Sweet and Savory Leg of Lamb

This was our first time making a leg of lamb. Thankfully a wonderful friend came over and walked my daughter and I through the whole process. It was delicious and not nearly as intimidating as I thought it would be. 

The ingredients included a 3 pound boneless leg of lamb, grape jelly, red wine, grape juice, oregano, thyme, rosemary, onion, garlic and salt. Not to bad now is it?

First we diced up all the onions and garlic. Some of the onion was left in chunks. Finely chopping the dried herbs brought out the fragrance.

Heat about 1/2 cups of the grape jelly up until it's smooth and runny. After chopping the herbs, add to the grape jelly.



We added about a cup of grape juice to the grape jelly, threw in the onions and garlic and added the red wine. A good dose of salt and pepper and it was ready to marinate.

A beautiful boneless leg of lamb. Notice I took the netting off the lamb put left it in the pan with it. This allows the marinade to touch all of the meat, while keeping my netting fresh so that I can put it back on before cooking.




Place the lamb into a cooking bag and pour the marinade over it.

Make sure you remove as much air as possible and give it a good knot. I kept mine in a pan in the refrigerator for 24 hours. Boy did it smell good.

Once you've marinated the lamb for 24 hours, remove it from the plastic bag with the marinade. Put the netting back onto the lamb, and place in a covered roaster at 350 degrees for about 3 hours.

A beautiful and easy dish to make and serve. Your guests will be greeted at the door with an amazing aroma that will have them excited to sit down and eat.

Boutique Bakery Love At First Bite Offers A Twist On The Wedding Cake - Wedding Cupcake Towers

PRLog (Press Release) – Feb 08, 2011 – Cutting the wedding cake together by the bride and groom is a predominant ritual at western weddings. The wedding cake not only symbolises good fortune and fertility, it is also an icon of the couple’s unity, their life together and their shared future. Because wedding cakes are an important element of a wedding, it has taken many different shapes, sizes and presentation and continues to do so even today.

Love at First Bite offers something more than the traditional cake. This boutique cupcakes bakery in Melbourne specialists in handmade cupcakes. The bakery also designs fancy cupcake towers so that your wedding cake stands out at the wedding.

Love at First Bite is known for baking fresh cupcakes using the finest and natural ingredients. Their wedding cakes are guaranteed to be fresh and the best quality. In fact, the bakery prides itself on making the best cupcakes in Melbourne. Their quest for perfection ensures that you enjoy the best and the most delicious cupcakes that you would you will ever taste.

Every cupcake by Love at First Bite is handmade and beautifully finished with decorations so that your celebration is as dazzling as the cupcakes themselves.

According to Love at First Bite, “wedding cakes deliver a statement about your sense of style and personality. A wedding cake should be a reflection of what you are and it should definitely cater a good taste.” Love at First Bite is based in Melbourne and it specialists in stylish wedding designs. Their cupcake tower is one of their newest inventions and it can add uniqueness to any wedding.

What makes their cupcakes so special and inviting is the taste, alluring look, freshness and finest quality ingredients. Cupcakes created by Love at First Bite are perfectly piped frosted and are adorned with handmade decorations. It is made sure that the cupcakes are baked using only natural and best quality ingredients so that it offers a tempting treat. Love at First Bite has made every attempt to perfect their recipes so that the cupcakes remain packed with flavour and moisture. Moreover, a unique butter cream frosting method is used to make the cake even more luscious.

Love at First Bite offers free consultations, anywhere in Melbourne. To create an ideal design, they will work with you and make sure that the wedding cakes tower makes your wedding beautiful and memorable. The bakery will also deliver cake at the venue and set it up on the day of the wedding in order to make sure that the wedding cupcakes tower is perfectly presented.

What is an easy candy recipe to give out during the holidays?

I knew it was our last thanksgiving together. It was our first and our last all in one. Now that seems strange, but for this year we were celebrating with our exchange student from England. We wanted to share all our traditions with her. We played mud football Thanksgiving morning with some of our cousins. I sprained my ankle, but nothing was going to stop us from enjoying this holiday. My Grandparents came from California and brought up two pecan pies. Auntie Sue made her famous Southern sweet potato pie and I even tried my hand in making the cranberry sauce.

Our exchange student seemed over whelmed, but we didn’t care, we were determined to share our Holiday with her. And share we did. By the end of the year, she was a true family member. I loved her like a real sister.

But sometimes things have to end. Jana had to go home in June and back to her family and to her own wonderful traditions. We cried and hugged at the airport and I felt like I lost my best friend. We vowed to stay in touch and over the years we have. Of course it is not the same, but it is still very sweet.

At Thanksgiving I start thinking about what holiday gifts I want to send to Jana and her family. Sending holiday gifts over the ocean can be very expensive, but it is something I love to do.

