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Spiced Nut Mix

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Happy (almost) Thanksgiving!  

This blog post is brought to you by the food and wine duo ( of which I am the foodie half) “The Curly Girls”!  Catch the latest episode! 

Watch as I demonstrate how easy it is to make two appetizers (well, one can be a hostess gift as well!).

A few of my favorite things

My inspiration for this recipe came from my most recent “Wine Shop at Home” club delivery.  I LOVE cookbooks, cooking magazines, and recipe cards. I collect all of the above, and I ADORE the recipe cards I get each month from my club membership. 

A few months back I tried this recipe (paired with the sparkling wine I received in my shipment) and my family raved about it.  I tweaked a few things, and decided I could incorporate a few other small business products into the “mix” lol. I also realized it’s easily doubled and can be placed in mason jars for gift gifting! 

Most of you know that over in the Kitchen,  it’s sweets and treats.  I love my time on “The Curly Girls” because it gives my the chance to play around with all the other fun food things like appetizers, snacks and main courses. 

Now let’s get to the fun part- making this recipe! 

Print Recipe

SPICED NUT MIX

Ingredients

  • 1/3 cup sugar
  • 4 tsp  Cinnamon Spice Blend I used Tastefully Simple
  • 1 egg white
  • 3 1/2 cups mixed nuts  I used pecans, peanuts, almonds and cashews

Instructions

  • Preheat your oven to 250. This is a low and slow recipe, so give yourself time.  The oven does most of the work! 
  • Start by mixing sugar and spice mix together in a bowl.  Add a dash or salt and pepper if you want. 
  • Then, in a separate bowl, whip egg white until foamy.  Add nuts and mix well. Coat with spices and mix to coat evenly.
  • Spread nuts on a baking sheet that is greased OR lined with parchment paper or silicone baking mat (I used one from Pampered Chef)
  • Finally, bake for one hour, stirring once. Cool , then break apart. Cool completely , then store in airtight container for up to two weeks. 

Have you checked out our Pumpkin Pie Brownies?

Enjoy!

 

Gina 

 

 

Rosemary Garlic Biscuits (with a surprise)

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Biscuits.  I LOVE biscuits!  From a tube, box mix, or homemade… I love them all. I’ve topped casseroles with them, turned them into cinnamon rolls and monkey bread, wrapped hot dogs with them, stuffed them with cheese, used them for sandwiches, you get the picture. 

I’m not an expert in baking biscuits (just in devouring them) , but I do know it’s a southern thing, and buttermilk is queen.  So, imagine my surprise when I stumbled upon a recipe for OLIVE OIL Biscuits.

Yes, olive oil. In a biscuit.  

You all know I bake cakes and cookies with olive oil. I’ve made focaccia bread , and used olive oil as a dipping sauce for bread with meals. Until this past weekend, I haven’t tried to bake biscuits with it, though.

While looking through a stack of recipes, I came across a recipe card from my friends at the Manassas Olive Oil Company  Funny thing… I have a lot of those “MOOC” recipe cards because every time I visit the shop, I grab one and announce “Oh I’m going to make this!”  I have never been disappointed in any recipe of theirs. 

These biscuits are so tender, flaky, and easy to make (it’s a drop recipe, meaning you drop the dough by tablespoons onto your baking sheet) you can make them on the busiest of weeknights with a bowl of soup  or casserole and dinner is done! 

The original recipe uses extra -virgin olive oil, and sea salt for flavoring.  Flavor suggestions included rosemary, garlic, or a french garden blend that the shop carries.  I didn’t have those flavors on hand, so I went to work looking for substitutions.

Enter “MOOC” Rosemary olive oil, and my jar of Epicure “Rosemary Garlic” seasoning.  If you haven’t heard of Epicure, give my gal Rosemarie Emmons a call!  I am excited to try more variations of this recipe in the future, as flavor combos are endless!  I even paired this with a delicious fall salad recipe I created for our latest “The Curly Girls” episode!

For now, I present my take on MOOC Olive Oil biscuits.. “Rosemary Garlic Biscuits” . Thanks for the inspiration! 

Print Recipe

ROSEMARY GARLIC BISCUITS (WITH A SURPRISE)

Servings: 12

Ingredients

  • 2 cups all purpose flour
  • 1 cup buttermilk
  • 1/2 cup Rosemary Olive Oil (or extra virgin for a mild flavor)
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp of your favorite seasoning I used Epicure’s “Rosemary Garlic” blend.  Fresh or dried rosemary with garlic powder would work as well. 

