Yellow Squash Casserole

Andrew begs for me to make this in the summertime! It takes a little time...but is worth it in the end!

Yellow Squash Casserole

Ingredients

• 1 3/4 pounds crookneck yellow squash or other yellow summer squash
• 1/4 pound zucchini or additional yellow summer squash
• 1/2 cup coarse-chopped carrots
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1 large onion, preferably yellow, chopped
• 1 plump garlic clove, minced
• 1 1/4 cups saltine or Ritz cracker crumbs
• 1/2 cup grated mild to medium Cheddar cheese
• Hot pepper sauce, such as Tabasco
• Salt and freshly milled black pepper
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a medium baking dish.

Slice the yellow squash and zucchini lengthwise into quarters, then cut into 1/2-inch-thick wedges. Place the yellow squash, zucchini and carrots in a saucepan, barely cover with water and salt well. Bring to a boil; reduce the heat to medium and cover. Cook about 20 minutes, until the vegetables are very soft.

Meanwhile, warm 3 tablespoons of the butter in a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Stir in the onion and cook slowly until very soft and translucent, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook an additional minute. Scrape the mixture into a mixing bowl. Wipe out the skillet, return it to medium-low heat, and add to it the remaining tablespoon of butter. Stir in 1/2 cup of the cracker crumbs and cook briefly until the crumbs are golden. Scrape them onto a small plate and reserve them.

Drain the squash mixture, mashing the vegetables just a bit. Spoon it into the mixing bowl. Stir in the remaining 3/4 cup of cracker crumbs, cheese and a good splash or two of the pepper sauce. Salt and pepper generously to taste. Stir in the eggs and spoon the mixture into the prepared baking dish. Scatter the toasted cracker crumbs over the top. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes, until golden brown and lightly firm in the center. Serve hot.

Crock-pot BBQ & Chik-Fil-A Slaw

Andrew's mom made this BBQ for us one night (I think she got the recipe from Harriet) and it was DELICIOUS! Therefore... I make it all the time now! It is EASY and I usually freeze half of it to eat at a later date!

Slow Cooker BBQ

3-4 Pound Boston Butt or Pork Loin (I usually get pork loin)

2Tbsp Sugar

1 Tbsp Salt

1 C vinegar

1/2 C Ketchup

6-8Tbsp meat broth (from crockpot)

1Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

Texas Pete (if desired)

Combine Sugar, Salt and Vinegar. Place pork in slow cooker and pour vinegar mixture over top of it. Cook 10-12 hours on low. Remove pork and shred. Combine Ketchup, Meat Broth, Worcestershire Sauce and texas pete. Mix with Pork & Enjoy!

If you have BBQ in the south then it is essential to also have slaw. I made a batch of BBQ to take to the beach with us last month and Andrew requested "Chik-Fil-A" Cole Slaw... I found the recipe and made it and was DELISH!

Here it is:

Chik Fil A Coleslaw

1 head of cabbage, finely chopped
1 small carrot, finely chopped

For the dressing:

1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 tablespoon pepper
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice

Finely chop the cabbage and carrots (I use a food processor for this)

In a large bowl, combineall of the dressing ingredients. Mix well. Stir in the cabbage and carrots. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.

New Recipes! Steak Roulade

Just because I haven't been posting my recipes doesn' t mean I haven't been cooking!!

This recipe I made for my mom on Mother's Day at Topsail Island!

Mom, Dad and I devoured it... the hubby wasn't a huge fan, probably because of the red peppers but you can probably make substitutions for the "stuffing" and it will still be delicious!

