BLT Poached Eggs with Avocado Hollandaise

This is kind of a spur-of-the-moment post, as I actually just made this dish the day before yesterday. I say "spur-of-the-moment" because usually I spend weeks or months working on a post. Making and remaking a recipe so I can take and retake photos. Rearranging the pictures in the post. And then, I usually spend a couple of weeks looking at the photos daily, deciding if I want to share them.

Things sure have changed since I first started the blog 😂 

This dish is so tasty though, I couldn't wait to share it. It's pretty darn easy and fool-proof for how delicious it is. You won't believe how simple it is to make the Avocado Hollandaise, I think it's 100 times easier than real Hollandaise! I also like the flavor better than the real stuff, but I digress. Let's talk about this dish and my inspiration for it! 

Recipe Redux: Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

Happy Monday friends! I promised in January that I was going to share this recipe soon, and then... I went on break. However, I'm back, it's spring, and it's time to talk about chocolate and banana. Only one of the best foodie combinations ever, if you ask me. Next to chocolate and peanut butter, and maybe peanut butter and banana, of course 😂  I enjoy a good banana bread on its own but when you add chocolate, it just takes it to another level! 🍌🍫

Canaan 2017

Hello friends! I know it's been awhile and that was definitely not my intention. The hubby and I were staying in West Virginia with his family with no Wi-Fi. Then, as soon as we got home, I got a cold. Drat! As such, I've been feeling foggy, achy, and completely stuffed up. I haven't felt like writing, except to text the hubby to ask him for more soup or another box of Kleenex 🍜🤒

Wrapping Up January: 2017

Cincinnati Skyline from Covington, KY

Seriously. It's February. Of 2017. Unbelievable.

January was (thankfully) not as busy as December you guys. However, it was busier than I expected. Not a lot of time for writing and the blog, but this is also a time period in history unlike anything I've ever seen. I don't know about you, but I'm finding it hard to write. Especially about food. It seems to me that everyone is angry these days. And I do mean everyone. The right and left alike are fired up. I mean, if you read any comments on any political piece, you will see anger. From both sides. I want to write about it, but I am still searching my soul for something to say that's not divisive. 

It seems an impossible task.

Short Margaritas

I've got an easy, short, FUN recipe on deck today!

I know I've shared margarita recipes before. First my Mangling Margaritas, and then my old stand-by, my Special Margaritas.  But sometimes you want a margarita and you don't want all the sugar from the mix. Sometimes you want just one margarita, and not a pitcher. What's a girl to do?

Enter the short margarita. Also known as the fresh margarita, the margarita for 1, and in some places, the authentic margarita. 

Wrapping Up December: 2016

Ok, so I know it's 4 days into the New Year but......

December was way too busy and waaaaay too much fun to not wrap up 😁 This post is long and picture-heavy, and I have so much to discuss that I'm not even going to waste time on an introduction. Let's go!

That first picture is the garden on December 1st. The marigolds had finally had it, and so had pretty much everything else. I've still got some rosemary and some thyme alive, but that's it. The cold weather we had in Kentucky while the hubby and I were in Oregon even got my parsley. Darn it. 

2016: By The Numbers

Summer 2016; Wine in the garden

Well, well, well. Here it is the first day of 2017 and I'm going to wrap-up the year of 2016 before I even wrap up the month of December 2016. Why? Because I want to. Because I'm a rebel. But mostly because, as per usual this year, I'm running behind. The story of my life 😄

Now that the holidays are almost over and the hubby and I are tucked back into our own house again, it's time to make it a better year. I mean, there's no election this year so we already know it's got to be a superior year, right? 😉 Right. I'm going to save my New Year's goals (and 2016's learning experiences) for another day, and simply talk numbers. Here's 2016 by the numbers-

Autumn Pork & Squash Stew

First, the bad news...

Guys, I have been looking at my calendar and it's not looking good. December's schedule is going to be busy. Busy with a capitol B! I've started physical therapy again, 3 times a week. Christmas shopping needs to be finished. Our niece's birthday is at the end of the week, and we've planned a shopping trip and a sleepover. Not to mention making her a cake and getting her back home for her official birthday party at my sister-in-law's. There's Christmas with our Kentucky relatives. Packing to go to Oregon in 12 days. And goodness knows what we're going to get into while we're on the West Coast! We may only have a trip to Southern Oregon and a wine-tasting date planned, but that always changes. Fast. 

Pumpkin Cognac Cheesecake

Exactly 1 month ago, I was-

• Awakened at 7 am by the hubby getting home from his night shift.