Instructions

  • Preheat over to 425. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper for easy clean up.
  • Mix all dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add the olive oil and buttermilk to dry ingredients. Stir to combine.
  • Drop dough by tablespoons (or scooper) onto baking sheet. Bake for 12-15 minutes , or until lightly browned. Makes 12-16 biscuits.

Enjoy and check my blog post on The Perfect Fall Picnic 

Gina 

 

 

Very Berry Brownie Crumble

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What a mouthful, foodie friends.   A mouthful to say , and a mouthful to enjoy!   Trust me,  Sunday dessert for the family this weekend was a hit! 

The original brownie recipe came from Food Network Magazine, and I adapted it to reflect what I had on hand.   I’m 8 months into “A year of Brownies” in the magazine, and this is the August brownie. Just in time for back to school for the college kids.  A pan of these will head back to school with my son when he leaves later this week! 

Although this brownie recipe involves multiple steps, it’s well worth the effort.  With a rich chocolate brownie layer, sweet/tart berry filling, and a topping of oats, flour and butter, what’s not to love?  Absolutely my favorite brownie yet!  I used a frozen mixed berry blend, omitted almonds, and substituted all purpose flour for almond flour (as I was out of the latter). Still, a delicious dessert treat that the whole family loved. 

Print Recipe

VERY BERRY BROWNIE CRUMBLE

Ingredients

Filling and topping ingredients:

  • 1 bag frozen mixed berry blend of your choice
  • 1/4 C Sugar
  • 1 tbsp lemon juice
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp water
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp almond extract
  • 1/4 C rolled oats
  • 1/2 C brown sugar
  • 7 tbsp butter softened

For the brownies:

  • 12 oz bag of chocolate chips
  • 1 stick of butter
  • 3/4 C brown sugar
  • 3/4 C sugar
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp almond extract
  • 1 1/2 C all purpose flour

Instructions

Prepare the filling :

  • Combine fruit, sugar, and lemon juice in pot on stovetop. Cook over medium heat, bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, cook , stirring until juice is reduced, about 10 minutes.  In separate bowl, mix water and corn starch.  Add mixture to berries and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and add extracts. Allow to cool while making brownie batter and topping. 

Assemble the topping:

  • Combine topping ingredients in a bowl , then add in butter and mix until blended and crumbly. Refrigerate until ready to use. 

Make the brownies:

  • Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9×13 pan with butter/olive oil spray to prevent sticking. Then, melt chocolate and butter in saucepan on stove top.  Remove from heat and add sugars.  Whisk in eggs and extracts. Add flour  and pinch of salt , mix thoroughly. 

Assemble the layers:

  • Spread batter in prepared pan. Top with berry filling, then top the filling with the oat mixture. Bake until tester comes out clean- about 40-45 minutes. Cool about 20 minutes and cut into squares. 
  • Bake this in a disposable pan, and send off with your favorite college student, deliver to a neighbor, or serve at a picnic. 

Enjoy! 

 

Gina

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Birthday, Julia!

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You  should all know by now my love of Julia Child.  Last year at this time I celebrated with my “partner in wine” Ann Marie Railing.

We shared a fun, lighthearted FB live, and shared a quiche and wine pairing that Julia would approve of!  I wish we had saved the video… but that was in our newbie days of not really understanding the ins and outs of technology, Iphone video and how to do a FB live.  

Good news- we have learned a lot over the last year, and are excited to release our second professionally done video, thanks to Prince William.TV!

HUGE shoutout to our sponsors. They make all of this foodie magic happen for us. Their support is much appreciated!

Please support them- Julia would want you to shop local, support local : ) 

Manassas Olive Oil Company 

The Selfish Mama

Anna Tjoumas , Pampered Chef

Kelly Haneklau

A Dog’s Day Out Haymarket 

Watch here on our You Tube Channel!  Make sure to subscribe while you are there. 

Let us know what you think of the latest video! You can email us at

sipsandswirls@gmail.com. 

Cheers! 

Gina 

 

 

 

 

Ocean Pudding Cups

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A fun little treat, dessert , or snack for kids of all ages ! 

This recipe is made with vanilla pudding tinted blue.  My good friend Rosemarie upped the healthy factor an used coconut yogurt to make hers!  I love when my friends get creative in their kitchens! 

The recipe is pretty simple, and only uses a few ingredients. 

