Cheddar bacon vegetable dip

I love making beautiful food. What I love even more than that, is sharing it. I remember when I was little, my family loved watching the Utah Jazz play. I would always be in the kitchen slicing and dicing and making some kind of snack for us to enjoy during the game...for me, that was the best part of it. I would spend so much time placing the fruit on the dish in a way that the brightest colors played off of each other and so it looked as pretty as it tasted. I guess I have never outgrown that passion, and even today I love adding creativity and art to my makes. Today I am sharing our family's very favorite veggie/cracker dip. It was passed down from my Grandma, she used to make it every holiday we would spend together. It is so packed with flavor and SOOO delicious. I promise you will never make anything but this for your next veggie platter. This dip is also an amazing baked potato topper or dip for hot wings.  You are going to love it!  

 

Recipe: Cheddar bacon veggie dip
Recipe source: Emmy in her Element
 

1 pound 16 oz sour cream (we like daisy)

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Hidden Valley Ranch packet powder

1/4 cup Hormel bacon bits

1 1/2 cups medium or sharp cheddar cheese

3/4-1 teaspoon creamy horseradish (you can start out small and add more if you like the bold flavor!)

 

Mix ingredients together and serve with vegetables, crackers, pretzels, or on a baked potato as a topper. Keep chilled.

** Note: I served my dip today in 3 hollowed out green peppers just too add some creativity. I added a little bacon, cheese and chive straws from my HERB GARDEN on top for garnish. My veggie platter consists of cauliflower, sweet peppers, olives, celery and carrots. If you are making this for a large crowd, you can double the recipe for dip and serve it in a hollowed out eggplant to look pretty!

 

 

DIY herb garden in an old wine barrel

This summer I have been really wanting to learn more about using fresh herbs in my cooking. There are a lot of health benefits and it is so fun to be able to use fresh herbs in your dinners, drinks, or other things such as my rosemary and olive oil roasted vegetables or my rosemary compound butter to add on top of your home grilled steaks... this stuff is so amazing and will make your steaks go from good, to over the moon fancy-shmancy high quality restaurant style... uh yeah, it's that delicious!   I found this old wine barrel and for a while I thought I would use it for flowers but then had a stroke of genius and thought it would be perfect for an herb garden. I bought some potting soil, some rosemary, thyme, basal, and chives. Now that it's finished, I think I will go back for some mint and oregano as well. This pot is right outside my kitchen, so I am always trying to think of ways and I can sneak out there while I am cooking dinner, and snip a few herbs to add in. After I planted the herbs I felt like I wanted to cutesy it up a little so I took some cream colored toll paint and painted the words "fresh herbs"... I thought it looked adorable until my husband came home and made fun of me for making something look like I was growing marijuana. Awesome. As it turns out, I still love it and Im keeping it just how it is! I took some sand paper and roughed it up a bit to help the letters match the old worn barnwood look of the barrel. My kids love going out and helping water our little herb garden every day. I would highly recommend making yourself one! NOTE: you can certainly buy fresh herbs in the grocery store, but the are usually pretty expensive. Planting your own gives you the option of using them whenever you want, freezing or drying them for out of season use, and getting them for much much cheaper!   Here is a pic I snapped of the barrel before I painted the lettering.   

 

... and after the sanding...

 

 

 

 

 

Rosemary compound butter



Rosemary and olive oil roasted vegetables

 

Delicious Pulled Pork for Parties and what to do with the leftovers

As you have previously read, I am the proud wife of a shiny new graduate. Along with all of the stress of the last few weeks, we have enjoyed a spending time with old friends and many family members to celebrate our new Engineer. I have been keeping track of a lot of the recipes from the parties we have had, and I can't wait to share them with you! This recipe is my Mom's and it is truly delicious. I love it so much because you can make it a day ahead, and you can change the homemade sauce a little here and there to your liking. Add a bold spice, or some extra brown sugar to make it sweeter... it's up to you to make it your own, but our family LOVES this recipe. I am sharing the large amounts we made so that you can use this for a party. Obviously you can cut the recipe down if you are just making it for your family. This pork freezes very well and if you want, you can just make the larger amount and save a portion in the freezer for another night! I will also share an idea on how to use the leftovers if you have any.  