Directions

For the Steak:

Ingredients

• 2 red bell peppers, stemmed, halved lengthwise and seeded
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 leek, white and light-green parts only, finely chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 cup chopped fresh parsley
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 2 1/4-to-2 1/2-pound flank steak, trimmed (you could also use flat-iron)
• 1/2 pound sliced provolone cheese (about 8 slices)

For the Crust:

• 3/4 cup breadcrumbs
• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 3 tablespoons drained horseradish
• 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for brushing
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 
  

Prepare the stuffing for the steak: Preheat the broiler and place the peppers cut-side down on a foil-lined broiler pan. Broil until the skin is charred, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a plate and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel the peppers with your fingers or a paring knife. If necessary, lightly rinse to remove any remaining skin and pat dry.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the leek and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the parsley and season with salt and pepper. Let cool.

Gently pound the steak with the flat side of a mallet or heavy skillet until 1/4 inch thick. Lay out on a cutting board with the long side facing you and season with salt and pepper. Place the roasted

evenly over the meat, leaving a 1-inch border all around. Top with the cheese slices, then the leek mixture. Roll the meat away from you into a tight cylinder, tucking in the filling as you roll.

Make the crust: Mix the breadcrumbs, parsley, horseradish, olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste in a medium bowl until moistened. Brush the steak roll with a bit of olive oil and press the breadcrumb mixture over the top and sides. Tie the roll with twine in three or four places, making sure it's not too tight (you want the crust to stay intact).

Place the steak roll on a rack in a roasting pan and roast until the crust is golden and a thermometer inserted into the center registers 130 degrees for medium-rare, about 45 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 15 minutes. Carefully cut off the twine, then slice the roll crosswise into 1-inch pieces.

Enjoy!

The Adventures of Making an Ottoman

Obviously, my blog is about recipes and cooking but for this one I wanted to share with everyone a little project I decided to take on... Let's just rename the blog for the time being "The Workshop of Melissa Fallis"...

I think that everyone has a "vision" of how they want things to look... and I definitely had one for what type of ottoman I wanted in the "woman room." I looked high & low and could not find "the one." When I finally found one that somewhat resembled "the vision of my ottoman" the price tag was $800... and that is just ridiculous!!! SOOO I decided to make my own ottoman! It can't be that hard right???

I started out on a mission to find a coffee table with "cute legs" and that would be a good size for a "cocktail ottoman." My mom is a craigslist pro so I recruited her to assist me in my search for a coffee table with "cute legs" that was under $80. What defines a coffee table with cute legs you might ask yourself... well not just plain boring straight legs, not metal legs, not stubby legs, but legs with a little personality and detail.. ridges and a little flare would be nice! Well... mom found a fabulous coffee table in Raleigh for $75! (When making an ottoman out of a coffee table, you do want to make sure you find a coffee table that is all wood b/c you will be drilling and stapling it!) Her & dad negotiated with the guy and somehow fit it in the backseat of my little car while I was in South Beach... so I could bring it home to begin work on it! I wish I had a photo of it in my backseat b/c it was definitely strategically positioned!!

Once you have your coffee table you need to remove the legs and sand & paint them your color of choice. This was easy enough...

Next, decide what you want your "tufting" to look like. Do you want it to be straight & square or do you want it to be "diamond" shaped. I really like the "diamond tuft" look so I started measuring off the top of the tabletop and marking where I wanted Andrew to drill holes for me... Make sure you get them even because it will be obvious once you start tufting!

Get the correct # of buttons made that you will need for the tufting. I made the mistake of buying button cover kits at JoAnns and trying to make my own buttons.. this was a painful and LONG process... and they all ended up falling apart. My suggestion is go to Mill Outlet Village.. they have a Button Making Machine! (who knew??) and it was less expensive to get 24 buttons made there and it only took me about 20 minutes to make them!

Once all of the places you want buttons/holes are marked... get your fabulous husband to drill holes in the table top.

Once the holes are all drilled cover the table in foam. I bought 2" foam from JoAnns and an adhesive spray helped to hold the foam in place. Cover the top of the table in foam and fill in with foam on the sides.

Once the foam is in place, cover the table with batting. Cover the top completely with batting and then wrap the sides.

