Hello my lovelies! I am sorry for my absence. It seems that the New Year thought it would be wonderful to bestow upon me what I am now calling, "The Zombification Virus". Be careful, it's goin' 'round! :) Joking aside, it was a major suckfest. I despise anything that makes laying in bed, watching Netflix all day totally unfun.
New Years was nice. Nothing special but I think I was in need of a big, healthy dose of boring. That's how I always remember them in my house, too. My family mostly spent the day noshing on cheese and crackers, leftover holiday fixings and cookies, and playing board games. Backgammon, Yahtzee, Scrabble! Just enjoying the last little moments of holiday magic. So, for mine and J's shut in holiday, I cooked.
While J played PS3, I slaved away in the kitchen making mac n' cheese, crumbles, crackers, and sticky buns! All of them were new recipes picked to be decadent, hearty, and warm and to usher in the New Year in total comfort! It gave me a chance to use my new ramekins, Le Creuset baking dish, and totally zone out and destress from my holiday funk.
I suppose it's best to start at the beginning of the festive feast with breakfast. I made Sticky Buns, Bacon, and Scrambled Eggs. I think scrambled eggs and bacon are in no need of explanations. I do however bake my bacon on a wire mesh cooling rack/ baking pan combo in an oven at 400 degrees until crispy. It saves you and your oven from messy grease splatters, burns, and the bacon never gets over done! And the Sticky Buns!! Mmmmmmm.... so simple and sticky. They are flaky unlike cinnamon rolls. They even made me love raisins that aren't chocolate covered. Momma would be sooo proud!
For lunch, we noshed. Holiday leftovers sandwiches, cookies, and an elevated cheese and crackers. Stilton and Walnut Crackers with Granny Smith Apples. Homemade, the crackers aren't like Ritz. They are dense and remind me really of savory shortbread. Cheese and crackers all in one is definitely a plus. Perfect to munch on with sliced, tart green apples and a Manhattan, which, I did :) All while preparing dinner and dessert. I was waaay to excited about these because I got to use my new over price Le Creuset ramekins and deep casserole dish. ( I also got a cast iron dutch oven, tea kettle, and a souffle dish! Santa was ooohh sooo nice this year!)
For dinner, I made the most decadent, fantasical Beer Baked Mac N' Cheese you could possibly imagine in my new casserole dish. Thank God Jungle Jim's is just up the street. It made buying all the cheeses easy and what's best is they have such a great selection. Seriously, my mom has a banging baked mac n' cheese recipe and I love it and will make it for decades to come because it's what I know and love but this... THIS... ooey, gooey, molten, cheesy love! And I don't even like beer! It also rebakes like a dream. Serve it with a great, big green salad and drift away into a food coma for the next few hours.
And just in case you haven't had enough... I made Plum and Raspberry Crumbles for dessert. It's now my favorite non chocolate dessert. Before this.. that did NOT exist. You can make Peach/ Blueberry, Cranberry and Pear, or Strawberry Rhubarb if you like but I love Plums. They looked sooo gourmet all bubbled over the sides of my new ramekins. I put a dollop of Vanilla Bean ice cream on top. Note... let the ice cream melt just ever so slightly. You'll thank me. Even if your tummy doesn't after eating all this :)
Unfortunately, the digi cam is down so all the lovely photos I took cannot be downloaded, at the moment. I promise to just as soon as I can. In the meantime, enjoy.
Easy Sticky Buns
Stilton and Walnut Crackers
Beer Baked Mac N' Cheese
Plum and Raspberry Crumbles
NOTES:
1. When it comes to the Mac 'N Cheese, you can really use whatever cheeses you like AS LONG as you use the same ratios but really, even if blue cheese is off putting to you, try it this way. I promise, you don't notice it.
2. The crumble recipe made ALOT. I only had four ramekins. I made four right away, baked two immediately and refrigerated the others for the next day. The rest? I poured the fruit into a smallish baking pan, topped it, and baked it. The grandparents got it as a New Years Eve dish.
3. No ramekins? No problems! Just bake it in a traditional baking dish. In the future, I'll probably do the same.
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