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How Was Your Valentines?

Posted February 15, 2014 By Suzanne Holland
TOMS Shoes

imageAs I said before, I love Valentines.  It makes me think of  everything I love, not just my Sweetheart—-who I love a whole bunch.

Chris really out did himself this year making me feel loved.  We have as a couple been so stressed out.  His job was on the block this year , but God provided him with a new – even better job.  That required him to be out of town for two weeks — in Chicago during the vortex.  But my sweet took the time to shop for beautiful yarn for me to crochet and knit with just because he knows it makes me happy.

This week has been so busy.   The girls were sick the first part of the week.  I had Garden Club.   Aidan had baseball every afternoon and Thursday night we had a family night at school, so we didn’t get home until late, but I still had 75 sugar cookies to finish because my three youngest children give those out with their Valentines at school.   Chris always stays up with me when I have project like that going on…..to keep me company.    The cookies came out cute, but I forgot to take pictures.  I have a picture of one of the Ok looking ones in my Recipe Box along with my Sugar Cookie Recipe.  The really cute ones looked very 1920′s Flapper Girl/Mustache Man.

After being up most of the night with me on the cookie quest, Chris got up early and me Breakfast in bed.   He gave three white roses for my bathroom,  a dozen red roses for our bed room, and a box of Dark Chocolates (my favorite ).  Chris is a very gifted writer Unlike me, and he wrote my a beautiful poem in the card he gave too.

And on top of everything else, he brought supper home from one of our favorite restaurants so we would not have to cook.   No going out,  you ask?   Well I spent all day driving 2.5 hrs. one way to New Orleans to take our oldest child to see his Dr.  and the closet restaurant to our house that is worth the trouble is an hour away.  Bringing the restaurant home was so much more romantic to me.

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I have a very sweet, thoughtful romantic husband who made this Valentines very special for me.

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Tomato Basil Soup and Fresh French Bread

Posted February 6, 2014 By Suzanne Holland

                 Cold Weather is the perfect time to break out the soup recipes.

My family loves Tomato Basil Soup and Fresh French Bread made right here at.home.  

Nothing is better than coming home from school or work,  and entering a warm  kitchen

filled with the aroma of creamy Tomato Basil Soup and Crusty French Bread straight from

the oven.  If you time it just right, your family will think you are an angel sent from heaven.

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I am adding my recipes to my Recipe Box today.

I hope you will try them and then let me know what you think.

Tomato Basil Soup and French Bread

Tomato Basil Soup and French Bread

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Key Lime Pie w/Macadamia Nut Crust

Posted January 18, 2014 By suzanne

pie 1 (2)Be sure to check out my Recipe Box. I just added my Recipe for

Key Lime Pie w/Macadamia Nut Crust. This is my husbands favorite Pie.

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A “Southern” Restaurant in Chicago?

Posted January 17, 2014 By Suzanne Holland

image

 

Well one of the two weeks of my husbands two week Chicago business trip has slowly passed.

I can not wait for the next Friday to arrive so I can head to the airport and pick him up.

Last night though, while I was busy making King Cakes with my kids…..A typical “Southern”  Mardi Gras is

Boca Java

right around the corner thing to do, my husband was being ushered by his employer to a “real”  ….”Southern”

restaurant right there in the Chicago area.  Chris went with an open mind.  But…..being from South Louisiana

and being exposed to real Southern cooking your whole life, well.

I don’t think they want my husband to come back.  Once they found out he was from LA. they begin asking his

opinion.  It is very hard to trans plant regional food to another place.  I went to a “Cajun” restaurant with a dear friend

of mine when I was visiting her in Dublin of all places.  I love “Cajun” food just        not the Irish version and I am Irish.

I would venture to guess that the Chicago deep dish 6-9″ wide pizza that Chicago is famous for that is a whopping 1-2″ thick

would loose something in translation if it traveled outside the boundaries of its birthplace.

That is the great thing about travel, I think, soaking in the local culture, finding out what they are great at.

What is that region or that people known for.   Record it in your memory and take that with you.

That said, there are exceptions to that rule. When I lived in New York. I did find one or two Irish pubs,

thanks to my friend Orla that were very close to the ones she took me to in her home town of Dublin.

Now on to King Cake…..I did make King Cake yesterday.  It was very hard taking photographs because my kids

are constantly pinching pieces.  They have already finished off two cakes.