Print Recipe

OCEAN PUDDING CUPS

Ingredients

  • 1 box Vanilla instant pudding 4 serving size
  • 2 C Milk
  • Blue food coloring
  • Graham cracker crumbs 
  • Life saver gummy rings candy
  • Teddy Grahams crackers
  • 4 clear plastic cups

Instructions

  • Prepare pudding as directed on the package. Once set, add a few drops of blue food coloring and mix until blended.
  • Layer graham cracker crumbs on bottom of each cup. Add a layer of pudding, then a thin layer of crumbs. Add remaining pudding until each cup has equal amounts. Sprinkle one side of pudding with more crumbs to resemble beach sand.
  • Take one bear cracker and fit a gummy ring around it, place in blue pudding for a perfect little floating beach visitor!
  • You can also add swedish fish candies for a fishing/lake themed treat.

Watch me make this recipe on my YouTube channel!

Remember, if you make this recipe , be sure to tag @fromginaskitchen on social media! 

Have a great weekend, foodie friends! 

 

Gina 

Peach Turnovers

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What a fun conversation we had tonight in the Kitchen with Alesia!  

Alesia shared some history and fun facts about her home state of Missouri. I got to share a fun recipe I found in the cool cookbook she brought me back from her recent visit home.

The recipe for “Peach Turnovers” is a local favorite, and couldn’t be easier to make! I can see (and taste ) why locals love this seasonal fruit dessert.  But seriously, they could. be breakfast too! 

Peach Turnovers (recipe found in “Missouri Back Road Restaurant Recipes”)

Print Recipe

PEACH TURNOVERS

Ingredients

  • 3 large peaches
  • 2 crescent rolls 8 ounce cans
  • 2 sticks of butter
  • 1 1/2 c sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 6 oz Mountain Dew

Instructions

  • 1 pinch ground cinnamon (I used more than a pinch, I sprinkled my cinnamon sugar mixture on all of them)
  • Preheat oven to 350. Slice peaches and set aside. Unroll crescent dough, separate into 16 triangles. Please one pech slice at base of each and rollup. Arrange in a 9X13 pan as you work. Melt butter, add sugar, vanilla and salt. Pour over turnovers in baking pan. Pour Mountain Dew over turnovers, sprinkle with cinnamon. Bake 30-40 minutes, or until turnovers are golden brown and liquid is bubbling. 

Enjoy! 

Make sure to visit the Kitchen on  Facebook every Monday at 5 pm as we talk travel and share local recipes. 

And make sure to share pics and tag @fromginaskitchen and @ibooktravelforu if you make this recipe!

Enjoy!

Gina

Mid-way through “a year of brownies”!

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Ok foodie friends, where did the time go? We all want 2020 to get on out of here… but June flew by and I almost forgot about my mission to bake a brownie a month  thanks to inspiration from Food Network Magazine!)

I FINALLY got into the kitchen to make this month’s brownie , and boy is it a good one! 

Have you ever made a “skillet brownie’?  I love to make them, because it’s quite the showstopper dessert to impress a crowd, especially if your guests are around to watch you remove that giant cast iron skillet from the oven! 

This is what my “Pecan-Toffee Skillet Brownie ” looked like as soon as it came out of the oven.  The key with this brownie is to be patient, and give it time. First you make the brownie batter on the stove top, and bake it in your skillet. Then, after it’s done, let it cool. While it cools, you make the toffee topping. 

As you drizzle that gooey pecan mixture over the entire brownie, you can’t help but taste-testing a bit of the homemade toffee goodness!  Then… while you wait for the topping to set (about 90 minutes) you can lick the pan! Be careful though, it’s hot, lol! 

Watch me make this recipe on my YouTube channel! 

I can’t take credit for inventing the recipe, so I have to give props to my favorite foodie magazine for coming up with so many new and creative ways to makes brownies. Trust me, you want to see what I’m baking up next month (which is sadly already next week!)

To make this yummy recipe, visit Food Network Magazine’s site here.

I enjoyed my slice today , after it set up overnight:

See you next month, for a star-spangled brownie you’ll want to have around all month long.  

 

Gina

 

 

 

Happy National Cheeseball Day!

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Let’s face it, foodie friends. We are ALL looking for something to celebrate these days. I have never been good about keeping up with “International/National fill-in-the-blank day ” , but times have changed. I have a little more time to look up these facts and share them with you, lol.

I’ve been ready for this day since October, then again at Christmastime. My cheeseball is NOT your typical one though. It has a theme. No surprise, it’s Disney theme.

