Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a recipe that I've been meaning to post since Thanksgiving. It's one of those simple things that everyone has a take on but is always included at Holiday meals. Unless you are me, and your baby just happens to get on a Sweet Potato Casserole kick and demand it of you every other week until your husband wants to throw it at you every time it shows up on the dinner table.

I can honestly say we have eaten Thanksgiving dinner several times since then, including yesterday (which is after Christmas). Sweet Potatoes are a super food though, so I have regulated the guilt to the back of my mind, though I could probably attribute a few of these 20 lbs I've gained in the 27 weeks of pregnancy to sweet potato casserole.

Sweet Potato Casserole
4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 cup drained crushed pineapple (or more if you like it)
1 cup light packed brown sugar
1 tbs cinnamon
4 tbs butter (optional really but I'm from the south, we like butter with everything)
Large or Small Marshmellows (your choice and I vary it depending on what I happen to have on hand).

Directions:
Boil sweet potatoes in salted water until tender. Process through a Potato Ricer or mash until smooth. Place all ingredients in a casserole dish, mix well and top with Marshmellows. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes or until Top is browned but not burnt.

2010 Best Recipe Round-up

I think it has become tradition among food bloggers to re-visit their favorite recipes through the year at the close of the year. It's a place to start fresh just like every human does. You get to see how much you have grown, what you have accomplished and get ideas for what is to come in the New Year.

My qualifications for choosing recipes this year are simple: what did I love that I made over and over again. What recipe became a staple in my house. With those in mind, I reviewed all the recipes I posted over the year and there were some that stood out clearly.

2010 Garden Gourmet's Best Recipe Round-up

Southern Fried Chicken The easy fool-proof way to get great Fried chicken like Grandma used to make!

Orange Chocolate Chip Scones An amazing flavor combination in the perfect sweet breakfast concoction on the planet.


Vegetable Pot Pie Excellent for late summer and early fall or to clean out the cellar in spring. Hardy root vegetables make this a filling meal. It's a comfort food classic waiting to happen!

Spinach Lasagna This is probably my most requested dish at family dinner's now since I served it up during Easter. A great way to use up prolific spinach from the garden and get plenty of iron in the diet!

Buttermilk Cupcakes with Chocolate Icing Easy cupcakes that require little effort and ingredients are usually on hand for quick fixes for last minute birthday get togethers, impromptu girl's night etc.

Ina's Coleslaw A hearty twist to a simple coleslaw this version can be eaten alone or piled high on your favorite summer burger or dog. Much more colorful then the tired classic.

If you haven't done so already, definately add these great recipes to your collection. I promise you won't be dissappointed! I hope your year was as full of good food, family and joy as mine has turned out to be. May our New Year be just as adventurous and full of great flavor and family.

Christmas Snow 2010

Here in North Carolina, it is a very rare occurrence to get a White Christmas. We sing along to Bing Crosby every year with little hope that it will come true. 2010 set a record though, not only did we get snow on Christmas but we got the most accumulation on record for Christmas Snow surpassing the previous record set in 1947.

Here's a glimpse of Our Snowy Christmas Home for 2010! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars

I whipped up one last cookie concoction for Christmas at the last minute that turned out to be my favorite cookie treat. If it's possible I think this is even easier then cookies. I put a twist on it as I am all about anything and everything lemon at the moment (how's that for a pregnancy craving?).

Lemon Sugar Cookie Bars
1 cup Butter (softened)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon extract
5 cups self-rising flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add eggs, one at a time, with mixer on. Add vanilla and lemon and mix well. Add flour in a little at a time (at least in thirds). Spread on a greased baking sheet (I used a 13 x 9 casserole dish and they were a little thick).

Bake at 375 for 15-25 minutes depending on thickness. Make sure they are light golden brown and a knife comes out clean from the center. Cool completely before frosting.

Lemon Buttercream Frosting
2 sticks unsalted, butter, softened
2 tsp lemon extract
pinch of salt
5 cups of powdered sugar
3 tbs milk

Cream butter and lemon extract. Add salt. Slowly add powdered sugar. Do not add more until what you have added is completely incorporated. Add milk 1 tbs at a time for creaminess. (I added a little before I was finished incorporating all the sugar).

