac and cheese into a baking dish, top with plain bread crumbs and pop it into the broiler for a few minutes.

Another variation is to add grilled chicken to the mac and cheese after serving.

Favorite Food Finds: Trader Joe's Country Potatoes

Between working full time and taking night classes, I love when I find something that is so easy to make it seems too good to be true.  A favorite find of mine are Country Potatoes with Haricot Verts & Wild Mushrooms from Trader Joe's.  (That's just a fancy way to say potatoes, green beans and mushrooms!)  Found in the freezer section, a bag costs around $2.50 at the Trader Joe's by my house.

This side goes from freezer to dinner table in minutes.  Pour the contents of the bag into a microwave safe container, cover and cook on high for 5-6 minutes, stirring once. The bag has 4 servings at 130 calories per serving.  (But they are so delicious, we don't get more than 2 servings from a bag!!)

Super Bowl Tortellini Pasta Salad

 

 

Are you ready for some football?! Or should I say, are you ready for some football food!?  My favorite part of Super Bowl Sunday is eating all the yummy party food!  Tonight I am bringing this tortellini pasta salad to a Super Bowl party.  It's super easy twist on traditional pasta salad, using cheese tortellini instead of regular pasta.

Ingredients: One package of frozen cheese tortellini (20 oz), 1 cup of grape tomatoes sliced in half, 8 oz. of cubed fresh mozzarella cheese, 3 oz. of mini pepperoni slices, 3/4 cup Caesar vinaigrette, 1 tsp. of basil (or a 1/3 cup of fresh chopped basil if you're fancy), 1 tsp. of McCormick Salad Supreme seasoning, salt and pepper to taste

Cook Tortellini: Prepare the tortellini as directed on the package. (The kind I use needed to boil for 2 minutes - super quick!)

Drain & Rinse: Drain the tortellini and rinse it in cold water until they are cool.

Add Tomato: Chop the grape tomatoes in half and put them in a large bowl with the tortellini.  You can also use cherry tomatoes or dice up whole tomatoes.  Whatever your like best!

Add Cheese: Dice the mozzarella into 1/2" cubes and add it to the bowl.

Add Pepperoni: Add about 1/2 cup of mini pepperonis.  I bought a 5 oz. bag and used a little more than half.  You can also buy regular sized slices and cut them in half or buy a log of pepperoni and cube it.  I use the minis because there is literally no work involved.  Open bag, dump 'em in. Done.

Add Dressing & Seasonings: Add basil (fresh or flakes), salad seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.  Add 3/4 cup of Caesar salad dressing.  I used a vinaigrette but you could use the creamy kind if you have it.  I prefer to use the vinaigrette simply because it's less calories. (Note: I like my pasta salads very saucy and the noodles soak up a lot of the dressing - if you don't like a saucy salad you may want to cut back a bit on the dressing, you can always add more later on if you'd like.)

Refrigerate and Serve! Mix everything together and let this salad sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour before serving so the flavors can really mesh together.

 

10 Questions You're Too Embarassed to Ask Your Wedding Photographer

 

 

Wedding photography is a lot of work and for that reason, I don't photograph my close friends' weddings.  I'd much rather enjoy a day of love, laughter and booze than run around like a crazy lady with a camera in front of my face the entire time. Of course, I take engagement photos, design invitations and programs and most importantly, I can give my friends the answers to their questions that they are afraid to ask their wedding photographers.  Whether they feel silly asking or they are afraid to offend their photographer, I've been asked the following questions by more than one person!

 

1. Do I really need to take engagement photos?  What do I use them for?
A lot of photographers included an engagement session with their photography package. This benefits both you and the photographer.  You can get a feel for the photographers style and personality while the photographer gets to know you and your personality.  On your wedding day, your photographer will be by your side for most of the day.  It's important to get to know them before the big day so you are comfortable with them and they are with you.  Of course, you can always meet with your photographer for coffee and to see if you click before you make your decision to hire them, because liking your photographer is just as important as liking their work.

So now you've got these engagement photos of you and your beloved gazing into each others eyeballs... what the heck do you do with them?  

- Display them at your wedding shower
- Print them on your Save the Date cards and wedding programs
- Use them on your wedding website
- Engagement announcement in the newspaper
- Use them in your guestbook. (I think it's a great idea to add prompts to your guestbook to encourage your guests to write special messages and advice instead of just signing their name.)

2. Do I feed the photographer at my wedding?  Should I assign them a seat?
Would you work like a dog for 8+ hours and not take a quick break to eat?  No way. Remember that your photographer is constantly running in circles around you and not taking any breaks so that they can capture all your special and magical moments. Definitely feed them!  Besides, no one wants their picture taken while they are eating, so your photographer will have some down time.  Assign your photographer to a table.  If you don't want to give them a place card or put them on your seating chart, that is okay - but just make sure you remember to tell them that there is a seat for them at Table 15. If you have several vendors, such as photographers, DJs, and videographers, you can reserve a table for them.  Don't make your photographer wander around waiting for everyone else to start eating to scope out the available chair. They'll want to get back to business quickly, so make dinner easy on them. 

3. How will the photographer know who I want formal photographs taken of?
That's easy - just tell your photographer. I tell my clients to provide me a list of any family groups they want photos of.  It is not uncommon for the couple to have divorced parents and sometimes that can get awkward for everyone when the photographer doesn't know.  This way, I can consult my list and call out the names of everyone the bride wants in the shot.  If you don't give me a shot list, that's okay too - I just call out the basic configurations (parents/grandparents/siblings) and then ask the bride along the way if there is anything else she wants. If you have any must-have group shots, definitely make a list - this way you don't forget.  You have a million things running through your mind during your wedding.