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Recipe Function

Posted January 16, 2014 By Suzanne Holland

OK

I am in the kitchen all the time—- No I am not a binge eater, I have a Husband who is diabetic-6’1″-very active-and loves to eat……..and I have four kids ranging in ages from 8 to 18.

       Oh.  And I love to cook.   My husband loves to cook and so do my kids.

I am really enjoying teaching my kids all the things my mom taught me.

My mom was a great cook.  She even won a national contest for one of her bread recipes.

Boca Java

For weeks now, I have been trying to find the perfect recipe function for my website so I can share all of the recipes I use on a regular basis that my family  love.  It has been so frustrating.  In fact,  this whole website setting up process has been a test.  I hope I am passing.  The only “P” word I think of right now that applies to me is perseverance.

Anyway, I have finally found a wonderful,  easy to use recipe function that allows me to add my recipes to my website with photographs And then allows you to print them if you wish or save them.

I hope you will stop by often as I try to add a few each day.

Right now I have Butter Milk Biscuits, Ginger Bread Cookies, and I am baking King Cakes today {because I am from Louisiana}. So I will have that one on by days end.

Thanks

Suzanne

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Fresh Baked Scones with Lemon Curd and Clotted Cream

Posted November 15, 2009 By Suzanne Holland

Scones are so delightful.  My children just love them with a cup of hot tea.  This morning was the perfect Saturday for them to start learning how to make them. 

I just love these times. My children, boys and girls alike, love to cook.  We have fun in the kitchen.  They each helped measure out the flour, baking powder, sugar, and salt.  Lily and Alice learned how to cut the Irish butter into small cubes without letting it warm up.  The boys were left with the job of mixing with the pastry knive.   I must say with a mother’s pride, “They did wonderfully”

The scones came out just perfect.  Tender and sweet.

I have the recipe below. We eat ours with clotted cream and lemon curd and of course a cup of tea.

                       Holland Family Scones

3cups bread flour                         3/4 cup butter (I use either organic or Irish butter)
1/2 cup white sugar                      1 egg, beaten
5 tsp baking powder                     1 cup cream
1/2 tsp salt (I  use Celtic Sea Salt)
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lighty grease a baking sheet.
2.In a large bowl, combine, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in butter. Mix  the egg and cream in a small bowl, and stir into flour mixture until moistened.
3.Turn dough out onto a slightly floured surface, and knead briefly. Roll dough out to 1/2″ thick. 

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*I use a French pastry rolling-pin with adjustable thickness bands.

Use your favorite cookie cutters to cut out the scones. Place them on the prepared baking sheet.

4. Bake 15 min. in the preheated oven, or until lightly golden.

These are so yummy with English Clotted Cream (Devonshire Cream) and Lemon Curd.

Enjoy!

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Alice’s Pumpkin Biscuits—The Perfection of a Fall Breakfast!

Posted November 11, 2009 By Suzanne Holland

My  mother (Alice–Pictured with me on my swing set to the left) LOVED to bake. She even won a contest for one of her bread recipes. She was always baking bread.  One of the things I remember her baking, that I just really love to eat come Fall, are her Pumpkin Biscuits.  I made them with my daughters, Alice and Lily this past week end.
It was so wonderful to watch them learn how to cut the butter into the flour mix and then pat the biscuit dough out.  We also made yeast rolls for the Post Office Ladies who are always so helpful with my shipments.
If you get the chance, do try this yummy recipe. I use KerryGold Irish Butter in my recipes unless I am going 100% Organic and then I use Organic Valley Butter. Both can be purchased at Whole Foods.
Enjoy!!!!

Alice’s Pumpkin Biscuits
2.5 cups All Purpose Flour (I usually use Bread Flour)
3 tbsp. packed light brown sugar
1 tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt (I use Celtic Sea Salt)
1/4 tsp.grated nutmeg
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup unsalted butter, chilled and cut into thin slices
1 15oz. can unsweetened solid-packed pumpkin
1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease a cookie sheet or you can line it with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, stir the flour, brown sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices together until well blended. using a pastry blender, cut in the butter until the mixture looks like corn meal. Stir in the pumpkin, and mix until a soft dough forms.
3. On a well-floured surface, with well-floured hands, pat out the dough to 1/2-inch thickness.  Using a  floured biscuit cutter, cut out the shapes you like. Place them on the cookie sheet, and put it on the middle rack of your oven.  Bake the biscuits for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot or at room temp.
We love ours hot from the oven with a big pat of Irish butter and a cup of tea!
Me, out for a gallop!
Before the oven.
Alice’s Pumpkin Biscuits—–YUMMY!
My sweet Alice and Lily helping me bake. We always have such fun!