 

Mom's Homemade BBQ pulled pork:
{Meat}

Pork Cushion roast (this has a little more fat than tenderloin and will be more flavorful)

Roast Pork in a roasting pan at 350 degrees for about an hour per pound of meat or until you can shred the meat very easily. For 20 pounds it took about 5-6 hours. Do not add any water to the meat, as it cooks it will create its own juices and brown a little on top. You can sprinkle the roasts with salt and pepper if desired. Shred the meat by taking two forks and separating. Remove any strings of fat from the shredded meat and toss.

Once meat has been shredded, add homemade sauce and heat in crockpot or in a heavy pot with a lid until heated through and ready to serve.

 

{Homemade Sauce}

**FOR EVERY 5 POUNDS OF PORK CUSHION USE THIS AMOUNT OF SAUCE*

1 30 ounce can of tomato sauce

1/8-1/4 cup brown sugar depending on your desired sweetness

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons rehydrated minced dry onions

1 teaspoon ground mustard powder

1 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon onion salt

1 cup Sweet Baby Rays "Sweet and Spicy" BBQ sauce

 

Important notes: I used about 20 pounds of meat to feed 50 people and had a little bit left over. We made pulled pork sandwiches on parker house dinner rolls.  My mom mentioned to me that while she did quadruple the amount of sauce to mix with the meat, she didn't have to add quadruple the amount of the spices. They stayed pretty strong even when she added more tomato sauce and BBQ sauce to make a larger amount. I would say once you have made the base sauce, if you need to double, triple or quadruple the sauce amount, just start by adding more tomato sauce, BBQ sauce, Worcestershire and sugar, and then add the spices little by little from there until you get your desired flavor. THIS SAUCE IS GLUTEN FREE just make sure if you use a different brand of BBQ to check the label for gluten free if you are making it for a friend or family member with Celiac disease.

If you make this pork and freeze it, you will likely need to make more sauce to add to the pork as it will absorb most of the sauce as it freezes.

We served this pulled pork to our guests on Parker House dinner rolls. You could also slice a large loaf of French bread and add the meat to it, and slice into sandwiches. Another option would be to use this pork on a salad or in a Mexican dish... all delicious!

 

I hope you try and love this recipe like we do. After our afternoon party, we had our friends come back to our house for a backyard fire and marshmallow roasting. I ended up heating up the left over pork and serving it on buns at 11:30pm to our friends around the camp fire. It was so much fun and they tasted so delicious!

 

If you need another idea for your left overs...

I made a delicious Grilled Swiss cheese and pulled pork sandwich... kind of the "fanciest" version of a grilled cheese possible.. and it was sooo tasty.  

 

Recipe:

Bread of your choice

Garlic powder

Swiss cheese

Left over pulled pork

Room temperature butter for spreading

 

Take two slices of bread (I used bran bread) and spread lightly with butter. Sprinkle lightly with garlic powder on one slice of bread. Place into a fry pan on low to medium heat. Top with Jarlsberg Swiss cheese slices, and some of the warmed up left over pulled pork. Then add your second slice of bread on top. Let the bread grill until golden brow, then flip to brown the other side. The Swiss cheese should be melty over the pork. Let cool for a minute or two and SCARF IT UP!

Family favorite Pasta Salad

 

 

LAST POST I promised to share a few recipes I used at a recent baby shower I threw for my friend. This pasta salad has been a recipe my mom made growing up, and after I got married I tried my Mother in Law's version as well. I took it upon myself to combine ideas from the two, and I am really happy with the end result!

This salad can be made with variations, adding or substituting as you please... the flavors are bright and fresh, and it can be made ahead of time for early and easy preparation.

 

Recipe: Family Favorite Pasta salad

Recipe source: Emmy in her Element

 

1 Box Rotini pasta

6 cheese sticks cut into 1/4"thick slices

3/4 cup purple chopped purple onion

1 cucumber peeled and cut into bite sized chunks

1 cup cheery tomatoes sliced in half or thirds

1 cup blanched broccoli chopped

1 2.25 oz can sliced black olives.

