Honey Undress Me....I Mean Salad Dressing

I get quite a few requests for my homemade Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette. Some of you may roll your eyes with even the thought of a homemade dressing. I know Kraft makes 10,000 varieties of salad dressings, but let me share with you the benefits of making your own dressing. ONE: It is WAY cheaper. TWO: It is made with ingredients from a well-stocked pantry. THREE: It is healthy and delicious. FOUR: It is made in about two minutes flat, so easy. FIVE: It is WAY cheaper (did I mention that already?). Not to mention this dressing is perfect on practically any salad from a fruit and nut salad to your basic tossed salad. Your taste buds and pocket books will thank me after you've mixed up this yummy concoction.

Since it is Valentine's Day I thought that this Honey Undress Me (Sheesh! I need to get my mind out of the gutter!), ok I've climbed out, I mean Honey-Mustard Dressing would be the perfect addition to any salad that you may be making for your loved ones, and in the appropriate context (see: Disclaimer) it may turn into undressing by the night's end. I had to say that; Happy Valentine's Day!

Honey-Mustard Vinaigrette

Ingredients:

1 cup of good olive oil

3-4 tbsp of honey

1 tbsp of white wine vinegar

2 tbsp of honey mustard

pinch of salt

1 tsp of cracked black pepper

Directions:

Pour all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk really well until all ingredients are incorporated. Taste and see if you need to make any adjustments by adding a little more honey, mustard, or vinegar. Pour on your salad of choice and mix.

The Pennyless Life: "My First Loves"

I'm going to start a new segment on my blog called The Pennyless Life. Every week I plan on giving you a glimpse into my life through photos. Hope you like it!

WARNING! Do not look into those eyes. They will make you melt at first glance!

Simms, my 3 year-old, eating one of those pennyless meals. I love this little guy!

Look at that smile! My heart is so full looking at that.

The love of my life (left) with the other love of my life (right). This makes me so happy! I am a proud wife and Mommy.

Soup that will make you wanna spank your Mammy!

Usually the saying is slap your Mammy, but I'm not into physical abuse so I substituted the word slap for spank. So if you have a Mammy to spank, or you are one, you better watch out because you will get spanked silly after just one bite of this deliciously addicting soup. I repeat: you WILL get spanked! And since V-Day is just around the corner and some of you may be looking for a little action, simply make this soup and you will get action till your little heart's content. (Disclaimer: "Action" is only allowed for those who are married. And I mean taken vows of promise before God, family, and friends. Praise the LORD! Amen.)

Ok, now that I have spoken my peace. Let's get down to business. This is another Laraine speciality, I know, I know, she needs her own cookbook, but for now you will have to get a taste of her awesomeness right here. And not to mention you will thank me once you have this potato soup cooking away in your slow cooker and the aroma that fills your house and makes you want to faint into heavenly bliss. Then you will thank me again when you get that action I was talking about (see: Disclaimer).

And since we're saying our thank yous.....thank you Laraine, you cooking Goddess and sweet friend, and thank YOU for reading. Seriously, with Valentine's Day around the corner I have to say early, I love you all dearly, and I mean dearly! Talk to you soon if you haven't gone into food coma after inhaling this soup or you're too busy with that action I was talking about..... (again see: Disclaimer).

Baked Potato Soup*

Ingredients:
Real crumbled bacon bits

2/3 cup butter
2/3 cup flour
7 cups of milk (4 cups of milk and 3 cups of heavy cream; please use heavy cream I'm begging you!)
4 or 5 large baking potatoes (peeled, cooked, cooled, and cubed)
1 1/4 cup Cheddar Cheese
1 cup sour cream (Optional - I don't use it)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Directions:

Melt butter over medium heat. Whisk in flour until smooth. Gradually stir in milk, whisking constantly until thickened. This makes what is known as a rue, which is a thickening agent that can be added to any sauce or soup that needs to be made a little thicker. Place potatoes in slow cooker on low eat. Pour in milk, cream, and rue. Mix in bacon, cheese, sour cream (optional), salt and pepper. Cook on low for 3-6 hours in your slow cooker. Stir occasionally (gasp!), I know you usually don't touch the slow cooker once you start it, but this needs to be stirred about every thirty minutes, believe me, so it's silky smooth and the only chunks that appear are the potatoes. You will owe me later for that advice, not really.

If eating as leftovers heat and add milk as needed to get desired consistency.

*Sorry there are no pictures; there's never enough time to take them because it's eaten so fast. No seriously, you'll understand once you try it.

The Kissing Disease with Perks!

I LOVE Qdoba! And what better way to show my love and devotion then on Valentine's Day. My friend Lisa just sent this to me and I thought I would share the love, and get this, all you have to bring is your lips. Mono aside; don't be scared you need to get this deal! No holding back, it's time to pucker up!