• Kissing the hubby hello and wishing him a Happy Birthday!

• Packing a bag to stay the weekend in Marion, IL.

• Picking up the house, and telling my mother-in-law the dogs' routine as we prepared to leave.

• Taking this mesmerizing cheesecake out of the fridge and putting it in a travel container.

• Beginning the 427 mile trek to Illinois. 

Wrapping Up October: 2016

Ok, I just really wanted to start the post off with a cute puppy picture. Mission accomplished 😁🐶❤️

Can you believe it's November already? In 6 short weeks, the hubby and I will be leaving for Oregon! I'm in shock. I feel like it was just yesterday that I was telling the hubby it was time for a Christmas in Oregon. And now it's almost here! Unbelievable. 

But for now, now it's time to wrap up October! In October...

Since I've Been Gone: July

Hi friends! It's been soooooooooo long. I didn't even mean to take such a long break, it just kind of... happened. I've had a pretty full house since I've been gone, but sadly, it's now empty. My family came to visit for almost a month, and it was AWESOME. Awesome to see and have all my family here, but I did suffer a touch of writer's block. I meant to post the week before everyone got here, but each day was crammed with chores to get the house ready for family. It seemed like every night I went to bed before their visit with a to-do list for the next day pounding in my head. This left little thought for writing.

February Findings: 2016

It's March! How did this happen? The days are flying by and I'm still way behind on my reading list for the year. Eep. 

February was a pretty jam-packed month. A snowstorm, the Super Bowl, Valentine's Day, bee school... February was pretty cool. I've got plenty of pictures from the month, so let's dive right in!

Chocolate-Mint Bark

Let's continue CookieFest 2015!

Still on vacation here in Illinois. As much as I love my dogs (because I love them to the moon and back, ya know) there is something to be said for simply waking up, making a cup of coffee, and enjoying the view of a lake. No shoving tired feet into boots, tired arms into coats. No checking the property for neighborhood dogs or the stray deer. No pack of vicious Chihuahuas barking at such a decibel you'd think we starved them by their urgent need for food.

Of course, I start to miss all those things after a couple of days. But man, for a couple of days, I do enjoy the "me" time. And speaking of "me" time, you'll have plenty of that if you decide to make this simple minty candy over say, Spritz cookies. I'm serious, this takes all of 5 minutes to make. And it's sooooo yummy!

Reindeer Gingerbread Cookies

Let the Christmas cookie bonanza begin!

I am officially on vacation. The hubby and I are staying with his cousin at his lake house in Marion, IL. I have no housework, no agenda, and now, no cookies to worry about! I spent the entire weekend like a baking fiend. There was no rest for the wicked. But the hubby shipped a majority of them yesterday morning to our far distant relatives, and we handed out the rest. The leftovers were brought to Illinois to be enjoyed by the hubby's cousin's wife because she is almost 8 months pregnant. She was very appreciative to see the cookies and Christmas Crunch Popcorn yesterday.  And, let me tell you, this year's cookie selections are better than ever.

Like, seriously. The hubby told me so :-)

Let's kick of my series (yes, there will be 4 cookie recipes I share with y'all) of cookies with these super-cute Reindeer Gingerbread Cookies!

Autumn in Kentucky: October 2015

Hola! I'm here with a Saturday post to show you some beautiful October leaves here in Kentucky.

This (above) was the view of the road right after leaving my house. That is, until the leftovers of Hurricane Patricia went through the area, viciously taking down those oh-so-gorgeous October leaves we had going on. Well, boo to you Hurricane Patricia. We were having the most beautiful fall that I can remember around here. 

That could be because 2 years ago, we spent October in Oregon and last year we spent the last 2 weeks of October in Mexico... Hmmm...

At any rate, the hillsides have been awash of gold and red, with the occasional evergreen poking out here and there. If I were to go back and take pictures today (these were taken last weekend), everything would look vastly different. Plus, they would all be gloomy and gray and who wants to look at those right??

What I Learned In My 2nd Year of Gardening

Well, I think it's time.

I officially put the garden to bed yesterday. Actually, I did most of the work on Friday before our first heavy frost. I was at the gym, walking on the treadmill, minding my own business when the local garden guy came on the news. He advised getting any vegetables you might have in the garden, out of the garden before the cold weather. I still had a few tomatoes and peppers on the vines, so I got to work. 

