Jalapeño Crab Dip and the "farmhouse" margaritas!

When I posted this photo of a margarita happy hour we had last weekend over on Instagram I had lots of requests for the Jalapeño Crab Dip recipe that is seen in front of the basket of chips (fyi- the recipe made two poreclain baking dishes, only one is shown.)  I've been making this dip for over ten years and it is always a crowd pleaser!  If you try it be sure to come back and tell me what you think!

And "yes," you're all invited next time!😉😆

Jalapeño Crab Dip 

1 med-large or large red bell pepper, diced

1-1/2 t. extra virgin olive oil

1 (14-oz. approx.) jar/can marinated artichoke hearts, drained and diced

1 cup Mayo

1-1/2 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, grated (I either grate my own in the food processor or buy it aged and grated from Costco)

3/4 cup green onions- thinly sliced, using both the white and green parts

1 T. Worcestershire sauce

2 or 2-1/2 T. minced jarred jalapeño (not fresh, this makes a big difference)

1 t. fresh lemon juice

1/4 t. celery salt

8 oz. fresh lump crab meat, drained

kosher salt

pepper

Saute bell pepper in olive oil over medium heat for about 5-7 minutes until softened and lightly brown.  Cool slightly, then place in mixing bowl.

Add remaining ingredients except for crab meat and mix well to combine.  

Fold in crab meat.

Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.

Spread mixture in an 8" baking dish (or similar equivalent.) 

Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes (depending on your oven) until lightly golden on the entire top.

Let the dip cool to barely warm before servivng (about 15-25 minutes) to let all the flavors meld.

It is wonderful on crostini, but my favorite way to serve it is with tortilla chips!  The flavor combo is perfect.  Oh, and cold leftovers are amazing! 

And, since it was a margarita happy hour I will include how I make my margaritas!  These are my favorite margarita glasses (and favorite glasses period, which is saying a lot because I have a "thing" for glassware:) HERE.

I make a sugar, kosher salt and cayenne rim.  I do this in advance so the mixture sets up and hardens on the rims.  Sorry... no exact measurements, just to taste and sight.  Go lightly on the cayenne as you just want a hint of heat!

I use a 1-1/2-1 formula.

1 part Tequila (we love Costco's Silver, and also their Anejo if you can find it

1/2 part Grand Marnier or Cointreau (Dan & I are Cointreau fans;)

1 part Dr. Swami & Bone Daddy Top Shelf margarita mix 

and a squeeze of 1/8 of a small lemon AND lime, 

with lots of ice!  I like to add a straw- the perfect straw to me is a McDonald's coffee stir!  I wash and reuse mine, but open a new one for guests!

Cheers!

(Please reuse your personal straws.  When we are at a restaurant and ask for water we always say "no lemon, no ice, no straw, please" (your sever usually garnishes the glass and they are not washing their hands every time they pick up a lemon slice- watch and think about it;), and ice machines... well, enough said;)  and straws because of the following..... Please read...

SOURCE

Q: You say 500 million straws are used in the US every day, but I can't picture that--what would 500 million straws look like?

500 million straws could fill over 127 school buses each day, or more than 46,400 school buses every year!

500 million straws per day is an average of 1.6 straws per person (in the US) per day. Based on this national average, each person in the US will use approximately 38,000 or more straws between the ages of 5 and 65. So the sooner we can begin to use fewer straws, the better - it is never too soon (or too late!) to start!

Also this article from National Geographic

Hope you are having a great summer!

xxojoan

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffins

These Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffin are the ultimate taste of fall- sweet with a burst of tart from the cranberries.  They are a-mazing!  I have made this recipe every fall for over a decade now, tweaking the original recipe, that I found in a cooking magazine, here and there.  I can not tell you how many times I have had people say they are the best muffins they have ever had!  Seriously, they are that good.  They would be perfect for Thanksgiving breakfast!  And since Thanksgiving is right around the corner I wanted to share it with you.  I shared this recipe on the blog several years ago, but wanted to remind you how wonderful they are, and share with my new readers who might have missed it.

So, grab a cup of coffee or tea, and enjoy!

