Recipes – Page 3 – Melanie K

Elevate the Everyday- Bridal Shower Ideas

Through the ups and downs of the last two years, we’ve come to realize what’s important and reprioritize our lives. To no surprise, we’ve rediscovered our love of cooking and have embraced celebrating with our friends and family again. This new focus on enjoying life includes “elevating the everyday”. We’ve moved past fussy recipes and frills and just want some downhome cookin’ that reminds us how good we have it in the country- especially the South!

With the wild success of Prairie Woman’s Ree Drummond and hit shows like Yellowstone, there is a resurgence of American’s “returning to our roots” and trading in the crowded city hustle for big country life. We crave that comfort of tried-and-true classic meals and the closeness of front porch sittin’.

For a bridal shower, you can bring this to life by serving country favorites with a modern twist. For your tablescape, mix in black buffalo check, spring flowers, black iron skillets and a dainty cupcake tier. Serve up some local 521 BBQ on a sweet brioche slider and your own “secret sauce”. For sides, they will love your sweet potato biscuits and devilled eggs topped with crispy bacon. For dessert, treat your guests to Sweet Tea Cupcakes with Raspberry Lemonade frosting. To complete your theme, serve your drinks (sweet tea, water and lemonade) out of mason jars.

Whether you choose to make your food or have it catered, if you keep your guests at the center of your planning, they’ll feel right at home!

For Country Estate Décor:

black buffalo check pattern- runners, napkins, tablecloth, bows
mason jars can serve as flower vases, drink glasses or your BBQ jar
black iron skillets can serve as trays or a pedestal to lift of another tray
metal wash basin for ice or drinks on ice
miscellaneous: deer skull & horns, hurricane lanterns, horseshoes, etc.

BBQ Brioche Sliders by Melanie Knight serves 12

1lb Pork BBQ (premade- I used 521 BBQ)
12 Brioche Sliders (Walmart deli)
12 long toothpicks (I used 6 bamboo skewers- cut in half)
12 bread & butter pickles
12 pimento stuffed olives

Directions: Slice the sliders in half to create a top & bottom. Fill each one up with BBQ, then skewer with the pickle & olive on top

“Get Ripped” Bourbon BBQ Sauce by Melanie Knight serves 12

You guessed it! Named after Yellowstone’s character Rip!

2 cups Sweet baby Ray’s BBQ sauce
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup Frank’s Hot Sauce
2 tlb bourbon (optional)

Add your ingredients to a mason jar, put the lid on and “shake it like a salt shaker” until well blended.

Sweet Potato Biscuits by Melanie Knight serves 12-16

¾ cup Bruce’s Yams (drain the can, then measure out the sweet potatoes)
1/3 cup milk (to use when you puree the yams)
3 tlb milk (to use when you mix the dough-may not need)
1 ½ cup all purpose flour (for dough)
1/3 cup flour (for surface)
2 tlb brown sugar
1tbl baking powder
1tsp himalyan sea salt
1 tiny pinch nutmeg (less than 1/8 tsp)
6 tlb unsalted butter- cut into small pieces
2 tlb melted butter (for brushing tops of baked biscuits)

Preheat oven to 425. Puree sweet potatoes (yams) with the 1/3 cup milk, then set aside.

In a bowl, combine the rest of the ingredients by hand (seriously- use your hands!) Mix together the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, butter and nutmeg. The mixture will feel grainy and almost hold together. Add in the pureed sweet potatoes and mix together. IF too wet, sprinkle in a little four until you can form a ball with the dough. IF too dry, add in the milk 1 tlb at a time.

Dust your surface with flour, then roll out your dough ~1/4 inch thick. Cut out your biscuits- I used a mason jar lid.

Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 12-14 mins. Brush with melted butter once removed from oven.

Sweet Tea Cupcakes with Raspberry Lemonade Frosting by Melanie Knight serves 24

2 cups water (will make 1 cup tea)
8 tea bags
1 box Betty Crocker yellow cake mix
½ cup oil
3 eggs
24 cupcake liners

Raspberry Lemonade Frosting

4 sticks unsalted butter (room temp)
3 cups powdered sugar
1 ½ tsp True Lemon Crystallized Lemon (Harris Teeter)
3 tsp water
1 tsp Raspberry flavor extract
Red gel food coloring (@ ½ the size of a pea)
Optional: 2D decorating tip for “carnation” flowers
Optional: can substitute 3 tsp lemon juice for True Lemon & water

Cupcake directions: Microwave the water for 4 mins, then steep the 8 tea bags in the water for 5 mins. Remove tea bags and let water cool to room temp. Use 1 cup.

In a mixer, combine the eggs, oil, cake mix and tea until blended. Fill each cupcake holder to @ 2/3 full. Bake for 12-14 mins. Remove from oven and let cool. They must be cool before you frost them or the icing will melt. If you are short on time, let them cool in the fridge.

Frosting directions: In a mixer, blend the butter, lemon crystals, water, raspberry extract and food coloring. Next, add the sugar 1 cup at a time until blended. Scoop into a pastry bag and pipe onto your cupcakes.

Devilled Eggs & Crispy Bacon by Melanie Knight serves 12

6 boiled & shelled eggs
¼ cup Duke’s mayonnaise
1 tbl sweet relish
Salty & pepper to taste
4 slices cooked bacon- cut into 12 pieces (I used Oscar Myer fully cooked bacon- microwaved to “crispy”)
Smoked paprika to sprinkle on eggs

Directions: Cut each egg in half lengthwise and remove the yolk to a bowl. In the bowl with the 6 yolks, add the mayonnaise and relish. Mash with a fork until completely creamy. Scoop into a pastry bag and pipe onto your egg whites. Sprinkle paprika on each egg and top with a piece of crispy bacon.