Now place your fabric of choice over the batting and make sure you have equal amounts on all sides, and enough to tuck under the table to fasten.

It is time to start tufting! You will need (2) Upholstery Needles 8" to 12" long. They typically come in a pack of (4).

I set the ottoman across two barstools so I could get under it to begin tufting. The first couple I did by myself and used a set of my hand-weights to push the button down to create the "tuft" look... It is my easier when you recruite your husband or a friend to help you so they can be pushing from the top while you are tying the knots underneath!

After a little bit of "trial and error" here was the process that worked best (for us) for tufting.

1) Attach button twine to your button securely leaving equal amounts of twine on either side (to be tied under the ottoman) and affix to upholstery needle. (Tie onto needle in a way that it will stay secure so the twine can be pulled through the fabric, batting, foam and table to be secured underneath.)

2) Push an upholstery needle STRAIGHT up through one of the drilled holes so it pokes out the top of the fabric.

3) You now know where you need to push the upholstery needle through that has the button attached. Pull the needle up/out that is used for a "guide" and push the needle with the button attached straight down through the hole.

4) Using a washer, tie secure knots with the button twine to keep the button in place. Make sure you keeping the tension on all the buttons/button twine the same so tufting is even.

After you are finished tufting, it is time to staple the fabric down. Turn the ottoman over and begin pulling the fabric and using a staple gun to create equal resistance/tension on all sides of the ottoman. DO NOT do the corners yet-leave these for last. Check frequently to make sure the creases you have created look equal on all sides.

To do the corners, you need to pull the fabric neatly to the right side first and staple and then neatly pull back to the left side and staple to make a nice folded look on the corner. I then cut the excess fabric out of the way so I could re-attached the legs and then pulled the fabric tightly straight into the coffee table and stapled on both sides to finish. Re-attach legs and flip your new cocktail ottoman over to enjoy!! =)

Wahhhlaaaa! You are done!!!

Good Luck!

Ultimately, here is a list of supplies I ended up using/needing:

• Wood Coffee Table
• 2.5 Yards of Fabric
• Sand Paper
• Paint/Paint Brush
• Self-Adhesive Spray
• Buttons (go make them with your fabric at Mill Outlet Village)
• Button Twine
• 1 Package of Quilt Batting (JoAnns)
• 2" Foam (JoAnns) enough to cover table top & sides
• (2) Upholstery Needles (Mill Outlet Village)
• Staple Gun & Staples
• Patience! =)

Let me know if you have any questions if you will also be making your own ottoman!

Melissa =)

Football Party Dips!

The Super Bowl is all about the food & half time performer to me... I usually don't watch a second of the actual game and would prefer to graze the various dips all night long! Here are a couple of the dips we had at our party last night!

Buffalo Chicken Dip - Slow Cooker Style!

3-4 Chicken Breasts Cooked & Shredded

2 Blocks Cream Cheese (softened)

1-2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

1/2 Bottle of Ranch

1/2 Bottle Wing Sauce (I use Franks Buffalo Wing Sauce)

Place cooked shredded chicken in crock pot along with softened cream cheese, 1/2 bottle of ranch (you can also use Bleu Cheese Dressing), Cheddar Cheese, wing sauce. Stir together until well mixed. Do a "taste test" to make sure you have enough wing sauce... add more if needed! Put slow cooker on LOW for 2 hours for dip to warm up... Serve with Chips =)

Cheesy Corn Dip

(3) 11oz Cans Mexicorn Drained

2 Tbs Butter

8 oz Sour Cream

Scoop of Mayonaisse

1/2 Sweet Onion Thinly Sliced

(1) Bunch of Green Onions chopped

2 Cups Shredded Cheddar Cheese

2 cans diced green chilis

Diced Jalapeno (for a little kick)

1 Tsp Cumin

Saute Sliced Sweet Onion & Mexicorn 5-6 minutes in Butter or until slightly golden brown. Let cool. In Bowl combine Sour Cream, Mayo and Cumin. Add cooled corn mixture, green onion, green chilis, cheddar cheese and jalapeno. Mix well. Refrigerate overnight. Serve chilled with chips.

