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Empty Tomb Rolls

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How was your Easter holiday? I decided to try a new tradition this year. I’ll start by saying that I’m not typically much of a baker. We have a few favorites that I’ll make from time to time, like muffins, carrot cake, strudel, or my husband’s favorite chocolate chip cookies. But it’s not something I enjoy doing on a regular basis, and neither of us want a constant supply of sweets on the counter tempting us. Every once in a while is sufficient.

That being said, I want to create happy memories for my kids, so I decided to make homemade empty tomb rolls this Easter. I wanted them to be gluten-free, so I opted out of using the typical canned crescent rolls.

I found a great recipe from Around My Family Table that I followed almost to the letter, so I thought I would share it with you all. The only changes I made were to use regular butter instead of dairy free, regular 2% milk instead of dairy-free, regular sour cream instead of dairy-free, and regular marshmallows instead of vegan. The results were delicious, and the recipe was easy to follow.

How to Cook Fresh Seafood

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One of our favorite things to do when we go to the Florida Panhandle is to eat fresh seafood. There’s just nothing like it in Tennessee. Of course seafood can be pricey at restaurants, so the last time we went, we picked up raw seafood from a market and cooked it ourselves. 

Most of you probably know how to pan sear seafood, but we just figured it out, so we will go ahead and share how we did it. 

First, heat a fry pan, preferably a cast iron skillet, to medium heat. Add butter. Season the seafood with Cajun seasoning. In this case we had red snapper and shrimp. 

When the butter is melted, add the seafood, and let it cook for a few minutes on each side (until golden brown). The true test to know if fish is done is to see if it flakes off with a fork. 

We also toasted some thin strips of bread in the pan after removing the seafood, for a crunchy starch to go with it. This tutorial is nothing Earth shattering, but it does save quite a bit of money, and the fish turns out just as good as any seafood restaurant. You could use olive oil instead of butter, but we figured that fish is so healthy anyways, so a little butter wouldn’t hurt. 

Mexican Street Corn Recipe

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Have you ever experienced Mexican Street Corn? If you haven’t, you need to keep reading. It’s wildly delicious.

A few weeks ago, we had a big group of friends over for an outdoor meal. Mr. Handsome and another guy cooked the entire meal over the fire (it turned out great!), and Mexican Street Corn was one of the dishes they made.

Start with some frozen corn. We prefer Trader Joe’s Super Sweet Cut Corn. It tastes like it’s fresh off the cob, without all the mess of the cob. I honestly don’t know if I’ll ever buy corn on the cob again, as long as I have some of this stuff in the freezer. Using some oil, cook the corn in a cast iron skillet, either over a fire or on a stove.

Once the corn is nice and hot, add a little bit of sour cream, lime juice, crumbled queso fresco, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. If you desire salt and pepper, add that, too. Make sure not to overdue the chili powder or cayenne pepper, unless you like spicy.

Then you sit back and enjoy it. We made way too much, so I froze the extras, and it thawed really nicely.

Easy Breakfast Hash While Stuck at Home

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With grocery stores being cleaned out due to coronavirus, it can be tough to come up with meals for the family. Here is a great breakfast/brunch recipe that uses whatever you have in the fridge.

We call it breakfast hash. The only ingredient you absolutely have to have is potatoes. Use one potato per person you are cooking for, plus a couple extras, in case someone whats seconds. Start by dicing the potatoes into ¼-inch cubes. 

You can use any type of pan, but I would highly recommend a good ole’ cast iron skillet. Heat the skillet for a minute or two over medium heat with just a little oil (I use olive oil). Then add the potato cubes, and make sure they are spread out evenly over the bottom of the pan. Cover, and stir the potatoes around every few couple so they cook evenly. Cook them until they are golden brown. 

It’s up to the genius chef within you to decide what else to add. If you are low on food due to coronavirus, just mix in whatever you can find in the fridge. Mr. Handsome likes to add bacon, eggs, and cheese. I like mine with just a little salt and pepper. The sky is the limit. If you are adding meat, eggs, or veggies, cook them ahead of time or in another pan before you add them to the hash. Here are a few options:

Cheese

Mushrooms

Spinach

Chopped peppers

Onions

Herbs (garlic, oregano, etc)

Spices (pepper, salt, cayenne, paprika)

Bacon

Eggs

Sausage

Ground beef

Chicken (cubed pieces)

Hot dogs (if you are desperate)

Give it a try and let me know what ingredients you add!