Spread the Love & Tipsy Tuxedos!

My favorite Valentine’s Day is the one where I surprised my grandmother with flowers. Now, my grandmother was a flamboyant and boisterous lady. She didn’t just enter a room, she would burst forth singing “There she is, Miss America!” twirling and flashing all her jeweled fingers and jingling her bracelets. If it was summertime, I was hot on her heels sporting some random bling, two swipes of bright blue eyeshadow and a dash of hot red lipstick. I probably looked like a clown, but I just KNEW I looked good because she told me so.

My grandparents lived the small town of Alliance, AL and this little scene was a typical show for my grandfather before we headed out for our adventures scouting yard sales, hitting the flea market, then followed with a quick trip to Kmart. Now I know where I get my spark from and why I feel so at home in the Red Rose City! It all started with her, Sylvia “Toots” Glaze.

Well, fast forward about 20 years. I’ve got a corporate job at Springs and my grandmother is a widow. Since she loved surprises, I got the bright idea to send her a dozen red roses with a cute note. I looked up a florist in her town and wouldn’t you know it, she knew my grandmother! For the card, I had her write “To Miss America from your Secret Admirer”.

They say happiness is having something to look forward to, and this little gesture gave us all so much joy! The florist couldn’t wait to deliver the flowers and see my grandmothers look of surprise. This might have been the only moment she was EVER speechless! My coworkers couldn’t wait to hear all about how the drama unfolded the next day AND of course I was thrilled to know that even though I was 600 miles away, I could still play a good trick on my grandmother.

Well it didn’t take long for her to run through the list of usual suspects and come up with me as the culprit. Yes, I was guilty as charged, but she was delighted with the roses. Looking back, I wish I’d sent her roses every year.

*Balloon Express has an annual “Adapt A Grandparent” event where you can sponsor a senior in our local community with a cute bouquet & balloon for $12. Call 803-235-4336 for more information

Tipsy Tuxedo Strawberries by Melanie Knight- makes 12

It’s OK if yours don’t turn out perfect! They will still be delicious!

Ingredients

12 strawberries, washed and dried
7oz Baker’s Dipping Chocolate (comes in a cup)
7oz Great Value White melting wafers (comes in a cup)
Parchment paper or aluminum foil for strawberries to cool on
2 bamboo skewers or toothpicks
2 spoons (1 for chocolate, 1 for white)

Directions

Melt the chocolate and white wafers according to package directions. I heated mine up 30 seconds, then stirred it. It took ~3 times to become completely melted.

Shirt: Hold the strawberry by the green top (or you can skewer it with the bamboo skewer or toothpick) and cover the front with the melted white wafers. You can either dip the strawberry in the melted white wafers, or spoon the hot sauce over the front. I use the spoon. Set the strawberry aside to cook on the foil or parchment paper- white side up.

Coat: With the cooled strawberries, you now want to repeat the process, but with the chocolate. Cover the other sides with the chocolate. For the front. Make a V-shape with the chocolate for the “Jacket”.

Scrape the back of the strawberry of excess chocolate, then set on the foil or parchment paper to cool.

Bowtie & Buttons: With the cooled strawberries, use the toothpick or the skewer. Dip the end into the melted chocolate and dot 3 buttons down the front of the white “shirt”. At the top, carefully draw 2 triangles for the “bowtie”

Optional Football: Completely dip the strawberries in chocolate and set aside to cool. Using the skewer or toothpick, draw a white line down the side of the strawberry, then 3 short lines across it for laces. Perfect for the Super Bowl!

Date Night In Charcuterie Board for 2 by Melanie Knight

You can mix and match your favorite snackles for the perfect date night!

Ingredients

Tipsy Tuxedo Strawberries
½ cup blueberries
1 cup Pretzel Crisps
½ cup Snyder’s of Hanover Twsited Pretzel Sticks
7 Pepperidge Farm Verona Strawberry
5 Pepperidge Farm Chessmen
½ cup Colby cheese cubes
10 pimento stuffed olives
15 pepperoni slices
½ cup salted pecans
½ cup honey in a cute dish

Arrange on a tray or platter with couple of red heart decorations and Viola!

Thank God for Do-Overs!

Well, by now you’ve probably spent the first few days of January torturing yourself with a crazy fad diet and a flashy, but impossible to maintain workout schedule. Once the rush and will power wear off, your might find yourself back to square one. No progress, but now you also feel like a failure. Instead of kicking yourself, why don’t you stop and reconsider what you are actually trying to accomplish and why.

If these fad crash diets and insane workouts ACTAULLY worked, don’t you think we would have found the right “one” by now? A better way to achieve your goals is to begin with the end in mind. If your goal is to “lose weight and look good”, what exactly will achieving this give you? If you really think about it, it might be self confidence that you crave.

Just like it “takes money to make money”, start by being the best version of yourself right now. When you value something, you take better care of it-so start with yourself. If your clothes don’t fit, get some new ones that do. Go get your hair done (ask for Madison Morgan at Allure Beauty Salon 803-286-1102) and if you don’t know how to do your makeup -with current techniques- watch some YouTube videos or book a makeup lesson at Ulta. Guys, this goes for you too! Trim and shape your beard (and those nose hairs if you got ‘em!), get some new shoes if yours are busted and wash and wax your car. When you start from a place of power, you make better decisions. Start from a place of power when you think about your 2022 goals and you might surprise yourself when you think about changes you want to make!