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffins/Bread
(this recipe makes 4 dozen muffins or two 9 x5 loaves)

dry ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/8 teaspoon ground cloves (3/8 t. is = to a slightly rounded 1/4 t.)
2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

wet ingredients:
2-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 can 100% pumpkin (15oz.)  I use Organic

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice and

zest of one orange

3 cups cranberries (if using frozen cranberries, add frozen directly to mixture, no need to thaw)
2 cups chopped Pecans,or nut of your chosing (I use a large chop, as opposed to fine)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
 Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. OR butter two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans
Blend dry ingredients. Set aside.
Creme sugar and butter, then add oil.
Add eggs (one at a time), orange juice, and pumpkin.
Add dry ingredients to wet, blending until just moist.
Fold in cranberries and pecans.

I fill a large ice cream scoop HERE to level, then place in the cupcake liners to make filling easy.

.
Bake: 

25 or 30 minutes for muffins, OR 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes for loaves (or when cake tester comes out clean.)

Enjoy!

xxojoan

fall at the farmhouse and my roasted butternut squash soup

Welcome to fall in New Hampshire!  

We were a bit worried with the extremely hot and dry summer we had that the foliage might be less than, but it has turned out to be a spectacular fall- the colors do not disappoint.  I took these photos for you a couple of days ago late afternoon, so you will see the light changing throughout the photos.

You can see we still have some green on the sugar maples that line the gravel drive.  Our neighbors sugar maples always turn several weeks before ours and it is a magnificent show from our front porch.  The girls were helping me take photos, so you will see a lot of them playing!  This is 12-year-old Ella playing "get your gizzard" with 2-year-old Magnolia, and Ella can catch her!

The drive from the house down to the road.

The freshly painted house, sans shutters, with windows open!  The perfect fall day.

 The cushions on the front porch are feather/down filled and I change out the covers several times throughout the year.  Because the porch is covered and we do not suffer from extreme humidity on a regular basis they do great on the porch.

I see two tails photo-bombed this pic!

The front meadow.

We, along with an arborist, trimmed up all the sugar maples, that line the drive, this summer and we are loving the higher canopy over the drive.   We absolutely adore these trees and they are a very important component to our property, so not a single limb was cut without  our  my approval!  It's all about the health of the tree, of course, but also the aesthetic on what the view is looking out/looking in towards the house and the light/exposure that a cut will make.  I look at every single cut (and there were hundreds:) from many different angles and then will then go back to the front porch, since we sit there so often, to make sure the cut works from that important angle.  The perfect tree cutting job and the goal is always to say "What did we cut??" at the end since it still looks so natural and like nothing at all was really done! 

Love Ella chasing Magnolia in the background of this pic!

Louise is standing in front of the stairs off the back porch that we added this summer.

We love the new stairs- they just feel so right for the scale of the house and porch, and they are SO user friendly!  The dry-stacked stones still need to be worked and finished, but just so happy to have the stairs (they were my birthday present this year!!)

The sun starting to fade in the west.

The house as the sun was setting.

So happy and grateful to live here and call this farmhouse home.  The house lights are on, the candles in the front garden are lit, now let me get you a cocktail and we'll do our evening "walk about" around the property;  the girls, of course, will accompany and entertain us!

I love getting back in the kitchen with the arrival of fall, so I'll be sharing lots of my go-to recipes with you (I had a lot of requests to show you what was in my "go-to's" folder that you saw in my cooking file drawer from this post on my kitchen drawers HERE.)  I have been making this roasted butternut squash soup for a good twelve years or so.  I combined several recipes to make up this one and it is a fall/winter favorite.  Here I served the soup with an open face sandwich  made of multi-grain ciabatta bread, which I grilled with swiss cheese and sun dried tomatoes and topped with a spring mix of lettuces.  I've made this soup for many a fall lunches with guests, and it is always a hit!  The recipe is below.  

Also, if you missed my Italian Sausage Soup recipe you MUST try it HERE.  It is so good and so simple and perfect for fall.

ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP

1 medium butternut squash

2 T. extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 T. freshly grated ginger (I use a microplane) (or 1 t. dried, but fresh is preferred)

1 carton (4 cups) organic chicken broth

1/4 t. ground nutmeg

1 T. kosher salt (my favorite is Diamond Krystal)

2 t. curry powder

pepper to taste

1- 3 T. honey (depending on the natural sweetness of the squash)

1 cup half and half

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds ( I use a small ice cream scoop, but a large spoon with also work.)  Rub cut side, not the skin, lightly with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper (fyi- these ingredients are in addition to those listed in the above recipe.)  Roast squash cut side down on a cookie sheet in a 400 degree oven for 50- 60 minutes or longer, depending on the size of your individual squash.  You want the skin to be very brown and dimpled.  Set aside and cool.  When completely cool, scoop the pulp out of the skin.