Homemade Turtles

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homemade turtles

Have you ever had a chocolate turtle? If not, you’re in for a real treat. Mr. Handsome came home from work the other day and told me that someone had brought in homemade turtles to the office. The only problem was that there weren’t enough for everyone. He thought he would wait until the end of the day to eat one, to reward himself for working hard, but he walked into the office kitchen to find an empty plate.

Naturally, I took pity on poor Mr. Handsome and decided to make him his very own batch of homemade turtles. And since they turned out so well, I made extras for his coworkers. They were a huge hit.

turtles
5 from 2 votes
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Homemade Turtles

Course Dessert
Servings 12 turtles

Ingredients

  • 75 pecan halves
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 6 Tbsp heavy whipping cream
  • 6 Tbsp honey
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla
  • 3/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Instructions

  1. Toss pecans in a bowl with olive oil. Spread on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.

  2. Toast pecans in 350F oven until they begin to brown (approximately 10 minutes). Allow pecans to cool 5 minutes.

  3. Line a cool baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange pecans into 12 piles, 5 pecans per pile. 3 on the bottom and 2 on the top works well. You will only need 60 pecans, but starting with 75 will give you extras to repace those that will inevitably break.

    Turtles

  4. Make the caramel. Add heavy whipping cream, honey, salt, and vanilla to a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until caramel beings to thicken (approximately 5 minutes). Remove from heat, and allow caramel to cool 5 minutes.

    Caramel

  5. Evenly drizzle approximately 2 tsp caramel over each pile of pecans.

    Turtles

  6. Melt chocolate chips in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave. Total time will depend on the strength of the microwave. Heat in 30 second increments, and stir well each time to prevent burning.

  7. Using a spoon, cover each turtle in 1 Tbsp melted chocolate. Allow turtles to set until hardened.

Tomato Basil Kale Salad

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tomato basil kale salad

This salad smells and tastes like summertime. Those of you who have gardens will likely be able to use some of your produce to make it, but even if your ingredients aren’t fresh off the vine, it will still taste like heaven. The best part is that it’s incredibly easy to whip up. I purchased a basil plant (only $3.50), as well as the kale and mozzarella cheese log from Trader Joe’s. (This isn’t a sponsored post or anything of that nature–I simply love that store!)

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Tomato Basil Kale Salad

Course Salad
Prep Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups tomato, chopped
  • 1 cup fresh mozzarella, chopped
  • 2 cups shredded kale
  • 3 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
  • 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar
  • 2 Tbsp olive oil
  • 1/8 tsp garlic powder
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

  1. In a salad bowl, combine tomato, mozzarella, kale, and basil.

  2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, oil, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Toss dressing into salad, making sure salad is fully coated. If you desire more dressing, make a second batch.

Recipe Notes

If the dressing in this recipe doesn't sound good to you, try my other favorite homemade dressings:

https://nashvillewife.com/homemade-salad-dressing-20/

https://nashvillewife.com/homemade-salad-dressing/

Quick Chicken Noodle Soup

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chicken noodle soup recipeIn the Northern Hemisphere, spring is underway, and summer is just around the corner (which means it’s early fall for my readers in the Southern Hemisphere, right?). Here in Tennessee, the weather is slowly warming up, but our evenings are cool, which means that soup is still an appropriate dinner food. Mr. Handsome isn’t a huge fan of chicken noodle soup because he associates it with being sick. I, on the other hand, love it, but when I do cook it, I usually try to make sure there are some leftovers in the fridge for him.

Mr. Handsome was sure that after my labor and delivery, I would no longer have any desire to eat chicken soup. You can read more about it in my birth story posts, but I was only able to eat clear liquids for 30 hours, and plain chicken stock was one of the few things I could have. I ordered several bowls from the hospital kitchen while I was in labor, and we laughed because it came on a plastic tray with a fancy cover.