And the winner is.....

Drumroll please.......It seems to be a tie! The healthy version of the original apple crisp, Fruit Crisp with Apple-Date Filling is from Eat Well by William-Sonoma. This is my go to, especially in the cold months for an easy, healthy dessert. Quick Apple Crisp was given to me by my friend Laraine Epley and is modified from The Pampered Chef.

Depending on what you are in the mood for, Laraines' verison is denser and moist with the yellow cake. I had never had an apple crisp like this before, it was rich and so sweet. A perfect end to a meal on a cold evening, delicious! The William-Sonoma version is lighter, fruiter, and a little spicy and sweet with the mix of fruit, sugar, and spices.

Try them both out as they battle it out for your favorite.

Battle to the Death

In the battle of good vs. evil who always prevails? Well the go to answer is good. In the ultimate battle Christ has conquered the devil. Dorothy melted the Wicked witch of the West. Macaulay Culkin put those burglars in jail in the classic Home Alone. Simba, unfortunately, had to go within the family tree in the name of righteousness to conquer his uncle Scar. Well, you get the picture.....good always wins in the end, but is that the case when it comes to food? Does the good healthy tofu salad when out over a Five Guys cheeseburger? You tell me. Not that this can compare to tofu and cheeseburgers, but both do have the classics sugar and butter.

So battling it out for the top spot, a first in Pennyless Cook history, is Fruit Crisp with Apple Date Filling (healthy) vs. Quick Apple Crisp (not-so-healthy). You tell me which one wins the crown. This could be a nail-biter.

Fruit Crisp with Apple Date Filling*

Ingredients:

1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp cornstarch

3 lb, peeled, cored, and sliced

1/2 cup dates, pitted and chopped

1/4 cup apple juice

Crisp Topping:

1 cup rolled oats

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup light brown sugar firmly packed

3/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup unsalted butter cut into pieces

1/3 cup walnuts chopped

Directions:

Crisp Topping:

Combine oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and salt. With a mixer fitted with a paddle attachment on low speed, or using fingers, mix or rub in butter until mixture forms coarse crumbs and begins to come together.

Stir in walnuts. Use at once, or seal in a freezer bag and freeze up to 6 months. (Crumble frozen topping right over fruit without thawing it first, and expect to add a few minutes to the baking time.)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl, mix sugar and cornstarch. Add apples, dates, and juice and mix well. Pour fruit into a 9-inch square or round baking dish. Sprinkle evenly with topping mixture.

Bake until topping is golden brown and apples are tender with pierced with a knife, 50-60 minutes. Let crisp stand for at least 15 minutes before serving, and serve warm or at room temperature with honey and a drizzle of cold cream or frozen yogurt.

VS.

Quick Apple Crisp*

Ingredients:

5 granny smith apples, sliced and cored

1 package (9 ounces) yellow cake mix

2 tbsp of sugar

1 tbsp ground cinnamon

1/4 cup butter melted

1/2 cup chopped nuts

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients but the apples. Mix until crumbly. Sprinkle over apples in a baking dish. Bake for 35-40 minutes. Serve warm over vanilla ice cream.

*Names of authors of each recipe will be revealed this week, but have been withheld for the sake of this historical competition.

Surprise! Happy Birthday!

Well since my birthday is also the celebration of our engagment it was only fitting that my husband surprised me again this year, as he did that romantical night 6 years ago. This year there was no diamond involved or scavenger hunt (see Do you like surprises?), it did however include dinner at P.F. Chang's, coffee at Quills, and then a throw down at Akiko for karaoki. I feel like I'm still recovering from this shin-dig since I was out WAY past my bedtime.

I want to share with you this incredible coffee we had. I ordered a drink with honey and cinnamon; it was comforting and full of sweetness; yet the actual coffee flavor came through luxuriously and subtly. If you live in the Louisville area and haven't made it downtown to Quills you are missing out on the best coffee shop around. It's on Baxter Avenue and you must stop in. It's a limited menu with artisan coffee makers, desserts, and a radical tea selection. The fine baristas making your coffee will completely impress you when you receive your drink with foam on top that looks like it needs to be framed and hung on a wall. Philip Revell, one of Quill's own, designed our drinks and we found out he would be entering his work as a representative of Louisville in Coffee Fest Free Pour Latee Art Championship in Chicago. A national competition. Beautiful, intricate designs that Revell creates will lay perfectly on the top of your coffee by way of the milk, and stay there until almost the very last drop. It's a grande experience from the very first sip.

Go to Baxter Avenue, get a cup of coffee, window shop, and soak up the life of the city as if for the very first time.

Go celebrate something! You may be surprised, as I was, and that surprise became one of the best nights I've had.