I usually try to make some kind of candy, because it is easy to send and can stay fresh for a longer time. I add a note and talk about some of the wonderful things we shared that year. Jana even tried to fix Thanksgiving dinner for her family. She had lots of funny stories about trying to cook a duck, because she could not find a turkey. I know it is not the same, but somehow I know when she gets my package of homemade goodies, she is smiling and remembering. I will always miss her, but a part of her is in my heart.

My favorite candy to send is Tiger butter. Not sure where it got its name, but it is easy and oh so good. It is the perfect holiday gift to send and it mails easily too. So if you need an inexpensive holiday gift to send to someone who is special to you. Try this. It is good for the heart and don’t forget to add a note.

TIGER BUTTER

16 ounces white chocolate, chopped

3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter

1 cup milk chocolate chips

Directions

Butter a 10x15 pan. Set aside.

Place white chocolate in a medium-sized microwave-safe bowl. Microwave on high until melted, stirring frequently. Stir in peanut butter.

Spread into prepared pan. Drizzle with melted milk chocolate chips, stirring through mixture to create a marbled effect. Let stand until set. Break into bite-sized pieces. Enjoy!

Pumpkin Pecan Square

This year I bought a lot of extras for the holiday season. Instead of just getting the exact amounts on my list I threw in a few extra items here and there. This led me to a pantry full of goodies that I didn't know what to do with. With my can of pumpkin in hand and a cup full of pecans needing to be used, I searched high and low for an amazing pumpkin type dessert I could whip up quickly for my family. This dessert is so easy, and tastes like it took all day to make.

Pumpkin Pecan Squares

1 cup flour
1/2 cup oats
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar
1 can pure pumpkin
1 can evaporated milk
2 Lg eggs
2 1/4 pumpkin pie spice

1/2 cup pecans
1/4 cup brown sugar
Whipped Cream

Mix crust and place in bottom of a 13x9 inch pan. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Mix up pumpkin, sugar, milk, eggs and spices. After the crust has pre-baked add mixture to the crust and continue to bake for 20 minutes.

After 20 minutes add chopped pecans and brown sugar to the top. Continue baking for 15 minutes.

Let cool and serve with whipped cream.

On the Way to the Beach- A Great Place to Stop

Our favorite place to stop on the way to the Pacific Ocean is a small unassuming place called Taylor's Sausage. We have visited Taylor's Sausage long before it became a restaurant and was only known to locals. Someone gave us the tip to go down a side road and visit the small factory. We were hooked.
Taylor's Sausage has been in business since 1924 and they truly know their craft of making delicious sausage, hot dogs, ham and cheese sticks (our favorite), pepperoni and jerky.

Now that they have a restaurant, we stop by for lunch or dinner also. You see here I had a Taylor dog, fresh salad and water. They have a great collection of wines also, but we did not order that. My husband enjoyed the fresh Fish sandwich. Their food is delicious and if you ever get a chance to order something from them or stop by Cave Junction, please visit, you'll be glad you did.

If you go on a Friday night, you will be pleasantly surprised with live music from local artists. Last September we went and were thrilled to listen to a wonderful guitarist and the lights were dimmed and the food that was served for dinner included fresh local corn on the cob....what a wonderful treat!

Where Have All The Good "Bobs" Gone?

I don't know about you, but I truly miss Bob's Big Boy restaurants? Growing up in Southern California, there was always a Bob's Big Boy we could visit for our traditional Friday dinner out. Being greeted by the pudgy boy in checkered red pants was half the fun. Most of these adorable diners are gone in Southern California. I happened to spot one while doing errands last week and was so excited. We stopped in to see if the restaurant still had the same charm. The food was delicious but it seemed to lack that special "something" it used to have. Maybe it was just that I was 20 years older and I realized that Bob's Boy was so big because of the food! Thinking like a true parent, I vowed to visit less frequently. Actually, after doing my homework, I found out Bob Wian, of Glendale California, named his famous restaurant after a chubby kid that happened to walk into his already thriving restaurant. He called him "Big Boy" and the name stuck. If you still wonder where all the Bob's Big Boy restaurants have gone, here are a few locations left in sunny Southern California: Burbank, Baker, Colton, Temecula, Torrance and West Covina. Visit their website at http://www.bigboy.com/ to find more locations in other states.

Best Organic Brownies On Earth!

Last week I received a sample of this Kings Cupboard Organic Brownie Mix. I figured I have tasted many brownie mixes from different companies, I might as well try these. Although I must admit, I have never tried an organic variety. When I started making them, I thought this is more like cake, they are so thick! I figured I had messed up the recipe but I stuck to the directions. Boy, was I shocked! These brownies had to be the best I have ever tasted! Thick, rich and delicious. My family was of course, fighting over the last one. I decided these brownies needed their own post because they would make the perfect hostess gift. It gave me the idea to create our Brownie Bucket gift. By the way, did I mention I love gourmet food samples!