Frost Cookies, sprinkle with festive sanding sugar and cut into bars!

Holiday Cookie Roundup 2010

This past week I have been baking away. This holiday I focused purely on cookies which tailored my baking and reduced stress. It's not too late to whip up one of these fast and easy recipes tonight for Santa's visit or in the morning to give as gifts or take along to family events. Wishing you a Very Merry Christmas from my Cookie Filled Home to yours!

Neiman Marcus Cookies

Peppermint Bark Cookies

White Chocolate Cranberry Oatmeal Cookies

Oatmeal Butterscotch Cookies

Ginger Cookies

S'mores Cookies

My Bark is better than my Bite.

I love Peppermint Bark but I’m in the cookie mode this year for treats. So I decided to take a basic cookie recipe and add the elements of Peppermint Bark to it. I’m pretty pleased at how they turned out though I think I may play with this recipe a little bit more to get it PERFECT. Note: be careful removing from tray. Despite the butter and shortening and lightly greasing tray, they wanted to stick on the bottom a little bit.

Peppermint Bark Cookies
½ cup shortening
1 stick of butter
1 cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp Peppermint Extract
2 eggs
2 cups of self-rising flour (if using AP add 1 tsp Baking Soda, 1 ½ tsp Salt)
1 cup Chocolate Chips
1 cup White Chocolate chips
1 cup crushed peppermint candy canes (8-10)

Directions:
Cream together shortening, butter, brown sugar, and peppermint extract. Add eggs one at a time. Add in flour until smooth. Stir in chocolate chips, white chocolate and peppermint candy.

Using a cookie scoop, drop dough on lightly greased cookie sheets. Bake for 10 minutes in a preheated 350 degree oven.

Love me Ginger, Love me True

I have never understood the fixation with Gingerbread or any of the gingery assortment of treats at the holidays though the smell is divine. However, I LOVE Ginger snaps. Since becoming pregnant, ginger cookies have become a favorite of mine. It helps with nausea, calms the stomach and has been my savior for a snack (except to my hips-my hips and ginger cookies do not jive). My little boy is probably going to be born with a fixation for all things Ginger and if he has red hair, it won’t surprise me a bit. LOL

I have been a little timid of making anything with Ginger though, but had to give these big soft cookies a try. The dough is beautiful, seriously. This creamy thick dough with the most amazing color. I could seriously paint my walls Ginger Cookie Dough. (Martha Stewart Paint needs to jump on that color). The smell is divine and they were so simple and came out perfect. Possibly one of my new favorite cookie recipes!

Soft Ginger Cookies
Slightly Adapted from AllRecipes.com

2 ¼ cups Self Rising Flour (If using AP add 1 tsp baking soda and ¼ tsp salt)
2 tsp ground ginger
¾ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp ground cloves
¾ cup butter, softened (1 ½ sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tbs water
¼ cup molasses (spray your measuring cup with Cooking Spray before filling with molasses and they will come right out)
2 tbs white sugar (or holiday colored sanding sugar)

In a medium bowl combine flour, ginger, cinnamon, cloves. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg and add water and molasses until creamy. Gradually add the dry ingredients and mix until blended and thick. Using a cookie scoop, scoop out dough and drop into remaining sugar (2 tbs or sanding sugar). Roll into balls coated in the sugar and place 2 inches apart onto greased cookie sheet.

Bake in 350 degree oven for 8-10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool slightly then finish cooling on wire rack.

May I have S'more Cookies Please?

I have recently come to appreciate the true value of a S’more. These perfect little tasty treats that are so simple in nature and a luscious bit of heaven on a Fall night sitting around a large fire. I have discovered a few new recipes to bring the taste of S’mores indoors in other sweet treats: cookies, blondies, brownies, icecream etc. Since I’m a Holiday Cookie Machine this year, I decided to give these little numbers a try. Note: DO NOT use a Williams Sonoma Stainless Steel Sheet to bake these on. DISASTER. A simple cookie sheet with sides works best. I would also recommend refridgerating the dough before baking and lightly greasing the cookie sheet. The good news is: even the cookie scraps peeled up from the WS sheet were tasty if less than pretty.