Cook the onion with the 2 T. of olive oil over medium-low heat until softened.  I make this in my LeCreuset dutch oven.  (I have several LeCreuset pieces so I always note which piece I use, black or green meaning large/smaller, on a given recipe- makes life easier when you go to make a recipe you might not have made in months!) 

 Add 1 T. salt, pepper , ginger, nutmeg and curry powder and cook an additional minute.  

Add chicken broth and squash pulp.  Cook over medium heat until hot (do not boil.)

Using a stick blender to puree.  If you don't have a stick blender you NEED one in your life!!! HERE

Add one tablespoon of honey.  Taste for sweetness and add 1-2 T. more.

Add half and half and puree again.  

Serve!

A photo from several years ago where I served this soup for lunch with good friends.  

Rest in peace sweet Marcie...

a go-to fall recipe

It is a beautiful chilly (56 degrees), overcast fall day here at the farmhouse!  As you can see from the photo I took this morning from the front porch everything is still very green and the leave are juuuust starting to turn color.  

There are so many amazing foodie blogs and sites with great recipes that I only rarely post my go-to recipes for you.  When I do, please know that these are my ride or die/delicious/can't live without/simple recipes that I've been making forever!  In fact, I've been making this pot roast recipe for 13 years!  I found it on a cooking site years ago and it has never disappointed!  I am a make-it-from-scratch kind of cook, but this recipe (with it's processed soups... oh the horrors :O) still has me coming back over and over each season! :)

This was a casual Sunday night dinner with a friend joining us, so we were eating in the kitchen with the fireplace lit.  White mini-pumpkins grown and sold at a local farm stand line the kitchen mantel. 

Table set with: 

antique hotel silver forks/ antique sterling and mother-of-pearl knives/ napkins are actually dishtowels from Ikea in my favorite split-pea green/ wicker chargers from Walmart years ago/ green dinner plates from Crate and Barrel years ago/ antique wood column base as candle holder/ dried mung beans, again in my favorite split-pea green, hold the candle,  large unscented candle from Pier 1/ dirty martini from Stoli and my favorite, and only brand I like of jalapeno stuffed olives, Pearls ;)

I served the pot roast with mashed red potatoes (actually I whip the potatoes using my Kitchen Aid hand mixer) with gravy, and roasted carrots with fresh lemon-thyme from the cutting garden.

This simple recipe can be made either in a slow cooker or the oven- your choice.  I will list cooking times for both.   I generally make it in the oven.  "Fair Warning":) .... either way you decide to cook it the smell is intoxicating and will have you salivating the whole time.  It will seriously make you crazy and hungry all day!! :)  When done, the meat just falls apart and the gravy that the meat makes is fabulous!

Here's the recipe: 

for the love of a house fabulous POT ROAST:

Place a 3 - 4 pound Beef Round Eye Roast or boneless Chuck Roast or Beef Bottom Round Roast (I use the Beef Round Eye Roast which I find at Costco) in a slow cooker or dutch oven.

Add a can of undiluted Campbells Cream of Chicken with Herbs (yes, chicken ;) over the top of the roast and spread it over the top and sides.  

Empty one package of Lipton Onion Soup Mix over the cream soup but do not mix.  

Drizzle 3/4 cup of white wine (you can use red) down the sides of the slow cooker pot or 

That's it!  You don't add any additional water.  

In slow cooker-  cook on LOW for 9 -10 hours

In oven-  cook at 275 degrees for 5 hours or

325 for 4 hours

Note...

-You can also add 2 quartered red onions at the start and 5 large-sliced carrots 1-1/2 hour into cooking.  

-If you can't find the Cream of Chicken with Herbs, you can substitute the regular Cream of Chicken.

-You can substitute red wine for the white, or chicken/beef broth.  I have always used red/white wine.

Bon Appetit !

xxojoan

San Antonio bean burgers....NOT vegetarian!

