Looking forward to visiting the Epcot Food and Wine Festival

My wonderful hubby, Mike, and I are finally heading to the Epcot Food and Wine Festival next week.  All week I have been checking out the menus and pictures of the food that they are serving this year. 

Check out the website here: Epcot Food and Wine Festival

Stay tuned for blogs from the festival.  You may want to cover your keyboard with a towel...you will be drooling.

These Poisoned Apples treats are delicious

Several months ago, I discovered an awesome "auction" website called Tophatter.  It is a fun, interactive website where you bid on items you wish to purchase.  It is actual time auctioning, unlike Ebay where you have to wait to see if you win for several hours to several days.

One day, I was on Tophatter and came across an auction for caramels from Poisoned Apples. I was lucky enough to win the auction for a pound of orange caramels. When they came, very well packaged and looking beautiful, I bit into one and have been a fan ever since.

You do not have to wait for another caramel auction. You can purchase items right from The Poisoned Apples Etsy store.  Go and check them out. You won't be sorry.

I'm currently attending a Tophatter action to try to get some more yummy caramels. Wish me luck!!!

Dessert doesn't have to be unhealthy

My husband, Mike, and I have been TRYING to eat healthier.  Being food lovers, this is very difficult. Tonight I decided to show him that you can have a tasty dessert without ruining a healthy eating day.

Poached pears with raspberry sauce

For the poached pears

2 pears (I used bosc), pealed, cut in half and cored
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
1 tbsp. honey
1 cinnamon stick
3 small pieces of candied ginger

Place the pears in a small saucepan. Add the remaining ingredients.  Bring to a boil.  Once boiling, lower temperature and cover until sauce is reduced and pears are tender. Remove cinnamon stick. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

For the raspberry sauce

1 pint raspberries
1/4 water
1 tbsp. honey

Put ingredients in a small saucepan.  Bring to a boil.  When berries have started to burst, stir.  Simmer for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.  Pour into a fine strainer over a boil and remove to remove all of the seeds.  Taste. If not sweet enough, add 1/2 tbsp. honey.  Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve 2 halves of pear in a bowl with cooking juices. Drizzle with the raspberry sauce. DELISH!

I served them with a spoonful of vanilla ice cream and some fresh raspberries.

I've been away from cooking and baking long enough

I haven't blogged about cooking or baking in a while.  It's been a little too hot in Southwest Florida to turn on the oven!!!  I am gearing up for holiday baking season with some great purchases from King Arthur Flour and Penzy's Spices. 

Stay tuned for some blogs on my experiments in the kitchen.

Blogging Class!

I had a blogging class today. I really don't know enough about blogging to TEACH blogging. I hope you all enjoyed it.

Valentine's Day - a day early (Baked Shrimp and Feta)

On Thursday's I work until 7:15pm.  This isn't too horrible, unless you want to cook a nice romantic Valentine's Day dinner for your hubby and the holiday falls on a Thursday. Sigh...what's a girl to do???  Well, even though it is Ash Wednesday, I decided to make the special dinner tonight. As a Catholic, this means no meat.  Shrimp it is!!!!

One of the best things I've ever made is Baked Shrimp with Feta.  It is an easy and very flavorful recipe.

In a sauce pan, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat.

Dice one medium onion and cook for three minutes, or until onions are soft.



Add two cloves of minced garlic and cook for 1 minute.

 

Stir in two cans of no salt added diced tomatoes and bring to a boil.

 

 

Add one tablespoon of dill and one tablespoon of parsley and stir.

 





 Spray your baking dish with cooking spray.  Spread your cleaned and rinsed shrimp in the baking dish and season with salt and pepper.

 

 

Pour sauce over the top of the shrimp.

 

 



 

 Top with crumbled feta cheese.

 

 

 

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes in an oven preheated to 425 degrees F.

 



Serve over angel hair pasta. DELICIOUS!!!

 



 

Baked Shrimp with Feta

 

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cans of no-salt-added diced tomatoes, do not drain

1 tablespoon of dried parsley or 1/4 cup finely minced fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tablespoon finely minced fresh dill

1 1/4 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

2/3 cup crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Heat the oil in skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and let simmer for about 5 minutes, until the tomato juices thicken.
Remove from the heat. Stir in the parsley and dill. Spray baking dish with cooking spray and place shrimp in dish. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle the feta over the top. Bake until the shrimp are cooked through and cheese melts, about 20 to 30 minutes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My final fudge of the day - Ziplock Bag Fudge

Sometimes you just want a no muss, no fuss treat.  As my third type of fudge for my Valentine's Day cooking program, I am making Fudge in a Ziplock Bag.  No bowls, no clean up and you can eat it right out of the bag. Here we go...

Put one pound (yes, that is ONE POUND) of powdered sugar in a large ziplock bag.  Add 3 ounces of cream cheese.

Two tablespoons of butter

Measure out 1/2 cup of cocoa powder and put it in the bag

Squish all the ingredients together in the bag.

It is not as easy as it sounds.  Mix until smooth.  This next picture is after 10 minutes of smoooshing.

Keep smooshing until smooth. This is after 15 minutes.

You can now eat your fudge out of the bag or press into a flat container.