1 bottle Italian Dressing

1-2 tablespoons Jonny's salad essence seasoning

 

Garnish:

Toothpicks

cherry tomatoes

string cheese slices

sliced crostini bread or bagel chips

 

Boil Pasta as directed. Do not over cook as the pasta will soak in some of the dressing. Drain and cool in the refrigerator. Cut veggies and cheese, and set aside. Flash boil the broccoli for just a few minutes to lightly soften. Do not over cook. Immediately remove and add to an ice bath or rinse in cold water to stop the cooking process. Cool broccoli in the refrigerator. Once pasta has cooled, add veggies, olives, cheese, salad essence and stir in about 3/4 of the bottle of Italian Dressing. Mix together and let cool together in the fridge. After a few hours, add a little more dressing as the pasta will soak a little of it up as it cools.

For my party, a fun way I found to dish up the salad was to add it to clear cups and add a garnish on the top. I made this by taking a tooth pick and adding 1 whole cherry tomato and a slice of mozzarella cheese. Right next to it I added a bagel chip, I also think a slice of crostini bread would be perfection.

This was easy to make ahead of time and chill until my guests arrived.

 

   You could also add pepperoni, or use different kinds of pasta for this salad. I have had it made with tri-colored pasta, spaghetti noodles, or bowtie. You could also use different vegetables, let your imagination take over!  

Black forest Ham and Swiss Sliders with mustard poppy seed topping

 

  This past weekend I threw a baby shower for my good friend. The food turned out delicious and I wanted to share the menu with you. My next few posts will be dedicated to some of the best dishes I have found to share at your next party or family/friend get together... hope you enjoy!  

Recipe: Black forest Ham and Swiss sliders
Recipe source: Emmy in her Element

2 packages Hawaiian sweet rolls (white or wheat are both delicious!)

1 package deli ham (I used black forest from Costco)

Swiss Cheese sliced (Jarlsberg is always my favorite swiss)

 

Poppy seed topping:

1 stick melted butter

1 teaspoon Worcestershire

1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon dried minced onion

1 tablespoon poppy seed

 

Slice the tops off of the rolls and set aside. Add 1-2 slices of black forest ham, and 1 slice of Swiss cheese on top. Replace tops of rolls and add the sandwiches to a cookie sheet close together. Prepare topping by whisking together ingredients and spoon over the tops of the rolls. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and let the topping set while the oven warms. Cover rolls with tin foil and place in oven for 10-15 minutes until cheese is all melted. Remove the foil for the last 2 minutes of baking time to crisp up the tops. Serve warm.

 

 

 

I imagine this recipe could be played around with as far as fillings go... maybe turkey and Swiss or cheddar? Gouda.... oh my!

{Greek Yogurt} Banana Oat muffins *FLOUR FREE but you would never guess it!*

  Do you have some rapidly aging bananas on your counter? Me too! I was craving muffins today and decided to put my old-ish bananas to good use. These little delights are moist, packed with flavor and very filling. They give you a little boost of energy and are perfect to grab and go... you know like on those Saturday mornings when you have a soccer game to be to? A lot of gluten free breads I have tried are dry and crumbly. These flour free muffins are moist, fluffy and delicious, not to mention totally healthy! If you are making these GF for a friend, make sure and use gluten free oats. Happy snacking!  

Recipe for Greek Yogurt Banana Oat Muffins
Recipe from: Emmy in her Element
 

1/2 cup greek yogurt (I use vanilla)

1/3 cup oil (can use sunflower, vegetable, or olive)

1/2 cup low fat milk or almond milk

1/2 cup honey (warmed for about 15-20 seconds in the microwave to help it thin and incorporate easier)

1 egg

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon baking soda

2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar (this is optional but it makes them a little sweeter)

1 1/2 cups oat flour

1 1/4 cups oats

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 ripe banana's mashed

   chopped walnuts or pecans

 

 This recipe calls for oat flour. Don't have any? THAT'S OK! Here's how I made mine...