The bean burger is a culinary icon nearly unknown outside of San Antonio, where I was born and raised.   I was first introduced to the deliciousness that is a bean burger at "Ringo's" which was a hamburger stand across the street from my middle school.  The original version was a meat patty topped with diced onions, crushed Fritos, refried beans and Cheese Wiz.  This was in the heyday of processed foods, so Cheese Wiz was very cool.  I pined for a bean burger for decades, not really remembering what was in them from my 7th grade memory.  The owner's daughter, Ginger, had been in my class and I once thought of trying to find her to ask the ingredients!  (This was way before the computer age and was impossible to do;)  After living in Dallas for several years a restaurant opened there that had originated in San Antonio called EZ's.  I still remember my excitement of seeing a BEAN BURGER on the menu that wasn't vegetarian!  The Ez's burger is a grilled to order meat patty, cheddar, housemade black beans, Fritos, onions, picante sauce and guacamole.  We would go probably once a week for years until they closed in Dallas :(  

Craving them here in New Hampshire I started making them and they are divine!!

This is my version of the bean burger:

-grilled beef pattys  I use organic beef, generous salt & pepper, and the yolk of one egg to bind.

-use larger kaiser buns as a regular bun doesn't hold up well to all the ingredients, and ALWAYS toast the buns!

-cheddar cheese added to the final couple of minutes on the grill

-warm refried beans  I will make my own, or use Rosarita nonfat refried beans (which I usually doctor up with a bit of cumin, chili powder and a pinch of kosher salt.)

-diced raw onions

-homemade guacamole  For an easy, quick quac simply mash avocados and several tablespoons of your favorite picante sauce.  For those in the area my personal favorite picante is Hannaford's store brand in "Hot!"

-crushed Fritos  I use the original, but Trader Joe's has a version of corn chips. 

-ketchup/Tabasco mixture If you like hot and you've never tried mixing ketchup and Tabasco- DO!!! It is wonderful on hamburgers, fries, onion rings, Fritos, omelets, etc. etc...!)  If you don't like things as hot, simply add picante instead of the ketchup/Tabasco mix.  I'm just a ketchup kind of girl and love me some Tabasco!

You will want to mise en place all your ingredients because, while it is a simple burger, there is a lot of assembly involved and you want everything to be warm when served.  Serve the bean burgers with fries (I like Trader Joe's frozen fries) or onion rings or chips, and you'll be very happy!!! :)

*I also suggest when assembling that you put the guacamole on one bun, the beans on another then add the onions to one and Fritos to the other, and then the other ingredients.  This helps the onions and Fritos from falling out when you pick up the burger :)

*They are messy (the best kind of burgers;) so I always serve them with a fork.

*I gave this recipe to the esthetician who does my facials and she and her husband loved them so much she made them for her guests at a Fourth of July party!   

While I realize the ingredients might be a little unusual to you this is my hands down favorite hamburger IN THE WORLD, and I promise you will not be disappointed!!!  :)

 Ringo's was across the street from my middle school, Nimitz in San Antonio.  Ringo's is long gone, so finding this photo on Pinterest brought back lots of fun memories!

a recipe (Italian Sausage Soup) & some helpful tips

I thank you for your condolences on the loss of our friend.  Your kind, thoughtful words were very comforting.  You are all so dear.

When I asked for ideas/suggestions for posts many of you said you would like to see recipes.  So, I thought I would oblige with some of my go-to recipes.  You might remember from one of my kitchen drawer posts that I showed a draw with folders of recipes  HERE;  several people asked to know what was in my "go-to" folder.

(By the way... I loved that so many of you mentioned the kitchen drawers as some of your favorite posts!  Loved!  I still adore the quote from Barbara Barry's beautiful book Around Beauty where she writes...

 "As much as I love the part of my work that is all about what is seen when we walk into a room, I also love the part of my work that is about what is not seen.  Or at least not by everyone- the inside of the cabinets, the full refrigerator, the silver drawer, and the well-stocked pantry; they too can be things of beauty, artfully arranged to inspire when given a cursory glance."

 I have had a number of people tell me that because of my posts they organized their own kitchen drawers using pretty baskets and containers and feel a sense of calm and happiness when they open them.  Proof that it really is the simple, little things in life that bring us daily joy, yes?!)