S’mores Cookies
1 ½ cups Self-Rising flour (if you use All purpose add 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp baking soda)
1 cup Graham Cracker crumbs
¼ tsp cinnamon
2 sticks butter, softened
¾ cup sugar
¾ cup brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups miniature chocolate chips (I used regular which was too much so definitely go for the mini)
1 ½ cups mini marshmallows
2 Hershey bars, chopped (freeze then use a large chef’s nice for clean cuts)

Directions:
In a medium bowl combine flour, graham cracker crumbs and cinnamon and set aside. Cream butter and both sugars with vanilla until creamy. Add eggs on at a time while mixing. Slowly add in the flour mixture, beating until smooth. Stir in the chcocolate chips. (Refridgerate dough for an hour at this point).

Use a cookie scoop to drop onto cookie sheet. Bake for 8 minutes on 375. Add a few pieces of Hershey bar and 3-4 mini marshmallows onto each cookie (slightly pushing them into soft cookies. Return to oven to finish baking another 3-5 minutes. Cool on wire rack.

Holiday Open House 2010

The other day when I participated in the Holiday Home Tour, I was invited by Coastal Charm to participate in her Holiday Open House. Rather than bore you with the same old thing, I decided to focus on my kitchen/dining details including the treats I spent today baking. Even though I stayed home from work due to ice, I spent the day cleaning and baking and enjoying the holiday spirit. So welcome back to my home, and please take a cookie, my hips don't need them.

Cracker Barell's Hash Brown Casserole

This has always been one of my favorite dishes. Fortunately it is also one of the easiest in the world, no mess, no fuss, quick to prepare and great for Holidays, Breakfast, dinner, potlucks, etc. This dish is so versatile that it should be in EVERY person’s arsenal of emergency dishes.



2 lbs Frozen Hashbrowns
½ cup melted butter
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pint sour cream
½ cup chopped onion
2 cups shredded cheddar
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Spray 11 x 14 pan with cooking spray. Mix ingredients and bake 45 minutes until golden brown and bubbly on top.

Christmas Holiday Home Tour 2010

My time is a bit scrunched this year but at least my decorations are up and my house is Tour Friendly even if I'm posting at the last minute! I hope you enjoy a few glimpses of my Holiday Home!(and for those that follow both blogs, this is a duplicate post-sorry) Don't forget to jog over and look at all the amazing houses and decorations courtesy of TheNester!


Dining and Kitchen (My favorite rooms):





Entry Way:




Living Room Touches:






As you can tell by my header, I love everything Fairies (not cheesy little Tinkerbell Fairies but elegant ones. DH has been buying me fairies ornaments every year so I have a collection going on the tree:


I love Everything Santa at Christmas. I BELIEVE, do you?





I do not have pictures of our simple outdoor decorations. If it's not raining, snowy or crazy bitter wind, then it's dark. Thus no pics. The one decent afternoon we had, we did manage to get some pictures snapped for our Christmas cards, thanks to BETH! So here is one of the shots from that (not the one we used since DH had a bad expression which is over half the pics) but not the one we are using for our card. This one shows the most decorations and our beautiful dogs so I will end with a Merry Christmas from our Home to yours!

Chocolate Pumpkin Cake

I am not going to re post this recipe as I followed it pretty exactly from Country Living. However it does need improvement. I doubled the orange food coloring and still did not get a true orange color after the chocolate cream cheese was added back in. My chocolate glaze was also too runny. I checked with Ashley who also made this recipe (and turned me on to it) and she had the same issues but we both agreed the cake part was extremely moist and delicious.

Pumpkin Dip

For a Mary Kay Facial Party I threw Friday night, which was very relaxing and a fun giggling time with the girls, one of the new items I tested was Pumpkin Dip. I’m a huge pumpkin fan: pumpkin pie, pumpkin muffins, pumpkin bread and pumpkin spice lattes but there are certain mixtures with pumpkin and cream cheese I don’t do well. It’s the combination of flavor and texture. Among them: pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin cupcakes with cream cheesing icing and now, pumpkin dip. Everyone else in the known world loves it though. I’m the weird one. I served this recipe with Gingersnaps and it was tasty, I was just able to stop after two cookies, so maybe my slight aversion is a good thing.