I pulled the last few green tomatoes, and put them in closed paper bags in the basement. They'll be ripe in a couple of weeks, and that will be a nice treat. I pulled up the tomato and pepper plants, and added them to the compost. 

Oregon 2015

Oh my goodness. I took quite the break!

It's been more than a month since my last post. And let me tell you, time off did me good. I definitely feel invigorated and refreshed. The hubby and I got back from our Oregon trip on Thursday night, but it's taken me a while to find my bearings. It always feels like that coming back from vacation. However, the house is back in order, the laundry is all done, the fridge is stocked with veggies- which means it's time to get back to writing. 

Introducing Mariota!

Hello friends! Happy Sunday!

Well, I had quite the unexpected blogging break here. I normally aim to post 3 recipes a week, and this week I only got one in. And it wasn't even a recipe. It was a round-up. Needless to say, little Mariota is keeping me quite busy. And I'm not complaining :)

2014: By The Numbers

Good morning friends!

I know I said I wouldn't be blogging much this week due to being out of town, but...

Thanks to insomnia, I'm the only one up and I have a feeling it's going to be that way for awhile. I've got a delicious cup of coffee, a gorgeous view over the top of the laptop of Lake of Egypt in Illinois, and I'm wide awake. Therefore, time to blog! I've got a couple of fun, year-end posts to share to wrap up 2014. I actually started this post in January of 2014, to keep track of all the events that took place this year, and right now I'm putting the finishing touches on it. Just for y'all :)

Let's jump right in, shall we?

Rolo Turtles

This is the simplest recipe ever, but don't think that means this candy won't have a large impact. Because it will. You see, I finished all my baking on Friday. Which means I spent the weekend delivering treats to my in-town family. And I got so many comments on this candy! It was the hubby's favorite out of everything I made this year. The hubby's aunt asked how I made these, and I was happy to let her know. 

You're only going to need three ingredients- Butter Snaps, Pecan Halves, and Rolos. That's it! Oh, and about 3-5 minutes of your time. Seriously! You simply place a Rolo on a Butter Snap, bake in the oven for 3 minutes, and then press a pecan half down onto the Rolo. Voila! A treat everyone is going to love, and no one is going to know you spent 5 minutes on it. 

I had some leftovers of this candy after making everyone's treat bags, so I simply put them in a bowl on the kitchen counter. I must say, quite a few went missing. 

Are you ready for Christmas? We are only a couple days away! The hubby and I have finished all our shopping, and I only have to wrap a few items in the next couple of days. I love the feeling of having everything done. It was just last week I was feeling crushed under the sheer weight of everything I needed to do by Christmas. And now, that weight is gone. Phew. 

After Christmas, the hubby and I are headed to Illinois. The hubby's cousin (who used to live in Cincinnati) has been living there for a couple of months and we haven't yet gone to visit him in the new digs. We're headed out Saturday and will return early on New Year's Eve. Which means- probably not a lot of blogging next week. Boo. I know you're all disappointed. I'm excited though, we'll be celebrating my birthday while we're away. I really have no expectations for my birthday. As long as I get to have Mexican food, I will be a happy kid. And of course, a margarita :)

One more random and off-the-wall comment (this has been a random post, hasn't it?) before I go- I'm getting an ice cream maker for Christmas! My brother is shipping one out, and I'm beyond excited. I've been pinning homemade ice cream recipes for years now, dying to try one. And now, I get that opportunity! You can bet you'll be seeing some ice cream recipes in January. And February. And March. And (let's face it) all summer. You're all in trouble now!

Happy 'Week of Christmas' everyone! Make some of these and slip them in someone special's stocking!

Ingredients (makes ~90):

1 (12 oz) bag of butter snap pretzels

1 (19.75 oz) bag of Rolos, unwrapped

~90 pecan halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

2. Place butter snaps in a single layer on cookie sheet. Top each butter snap with 1 Rolo. Bake in preheated oven for 3-5 minutes or until Rolo begins to soften, but not melt. 

3. Remove from heat, and top each Rolo with a pecan half. Press it down into the chocolate. 

4. Allow to cool overnight. Allow pan to cool, cover with plastic wrap and leave until morning. Once candies are set, store in an airtight container. 

Printable Recipe

Recipe adapted from Hershey's. 

Looking for other chocolate and/or caramel recipes? Try these!

Caramel Mocha Poke Cake

Spiced Caramel Apple Cupcakes

Homemade Girl Scout Samoa Cookies

Linked to: Treasure Box Tuesday, Foodie Friday, Foodie Friends Friday Linky Party, Weekend Potluck