It's Fall y'all!

I know it doesn't really feel like it here in San Antonio, but today is the first official day of Fall!!  I loooooove Fall, even  if there is no appreciable weather change.  I thought we would kick off the new season with one of my favorite new recipes...Fall Harvest Turkey Salad.  I made it up when I did not have all of the ingredients for chicken salad one day, and it is delicious! Here goes...

1 pound diced cooked turkey breast (smoked or roasted)
2 ribs celery diced
1/2 cup toasted walnuts
1/2 cup dried cranberries (or craisins as they are called)
1/3 cup dijonnaise
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all of the ingredients together, blend very well chill and serve. This is great on bread as a sandwich or as a topper to your favorite lettuce as a salad.  I love mustard on my turkey sandwich the day after Thanksgiving and that is what this salad reminds me of.  You can use half mayonnaise and half dijonnaise if you prefer a less mustard-y taste. If you make it, let me know how it comes out!

Sausage Roll Recipe - Yum!!!

I have not made my sausage rolls in awhile, but after talking with my sister the other night, they will be on my list of things to make this weekend. Below is the recipe for those of you who want a delicious weekend breakfast that is fast and easy to make.

Ingredients:
1lb bulk pork sausage
1 (8oz) package cream cheese, cubed
2 (8oz) cans refrigerated crescent rolls


Directions:
In a skillet cook sausage over medium heat until the meat is no longer pink, then drain. Stir in the cream cheese until melted. Separate each tube of crescent dough into 4 rectangles on a cookie sheet. Spread the sausage/cream cheese mixture evenly onto two of the crescent rectangles. Take the other two crescent dough rectangles and place it over the tops of the sausage/cream cheese to cover. Pinch seams to seal all of the sides together. I typically rub some butter over the top to help it brown, but this is optional. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown. Cut into slices and enjoy!

NFL is officially here...

Not sure about some of you, but it is like Christmas in my house when football starts. Since tonight will kickoff the season, I wanted to share with you a traditional bean dip I make every year. We will actually make ours on Sunday, when we have guests, but for those weekday partygoers here you go!

2 16oz cans refried beans
1 packet taco seasoning
8oz cream cheese (soft)
1 square block monterey jack cheese shredded
Tortilla chips

Directions:
Heat oven to 350. In an oven safe casserole dish mix the refried beans, 1/2 packet taco seasoning, cream cheese and 3/4's of the monterey jack cheese shredded. Top dip with leftover shredded cheese and bake in oven for 30-35 minutes or until all cheese is melted. Serve with tortilla chips and stand back! Feeding football craved men can be dangerous.

Labor Day Idea #3: Bacon wrapped rosemary garlic chicken

Will you guys be entertaining this long weekend?  I will be, and while my fantasy backyard set up looks something like this:

The reality will be far different.  I do know I will have some delicious food though, I am thinking chicken.

The below recipe was a sort of collaboration between Brooke and me. I am sure there are variations on this theme all over the interwebs, but this one was just easy and delicious and we wanted to share it with y'all! 

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 Tbsp olive oil

2 sprigs fresh rosemary (or 1/2 tsp dried rosemary divided)

1 clove garlic finely chopped

2 slices bacon

Salt and pepper to taste

Sprinkle each breast with salt and pepper.  Rub each breast on one side with 1/2 the olive oil.  Spread garlic evenly over the olive oil, add rosemary to each breast.  Roll the chicken up around the rosemary and garlic, secure with toothpicks. Wrap one piece of bacon around each breast.  Grill or bake for 40 minutes or until juices run clear.  Remove rosemary sprig, slice and enjoy. You could serve the chicken with potato salad, we like this one:

5 pounds red potatoes                         2 T. parsley, chopped

1 pound package bacon                      1 cup vinegar

1 cup thinly sliced celery                      1/2 cup water

1 cup chopped onions                          1 t. salt

1 cup sugar                                          ¾ t. ground mustard

2 T. flour                                              2 carrots, shredded

Wash 5 pound sack of red potatoes, boil in large pot.  Remove from pot & put on plates to cool. Slice when cool.

While potatoes are cooling, take 1 pound package of bacon; cut into small chunks and cook until crisp.  Remove bacon from drippings.  Use drippings to sauté 1 cup thinly sliced celery & 1 cup chopped onions.  In a small bowl, combine 1 cup sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¾ teaspoon ground mustard.  Add 1 cup vinegar and ½ cup water to skillet with celery and onions; add dry ingredients and cook, stirring constantly, until boils and thickens.  Slice potatoes into a large bowl, add 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 2 shredded/grated carrots, and cooked bacon.  Pour dressing mixture over potatoes.  Stir gently to coat. 

This is good warm, or can be refrigerated and served cold.

Come back tomorrow when we will talk Labor Day cupcakes!

Labor Day Idea #1: Best Ever BLT Deviled Eggs

OMG these are seriously the best deviled eggs ever!  And I mean, who doesn't love deviled eggs? Don't answer that, if you don't love them I don't want to know about it.  So the idea with these is to get that delicious BLT taste in a delightful deviled egg package.  Super simple and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, you should totally try them out over the long Labor Day weekend.  Here you go, you can thank me later:


12 hard boiled eggs peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup dijonnaise
1 Tbsp Ranch dressing seasoning
4 pieces of bacon cooked
4 grape tomatoes


Cut each egg in half and scoop out the yolk. Add all of the yolks to a medium bowl and set the whites aside.  To the yolks add the mayonnaise, dijonnaise and Ranch seasoning blend well.  Chop the bacon and tomatoes finely and add to the yolk mixture.  Stir all ingredients together until they reach your desired consistency.  Fill each hollowed out egg white with the yolk mixture, serve and eat!