Now that you got “your head right”, pick a word or phrase that you want your life to reflect in 2022. For me, I want this year to be a “Delicious Feast”. I have spent so many years living in lack and scarcity, that I carry that with me even now when my life is abundant. To change this, I’m going to use my phrase of “Delicious Feast” to set a vision for my life in 2022. How? Well darling, I thought you’d never ask!

What first comes to mind for me with this phrase is food of course! When I think of a “Delicious Feast”, it is not a free-for-all-of-fast-food-binging. For me, I envision my year full of meals that are tasty and good for me. In order to live this out, I’ll need to pre-plan my week so I’m not stuck eating junk. I will also need to ensure I pick savory recipes that include plenty of vegetables. Would you rather eat a hot bowl of chunky vegetable soup- OR- measure out 2 cups of cold sliced vegetables? I’ll take the hot soup any day! Even though they are the same thing, I prefer the savory soup hands down! It’s all about the story in your head. If you can nail that, you’ll knock this year out of the park!

This vision I have for 2022 will also be brought to life as a “Delicious Feast” for the Senses. I’ve already booked a massage Black Stone Massage (https://www.blackstonemassagestudio.com/) to kick the year off right. For me, this is a luxurious treat. It’ll remind me to take care of myself this year and be kind to my body since it’s the only one I’ve got. I’ve also started walking again every day during lunch rain or shine. It a nice way to ensure I get out of the house and spend 30 mins enjoying fresh air and the great outdoors. I mean, someone has to walk around and say “hi” to the neighborhood dogs! To stay on track with my “Ultimate Outsider” goal from last year to visit all 47 State Parks, I’ve asked for trips to parks instead of presents this year. It’s a “two birds one stone deal”, I get to check a park off my list AND I get to spend MORE time outside enjoying the beauty of this great state. I can hopefully fit in a few short hikes to some thundering waterfalls too. I’m also going to keep seasonal flowers on my porch so I can enjoy their myriad of colors and tantalizing fragrances; I just need to remember to water them…

To ensure I enjoy a “Delicious Feast” for the Soul, I’ve got a couple of things lined up. My goal is to live into the wisdom of Luke 12:48 NIV “From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” For me, I want to invest in the arts and education, so I will contribute by renewing my membership to the Lancaster County Council of the Arts (https://www.artslancaster.com). It’s an easy way to support the arts and ensure our children have an opportunity to explore creative endeavors. Selfishly I love their annual Art & Soul Gala and their annual Ladies Tea where I have a legitimate excuse to dress up. To fill my soul with live entertainment, I’ll renew my membership to the Lancaster Playhouse (https://www.lancasterplayhouse.com/). Each level of membership comes with a set number of tickets, so not only does your membership support the theatre, but you also score tickets to their amazing productions! I’ll also continue to donate to the Lancaster Children’s Home (https://www.lancasterchildrenshome.com/) and Safe Passage- a Domestic Peace Program (https://safepassagesc.org). Both of these organizations meet the needs of our community and are both 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations. They need our support now more than ever as their fundraising has been limited since COVID. By giving to these arts and humanitarian organizations, I know that I am making a difference in our local community, and that feeds my soul and makes me smile.

Do you get the idea now? By choosing a word of phrase to guide your vision for 2022, it becomes your measuring stick. Weigh your opportunities and decisions against it and you will stay on track. IF you are still having trouble picking a word, here are some of mine from previous years: fierce, glory, hope, beast. Happy New Year!

Chunky Vegetable Soup by Melanie Knight (serves 6)

Great way to use all those vegetables you bought for that fad diet!

Ingredients

1 -28oz can diced tomatoes
1 -15oz can tomato sauce
1 -15.5oz dark red kidney beans (drained & rinsed)
1 -15.5oz cannellini beans (white kidney beans) drained & rinsed
1 small sweet onion- diced
4 stalks celery, sliced on an angle
2 cups frozen veg-all
1 cup baby carrots
½ bag shredded cabbage (1/2 of a 10oz bag)
4 cups water
2 Bay leaves
½ tsp powdered garlic
2 tsp Italian seasoning

In an instapot or crock pot, cook for 2-4 hours on high. There is no added salt, but you can top it with any of these options: Everything Bagel seasoning, croutons, cheddar cheese, parmesan cheese, Goldfish crackers, oyster crackers, crumbled cornbread. This is a delicious meal for lunch by itself, or as a side with a sandwich. Enjoy!

Berries & Nice-Cream! By Melanie Knight, serves 1

Ice-cream in the winter? Yes Ma’am! I once stood in line 30 minutes at the Pennsylvania State Farm Show in the dead of winter while wearing a full length wool coat just to get a milkshake! So worth it! The recipe below is healthier version!

Ingredients

1 ripe banana, sliced and frozen (in layers in a ziplock)
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ cup almond milk (can substitute regular milk)
1 strawberry sliced
¼ cup blueberries

Directions, with a blender (I used my Bullet), pulse the banana, vanilla and almond milk. You will need to stop and shake it, then blend again. Ready to serve when smooth, top with the strawberries and blueberries!

Christmas is almost here!

These cookies are delicious- make sure you save some for Santa!

With Christmas in a few days, I have to ask- Are you an Airforce Pilot or a Navy Pilot?