One of my favorite movies to watch the last three months of the year (every year) is “The Nightmare Before Christmas”. So on Halloween, I break out my “Jack Skellington” cheeseball recipe, and all my Disney peeps at our party rejoice! It’s Jack, in all his cheesy deliciousness!

And since the movie is really about two holidays, I can take this appetizer into the Christmas season as well!

The Jack Skellington cheeseball works from Halloween until Christmas!

Of course you an use the recipe year round (without the face) or , get your Disney on and decorate yours to look like our favorite Pumpkin King!

It easy to whip up, and great for an afternoon snack, party appetizer, or as addition to a cheese platter!

Print Recipe

Jack Skellington Cheeseball

Ingredients

  • 2 8 oz packages of softened cream cheese
  • 1 1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
  • 1/2 c cooked bacon, crumbled or bacon bits (I use bacon bits, and I like to add a little extra. Everything’s better with bacon!)
  • 1/2 tbsp worcestershire sauce
  • Black olives (some whole, sme cut into halves, for the facial features)
  • Parchment or Wax paper for easy molding

Instructions

  • Add all ingredients into a stand mixer (or large mixing bowl with a hand mixer) mix well.
  • Place combined ingredients on your parchment or wax paper, pick up with your hands and form into a ball. Make it as round as possible.
  • Place your cheeseball on a plate or serving platter, and get ready to decorate!
  • Make the details of Jack’s face out of the olives.
  • Place in refrigerator for an hour (covered) to set.
  • Once set, it’s ready to serve. Add tortilla chips or pretzels (I love the holiday shaped ones!) carrots, crackers or slices of baguette around your creation.

Hope you’ll try this around YOUR kitchen table this weekend!

Happy National Cheeseball day, friends!

Gina

In the Kitchen this week!

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Happy Easter Monday , foodie friends!

I hope you had a blessed Easter! I know for us all it was a very different way of celebrating, and that’s ok. We have to take one day at a time in the “new normal” we are all living in. Take care of each other and reach out virtually to check in with loved ones near and far! And don’t forget to do something fun in YOUR kitchen!

Not sure if you caught me on FB Live last week (Friday to be exact) as a guest of PWC Moms. I demonstrated a few quick and easy ways to decorate Easter cupcakes. But really, these cuties can be considered spring themed as well. Watch here !

Farmers Market Menu:

The City of Manassas Farmers Market will be open this Saturday for pre-order, pre pay orders only. On the menu in the Kitchen this week:

Artisan brownie trays, baked with olive oils from Manassas Olive Oil Company .
Trays are 8×8, will serve 1-12 or more depending on how you cut them!  Each tray is $20 plus tax.  You can ask for traditional chocolate, blood orange, or chipotle cinnamon. 

Spring themed sugar cookie mixes, and make your own brownie mixes. $6.50 each.

Starting next week you can customize the cookie cutters in your kit!

Depending on availability of butter in the area, all-butter pound cakes (new larger size) could be on the menu. $7.50 each 

All Butter Pound Cake
NEW Larger Size !

ORDERS MUST BE PLACED BY WEDNESDAY APRIL 15th, and payment received by the 16th. 

The market is open at 10am in the parking lot across from Baldwin Elementary.  Pick-up between 10am-10:30am or by special arrangement.  

Place your order at fromginaskitchen@gmail.com

Have a sweet week, foodie friends!

Gina

My favorite banana bread recipe (and it should be yours, too!)

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It’s “Tip Tuesday” in the kitchen, and I have a great one for you!

My go-to idea for softened bananas (if we don’t throw into a morning smoothie) is always banana bread. But not just any banana bread… it’s Martha Stewart’s banana bread.

Stay with me here, it’s EASY! You probably have everything you need on hand, and here’s a secret- it calls for sour cream, but when I’m out I substitute greek yogurt and it still comes out moist and delicious!

I found the recipe years ago in one of my favorite cookbooks, pictured here.

My favorite banana bread recipe can be found in this trusty old gem!

I was excited to see the recipe in a FB post last week! If you don’t have the cookbook (it’s on page 106 if you do) click here .

You know how I love to share the kitchen sweetness. This makes one standard loaf of bread, or several smaller loaves perfect for gift giving.

Oh and if you DO have a copy of the book, try the recipe for Bourbon Bread, found on the same page. You’re welcome!

Hoping you are staying healthy and safe around YOUR kitchen table.

Gina