Layered Dip

1 80z Block Cream Cheese Softened

1 can hormel chili no beans

shredded cheddar cheese

Diced Green Onions

Diced Black Olives

In the bottom of a pie plate or square glass pan spread softened cream cheese. Spread can of chili on top of cream cheese evenly. Sprinkle desired amount of shredded cheese to cover top of chili. Sprinkle Diced Green Onion & Olives over cheese. Warm in oven 375 degrees for about 15 minutes-or until cheese is bubbling and dip is warmed through. Enjoy with Chips!

Beef Stew in the Crock pot & Mmmm Brownies =)

We have had a FREEZING COLD winter in Wilmington... I love to spend time outdoors but this winter has definitely kept my fanny inside hibernating! There is nothing like a delicious meal cooking in the crock pot all day to make the house feel "warm." I have tried 3-4 different beef stew recipes and most of them are too much trouble for the way they turn out... I tried this one last weekend on one of those cold football sundays and I was actually very impressed!

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

• 1 1/2 Ibs Potatoes Peeled & Cubed
• 6 Carrots cut into 1 inch slices
• 1 Sweet Onion Coarsely Chopped
• 3 Celery Ribs Coarsely Chopped
• 3 Tbsp Flour
• 1 1/2 Ibs Beef Stew Meat cut into 1 inch cubes
• 3 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
• 1 Can (28oz) Diced Tomatoes, Undrained
• 1 Cup Beef Broth
• 1 tsp Ground Mustard
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme

1) Layer the vegetables in a 5-qt slow cooker. Coat Beef with Flour evenly. In a large skillet, brown meat in oil. Place over Vegetables.

2) In a large bowl combine tomatoes, broth, mustard, salt, pepper, thyme. Pour over beef. Cover and cook on High 1.5 hours. Reduce heat to Low and cook an additional 7-8 hours or until vegetables are tender.

I have been craving brownies all week... Unfortunately, I did not have my Duncan Hines mix in the pantry so in desperation made some from scratch!

They are actually about the best brownies I have ever had and SUPER EASY to make from scratch.

I'm Craving Chocolate Brownie Recipe:

• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil
• 1 Cup White Sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 Cup All Purpose Flour
• 1/3 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/3 cup chocolate chips or chunks

1) Preheat Oven to 350 degrees. Grease 9 x 9 baking pan.

2) In Medium bowl mix together oil, sugar and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in a separate bowl. Gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in Chocolate Chips (if desired). Spread evenly in prepared pan.

3) Bake 25-30 minutes or until brownies begin to pull away from edges of pan. Enjoy!

Christmas Eve Spread

It has been awhile since I posted which is ironic because I feel like I have been a cooking machine! For Christmas my Family came to visit and almost got snowed in! It was fun having them here to celebrate the holidays in our new home! It is a "tradition" to have appetizers after Christmas Eve church and open gifts... This year I tried out an abundance of new recipes on my family.. Thanks mom, dad, em and Andrew for participating in the test kitchen!

Here was the menu:

-Homemade Sweet Vidalia Onion Dip

-Mini Hot Roast Beef, Pork Tenderloin and Ham Sandwiches

-Cranberry Cocktail Meatballs

-Stuffed Mushrooms

-Veggie Pizza (Thanks Mom!)

-Mini Onion Quiches

-Antipasto Wreath

-Mustard Dill Tortellini Skewers

Homemade Sweet Vidalia Onion Dip:

• 1 Tbs Olive Oil
• (2) Vidalia Onions finely chopped
• Salt & Ground Peper
• (1) Cup Reduced Fat Sour Cream
• (2)oz reduced Fat Cream Cheese Room Temp
• 1 1/2 tsp white-wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup finely chopped chives
• potato chips for serving

1) In a large skillet, heat oil over medium. Add Onions; season with salt & pepper. Cook stirring frequently, until golden brown, 12 to 15 min. Let cool to room temperature.