Yes, I know it’s a strange question, but not when you know the background. My friend Meredith Mann explained it to me like this: if you’re on a flight and enjoy a smooth descent and gentle landing, then you had an Airforce pilot because they are trained on land with long runways. If you’re plane landing felt like you dropped out of the sky and bounced a few times on the runway only to come to a screeching halt, then you had a Navy polit because they were trained to land planes on aircraft carriers with short runways in the middle of the ocean. In both scenarios, you landed safely, but the experience was drastically different.

Well, as far as Christmas goes, I have been a “Navy Pilot” for decades. Although I always manage to pull off “Christmas”, I’ve spent too many Christmas Eves staying up to 2 am assembling bikes and trampolines. Although I love how beautiful a tree looks surrounded by wrapped presents, I do NOT enjoy wrapping them, so I also put that off until the last minute too. (Pro Tip: Tractor Supply has cute re-usable shopping bags that work great as gift bags!) I’ve also jumped out of bed and scrambled to make sure Santa stuffed the stockings before I heard the pitter patter of little feet on many Christmas mornings.

As my children get older and the Christmas lists are shorter, but more expensive, I am morphing into an Airforce pilot. If only I’d known years ago how much easier this version of Christmas is! So while my tree has just a few presents under it, I now have time to bake cookies and enjoy my Christmas lights and decorations. But truth be told- I’d trade this peaceful version of Christmas for another bumpy landing if it meant I could enjoy another Christmas with my kids when they were still small enough to curl up in my lap.

Dinky-Doos for Santa! By Melanie Knight, makes 12 cookie sandwiches

My husband’s grandmother, Sarah Knight, used to make cookies like this. There were never any leftovers. I don’t have that recipe, but this one is amazing! The sugar sprinkles add a “crunchy” texture!

Cookie Ingredients

1 box cake mix (Betty Crocker Chocolate Fudge)
2 eggs
1 stick unsalted butter- room temperature
-1/2 cup water

Icing Ingredients

1 stick unsalted butter- room temperature
2 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp vanilla
2 tbl milk
Colored sugar sprinkles

Preheat oven to 350 dregrees and line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Mix the eggs, butter and water in an electric mixer until blended. Add the cake mix in 2 batches until blended. Mixture will be thick! Use a spoon and drop 24 rounded tables spoons into the cookie sheets (12 each). Bake for 10-15 minutes or until done. Cool completely before frosting (I put mine in the fridge to save time)

Icing

Mix butter, vanilla, milk and powdered sugar in an electric mixer until blended.

Assembly

Pair up cookies into matched circles (if yours are not all perfectly the same size!) Ice the bottom of 1 cookie, then top with the matching cookie- bottom side on the icing- to make a cookie sandwich. Pour sugar on a small plate and roll the cookie edges in the sugar to coat the icing. If your cookies are crispsy, they will soften overnight in a Tupperware (if there are any left over!)

Festive Christmas Tree Board by Melanie Knight (serves 6)

We’ve all make vegetable trays, but here is a cute version perfect for the holidays. Below are the ingredients I used, but feel free to incorporate your own!

Ingredients

2 heads fresh broccoli, washed & cut into ½ bunches
10 cherry tomatoes
½ cup green pimento stuffed olives, sliced
3 oz (1/2 bag pepperoni)
16oz sliced honey ham
8 oz bag cube cheddar cheese
8oz bag cube Colby cheese
1 stalk celery- cut into 3 inch sticks (for tree trunk)

On a wooden cutting board (or large tray), start you tree from the bottom. You’ll make a row of each ingredient in the shape of a tree. Start ~ inches from the bottom with a row of broccoli. Add the celery to make the trunk. Layers in order from the bottom: broccoli, ham, cheddar, broccoli, pepperoni, Colby, broccoli, ham, broccoli. Now add your “ornaments” with the cherry tomatoes and olive slices. For a cheddar star, I warmed up a cheddar cube in my hands, then flattened it and cut out a simple 5 point star.

Best way to get that fresh Christmas Tree smell!

Simple Holiday Centerpiece by Melanie Knight

This is a simple way to get that “Christmas Tree” smell when you have an artificial tree. Decorate your centerpiece with trimming and ornaments you have for a one-of-a-kind centerpice.

Materials

Charger (or large plate)
Small live wreath
Hurricane glass
Red ornaments
3 glitter pine cones
1 small bow
1 small led tea light candle

Assembly

Place the wreath on the charger. Fill the glass with the red ornaments & tea light and place in the center of the wreath. Add the pine cones and bow to the wreath, evenly space them out. TIP: For the tea light, I painted mine red with nail polish so it matched the ornaments.

Holiday Magic

As we are in this holiday season, make a conscious decision to slow things down and you might actually enjoy the holidays again! We get caught up in the commercial lure of all the shiny new stuff, but when I think back to my fondest memories, they were centered on moments, not purchases. Seeing the neighborhood transformed into a winter wonderland of sparkling lights, greeting strangers with cheerful “Merry Christmas!’ and getting warmed up with a hot cup of cocoa topped with marshmallows on a chilly night. Of course there were the huge family dinners with everyone crammed into grandma’s house, and I’d get stuck at the kids’ card table with some weird three pronged fork because they ran out of silverware, but overall, the memories are good ones. To help you make this season a memorable one, I’ve got a few ideas to help you make some magic memories!

Be Gracious

There is no greater flex than having a peaceful home. Home is a refuge, so as you decorate for each holiday, consider what you are creating. Is it a welcoming and cheerful wonderland for your children and guests to revel in, or is it a beautiful but untouchable cold museum? For example- I think white lights on a Christmas tree are angelic, but my kids love the colored lights. So guess what goes on my Christmas tree? Colored lights! Yes it’s my house, but I decorate to see my kids faces light up because that is what makes me happy.