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ORGANIC KEY LIME PIE RECIPE

Posted July 20, 2009 By Suzanne Holland
This is my husbands favorite pie. He and the children FIGHT over it. It is an ugly scene every time I make it. I would make two, but this pie it is just too rich and yummy for one person to sit down and eat one whole pie by themselves.
July forth, I entered it in the St. Francisville pie contest and it won third place! So I thought I would share it with you.
If you don’t want to scout out the organic ingredients, then use what you can find at your local market. It will still be super yummy.

ORGANIC KEY LIME PIE

with MACADAMIA NUT CRUST
  • 1 1/4 cups organic graham cracker crumbs
  • 1/4 cup organic chopped dry roasted macadamia nuts
  • 2 tblsp organic granulated sugar
  • 4 tblsp organic butter, melted
  • 2(14-ounce)cans organic sweetened condensed milk
  • 1 1/4 cups Key Lime juice
  • 4 large organic eggs, lightly beaten
  • 1/2 cup organic sour cream
  • 2 tblsp organic powdered sugar
  • 1 small container organic heavy whipping cream
  1. Preheat oven to 325. Mix graham cracker crumbs, Macadamia nuts, sugar,and butter by hand and press firmly into a 10 inch pie plate. Bake at 325 for 15 min. or until lightly browned. Remove and let stand for 15 min.
  2. Whisk together condensed milk, lime juice, and eggs until well blended, Pour into crust and bake at 325 for 18 to 20 min. or until set. Chill at least 4 hours.
  3. Combine sour cream and powdered sugar. Spread evenly over pie. Garnish with whipped cream and lime slices.
YUMMY YUMMY YUMMY!!!!!!

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BIG FAT GINGER BREAD COOKIES

Posted May 5, 2009 By Suzanne Holland

The Perfect Batch of Ginger Bread Dough!

Lily is my three year old who helps me everyday!




Yummy, Yummy!!!!!!!!!!
I really did catch my husband with this cookie. In fact, he has requested a batch for work this week, so I am off to the kitchen after this post.

1 cup sugar
2 tsp. ginger
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 cup butter softened
1/2 cup evaporated milk
1 cup unsulfered molasses
3/4 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp lemon extract
4-6 cups flour

note: The original recipe I received, I found was too soft to work with and I
had to keep adding flour. I use bread flour and this might be the difference. Just work with it.
I roll these out with a French rolling pin with 3/8″ bands so they are nice and FAT. I cook them at 350 degrees until firm, about 10-12 min. My husband and children love these because they are chewy and yummy! I even let them eat them for breakfast.

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Basic Yeast Dough——YUMMY ROLLS

Posted May 5, 2009 By Suzanne Holland

This is my basic yeast dough. I use it to make just about everything. I start with it to make rolls that my children eat until they fall out on the floor stuffed to the gills. I use it as the base for my King Cakes and my Sweet Rolls and Cinnamon Rolls. It is the best basic recipe in the world.

4- 4.5 cups of flour (bread flour)
1/4 cup sugar
2 packages Active Dry or Rapid Rise Yeast
1 1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup warm milk * combine
1/2 cup warm water * combine
1/3 cup butter * combine
2 eggs

Combine 1.5 cups of flour, sugar, yeast, salt. Add warm milk, water, butter mixture to dry ingredients. Beat 2 min. at med. speed of mixer. Add 1 egg and a 1/2 cup of flour. Beat for 2 min. Add last egg and mix til blended. With spoon stir in enough remaining flour to make soft dough.

Grease top. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-24 hours.

Remove from refrigerator. Punch down. Remove dough to a lightly floured surface. Shape as desired. Place rolls about 2″ apart on a greased baking sheet. Cover, let rise in a warm, draft free place until doubled in size. Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20mins. or until lightly golden.

Country Attire Ltd

Enjoy!

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