2) In a medium bowl, combine onions, sour cream, cream cheese, vinegar, chives. Season with salt & pepper. Chill dip about 1 hr until thickened. Serve with Chips.

Hot Party Sandwiches

• (1) Package of Dinner Rolls (I use Sara Lee out of the bread section)
• Peach Preserves
• Mustard-Mayo Blend
• 3/4 Pound of your choice meat (Roast Beef, Turkey, Ham, Pork Tenderloin)
• 1/4 Pound Havarti Cheese

1) Remove Rolls from package -do not seperate. Cut rolls horizontallyto make (1) top andn (1) bottom. Spread Peach Preserves on cut side of top and Mustard-Mayo blend on cut side of bottom. Top with meat & cheese. Cover with Top half of rolls and wrap in aluminum foil.

2) Bake at 325 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Slice into individual sandwiches.

Antipasto Wreath

• (2) Pkg 8oz Cream Cheese Softened
• 3/4 cup Pepperoni Chopped
• 1/2 Cup Grated 3-cheese blend
• 1/4 Cup Chopped Black Olives
• 2 Tbsp Chopped Fresh Basil
• 6 Tbsp Chopped Roasted Red Peppers, divided
• 1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1) Mix Cream Cheese, pepperoni, grated cheese, olives, chopped basil and 2 Tbsp pepper until well blended. Shape into log 16 in long and wrap with plastic wrap.

2) Refrigerate (1) hour or until firm enough to handle. Form into wreath shape on large plate.

3)Top with remaining red pepper and parsley. Garnish with Fresh Basil and serve with crackers.

Tortellini Salad Skewers

• (1) 9oz Package refrigerated cheese tortellini
• (1) 8oz package frozen sugar snap peas
• Toothpicks
• (1)pt grape tomatoes cut in half
• Vinaigrette of Choice

1) Cook tortellini according to package directions. Rinse under cold running water.

2) Place Sugar Snap Peas in small bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on HIGH 2 min. Let stand covered 2 min. Rinse under cold running water.

3) Thread each skewer with (1) Sugar Snap Pea, (1) Tomato Half, (1) Toretllini. Place in a 9 x 13 baking dish. Pour Vinaigrette of choice over skewers, turning to coat. Cover and chill 4 hours. Transfer skewers to platter.

*I recommend using a Champagne Vinaigrette or Mustard Dill*

Cranberry Meatballs

• (2) ibs ground beef
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup dried breadcrumbs
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 1/2 tsp onion powder
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1- 16 oz can cranberry sauce
• 1- 12 oz jar chili sauce
• 1/4 cup orange marmalade
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 Tbsp soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1) Combine first 8 ingredients in large bowl. Shape mixture into about 54 (1-inch) balls

2) Bake meatballs in oven at 350 degrees for approx 25- 30 min. (until browned)

3) Stir together Cranberry and Chili Sauces and next 5 ingredients in crock pot. Add meatballs and cook on low until heated through.

Mini Onion Quiches

• 3/4 Cup Crushed Saltine Crackers
• 1/2 Stick Melted Butter
• Cooking Spray
• 1 Cup Chopped Vidalia Onions
• 2 Tbsp Butter
• 2 Eggs
• 1 Cup Milk
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Cup Grated Swiss Cheese

1) Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Combine Cracker Crumbs and Melted Butter. Divide Crumbs among mini muffin tins that have been sprayed with cooking spray.

2) Saute Onion for 10 min with 2 Tbsp Butter. Cool then divide evenly on top of cracker crumbs. Beat Eggs, add milk, salt, pepper and swiss. Pour spoonfuls over top of onions. Do not fill to top. Bake until set about 150 20 minutes.

The Stuffed Mushrooms failed the test kitchen... so I will not be sharing that recipe!