Christmas Butter Cookies

Christmas Butter Cookies C Is For Cookie…

This weekend I am having a couple dozen kids over for a cookie decorating party ‘cause who needs their sanity? Am I right?

This is the third year we have hosted it, and despite the craziness, it really is a lot of fun. If you ever want to get in the spirit of Christmas or just re-live it through the eyes of an eight year old—have a cookie party.

In the past I have made a massive amount of sugar cookies and gingerbread men/woman for the kids to decorate as they see fit. This year I was thinking about mini gingerbread houses. but as the weekend fast approaches, I’m realizing that would be a one way ticket to crazy town. I might just provide some graham crackers for the kids who want to try their hand. I am also cheating by purchasing the cookie icing instead of making it and coloring it myself. I did that the first year. #Rookiemistake.

The hardest thing about making the cookies is finding a recipe that actually tastes good. There are plenty of sugar cookie recipes, and most make cookies that are easy to decorate, but are too hard and have little flavor. This year I am going with a butter cookie instead, because the whole purpose of making and decorating cookies is to eat them. By the handful…

This recipe originated with America’s Test Kitchen. I played around with it. It makes a great cookie sturdy enough for icing, and with plenty of butter for tastiness. Yay for butter! Read more…

Pie Month — Bonus Post

Pink Pearl Apple Pie November is Pie Month at Piedmont Grocery, and we have been posting a pie a day to our social media feeds. Here is the compilation of the pies so far. We will update the list again at the end of the month.

Happy feasting!

Cornmeal-Crusted Crayfish Pies

Havin’ Fun On The Bayou…

It’s that time again. This week is the annual Chef of The Month Dinner that I have cooked for the past three years as a prize for our school auction.

The first year I was an uber excited over-achiever and all about making the entire meal from my garden. Well, except for the pork. (I’m not about to raise actual pigs. I have three who live with me, and I accuse them of being raised in a barn. That’s good enough.)

Last year was an elaborate Moroccan feast. I may have gone overboard. (Seriously? I poached pears and made the bread from scratch. ‘Nuff said.) I thought it was awesome but I am also a bit of a nut when it comes to Moroccan food. I made too many dishes in my attempt to make others enjoy the cuisine as much as I do and I killed myself doing it. I drooled in the corner for a week.

This year I’m keeping it within the continental U.S., and I’m not going as crazy. I’m makin ’em take a trip down on the bayou. This close to Thanksgiving, I want something that they aren’t going to eat again in the next few weeks. I figure cajun is a good way to go for a satisfying Fall meal.

I consider any gumbo to be comfort food, and there are so many different kinds to choose from. When I think of cajun cuisine this is the first thing that comes to mind, so I had to do it. I am going with the less traditional Smoked Duck and Andouille Gumbo.

Pecans are big all over the South, but Louisiana is crazy for them. So, I am making a Caramel-Pecan tart that is almost better than my Grandmother-in-Law’s Pecan Pie. Almost. She’s from Louisiana, she knows her pecans and she makes a MEAN Pecan pie.

Crawfish Pie is a no-brainer. It is just SO Louisiana. Hank Williams even sang about it. Since November is our Month of Pie, I am sharing the recipe as a savory alternative to the obvious.
Read more…

Old-Fashioned Apple Cake with Brown Sugar Frosting

Something Wicked This Way Comes…For Now

Halloween has me a little concerned this year. In the past, costume planning started in January. This year serious planning didn’t start until September. Well, except for my daughter; she still started planning in January. She will be going as a hamster. Without the human-sized hamster ball though. She’s totally bummed…and, yes they do make human-sized hamster balls.

The boys were seriously less enthusiastic. Getting them to commit was worse than pulling teeth, and the ideas kept changing from day to day. Scooby Doo and Shaggy were their first options. Frankly, I thought it was an awesome idea, but my opinion may be why it was nixed immediately.

One of the boys wanted to be this blow up ostrich thing—just too weird. (Really? Who comes up with these?) The other one was first thinking about being a caveman, and then the lime green unitard guy…ummmm, no!

The good news? No blood and guts for 2014. Instead we have a Spartan (that in no way resembles Tommy Trojan. I made sure of that. Go Ducks!), a nerd, and of course a hamster named Peanut—complete with a bag of peanuts. (This is an essential part of the costume as is the sign that says: Hi, my name is Peanut. My daughter is nothing, if not thorough.)

All of this semi-drama leads me to believe that it might be the last year for Halloween fun, at least for the boys. This goes way beyond the usual complaining when I take pictures of them in their costumes before school. Next year they hit Middle School and the innocence of the Buzz Lightyear costume morphs into I’m too cool for school. What-evs! And bring on the T.P. mischief.

I’m not ready for it to be over. Next thing you know we will loose Santa, the Tooth Fairy and the Easter Bunny. Total childhood anarchy. I refuse to accept it. So I have been self-medicating with cake.

I made this one over the weekend. It seemed to help… Read more…