Back to recipes.... several weeks ago I made this recipe (which I have been making/tweaking for 11 years now per the date stamp on the original printed copy) and was told again how wonderful it was and how much comfort it brought.  I am always amazed when I look at the ingredients and how simple the recipe is to make that it becomes this wonderful, delicious soup.  I hope you will try it and let me know how you like it.  In the recipe I've included in italics how I make the recipe.  We like spicy/pepper hot, but if you don't, or have children, I would suggest you make it with sweet Italian sausage.)

Italian Sausage Soup

Ingredients:

1 lb. Italian Sausage (sweet/hot/mixture of sweet&hot. I use hot) casings removed and sausage broken up

4 cloves minced garlic

32 oz. Beef Broth (l carton) (I use Trader Joe's Organic)

1 (14.5 oz.) can Italian-Style stewed tomatoes 

1 cup sliced carrots (approx. 2 carrots)

2 (14.5 oz.) cans Great Northern Beans, UNDRAINED (I use Trader Joe's Organic)

2 small/medium zucchini, diced/cubed

2-4 cups FRESH baby spinach- rinsed, torn and packed into a measuring cup (I use a whole small plastic-box of the pre-washed organic baby spinach)

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

In a stockpot or Dutch oven, brown the sausage.  After sausage is brown add garlic for one minute until fragrant.  (If needed,  drain sausage well to remove any grease)  Stir in broth, tomatoes, carrots, and season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

Stir in beans WITH liquid and zucchini.  Cover and simmer another 15 minutes.

Remove from heat and add spinach, pushing it down into the hot broth.  

Replace the lid, allowing the heat from the soup to cook the spinach leaves.  

Soup is ready to serve 5 minutes after adding the spinach.

(Soup freezes well) 

(Recipe adapted from Allrecipes.com) 

Tips:

Last weekend, at the celebration of my friend at her house, a catered chili was served.  The chili had a rather soup-like consistency, so I shared with the sweet teenage girl who offered to serve the chili a tip on how to keep the ladle from dripping when serving. 

After filling the ladle to the desired amount and before taking it out of the pot, reinsert the bottom half of the ladle back into the soup then serve to your bowl/cup. The ladle will come out without any drips!  Magic ;)

Another tip (learned on Instagram, but can not remember from whom;  I think it was their grandmother's tip)  came in handy when my friend and I were de-constructing flowers from the memorial into smaller arrangements.  

Place hydrangeas in HOT, even boiling water.  The water will help open the woody stems and allow water in.  I tried it on some very wilted hydrangeas- dipping the stem into a pot of boiled water and they came back perfectly!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend!
xxojoan

Happy Thanksgiving to you!

muffins on vintage hotel silver tray from the Belmont New York

This is the best recipe and I wanted to share it with you!
It is the ultimate taste of Fall. Sweet with a burst of tart from the cranberries!

I've been making this recipe for about seven years now. I believe it was from a cooking magazine, but I have tweaked it along the way.

I've made it several times over the last couple of months, each time sharing some with neighbors who have both commented "they were the best muffins I've ever had!"

Pumpkin Cranberry Pecan Muffins/Bread
(this recipe makes 4 dozen muffins or two 9 x5 loaves)

dry ingredients:
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 Tablespoon cinnamon
1-1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
3/8 teaspoon ground cloves (3/8 t. is = to a slightly rounded 1/4 t.)
2 teaspoon baking soda
1-1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

wet ingredients:
2-1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 can 100% pumpkin (15oz.)  I use Organic

1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice and

zest of one orange

3 cups cranberries (if using frozen cranberries, add frozen directly to mixture)
2 cups chopped Pecans (I use a large chop, as opposed to fine)


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350.
 Line muffin pans with cupcake liners. OR butter two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans
Blend dry ingredients. Set aside.
Creme sugar and butter, then add oil.
Add eggs (one at a time), orange juice, and pumpkin.
Add dry ingredients to wet, blending until just moist.
Fold in cranberries and pecans.

I fill a large ice cream scoop HERE to level, then place in the cupcake liners to make filling easy.

.
Bake: 

25 or 30 minutes for muffins, OR 1 hour and 15 minutes to 1 hour 25 minutes for loaves (or when cake tester comes out clean.)

Enjoy!

xxojoan

~~~~~~~~

Happy Thanksgiving!