Wine A Little Bit More!

Easter wouldn't be complete without french toast strata.  1 lb day-old french bread, cubed 8 oz cream cheese, cubed 8 eggs 1/4 cup maple syrup 2 1/2 cups milk 6 Tbsp butter, melted Grease a 9x13-inch glass pan. Place half the bread cubes in the pan. Top with the cream cheese cubes and the other half of the bread cubes. Mix eggs, milk, butter and syrup. pour evenly over bread and cheese. Refrigerate overnight. In the morning, take the pan out of the refrigerator 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Bake for 1 hour, until eggs are set.  Serving suggestions: I love topping this strata with some powdered sugar. My mom prefers to top it with some blueberry jelly. 

Closest thing to heaven! Every holiday ... A Tuesday brunch ... It's becoming a staple in my household. Bacon is awesome to be begin with. This recipe takes it to a whole new level. Candied bacon! The perfect balance of sweet vs. spicy.  Last year was my first attempt at candied bacon. I found two recipes that weren't quite right. Originally, I used 2 tsp of cayenne red pepper. That was way too spicy. This year, I was going to cut it down to 1 tsp, my sister thought that was still way too much so we tried 1/2 tsp which turned out perfect.    1 lbs Applewood smoked bacon 1 cup packed light brown sugar 1/2 tsp cayenne red pepper 1/2 Tbsp black pepper  2 oz. Jack Daniels Bourbon Line a sheet pan with foil. Place a wire rack on top of the sheet pan. Lay bacon in single layer on the rack. Be careful not to overlap the bacon for even cooking. Mix all other ingredients in a bowl. Spread the mixture on each piece of bacon evenly. Bake for 35 minutes at 350℉. The first time y...

I have made granola a million times. I am always tweaking the recipe or looking for the next interesting nut or seed to add into it. It's so versatile. Change it up to fit your life, just be care with the dry-to-wet ratio of ingredients. The thing that takes this granola over the top is the almond oil. I didn't want the same ol' vegetable oil for this recipe. It take the the flavor to whole new level. There are many health benefits to using almond oil both topically or through ingesting it. Almond oil has been known to help relieve inflammatory conditions and because of the Omega-3 fatty acids, it lessens your risk of cardiovascular diseases. The health of your hair and skin can also be improved by almond oil. 5 cups old fashioned oats 1 cup roasted, salted whole almonds 1/2 cup sunflower seeds 2 Tbsp chia seeds 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 1/2 cup almond oil 1/3 cup honey 1 Tbsp vanilla extract 1/2 Tbsp Penzey's Cocoa mix (optional) - Very subtle flavor...

As the holiday season approaches, there are family parties, friend get-togethers and work holiday parties. Some times its hard to think of something to bring to each one. I have found this Caesar Salad Deviled Eggs are a crowd-pleaser each time. Last time I made them was for a friend's 25th wedding anniversary vow renewal. They were gone in 20 minutes. I make the Caesar dressing from scratch but feel free to use a store-bought bottle. Here is the recipe. Watch out, everyone will beg you for it! 6 large eggs 1 anchovy, minced 1 small garlic clove, minced 1/4 cup mayo 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper Romaine lettuce, Parmesan cheese shavings and small croutons, for garnish  Place eggs in medium saucepan and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Heat to rolling boil over medium-high heat. Cover and remove from hea...

Work has a Cinco de Mayo potluck every year. It is our favorite potluck of the year.  I contributed a Mexican Street Corn casserole. It turned out pretty good. I learned that the spice level is key. Don't be afraid to use the full amount listed in the recipe.  32   oz   frozen corn   thawed 1/2   cup   mayonnaise 1/2   cup   sour cream 1.5   tsp   chili powder 1/2   tsp   garlic powder 1/2   tsp   salt 1/4   tsp   cayenne 5   oz   queso fresco,  crumbled Preheat the oven to 350˚F Pour the corn into a large casserole dish.  Mix in the mayo, sour cream, chili powder, garlic powder, salt, and half of the queso fresco until combined. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until heated through and the sides begin to bubble. Sprinkle the remaining queso fresco over the casserole and top with chopped cilantro. Enjoy! Serves: 8

In 2018, my family moved from Wisconsin to Colorado. It was the most challenging move I have ever made. I had a plan for when we got into town. Surrounded by boxes, I knew we needed a recipe that we could put together with very few things unpacked. Chili, to the rescue! It's a Wisconsin tradition when it gets cold out to heat up the house with the sent of chili.  1 lb. Ground chuck 1 lb. Ground sirloin 2 cans Black beans, drained 1 can Corn kernels 1 can Fire roasted corn 1 can Stewed tomatoes Ground black pepper, to taste 1 Tbsp. Minced garlic 3 Tbsp. Chili pepper  1 tsp Cumin seed 1 tsp Paprika  1 tsp Chipotle 12 oz. Dried lentils, rinsed 6 cups Vegetable broth Brown the ground meat with garlic in a saute pan. Transfer to a crock pot. Cook on high for 30 minutes. Add garlic, spices and the canned vegetables and 3 cups of vegetable broth. Turn to low. Let simmer for 8 hours. When there is 2 hours left of the cooking time, turn back to high. Ad...