Picture Perfect Cooking

I have always been more of a baker than a candy-maker, but this candy is my favorite.  It is light and sweet, but it is not over-powering.  Making divinity is a delicate procedure that requires my full attention or candy disaster will strike!

I love to make this around the holidays if the weather allows.  It did this past Christmas and I got to make it twice.  The first attempt was a little sticky because the humidity was just a little too high, but the second attempt was just perfect!

I hope you try this.  The time it take to make it is more than worth it, just remember to watch the weather.  The drier the air the better the divinity!

4 cups sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup water

3 egg whites, room temperature

1 tsp vanilla

1 cup chopped pecans, toasted

Lay out sheets of wax paper for the candy to dry.

Combine sugar, syrup and water in a heavy bottomed saucepan.  Over low heat, stir until the sugar is dissolved.  Clip on a candy thermometer and cook without stirring until it reaches 255 degrees (hard ball stage).  This will take about 20 minutes.

When the syrup is about 250 degrees, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form.  Remove the syrup from the heat.  Pour very slowly into the egg whites, beating constantly on high speed.  This previous step is very, very important.  You must pour slowly and do NOT turn off the mixer while you are doing this.

Continue beating on high sped until the mixture holds its shape and loses its shine.  I know this sounds vague, but I promise it will happen.  When you first pour the syrup in the egg whites, the candy is extremely glossy.  After you beat it for about 10-15 minutes, it becomes matte.  Depending on the humidity, you may have to beat the mixture for a longer period of time. The first batch I made, I beat for 20 minutes and it was still a little glossy.  Too much humidity!  The candy still tasted good but it was too sticky.

Add vanilla and pecans.  Working quickly, drop by tablespoonfuls onto the waxed paper and allow the candy to harden and cool.  Here is the first batch that I made.

See how shiny it is.  Here is a photo of candy from the second batch.  You can definitely see the difference!

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Beanilla.

Red Lobster is one of my all-time favorite restaurants.  My mom & I used to eat there on shopping trips and on her doctor appointment check-up days.  We called it our “good news” restaurant.  I really miss getting to go with her, but I have continued the tradition of “girl’s day” with my grandmother and aunt and we eat there when we go shopping.

One of the best things there are the cheesy garlic biscuits and I have tried and tried to duplicate them with no luck.  However, I recently purchased a bottle of garlic bread seasoning and decided to try these biscuits again.  Eureka!  The taste of these is very, very close to the real deal.

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 self-rising flour

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tbsp garlic bread seasoning

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Combine the whipping cream and 1 1/2 cups flour to form the basic biscuit dough.  Stir in the cheese and seasoning just until combined; don’t over mix this or the biscuits will be tough.  Drop by heaping tablespoonfuls onto a lined baking sheet or a pizza stone.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the tops are just starting to brown.  At about the 15 minute mark, melt the butter and set aside.  When the biscuits are done, pull them out of the oven and immediately brush the melted butter over them.  Let the butter soak completely into the biscuit and enjoy!

I have been a subscriber to Taste of Home magazine for many, many years.  The issues are always packed with delicious and simple recipes that include ingredients that you probably have in your kitchen right now.  I am also a subscriber to their on-line newsletter and that is where this recipe originated.  I tweaked it just a little and it turned out great!

I know this dish will stay in my cold weather rotation for a very long time!

2 lbs. ground beef

1/2 medium onion, chopped

8 medium carrots, thinly sliced

4 celery ribs, thinly sliced

4 14.5oz cans stewed tomatoes (I used the sliced variety.)

3 medium potatoes, peeled & cubed

2 cups beef broth

1/2 cup uncooked long grain rice

1 to 2 tbsp. salt

1 to 2 tsp. pepper

The addition of onion, carrot and celery as a base of a dish is called a Mirepoix, which is a traditional French combination of aromatic ingredients.

In a large pot or Dutch oven, cook beef, onions, carrots, & celery until the beef is no longer pink.  Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables and rice are tender.  Uncover and simmer for 30 more minutes or until thickened.

This was delicious with cornbread muffins or crackers.  You can also freeze this for up to 3 months.  Thaw in the refrigerator for 24 hours.  Transfer to a saucepan and add 1 cup of water.  Cook until hot and bubbly.

Come join Soup-a-Palooza at TidyMom and Dine and Dish sponsored by Bush’s Beans, Hip Hostess, Pillsbury and Westminster Crackers”

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Exchange sponsored by Le Creuset.

Check out this week’s spotlight at Eat At Home Cooks on orange veggies!

This is my go-to everyday side dish recipe.  It is quick, easy, and only requires three ingredients that I try to keep on hand at all times.  These potatoes go with just about any meat dish and are great made on the grill as well as baked.

This is the baked version since the weather is a little too cool for the grillin’ version.  Try these and I think you will love them!  Also, you don’t have to use the grilling seasoning.  Try any kind of seasoning you like…I have used Italian seasoning, seasoning salt and black pepper, and sometimes I just used plain kosher salt and black pepper.  Adapt this to your taste!

This recipe will feed about 6 or 7 people.  I generally plan for one potato per person and one tablespoon of butter per potato.

7 potatoes

7 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 tsp grilling seasoning (You can add more if you like the taste really strong.)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with non-stick cooking spray.  Slice the potatoes into 8 wedges each and set aside.  Melt the butter in a large microwave safe bowl.  I set the microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.  Check the butter and microwave for an additional 30-45 seconds on 50% power if needed.  Add the seasoning to the melted butter.

Dip the wedges in the butter and place on the baking sheet.  Bake for 15 minutes and then flip the wedges over.  Bake for an additional 12-15 minutes.  (If you are only baking 2 or 3 potatoes, you will only need about 12 more minutes.  Watch them after that time so they don’t overcook and become hard and dry.)

Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Kerrygold