4. Is it rude to show the photographer examples of pictures I want taken?
Absolutely not. The photographer probably has a style of their own that you've already checked out before you booked them - but it doesn't hurt to show them photographs that you have seen that you liked.  This will help them get a feel for your style.  Of course, don't think that just because you show your photographer a photo of a couple romping through a corn field at sunset that you will get that photo at your wedding day.  Unless of course, you are getting married in a corn field at sunset.

5. Can't I just have my uncle/cousin/neighbor take the photos?
If you know someone with wedding photography experience who OFFERS to take photos at your wedding, absolutely. As a rule, if this is a person who you would want at your wedding (even if they didn't have a nice camera) I would think twice about having them photograph your wedding. The reason you have a wedding reception is to celebrate your marriage with your friends and family.  The photographer doesn't get to celebrate the same way as a regular guest.  Of course, I wouldn't tell a family member to not bring their camera to your wedding - the more pictures the better - but I would hire someone else for your primary photographer.  (Also - this relative/friend is probably your best resource at finding a great photographer. Ask them for their opinion or a referral when picking a photographer.)



6. When should the photographer start?  When do they leave?
Some of my clients have asked me to come early in the morning to be part of the entire "getting ready" process on the day of the wedding.  I find that most of the photos I take during this time will go unused by the client.  Let's face it, do you really want a photo of yourself in a baggy button-up shirt before your make-up is on?  I recommend to my friends to have their photographer meet them when they have about 30 minutes left at their "getting ready" location. This way, I can photograph the final touches to the hair and make-up and putting on the dress, jewelry and shoes.  I also will take some photos of the bride and bridesmaids hanging out and having a little fun.  Then I leave and head to the ceremony location to get a few photos of the groom and groomsmen as they pin on their boutonnieres and seat guests.

As the guests arrive and as dinner ends, I walk around taking photos of couples and guests mingling.  You will want your wedding photographer to stay at your reception until all important traditions are done. This includes the cake cutting, first dances, garter/bouquet toss and any other special customs or traditions you are planning on doing at your reception.  Soon after the first dances, the DJ usually plays a popular slow song and a good dance song to try to get everyone of all ages on the dance floor.  By this point, I've photographed most everyone at their tables and everyone who is dancing.   From here on out, your friends and family should do a good job of capturing anything fun that happens.  I suggest to my friends that they schedule their photographer to stay for 2 hours after dinner.

7. Is an expensive photographer better than an inexpensive photographer?
The price range of wedding photography is very dramatic. You can find a wedding photographer for $500 or $5000.  Regardless of your budget, you should be able to find a photographer who does good work that you genuinely like as a person.  Generally speaking, an excellent photographer with 30 years of fulltime experience is going to charge a heck of a lot more than a newcomer who is turning their hobby into extra income.  They both might take gorgeous pictures, but one may come with a much  higher price tag than the other.  With the internet, we have the ability to look at the work of many photographers without having to leave your house (or even talk to them). On a photographer's website they are usually going to post their best work from their most beautiful weddings.  If you aren't impressed, move along.  If you are, you can ask a photographer to show you more samples of their work.  I recommend asking them if you can view an entire wedding.  This way you see what they capture throughout the entire day.

8. Should I order prints or digital images from the photographer?  What about an album? 
I suggest you purchase your digital images from the photographer with a shared copyright release.  This means the photos are yours to print as you wish for your personal use.  But note, a photo printed at a drug store will not be the same quality as photo printed at a professional processing lab.  The printers at the drug store aren't calibrated or maintained as well. The drug store photo doesn't look awful but it sure as heck doesn't look as beautiful as a professionally printed photo.  That being said, I suggest you order any large photos that are you displaying your home from your photographer and print the smaller photos yourself.

Most people are familiar with photo books that take only minutes to create online.  These are cute and fun when filled with your personal photos and I suggest you take advantage of the great discounts and coupons you can find online.  However, a professionally made wedding album is timeless and beautiful.  When you meet with your photographer, ask to see a sample wedding album.  Once you see an album in person, you will understand why they cost so much more than a DIY photo book. My recommendation: purchase your wedding album from your photographer and create your own photo books for your parents or using other fun photos from your wedding that didn't make the album.



9. How many photos do you take at a wedding?  Do I get them all?
I snap approximately 100 pictures per hour.  Sometimes more.  Sometimes less.  Often when doing formal family group photos, I take several shots of each group in case anyone has their eyes closed or looks away.  (Which  happens often.  There is a lot of commotion at a wedding and its hard to get everyone's attention at the same time.  Especially groomsmen who have had a few drinks already...)  When all is said and done, I usually give my clients about half of the photos I've taken... which is still usually over 500 photos.

10. What happens if your equipment fails?
This is a great question to ask your photographer.  A well prepared photographer carries back-up equipment.  I bring two cameras, several lenses and flashes as well as extra batteries, chargers and memory cards with me.  Ask the photographer that you are planning to hire this question.  If a photographer doesn't carry extra equipment, you may need to think twice about hiring them.

Bonus Question! What does the photographer wear to the wedding?
Surprisingly, I get asked this question a lot.  I can't speak for all photographers, but I usually wear all black.  Depending on whether I anticipate being warm or cold, I wear either a simple dress or dress pants and a sweater. The goal is to blend in.  I'm going to be capturing all the action and I don't want anyone's attention to be on me.