Sugared Pecans and Strawberry Spinach Salad

Posted on April 1, 2013 by CraftyStaci

I’m pretty sure talking about salad is a first for me here. Don’t get me wrong, I love salad. The closer the warm weather gets, the more often I’m in the mood for one. But I don’t usually have a recipe. Like my soup, whatever sounds good gets dumped together and called a meal. Trust me, it’s more appetizing than it sounds.

This salad came after a trip to Costco. I had a bunch of ingredients that suddenly sounded delicious together and, for once, I actually kept track of everything I put in just in case I wanted to repeat it. At this point, I’ve made it many times, so it’s time to pass it on as a tried-and-true recipe.

For me, the star of this salad is the sugared pecans. They need to be made ahead of time, because they reach their crispy peak when they’ve cooled completely.

Sugared Pecans

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon water

2 cups pecan halves

Combine sugar and water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat until sugar has dissolved and the mixture bubbles. Stir in the pecans. Pour onto a greased baking sheet, spreading the nuts out as much as possible. Cook at 350 degrees for 15 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking time. Keep an eye on them as they near the end of the cooking time so they don’t burn. Pour onto waxed paper and cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

The next component that gives this salad its character is the dressing. It’s fairly strong, so a little goes a long way.

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

1/2 cup olive oil

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

2 strawberries, mashed

1 tablespoon honey

pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a shaker or jar and shake until combined. Shake again before each use.

The remaining ingredients for the salad, in whatever amounts you prefer, are:

fresh spinach

fresh strawberries

feta, blue or goat cheese

cooked shrimp or chicken

I’ve tried both blue and goat cheese and they were both delicious. I love shrimp in this, but if you’re not a fan it would also be tasty with chicken, or no protein at all.

This is a perfect bite, with a bit of each ingredient.

My new favorite lunch. And while we have some amazing strawberries in Oregon, thank you to California for sending some long before I can pick them here. You’re my hero.

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Friday Favorites–St. Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 15, 2013 by CraftyStaci

When I was a kid, I was Irish, among other things. Later, someone in the family determined that with our “Mc” last name, we were Scottish. Eventually, we were Irish again. I honestly can’t tell you where it last landed, but come March 17th I go with Irish every time.

I’m not usually one to decorate for St. Patrick’s Day, but I love this Stenciled St. Patrick’s Day Pillow from Burton Avenue. I’d have a hard time putting it away on the 18th.

This yarn-wrapped clover from GoodBye City Hello Suburbs also caught my eye.

So, maybe I need to consider decorating, because I also think these Paper Shamrocks from Hoosier Homemade are cute. I really like the two layers of different paper.

It’s all about the wearing of the green, right? Try these St. Patrick’s Day Shirts from Keeping It Simple on for size.

If you want to share a little St. Patrick’s Day, check out these Leprechaun Hat Favours from Canadian Living.

It’s funny how we spend all summer fighting the clover that tries to creep into our lawn, but it’s the star on St. Patrick’s Day. Show a little clover love with these DIY Four Leaf Clover Stamps on Prudent Baby.

If you’re looking for an easy, tasty snack for the kids, try these Rainbow Wrapped Marshmallows from Smart School House.

I haven’t tried anything with matcha myself, but it seems to be everywhere I look lately. These Matcha White Chocolate Pistachio Cups from Sweetest Kitchen seem like a good place to start.

Check out this Skinny Shamrock Shake from Skinny Mom. All the St. Patrick’s Day fun with less guilt.

If you’ve never made cream puffs, you ought to give it a try. They’re far easier than they look. Flex those cream puff muscles on these St. Patrick’s Day Cream Puffs from Mrs. Fields.

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from the House McCrafty!

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S’mores Cookies

Posted on March 4, 2013 by CraftyStaci

It’s been a while since I’ve shared any sugary goodness with you. We’ve actually been trying to eat healthier around here. That doesn’t mean we succeed every time, but when we cave it’s to tried-and-true things like chocolate chip cookies and caramel corn, not making up new stuff. Except the truffle fries we tried this week at a local burger joint, but I didn’t make those, I just happily ate them.

Back to the sugar. We attended a potluck event for my husband’s work last week, and he signed me up to bring a dessert. I decided on cookies, but I didn’t want to make something too ordinary. I also didn’t want to make a trip to the grocery store, so I started a search for interesting ingredients in my kitchen. I had nearly given up when I found a jar full of graham cracker crumbs. That started the ball rolling toward these delicious little treats.

S’mores Cookies

1 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup graham cracker crumbs

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1 cup marshmallow bits

Preheat oven to 375. Cream together the butter and sugars. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix well. Throw in the flour, graham cracker crumbs and baking soda and mix until combined. Stir in the chocolate chips and marshmallow bits. Drop by spoonsful onto a lightly greased baking sheet. Bake for 7 – 8 minutes, or until the edges begin to brown.