Pumpkin dip

Ingredients:
1 can Pumpkin Puree
1 package cream cheese (8 ounces, room temp, lightly beaten or whipped)
1 ½ cups brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cloves
Dash vanilla

Directions:
Mix everything, cover and chill. (We actually served it fresh which I liked better than chilled but most recipes call for you to chill pumpkin dip).

Birthday Bash-Happy 60th Daddy!

One of the things that has kept me busy of late was throwing my Dad’s 60th Surprise Birthday party on September 25th. We had an amazing time with good food, beautiful weather and an amazing group of family and friends.

I’ve always loved to hostess a party and am usually OCD about making EVERYTHING, doing EVERYTHING and basically a control freak. (I admit it freely.) This time though, I eased back, let other’s do things, paid to have things done and only stressed about cleaning the house and getting the flower beds pretty. LOL

My brother-in-law borrowed a giant barbeque cooker from his uncle who caters and was up at 5am in my backyard putting the pigs on. (I think he did 4 shoulders). He made Barbeque (and me some chicken as I’m allergic to pork), beans, slaw, and potatoes. MrsBeth made a fabulous Chocolate Orange Cake with Butter cream icing decorated in fondant. I provided hors d’ouvres: Veggie tray with my homemade Ranch dip, Cheese platter, and fruit platter. My sister’s Mother-in-law (did you follow that?) made her awesome homemade ice creams: Cherry almond and vanilla.

This was truly a joint effort and my Dad had an awesome time. It’s taught me a lesson as well. I can let go. Just because I don’t make everything, doesn’t mean it won’t be fabulous or that people will think I’ve slacked. Delegation is not a bad thing. I’m totally following this same route with my Halloween Party and for once, I’m not stressed at all. Living up to my own ideas of Perfection are much harder than living up to other people’s expectations. I’m harder on myself than anyone else. So I’m lightening up and it is fabulous! Enjoy a few food pics from the party!

Hummingbird Cupcakes

I made the first Hummingbird Cake years ago when it first made an appearance on the Martha Stewart show. I fell in love with the pineapple flowers she did. Everyone loved it, especially my mom. Fast forward to last year when I found out a new friend’s favorite cake was Hummingbird but she paid 9.75 per SLICE at a local bakery. I made her this cake for her birthday. She loves me now. LOL

For Mother’s Day, I decided to do a little portion control since we are all losing weight (well, and I’ve become a cupcake fiend…I don’t eat them, but I LOVE to make them) and make Hummingbird Cupcakes topped with a single Pineapple flower. They came out SO well. I left out the nuts and coconut because of food allergies in some members of the family, but I took a few of the cupcakes and topped them with nuts and coconut. I’m going to write the recipe down WITH the nuts and coconut but its your choice. The batter works fine without them.

Hummingbird Cupcakes
From Martha Stewarts Cake Recipe

Ingredients:
3 cups Self Rising Flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup vegetable oil
2 tsps vanilla extract
2 cups sugar
3 large eggs
3 large ripe bananas mashed
1 (8ounces) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans
1 cup coconut (shredded)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a bowl, sift together dry ingredients: flour and cinnamon. In KA Mixer (or bowl with hand mixer), cream oil, vanilla, and sugar. Add eggs one at a time. Beat for about 3 minutes until mixture is pale yellow and fluffy.

Add in banana, pineapple (and walnuts and coconut if you choose to use them). Stir until combined. Add flour mixture 1/3 at a time until completely incorporated. Pour ( or use an ice-cream scoop like I do) into lined muffin tins. Bake for 25 minutes or until done. Let cool completely. Makes about 24.

Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
1 pound (16 ounces) cream cheese
2 tsps vanilla extract
1 cup softened/room temp butter (2 sticks)
2 pounds confectioners’ sugar

Directions:
In KA MIXER, beat the vanilla and cream cheese about 2 minutes. Gradually add in the butter and cream together until fully incorporated. On low speed, slowly add in sugar until a whipped consistency.