Honestly, I think I enjoy chicken soup even more now because I remember how starving I was while in labor and how that stock really hit the spot. And even though my delivery was really difficult (I recently read that drug-induced labor initiates much stronger contractions that are closer together than natural labor, which explains why I had insanely painful contractions with barely any breaks nine hours before my baby was born), I somehow look back on the whole experience with rose-covered glasses.

Now back to the soup. This recipe for chunky chicken noodle soup is from my childhood. It can be ready to enjoy in less than 30 minutes if you use prepared chicken stock. If you buy a rotisserie chicken for dinner the night before, you can make your own chicken stock the next day by boiling the carcass and adding herbs, but this soup tastes great whether you use homemade or store-bought stock. If you really want an easy meal, buy an extra rotisserie chicken and use the meat from that one for the soup….

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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

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homemade Reese's peanut butter cupsRaise your hand if you like Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I sure do! As far as I’m concerned, peanut butter and chocolate is one of the most perfect food combinations. When I was growing up, my dad often made homemade peanut butter cups with us. We always made some with white chocolate, some with semisweet, and some with milk. A few weeks ago, while I was still recovering from the birth, I decided that Mr. Handsome and I needed a treat, so I whipped up a batch, using semisweet chocolate chips. They were delicious, as expected. Here’s the recipe:

4.72 from 7 votes
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Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

Prep Time 20 minutes
Total Time 2 hours

Ingredients

  • 1-1/3 cup chocolate chips
  • 3 Tbvsp peanut butter
  • 3 tsp powdered sugar

Instructions

  1. Melt 2/3 cup chocolate chips on the stove (low heat and stir constantly) or in the microwave. For details on how to melt chocolate in the microwave, see my chocolate covered strawberry tutorial: https://nashvillewife.com/chocolate-covered-strawberry-tutorial/

  2. Place muffin liners in muffin tins, and fill 1/3 of the way with melted chocolate.

  3. Place muffin pan in freezer for 20 minutes, or until chocolate is set.

  4. Meanwhile, whip peanut butter and sugar with a fork until smooth.

  5. Melt remaining 2/3 cup chocolate chips. Place a spoonful of peanut butter in the center of each muffin liner.

  6. Top with melted chocolate so peanut butter is fully covered.

  7. Freeze until chocolate is firm (at least 2-3 hours).

Recipe Notes

Makes approximately 6 large (regular sized muffin pans) peanut butter cups. For bite-sized peanut putter cups, use mini muffin pans.

Million Dollar Bacon

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million dollar baconLast night was a difficult one for me because Little Buddy woke up every two hours to eat, so I’m exhausted. Wonderful Mr. Handsome came to my rescue to write a blog post. It’s a recipe that he absolutely loves, as do all the people we have made it for. Here is his post and recipe…

If you’re looking for a treat that is easy to prepare but will make you look sophisticated and hip to your friends, look no further than Million Dollar Bacon. It’s all the rage in San Francisco among millennials. People pay seven dollars for two pieces! I can personally vouch for the fact that if you bring this in to your office, your co-workers will love you. It is unique, so you can take it to any party without having to worry about someone else bringing the same thing. This recipe even passes the mother-in-law test (my mother-in-law likes it).

So what is Million Dollar Bacon? It’s basically candied bacon with a kick. When you think of eating bacon with brown sugar, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper you wouldn’t think it sounds like a good idea. But once you take a bite, you’ll understand what all the hype is about. The best part is that it’s very easy to make. And while it tastes like a million bucks, the ingredients don’t cost nearly that much.

5 from 1 vote
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Million Dollar Bacon

Ingredients

  • Thick cut bacon
  • Brown sugar
  • Maple syrup
  • Cayenne pepper
  • Paprika

Instructions

  1. Line a cookie sheet (one with a lip around the edges) with aluminum foil. This is to catch the bacon grease as it cooks. A completely flat cookie sheet will not work unless you enjoy cleaning bacon grease off the bottom of your oven.