For the graham cracker crumbs, don’t grind them into oblivion with a food processor. These are actually better with some some chunks remaining. I used the flat side of a meat tenderizer and a plastic bag.

If you’re not familiar with marshmallow bits, I found them in the baking section in Target and they look like this:

Now for the mini-fail. I decided to bake these in bar form for the event, since I was short on time and I thought they’d be easier to grab. They tasted good, but because of the extended cooking time required the marshmallows melted into the cookie and disappeared.

Sad.

However, like I said, they were still tasty, so if you’re not concerned about the marshmallows you can press the dough into a greased jelly roll pan and bake for 17 – 20 minutes.

These were a big hit with my son, so I’m sure they’ll be turning up around here again.

Spiced Chai Tea Mix and Salted Caramel Cocoa Mix

Posted on November 28, 2012 by CraftyStaci

I love warm drinks in the winter. Coffee, cocoa, tea, even an occasional apple cider are all welcome. What I don’t like is having to take a long time to make it, which is why we always have drink mixes around. Not to mention, drink mixes make great gifts.

I considered using my Cinnamon Vanilla Warmer Mix to fill my etched jars, but I was in the mood for something new. My kids have been drinking a lot of chai lately, so that was in. My new favorite flavor is salted caramel, which meant I was going to need something that included that as well. I ended up with two new recipes.

We’ll start with the chai. I like it a little on the spicy side. My son felt this was a little too peppery, but he doesn’t usually like even a hint of spice. My daughter and I both felt it was perfectly seasoned. However, if you’re like my son and want it on the mild side either reduce or eliminate the pepper and reduce the ginger.

Spiced Chai Tea Mix

3/4 cup dry milk powder

3/4 cup dry powdered plain creamer

1/2 cup powdered vanilla flavored creamer

1/2 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup unsweetened instant black tea

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon ground cardamom

3/4 teaspoon ground allspice

3/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Combine all ingredients and process in a food processor until you have a fine powder. To serve, add 1/4 cup mix to a mug of hot milk or water. Makes about 3 1/4 cups of mix or 13 servings.

I originally planned to only make the chai, but as soon as the idea of salted caramel cocoa made its way into my head there was no going back. I was nervous about getting the amount of salt right, but this is exactly the taste I imagined. Make sure you’re using sea salt and not regular table salt or it will be too salty.

Salted Caramel Cocoa Mix

2 cups dry milk powder

1/2 cup dry powdered plain creamer

1/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup powdered dulce de leche or caramel flavored creamer

1/4 cup cocoa powder

1 tablespoon sea salt

Combine all ingredients and process in a food processor until larger pieces of milk, creamer and salt are powder. To serve, add 1/4 cup mix to a mug of hot milk or water. Makes about 4 3/4 cups of mix or 19 servings.

Just talking about these is making me want a warm cup. The only problem is, which one?

Quick and Easy Pumpkin Muffins

Posted on November 14, 2012 by CraftyStaci

It’s no secret that I love to cheat and start with a mix when making baked goods. I’m capable of cooking from scratch, but that doesn’t mean I always have time to do it. These muffins took me less than half an hour to make, and that includes gathering the ingredients, cooking time and cleaning up. That’s almost faster than my son can inhale them. Almost.

Pumpkin Muffins

1 17.5 ounce box blueberry muffin mix (I like the fat free Krusteaz)

1 15 ounce can pumpkin

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup roasted pumpkin seeds, no shell

2 tablespoons vanilla turbinado sugar

Set the can of blueberries from the muffin mix aside for another use. I use it to double the berries in blueberry muffins. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine the muffin mix and pumpkin pie spice. Add the pumpkin and mix until combined. Spoon into a greased muffin pan. Spread the batter so it covers the bottom. Sprinkle the pumpkin seeds evenly over the tops. Repeat with the sugar. Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool. Makes 12 muffins.

If you’re wondering about the vanilla turbinado sugar, I keep a container of raw sugar with split vanilla beans in the pantry. I just add more sugar when it gets low. It adds a crunch to the top of muffins and is great in hot tea.

These muffins are dense and a little chewy. Mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top would be delicious instead of the sugar. Hmm…that might be breakfast tomorrow.

Friday Favorites–Copycat Treats

Posted on November 2, 2012 by CraftyStaci

This week’s selections were inspired by my attempt at something I saw on…wait for it…Pinterest. I just couldn’t believe you could mix two things together, coat it in chocolate and come out on the other side with a Butterfinger, so I had to try it.