As our families expand and blended families try to juggle weekends, you can relieve a lot of stress by being flexible. Rather than fight over 1 single day or the holiday is ruined, you can choose a different day. We used to have a big Thanksgiving meal the Saturday before Thanksgiving so I got to celebrate with my son and not force him to “choose” who he spent Thanksgiving with. That way, he got to celebrate with both sides of his family rather than watch us ruin the holiday fighting over him.

Be Generous

If you didn’t have a Rockwell childhood full of magic moments, guess what? You are in charge now! Treat your inner child to all the activities you wanted to enjoy, but never got the chance. Bake cookies, go ice skating, make paper snowflakes and deck the halls! There is no age limit on fun or laughter, so you have full permission to treat yourself. If you can’t find a way to do this for yourself, then be that person for someone else. You can sponsor a kid from the Angel Tree, donate to the Lancaster Children’s Home, or donate to the Hope Food Bank.

If you want to multiply your efforts, collect canned food as the “price of admission”. This works for school activities like the winter concerts, or even your own family gatherings. This way, you give other families a chance to open their hearts give too!

Commit to spending time with the elders in your family and actively listen to their stories. This gift of time and attention is one of the most precious things you can give. It is not just a gift that will make them feel loved and appreciated, it is also a gift to yourself. We all wish we’d spent more time cherishing loved ones we’ve lost.

Be Creative

I am a huge fan of roasted turkey and ham, but by New Year’s I have had enough. To side step this dilemma, here’s a tip from my friend Jaime James. Her family hosts “Feliz Navidad” every Christmas Eve where they serve tacos, nachos and burritos. It was such a tasty idea that we’ve adopted it over the last few years! If you are hosting a Christmas party this year, it could be the theme that sets your apart!

For a ladies group you can host an ornament exchange. This is a great way gather with friends and exchange gifts that won’t break the bank. You can number the gifts and draw numbers to see who gets what. Every family has different rules for how to play and how many times you can “steal”, so establish those rules first so no one gets mad when their gift is stolen!

For a fun kids party you can host a Grinch Brunch. Have your little guest dress in their fuzzy pajamas and serve green pancakes (or waffles) with strawberries and whipped cream. Play the movie while you eat and decorate cookies. You can also do a gift exchange at this party. We did an impromptu one once where I wrapped up items from my pantry. You should have seen the look on the kid’s face when he unwrapped an onion! Most of the kids exchanged their random pantry gifts for a piece of candy, except the kid that got a bottle of ketchup. He was so happy he took that home!

For a fun teen party, make personal pizzas and watch Gremlins. Have toppings on hand like pepperoni, bacon bits, mushrooms, ham, pineapple and banana peppers so your guests can customize their own pizza. As for the movie, don’t you remember the Gremlin jumping out of the Christmas tree? That qualifies it as a classic holiday movie right? You can always scratch the movie part and have a scavenger hunt! Make a list of things found in & around your house and have them take selfies for points. Again, agree on the rules up front so its clear on how to win.

For a delicious Sunday dinner (and a break from turkey and ham!), try serving your family a delicious lasagna soup. It’s easier to cook than a regular lasagna, but tastes just as good! Each person “assembles” their lasagna soup in their bowl, so they can get as little or as much mozzarella and ricotta cheese as they’d like. This is a crowd pleaser and really hits the spot on a cold gray day. It can also be doubled or tripled to serve a small crowd.

If you are still overwhelmed with the commercialization of the holidays, read Luke Chapter 1 & 2. Believe it or not, you won’t find mention of the North Pole, toy making elves or a Christmas tree. It’s refreshing to be reminded that this is a season of wonder at the birth of our Savior, not a season to impress our friends and neighbors with things we can’t really afford. Keep this in mind as you feel the stress come on and it will help you prioritize your time and efforts.

Two final tips: To enjoy the holidays to the fullest, the earlier you start, the longer you get to savor it! And when you get everyone together, go ahead and take your pictures first, then put your phones away! You can post your pics and check out social media later when everyone’s gone home, but there is no point in physically being in the room, but your mind is checked out. Give you family and friends your full attention this holiday!

I hope you enjoy a wonderful season full of happy holidays & I hope you and your family enjoy a Merry Christmas!

Lazy Man’s Lasagna Soup by Melanie Knight (serves 6)

1 lb ground Italian sausage
1/2 tbl minced garlic
1 cup diced Vidalia onion
1 tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp dried basil
1 tsp beef boullion
6 cups water
1 cup frozen spinach (optional)
3 tbl tomato paste
14.5 oz crushed tomatoes
14.5 oz diced tomatoes
1 tsp sugar
4 lasagna noodles (broken into 3rds – then in half so each piece has 1 ruffled edge)
Salt & Pepper to taste

For assembly

8 oz ricotta cheese
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
½ grated parmesan

Directions: Brown the Italian sausage over medium heat in a large pot. Add in the onions and garlic and cook until transparent. Add in Italian seasoning, basil, beef bouillon, water, tomato paste, diced tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, sugar and spinach (optional). Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 10 mins. Add in the broken lasagna noodles and cook another 10 mins. Salt & Pepper to taste

Each bowl: Put 1 spoonful of ricotta cheese on the bottom of the bowl. Top with 1 cup lasagna soup, sprinkle with mozzarella and parmesan. Enjoy!