Take about 2 cups of oats and pour them into your food processor. Pulse for about 20-30 seconds until the oats have been blended into a thick flour looking like this...      This will give you your 1 1/2 cups of oat flour!   Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Mix egg, yogurt, honey, milk, vanilla and oil in a large bowl. Add 1 1/4 cup oats and let sit for a moment while you make your oat flour. This will help the oats soften and plump up as they soak in the liquid. Make your oat flour and measure out 1 1/2 cups of it. You may have a tablespoon or two extra to discard. Take your oat flour and to that add salt, soda, baking powder, brown sugar  and cinnamon. Slowly incorporate into wet ingredients until mixed. Add your mashed bananas and chopped walnuts and stir until incorporated. I like to save a little bit of my walnuts to sprinkle on top of the muffins along with some oats to make them look pretty... Spoon into a pam-greased muffin tin. The batter should make exactly 12 muffins. Bake for 17 minutes or until golden brown on top and toothpick tests clean.  

 

  These muffins could be made many ways.   I think next I will try to making them with chopped up Granny Smith Apples so they will warm up and soak in flavor just like the apple oatmeal! Oh and maybe a version with mini chocolate chips? Yummy...

How to make your own Chick-hatching Easter {DEVILED} eggs

 

  Happy Easter Sunday everyone. I hope you have a beautiful day! I will be spending my day growing spiritually, enjoying time with family and of course devouring a delicious feast. One of my favorite recipes for Easter is for deviled eggs turned chick! I have a super easy recipe to share with you that is fun and fast. Want to make it even faster? Boil or bake your eggs the night before. If you aren't a fan of boiling eggs... try this fast mess free tip! They will turn out perfect every time. Place eggs in a cupcake tin, and bake in a 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Let cool, store in the refrigerator until you need them. Peel and enjoy!  

Recipe- 8 Deviled chick eggs- See pictures below for process
Recipe Source: Emmy in her Element
 

8 eggs, hard boiled or baked (see above). Peel and cut 1/3 of the top off the egg.

8 egg yolks from boiled eggs

1/4 cup + 2 tbsp. light mayo (Best Foods is my favorite)

1 teaspoon yellow mustard

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon paprika

pinch of sugar (this helps balance the salty tangy flavors)

1/3 teaspoon white vinegar

pinch of onion powder

 

{chick embellishments}

1 can chopped black olives

2 small carrots

 

Cut the top third of the egg off and add yolks to a bowl. Now turn the egg over and make a very small cut (1/4 inch in thickness or less) of the bottom of the egg, as to help it stand on the plate without tipping over. Keep this small piece of egg to add to the top of your chick heads.

Place hollow eggs on a plate surrounded with spinach. Mix yolks and all ingredients in a bowl. Use mixer to whip together if you want a very smooth consistency. Add filling into a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe deviled mixture into eggs making a circular motion at the top. For the embellishments, use olives and carrots for the beak. Just slice a few pieces into a triangle shape. Now place the extra bottom pieces of egg that you cut off on the tops to look like the eggs are hatching. Voilà! All finished. Store in the fridge and chill until ready to serve.  

 

 

 

 

OPTION 2 If you want to skip the chick look and go for something a little more "adult"... here is another option! Do everything the same and leave out the embellishment part. They look beautiful!  

  HAPPY EASTER SUNDAY

2 simple tips that will change the look of your pie crust

 

I love to make pies and find so much satisfaction in sharing something beautiful that I put love into and made myself. I'll tell you though, pie making did not come naturally to me. It has taken practice and patience... and yes a few tear drenched crusts have been tossed in the trash...

So today, I want to share with you a couple of tips I have learned to make a beautiful top crust on my pies. The best part, they are easy tips that will make for a much prettier end result.

 

 TIP 1: Instead of exposing the top crust to the hot oven for the total time of baking, try cutting a small piece of tin foil and lightly placing it on the top of your pie. Bake for 1/2 the time, open the oven and pull it off (use a hot pad). Toss the foil and let your top crust beautifully brown for the other half of the bake time. Its a small tip that makes a big difference.

 

TIP 2: Always add a wash on top of your pies to help them be golden. Without the wash, your crust will stay a whitish color, the same as your dough looks. My Grandmother has always used a cream and sugar wash, and I always go with the traditional egg wash. It's easy just crack 1 egg in a cup, and add about a teaspoon of water. Whip with a fork until fluffy. Brush this wash onto your crust, and then sprinkle sugar over the top. The wash helps the sugar stick. Keep sprinkling all over the crust as a little will dissolve into the wash. Bake your pie and when you pull it out, you will see pretty parts of it where the sugar sparkles. It adds a wonderful rusticity to the pie.