There are many variations of this recipe out there, but I liked the ~~lazy~~ easy way that Cookies and Cups went with Butterfinger Bark, made even lazier by me by only spreading the chocolate on top. I have a bruise on my hand from cutting it, I may be missing a filling or two, but it’s definitely tasty and does have a Butterfingeresque quality. The secret is candy corn! Shh!

This Clone of a Cinnabon from AllRecipes user Marsha Fernandez is another recipe I’ve actually tried. We were snowed in on Christmas a couple of years ago, so I hadn’t been able to get to the store to get frozen cinnamon rolls like I usually do. These really do taste just like a Cinnabon, which is all kinds of dangerous!

I always have a tin of Cinnamon Altoids in my car. I might try making my own, like these from Instructables user scoochmaroo. I could have any flavor they make in flavored oil, but mine would probably still be cinnamon.

I could have drank chocolate milk every day when I was a kid, if it had been allowed. Now, not drinking it often is a choice, but I’d love to try this Homemade Nesquik from Sugar Bananas.

I’ve only had Cow Tales once or twice in my life, and it’s been so long I don’t remember exactly what they taste like. But according to this recipe from Sprinkle Bakes, it’s caramel with cream filling, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

Cookies and Cups again, this time with Homemade Nutter Butters. How did she get these to look so perfectly like store-bought? Mine would probably be a little wonky.

My daughter went on a Goldfish cracker bender for a couple of years. I think she finally burned herself out, fortunately before Costco ran out. Once she falls off the wagon, we might have to try making our own with this recipe from missamy on Tasty Kitchen.

Not only are these Homemade Pixie Sticks from Amanda’s Parties To Go really cute, but it sounds like they’re healthier than the originals.

This isn’t so much a recipe for Homemade Peanut Butter Twix from Life in a Peanut Shell, as it is a suggested method you could make them, which is really all you need.

I lost a tooth once in a Tootsie Roll. It was a baby tooth, and needed to pop out, but it was still a little traumatic. Like candy had turned on me. I’m probably mostly over it now, and I’ll bet these Homemade Tootsie Rolls from Paula Deen taste better than the originals.

I have to go see if there’s any Butterfinger Bark left in the kitchen.

Friday Favorites–Halloween

Posted on October 26, 2012 by CraftyStaci

I have no idea what I’m going to do about Halloween this year. My daughter is away at school, my son is making plans with friends, my husband is 2,827 miles away and we don’t get trick-or-treaters at our house. The idea of sitting around by myself watching scary movies is not appealing, although the candy-eating part kinda is. Maybe I’ll find a new, interesting tradition to start. I’m thinking it will involve coffee, caramel and sci-fi.

I might also include these bite-sized Candy Corn Cookies from Always Expect Moore. The method for making the candy corn shape is clever.

This ghost from Thrifty Décor Chick is one of those things that I found on Pinterest with directions that had nothing to do with the original project. However, in this case I think Press and Seal cling wrap (the Pinterest claim) might work for a smaller version.

I have to say, this Skeleton Wreath from Tried and True freaks me right the heck out. Yes, that’s exactly the words I used in my head. Nearly.

Quick, something not scary! How about this cute Candy Corn Cupcake Stand from The Swell Life?

The most awesome thing about this Halloween Bag Toss from Craftsman is that the pumpkins are attached with Velcro and can be changed out for other shapes.

I’ve seen ghosts made from cheesecloth before, but the mannequin heads inside these Cheesecloth Spirits from Martha Stewart definitely bring up the creepy factor.

This Jack ‘O Lantern Vase from Dollar Store Crafts is inexpensive, easy to make and doesn’t have any icky pumpkin guts to take out.

I’ve never said this before, and probably never will again, but isn’t Lil’ Death cute? Check out the free printable from StitchPunk.

These cupcakes from I Don’t Know How She Does It would be a fun addition to a party and, even better, they’re raspberry filled.

These Spinning Spirits from Parents magazine would be fun to make with kids. That is, if you can bring them down from their sugar high long enough to trust them with scissors.

Refrigerator Pickles

Posted on October 10, 2012 by CraftyStaci

I make dill garlic to give out as Christmas gifts to our friends and family. I’ve been doing this for years, and every year when I spot the fresh dill in the grocery store it’s a mad rush to get everything together and canned before it disappears. This year, I finally planted my own dill.

As luck would have it, it actually grew. As soon as the dill heads started blooming, I panicked. Never having grown my own before, I didn’t know how long it would bloom, or how many it would make. The mad rush was on again.

Those of you who have grown dill already know this, but there was no need to hurry. I made the garlic a month and a half ago, and there’s still dill. I kept looking at it sadly out the window, until I finally decided to try something I’ve always wanted to do: refrigerator pickles.