Grinch Waffles, so cute your heart will grow 3 sizes!

Make your waffle mix according to the package directions, but add in a few drops of green food coloring. Cook per directions. Top with sliced strawberries and whip cream. For extra cuteness, cut out a large, medium and small heart from your strawberries for each plate.

Spooky Spicy Stuffed “Pumpkins”? I’ll take 3

Happy Halloween!

As the days grow shorter and the temperatures cool off, you know it’s time to eat, drink and be scary! I have always loved costumes and candy, so Halloween is naturally one of my favorite holidays. As a kid, we’d make homemade costumes and use a pillowcase to collect our candy when we’d go trick or treating. We’d spend what felt like hours eating our way through the night’s haul of sweet treats and making trades. No matter what, there’d always be something weird in your stash- like the year one house gave out toothbrushes-seriously. Now, as you contemplate your home’s goodies for trick or treaters- please don’t be the weird toothbrush house, just keep it classy folks and stick with candy.

As I became a teenager, we ditched costumes and got to watch scary movies, but honestly, I’d close my eyes during the slasher scenes. As an adult, I’ve seen one to many Datelines, and now horror movies are too scary for me. I did cave and went to see Texas Chainsaw Massacre in 2003, then had to drive alone the next day to Columbia through Great Falls. Let’s just say I prayed for my old car to not break down and it was a long, white-knuckle drive there and back.

As an adult, I like to conjure up the sense of wonder and spookiness of the season. In addition to decorations, I rely on some of my movie favorites to lift my spirits: Hocus Pocus, The Lost Boys, Ghostbusters and The Addams Family. These movies are just creepy enough to keep me on the edge of my seat, and funny enough that I love re-watching them.

One year, we organized an impromptu “midnight walk in the woods”. It happened to be a night when everyone was at our house, including the neighbors, and we started talking about the huge piles rocks in the woods. The debate ensued on whether or not they were discarded rocks from the nearby field, or Buford Massacre type gravestone rocks. Everyone was so curious, we decided to let them see the rocks for themselves. We gathered up all the flashlights we could find and armed all the little kids with solar lights from the yard. These gorgeous serene woods that border our house turned ominous when lit up by flashlights. We nervously giggled and made howling noises as we made the round-trip trek. Although it was really scary, it was uneventful and we never reached a resolution on the rocks!

So this year, may you relive old memories and create new ones-Happy Halloween!

Spooky Spicy Pumpkins by Melanie Knight (serves 4)

These cute bell pepper stuffed “pumpkins” are super cute and make the perfect entrée for your Halloween feast!

Pumpkins

4 orange bell peppers (for “pumpkins”-pick ones that sit up without rolling over)

Dirty Rice Filling

1 pound ground Italian sausage
2 cups cooked rice
1 medium sweet onion- diced
2 stalks celery- diced
Optional- 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions

“Pumpkins”- Like you would carve a pumpkin: cut out the top of each bell pepper, then remove all seeds. Pick the best side of the bell pepper and carve out 2 triangle eyes and a crooked grinning mouth.

Dirty Rice filling- On a Blackstone griddle, electric skillet of large frying pan, brown the ground sausage over medium heat until cooked, then remove from heat and set aside. Sautee onions & celery over medium heat until cooked through, then set aside. Fry the cooked rice for 2-3 mins, then mix cooked sausage and sauteed vegetables.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees: Assembly- fill each bell pepper with ¼ the rice mixture and top with ¼ cup of cheese, replace the top and cook for 20 mins on a metal sheet.

Cool for 10 mins and serve!

Summer Lovin’- Cobra Kai & Eggrolls

https://youtu.be/gdvNxXNoMvY

In the summer of ’84, I was ten years old and lived on base at Ft. Ord in California when The Karate Kid came out. Little girls everywhere, including me, had a crush on Ralph Macchio AKA The Karate Kid. America loves a good underdog story, and this was one of the best; poor vs. rich, wimp vs. bullies. We loved to cheer and see our Daniel LaRusso overcome the odds, beat the bully- Johnny Lawrence and get the girl.

Well, fast forward thirty-four years and in classic Disney-esque style, now you get to see Daniel and Johnny as adults with their own teenagers. This story though, is told from the arch-villain Johnny’s point of view and he has a totally different version of how things went down in the valley.

This series is a light hearted TV-14 martial arts comedy with plenty of 80’s nostalgia that’ll make you wanna dig out your Member’s Only jacket. If you are in your forties (like me), you’ll also relate to the teens and the parents raising teens. Just thank your lucky stars the epic fight scenes are all Hollywood or our health insurance would drop us all like hot potatoes.

While I hated Johnny Lawrence back in the day, this series gives him a chance to redeem himself. There were times where I struggled with who to pull for in the All Valley Karate Championship because each contestant had something to prove. It was also very cool to see the same actors reprise their roles and continue the story as though they were real and we are just dipping in to their current life drama for a front row seat.

While we know this series is full of fantastically choreographed fight scenes, it may still rekindle your old desire to learn karate. If that is the case, you can always join Sensei Ricky Taylor at USA Karate. This no-frills school focuses on self-defense and builds self-confidence. I know first-hand the quality instruction because my husband is a black belt there and my family loves karate.

As for the eggrolls, this is the simplest meal that lights my family up! Eggroll night is an EVENT in our house- as in the main event! The recipe makes ~20 eggrolls, so we’ve never bothered to make sides. If I ever need a plan b- I’m selling eggrolls out of a food truck.