Dried Pineapple Flowers

1 – 2 large pineapples (depending on how many flowers you want. One large did one flower on about 18 cupcakes)

Directions:
Preheat oven to 225 degrees. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper. Peel pineapples. Using a small melon baller (I actually find using a small pairing knife works well too for the tougher eyes) remove and discard “eyes”. Slice pineapple VERY thinly. Place rounds on baking sheets. Cook until the tops look dried about 30 minutes. Flip slices and cook an additional 30 minutes until completely dried and ruffled. Cool on wire rack.

TIP: Do the Pineapple First. Even the evening before and store in the refrigerator.

Triple Lemon Cupcakes

Disclaimer: I'm not sure where I retrieved this recipe from. I saw something similar on Food Network and then a few more by browsing blogs. This was from a word document so I'm not sure if I yanked it from someone's blog or pulled a few pieces from various sources which I am known to do. Please let me know if this is your exact recipe and I will be happy to give credit. Thanks.

On to the cupcakes: These were to die for adorable. Seriously. A refreshing sweet tart taste perfect for spring time. I will DEFINATELY be making them again! It seems like there are a lot of stages and steps but they really do not take long and can be broken up over time (like oh you know, a trip to TJMAXX while the cupcakes cool).

I used a basic Sugar Cookie Recipe and Lemon Icing Recipe from the Joy of Baking for the cookie toppers. I also used about 5 large lemons for this whole process.

Triple Lemon Cupcakes
Cupcakes:
1 1/2 cups Self-Rising flour
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
2 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1 cup sugar
3 large eggs
1/4 plus 2 tbs fresh squeezed lemon juice.
1/2 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon

Directions:
Using a KAMixer bowl, gently mix lemon zest and sugar until fragrant with a fork or fingers. Ad the butter and cream cheese and cream with a paddle attachment for 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating till blended. Alternate adding the flour and the buttermilk, beginning and ending with flour. Add lemon juice and beat on low until smooth.

Fill each lined muffin cup about 2/3 of the way full (or two scoops with a cookie scoop). Bake for 20 minutes in a 350 degree oven or until done.

Lemon Curd:
4 egg yolks
Zest of 1 Lemon
1/4 plus 1 Tbs Lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
5 Tbs unsalted butter, cold, diced

Directions:
Whisk everything except the butter in a sause pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture coats the spoon (8-10 minutes). Remove from heat, Add butter a few pieces at a time, stirring constantly. Some people strain their's, I did not since it was VERY smooth and I wanted the pop of the zest to stay in there. I poured into a greased corningware dish and covered with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic into the top of the curd.

Icing:
1/4 cup unsalted butter, room temp
4 ounces cream cheese, room temp
1 tbs lemon juice
2 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp lemon zest

Directions:
In KAMixer cream butter, cream cheese and lemon juice. Once smooth, add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup at a time. Add lemon zest and beat until smooth.

ASSEMBLY:
Using a paring knife, cut a cone shape out of each cupcake. Using a ziplock bag with the corner tip cut off (or a piping bag), fill each hole with lemon curd. Pipe a swirl of icing on top of each cupcake.

Top each cupcake with a sugar cookie chickadee for a spring party OR a ribbon of lemon rind.

*pictures posted this weekend! Come back to see them. They are adorable.

Sour Cream Coffee Cake

This is the recipe I impressed my grandmother with at Easter. Seriously, poised older Southern baptist lady. Compressed smile, folded hands, peering over her nose in disapprovement prissy grandmother. I finally got to her through my coffee cake (and my spinach lasagna). SCORE!

This recipe comes from a fellow NCer (soon to be back in her native SC-Congrats on the Farm!) and horse lover Branny from Branny Boils Over. Check out her site, its lovely!

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Ingredients:
2 cups Self Rising Flour
1 cup Sour Cream
1 cup sugar
1 stick butter (room temp)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Topping:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions:
Mix topping ingredients together and set aside. In KA mixer on medium speed with paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar. Add eggs and beat well. Mix in 1/2 of flour, then sour cream and then flour until blended smooth. Pour half of the batter in a greased and floured loaf pan. Sprinkle half of topping mixture and carefully spread. Carefully smooth the rest of the batter on top. Sprinkle the rest of the topping mixture and then bake at 350 for 55 minutes.