  2. Place the bacon on a cookie drying rack, and place the drying rack on top of the lined cookie sheet.

  3. Sprinkle cayenne pepper and paprika on the bacon, to taste. If you want spicy bacon, use a lot. If not, use just a little.

  4. Rub brown sugar on the bacon.

  5. Flip the bacon and again add cayenne pepper, paprika, and brown sugar.

  6. Place the bacon in the oven and cook at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-40 minutes (until the majority of the fat has melted away and the bacon is browned). Flip the bacon halfway through to make sure both sides cook evenly.

  7. Remove the bacon and let cool for 10 minutes. Then place on wax paper to let it fully cool.

  8. The bacon can be eaten hot or cold and is delicious either way. It must be refrigerated and will last for up to a week.

  9. Before you serve it, drizzle a little maple syrup on top.

Recipe Notes

Most bacon that says thick cut is really not. You want bacon that is about ¼ inch thick. If you can find a meat store that cuts fresh bacon, you could even ask them to make it 1/2 inch thick. I use thick bacon from Walmart (Great Value Naturally Hickory Smoked Original Bacon, 48 ounce package) although I am sure there are much better quality places you could get bacon that is nitrate-free.

Soft Pretzels

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homemade soft pretzels recipeHave you ever tried Auntie Anne’s soft pretzels? Mr. Handsome is a huge fan. They have different flavors, but his favorites are the plain pretzels dipped in cheese sauce and the cinnamon sugar pretzels. With Super Bowl coming up in just a few days, I know that folks will be looking for tasty snacks to serve at their Super Bowl parties. If you’re searching for something delicious and unique that isn’t loaded with sugar, give these soft pretzels a try. Mr. Handsome thinks they taste similar to Auntie Anne’s. Below are my recipes for pretzels and cheese sauce.

I also want to announce that I now have an Instagram page! Follow me @NashvilleWife.com.

5 from 10 votes
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Soft Pretzels


Course Snack
Prep Time 25 minutes
Cook Time 11 minutes
Total Time 36 minutes
Servings 12 pretzels

Ingredients

  • 2 cups milk
  • 2 packages active dry yeast
  • 2 Tbsp brown sugar, not packed
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour I use King Arthur's
  • 4 Tbsp butter, melted
  • 1.5 tsp regular table salt
  • 2.5 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups warm water
  • 2 Tbsp baking soda
  • coarse salt

Instructions

  1. In a heat-proof bowl, warm milk in microwave until approximately 110 degrees Fahrenheit (43 Celsius). I use my instant read digital meat thermometer to check the temperature.

  2. Evenly sprinkle yeast over hot milk. Let stand 5 minutes, and add sugar and 2 cups flour. Mix in melted butter.

  3. Stir in salt and 2.5 cups flour. Knead dough by hand or use an electric mixer fitted with a dough hook. Kneading is done when dough feels slightly sticky but no longer sticks to the bowl. Add additional flour if necessary.

  4. Grease bowl, and form dough into a ball. Place dough ball in bowl, cover bowl with plastic wrap, and let it rise in a warm oven until doubled in size.

  5. When dough has finished rising, punch it down to remove air pockets. Use your hands to roll out 12 dough "snakes." Form into pretzels.

  6. Place warm water into a clean bowl. Stir in baking soda until dissolved.

  7. Dip pretzels one by one into baking soda water. Allow excess water to drip off before arranging pretzels on greased cookie sheets.

  8. Sprinkle coarse salt over pretzels.

  9. Bake at 450 Fahrenheit for approximately 11 minutes (until pretzels begin to turn golden brown).

 

5 from 10 votes
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Cheese Sauce

Delicious with homemade soft pretzels

Total Time 10 minutes

Ingredients

  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • 2 Tbsp flour
  • 1 cup milk, 2%
  • 6 oz sharp cheddar cheese
  • 1/8 tsp paprika
  • 1/2 tsp garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Melt butter in a saucepan over low-medium heat. Add flour, and whisk for 15 seconds.

  2. Add milk, whisking constantly on low heat until smooth and starting to thicken (approximately 3 minutes).

  3. Add cheese, shredded or in small chunks. Stir until cheese is completely melted. Stir in paprika and garlic powder.