Eggrolls by Melanie Knight (makes ~20)

Ingredients

Olive oil for frying (or vegetable oil)
1 pkg eggroll wraps (produce section)
1 pkg tricolor coleslaw
1 tbl oyster sauce
1 tsp ground ginger
2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast (or steak or pork)
Optional Dipping Sauces: Apricot jelly (better than duck sauce), Soy Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce
In large bowl, mix together coleslaw, oyster sauce and ginger. Once mixed well, add in cubed chicken.

Directions

On a cutting board, divide eggroll wraps into 4 stacks. Place a heaping spoon of the mixture in the center of each square.

Wet the tip of our fingers and wet the left & top edges of 1 wrap (kinda like you used to lick an envelope). Take the opposite dry corner (bottom right) and fold it up an over the mix- then slide it down slightly until the mix is in the fold. Take the top right corner and fold it in over the mix (like you are wrapping a present). Take the bottom left corner and fold it over the mix. Now roll the little package up and press the top in place to seal the wrap. Now repeat 20+ times! I promise its worth it!

I fry everything outside, so I normally do this on the outside patio. Once the eggrolls are wrapped, heat the oil in an electric skillet ~350 degrees. I fill my skillet until there is ½ inch oil in it. Yes olive oil has a low smoke point and its expensive, but it make me feel better about frying foodJ. You will know the oil is ready when you drop a tiny piece of cabbage in and it sizzles. Carefully lay each eggroll in the skillet. I can get all 20+ in mine. Takes about 20+ min to fry them. I keep checking and turn them when they are golden.

Once they are cooked, let them drain on the pan lined with paper towels.

Serve with Apricot jelly (better than duck sauce), Soy Sauce, Yum Yum Sauce

To reheat: use your air fryer or reheat in a frying pan

Optional Directions!

Air Fryer: Brush all sides with olive oil. Cook at 350 degrees for 6 minutes, then flip and cook 6 more minutes.

Oven Fried: Brush all sides with olive oil. Bake at 425 degrees for 5 minutes, then flip and cook 5-10 more minutes.

Next Level S’mores- 9 Tasty Treats for your next campfire

Next Level S'mores- ( Tasty Treats for your next campfire

We rented a 1930’s cabin at Oconee State Park for this year’s summer vacation. Our days were filled with short hikes to majestic waterfalls and our nights were spent by the campfire telling tall tales, toasting marshmallows and making smores. It took years of trial an error for me to finally get the hang of toasting the perfect marshmallow. I used to hold my stick too close to the flames and before you knew it, my marshmallow was on fire and I had to eat a burnt one- again. Now I know to slow roast it and spin my stick like I’m roasting a pig over hot coals. Slow and steady does the trick.

As I sat by the campfire this past weekend, savoring my perfectly toasted marshmallow, I tried to think of all the desserts that had marshmallow in them; but I could only think of smores and that sweet potato dessert at Thanksgiving. Knowing how good a toasted marshmallow is in a smores, my brain kicked into overdrive as I dreamed up all the cookies that could be paired with a toasted marshmallow.

As I sat on the screened in porch the next morning sipping my coffee, I scribbled down eight more smores variations- each one with a unique combination of flavors. Just for kicks, I gave them memorable names that reminded me of my childhood.

With the Fourth of July coming up and summer in full swing, you can follow my recipes below, or go crazy and create your own new combinations. Each recipe follows the same basic assembly: cookie-> marshmallow-> chocolate-> cookie

1-Classic Smores
2 squares graham crackers (each square =2 rectangles)
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles Hershey’s milk chocolate candy bar

Assemble just like a sandwich: Graham cracker-> marshmallow-> chocolate-> graham cracker

2-Star Spangled Smores
2 squares graham crackers (each square =2 rectangles)
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles of Hershey’s Cookies & Cream candy bar- Red, White & Blue

3-Lizard Man Smores by Melanie Knight
2 Chessmen cookies
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles of Andes Chocolate Mint candy bar

4-Red Queen Smores by Melanie Knight
2 Red Velvet Cookies
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles of white chocolate candy bar

5-Cookie Monster Smores by Melanie Knight
2 thin chocolate chip cookies
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles Hershey’s milk chocolate candy bar

6-Mellow Yellow Smores by Melanie Knight
2 lemon cookies
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles of white chocolate candy bar

7-Sasquatch Smores by Melanie Knight
2 caramel, coconut fudge cookies
1 toasted chocolate marshmallow
3 rectangles of Heath bar toffee candy bar

8-Unicorn Kiss Smores by Melanie Knight
2 Chessmen butter cookies
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles of white chocolate candy bar

9-Mommy’s Lil’ Helper Smores by Melanie Knight
2 Milano cookies
1 toasted marshmallow
3 rectangles of Heath bar toffee candy bar

Advice from a dead man…

In 2018, I volunteered to present at our national sales meeting in front of 300+ people on the main stage- the last closing keynote presentation. I often listen to motivational speakers on my commute to work, so I had a good idea of what great speakers did although I had NEVER done it myself- I didn’t share this little detail with the senior leadership team.

Around this same time, I got a Facebook message from my Uncle Gary (my father’s brother-in-law) in Alabama. He had my father’s high school scrapbook and offered to mail it to me if I wanted it; I almost said no. I recalled one of my favorite lines in The Great Gatsby- “Let us learn to show our friendship for a man when he is alive and not after he is dead”.