Make sure you use a large loaf pan or put a baking pan underneath. Mine went over the side a little bit.

I served with a choice of sides: sugared strawberries in juice, sweetened whipped cream and chopped walnuts. Everyone was able to make it their own special piece and LOVED IT.

Chocolate Fudge Pie

There is a war in my family over Chocolate Pie. My father and uncle have long fought over the chocolate pies at family dinners. One of the instances involved spitting and fingers. I believe it was my father (the younger brother ofcourse) who grabbed the pie off the table and took off with it. My uncle gave pursuit, grabbed it and stuck his finger in the center thinking that would prevent anyone else from wanting any. My father, never to be outdone, spit on it. He got the pie.

Please don't mistake that my family are trashy rednecks without manners (okay, they really kinda are), but they are extremely competitive and full of pranks in their hay day. Neither of these characters are up to the challenge of running much less chasing each other (though my dad would still probably give it a damn good effort) so I figure the safest bet is to never have the two of them at a family function or only one dessert.

I've never made the infamous pie. I will have to remember to get my aunt to give me the recipe, but I did make a chocolate FUDGE pie for Easter that was a huge hit. I will definately be making this again (which is a good thing as it was the one thing I forgot to snap a picture of!)

Chocolate Fudge Pie
Inspiration taken from Paula Dean's recipe
Ingredients:
Pie Crust
3-4 ounces of semi sweet chocolate chips
1 stick of unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten (plus one with water for eggwash)

Directions:
Brush Pie crust with eggwash. In double boiler, melt chocolate and butter together, stirring gently until smooth. Turn off heat and add sugar. Stir until blended. Add eggs. stir until smooth. Pour the filling into pie crust and bake for 25 minutes (until just firm) in a 375 degree preheated oven. I topped with homemade sweetened whip cream and served chilled. EXCELLENT!

Happy St. Patrick's Day 2010

I would be remiss in my duties as a food blogger (not to mention my Irish ancestors would haunt me) if I didn't mention St. Patrick's Day. A day celebrated by partaking of lots of food and beer, festivites and rejoicing.

The Irish have celebrated this day for over 1000 years, typically by attending church in the a.m. (It's during Lent afterall) and frolicking and gorging in the evening on beer, bacon and cabbage. (The beer is a more modern tradition as up until the 1980's, pubs in Ireland were closed on this day). It's now a global phenomenon celebrated by people not strictly of Irish decent.

March 17th marks the death of St. Patrick, originally English born, and a much exagerated figure in christian tales and Irish lore. St. Patrick is credited with turning the wild Irish lands from pagans to christianity by using the practices and celebrations they were accustomed to, to celebrate christian principles. I guess to put it simply, he was the savior of Irish souls. (I'm not sure why he is celebrated with food and green beer but whatever floats your little Irish boat. Don't argue with an irishman, we're mean suckers.)

So tonight, while I feast on fried cabbage and onions, I will remember those who braved the seas to come to this new world and a man, who was called by God to show his people the way to salvation. So while you toast with your green beer, toast to St. Patrick, a man of myth and legend who walked the green path of salvation.

A Valentines Dinner Spread

My sister and I have been doing girl's night once a week while DH is off doing his School thing. It's been a blast and gives me a chance to experiment with food and have a captive audience other than my husband. Since she is the Make-up queen it usually grants me a free facial and experiments with new masks, exfoliaters etc. She blogs about life as a fashionable country girl here.

Because I know my sister well, I know what her favorite meal is. Whenever we go out to eat and the entire way through her pregnancy, this girl can put away some Fried Chicken Tender Salad with Honey Mustard and a bowl of French Onion Soup. So to celebrate Valentines (a little early) I endeavored to make her favorite meal, topped off by Red Velvet Cupcakes.

All recipes will be posted on my blog today! I hope you enjoy and let me know how they turn out for you!