I’ve canned pickles before, but I’ve never been happy with them. The texture is weird. Pickles should be crunchy, and mine just aren’t, no matter what I do. These little babies, however, are crunchy, a little spicy and delicious. I might not be able to go back to store-bought. These aren’t the same, but I like them better.

Refrigerator Pickles

1 cucumber, peeled and sliced about 3/8” thick (I used a regular, garden-variety cucumber)

1 dill head

1 spring dill leaves

2 whole garlic cloves

2 – 3 slices, jalapeno, serrano or sweet pepper

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon dill weed

1/4 teaspoon dill seed

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon sugar

3/4 cup apple cider vinegar

Combine the vinegar, sugar and salt, stirring until the sugar and salt have dissolved. Place the rest of the ingredients in a quart-sized, wide-mouth mason jar. Pour the vinegar mixture over. Finish filling the jar with water. Place in the refrigerator. Wait a day or two before eating. I can’t tell you how long they will last, because mine were gone in about 2 days.

I don’t know if it was necessary, but I shook the jar every time I opened the fridge to redistribute the spices. As usual, I made my husband an extra-spicy jar by adding extra pepper slices, another 1/2 teaspoon pepper flakes and, after putting on my hazmat suit, 1/4 teaspoon of ghost pepper powder.

I don’t know what I’m going to do when all my dill is gone, but I’ll definitely be planting it again next year!

Pumpkin Latte Cookies

Posted on October 1, 2012 by CraftyStaci

Apparently, it’s a big deal when Starbucks comes out with their Pumpkin Latte in the fall. Personally, I’m more excited about the Salted Caramel Mocha or the Eggnog that comes later, but I usually have one or two of the pumpkin before the season is over. They’re good, just not something I wait eagerly for at the end of summer.

When I started seeing the ads this year, it occurred to me that the pumpkin/coffee combination would make an excellent cookie. To add another to my string of recent cake mix based recipes, I started with a spice cake mix and ended up with something I could eat a plate of.

Pumpkin Latte Cookies

18.25 ounce box spice cake mix

1 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

3 tsp espresso powder or instant coffee, ground fine

15 oz canned pumpkin

10 oz cinnamon or vanilla chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a baking pan with cooking spray. Combine the cake mix, spices and espresso powder. Add the pumpkin and mix well. Stir in the chips. Drop by spoonsful onto the pan, then flatten slightly with the back of a greased spoon. Bake for about 10 minutes. They don’t spread much during baking. Cool completely. These stay pretty sticky, so be aware of that when storing.

The coffee flavor is fairly subtle, so if you want it stronger you’ll want to increase the espresso powder. Just don’t make the mistake my husband did and eat a whole bunch of them then try to fall asleep.

Asian Pear Crisp

Posted on September 24, 2012 by CraftyStaci

I actually followed a recipe. Well, I mostly followed a recipe. Trust me, this is big news.

We have an Asian pear tree, which has given us a few pears over the last couple of years. I had never even heard of an Asian pear before my father-in-law planted this one, so I didn’t quite know what to expect from this odd little fruit. Turns out, they look like an apple with pear skin, and taste like a pear with apple texture. And they’re delicious.

For some reason, our tree turned into a major overachiever this year. We gave away a few containers of pears today, and my husband estimates there’s still at least 700 pears left. I see a lot of pear recipes in our future and maybe a pear-ding-dong-dash or two.

My friend mentioned she might make a pear crisp with some of them tonight, which got me thinking. It’s been a while since I’ve made a crisp, and I’m not sure I’ve ever made one with pears, so I started searching for some help.

Many thanks to the Pioneer Woman for sharing her recipe for Pear Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream. Since it took me about an hour and a half to peel and chop those little pears, the ice cream wasn’t happening, but I did tackle the crisp. This is her beautiful photo.

I only changed a couple of things in making this, mostly due to a lack of ingredients and my unwillingness to drive to the store. I obviously replaced the regular pears with Asian pears, and I used toasted pumpkin seeds instead of pecans.

I also ended up cooking it about 20 – 25 minutes longer than the recipe called for. At the time indicated, my filling hadn’t even started to bubble.

My filling never did thicken, I think because the topping didn’t really blend with the pears at all, but just sat on top. Next time, I would mix some flour with the pears.

The flavor, however, is fantastic. In spite of its watery consistency, I don’t think this will make it past tomorrow.

Anyone have any great pear recipes to share?

Crafty Staci

Tag Archives: cooking

Sugared Pecans and Strawberry Spinach Salad

Sugared Pecans

Strawberry Balsamic Vinaigrette

Friday Favorites–St. Patrick’s Day