You see, my father stopped speaking to me when my parents divorced and I was just fourteen. He had an affair with his secretary and I took my mother’s side in the whole dramatic telenovela that became my life. I told him we “weren’t a family, just five people living under the same roof” and he never spoke to me again. Not even almost ten years later at his father’s funeral (my grandfather) when I instinctively hugged him. Then two years later, my father suddenly died. He was 51 and I was 26.

I was such a black sheep for those vicious words of mine that my uncles had to sneak me into the funeral home to view the body. I attended the graveside funeral, but was not welcome or invited. In fact, I was asked (politely) to please not let my step mother (yeah- same woman) see me. I was not even listed in the obituary. Ouch.

But back to the scrapbook. To fully understand the impossible odds this little scrapbook had to overcome, I’ll give you a brief history of the obstacles and events it survived.

This particular uncle was married to my aunt Joy Gail and their house burned ~ 1996 and my aunt died in the fire. In 1999, my grandfather died, in 2001, my father died, in 2007, my grandmother died. Her house was emptied and sold. This is now 2017, TEN years AFTER my grandmother’s house was emptied and sold, but miraculously- this little scrapbook survived and was working its way back to me through the magic of Facebook messenger and my Uncle Gary. Never underestimate the power of a grandmother’s love, the wisdom of youth and God’s perfect timing.

I finally messaged my Uncle Gary back and said yes, I would like to have the yearbook. My grandmother had lovingly archived my father’s high school years in this little book and I was introduced to the young man he was before life broke him. I learned more by flipping through this scrapbook than I had even known about my father while he was alive.

I remembered him as a Master Sargent in the Army. He was a tall quiet man who loved to read westerns, anything James Bond or Sci Fi, Coke floats, French fries and all kinds of candy. I had no idea he had been captain of the football team and basketball team. He got good grades and was the lead in the school play. She saved the homemade posters he made from magazine ads that he’d repurposed to promote himself when he ran and won his bid for school president.

He was also valedictorian and as you know, they give the big commencement speech at graduation. In this little scrapbook, this labor of love crafted by my grandmother, was his hand-written speech and his typed speech with handwritten corrections. I sat stunned and read my dead father’s valedictorian speech in 1968- advice for his fellow graduating classmates- that God had now delivered to me. What a bazaar twist that the words of my 18-year-old father at his high school graduation were now the same words- 50 years later- giving 43-year-old me life advice. My favorite line from his speech is “Do whatever you want to do, but whatever it is, be the best”. This coupled with the paper trail of his speech preparation changed my motivation for my own upcoming speech in two weeks. I not only wanted to give the keynote presentation, I wanted to bring the house down. My mother told me my father was known for being a good public speaker, now I wanted to see if it ran in my blood too.

I worked 2 hours a day for a week memorizing my speech, infusing it with the right language, dramatic pause, the right amount of pacing and just enough hand gestures to emphasize each point in my presentation about using a limitation to your advantage- the story of how the Buford Rec League Football Team won the championship with a 68-pound nose guard (my son). I practiced my presentation until it was flawless. On the big day, I wore my French leather heels, red lipstick and took the stage. It was phenomenal, the audience laughed at the jokes, gasped at the right moments and cheered for the rec team’s unusual strategy that secured the season championship. At the end, I got a standing ovation.

Although my father and I missed the chance to reconcile in life, I was finally able to forgive my father, Dennis Wilbur Glaze. He was, just like me, a human doing their best and making mistakes along the way. Through this simple little scrapbook, his powerful words gave me encouragement, inspiration and a valuable glimpse into his youth that allowed me to appreciate him as a whole person and love him as my father again.

If your father is alive and your relationship is in tatters, please reach out and bury the hatchet. You’d be surprised at how much lighter your soul is when you find the capacity to forgive.

Hey there Cutie Pie! What’s your favorite flavor?

These tiny little treats are just the right size to satisfy your sweet tooth. You can also make them in several flavors so that everyone gets their favorite “Cutie Pie”. Or, if you are like me, you can try each one and then decide!

Ingredients

2 pkgs of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crusts (2ct each)
2 cans pie filling (your choice) (or ~ 4 cups homemade pie filling)
2 tbl flour (for rolling out scrap dough)
2 tbl butter
1 egg – gently whisked
Sparkling sugar to sprinkle on top
Optional Idea: Apple filling with caramel chips
Optional Serving: with whip cream or vanilla ice cream

Equipment & utensils

Cupcake tin
4-inch circle (use a cup or bowl)
Rolling pin
Pizza cutter (useful in cutting strips)
Knife
brush

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly dust your surface and roll out the pie shell. Place your cup (4” circle) and cut out 12 circles. You will need to gather the scraps, knead them together and roll out to ~ 1/8” thickness to have enough dough.

Melt the butter and use the brush to grease the cupcake tins. Next, place each circle in the cupcake tin and press into the bottom & sides. Create a “lip” around the edge at the top. Once all 12 are done, fill each mini pie 90% full with your choice of filling.

With the remaining dough, cut into 4-inch strips about 1/4 inch wide for lattice top. I used a 3×3 weave, for an easier option, use a simple 2×2 weave. Just like in elementary school, its woven “over under” and you alternate the pattern with the next strip of dough. Press the edges of your lattice into the “lip” of the bottom crust edges.

Once all your lattice tops are complete, whisk or slightly beat your egg. Brush the whisked egg on top of each little pie. Sprinkle each pie with sugar sprinkles and bake for 30- 35 minutes or until tops are golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool completely. If you try to remove them from the tin while they are hot, they will fall apart.

Once they are cooled, loosen each crust edge and gently lift out of the tin. Serve as is, or with a dallop of whip cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.