Reminder: 4th Blog Anniversary Giveaway ($190.00) Announced on October 5th!

Don't forget!  Just a reminder to:


Mark your blog calendars to stop by THIS FRIDAY for the great 4th blog anniversary giveaway celebration!

October 5th, the day that I leave for Italy will be the first day to enter!

With SEVEN (7) chances to win . . . each worth 1 - 4 increased entries!

The value of this giveaway is $190.00 so you won't want to miss out on this opportunity!

See you then!
Ciao,
Roz


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Carrot Cake with Praline Filling & Cream Cheese Frosting!

"What do we have to eat that's sweet?" asked 'Mr. Meat and Potatoes' Bill.

"Uh, nothing hon.  Would you like me to bake a cake?"

"Oh YEA!"

"How about a layered carrot cake?  With a praline filling?"

He was speechless!   Sweets and football games on TV will quiet this man faster than anything I know.  Off to the kitchen I scurry.  This cake took one half of the day to make.  Bill got his cake and ate it too . . . the next day!  If I wanted to sell this cake I'd have to charge $10.00 a slice just to break even with the ingredients and time that was put into baking it.

This is a very dense, heavy, thick, utterly rich cake . . . if you're looking for light and flakey, this is not your cake.  This is "wow, I-can-only-eat-half-a-slice carrot cake."

Oh, but made with so much love!

Let me warn you, the praline filling alone will send you directly to blissful heaven.  You may even find yourself spooning it . . . no pouring it into your mouth as it cools on the stove.

This is dangerously rich stuff that puts a humble carrot cake way over the TOP!  I think I'll make a bigger batch of it the next time to drizzle over the cake!

I doubled the frosting to make this extra luscious.  For me, it's the frosting on the cake that matters more than the cake anyway!  But I rarely eat sweets, being more of a savory flavor kind of gal.  Maybe that's why my husband begs me to bake . . . I really do need to do this more often.  Baking really is quite fun!

all decorated for the new season of autumn

thick layers of frosting on my cakes, that's why the recipe calls for such large amounts of ingredients.  In this open portion of the cake the praline filling is dripping down the cut cake . . . oh so good!

The Best Carrot Cake with Scrumptious Praline Filling and Cream Cheese Frosting

3 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 cup light brown sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 sticks butter, softened
1/2 cup vegetable/canola oil
6 large eggs
1 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1-1/3 cups drained crushed pineapple
1 cup shredded coconut flakes
1 cup chopped pecans
6 cups shredded carrots

For the cake:

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare 3 9-inch round baking pans with butter/cooking spray and flour dusting.
In a small amount (about 1 cup) of water, cook the shredded carrots for about 15 minutes to tenderize.
Drain all of the water from the carrots.
In a large mixing bowl, add the flour, sugar, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and nutmeg.
Mix well.
Add the oil, eggs, vanilla extract, pineapple, coconut, pecans, and carrots.
Place equal amounts of cake batter into each of three prepared pans.
Bake for 35 - 40 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Place on baking racks to cool.

Prepare praline filling and cream cheese frosting.

Praline Filling

6 Tbsp. butter
1-1/2 cups light brown sugar
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla
3/4 tsp. salt
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp. cornstarch

In a heavy pan, melt the butter.
Add brown sugar and mix well.
Add cream, vanilla, and salt.
Mix well again.
Slowly add in the flour and cornstarch.
Vigorously blend well with a whipping utensil.
Use a small-holed strainer to remove any lumps of flour/cornstarch.
Pour the praline filling into a metal bowl.
Place in the freezer for a few hours to thicken or refrigerate overnight.

Cream Cheese Frosting

2 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 sticks of butter
7 cups powdered sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
2 tsp. butter flavoring
pinch of salt

Assembly of Cake

Gently remove cooled 3 cakes layers from pans.
Pour half of the praline filling onto 2 of the cake layers only.
Immediately place these in the freezer if the filling is too runny.  This will thicken up the filling more quickly.
Remove chilled cake layers with praline filling from the freezer after several hours.
Spread thick layers of cream cheese frosting on top of the two cake layers with filling.
Place these two cake layers on top of each other and then place the final third cake layer without any praline filling on the top.
Frost the cake and decorate how you like.

pour the praline filling over two of the baked cake layers . . . 

place in freezer to harden the praline

spread a layer of frosting on top of "chilled" praline filling

place the second praline-topped cake layer on next and frost it too

place the third cake layer without praline filling on top and ice the entire cake

decorate your cakes with simple things from the craft stores such as this wheat and nuts

a slice of rich, dense, heavy cake with layers of praline and cream cheese frosting

Mangia!
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Burgers with Smoky Bacon, Basil and Gorgonzola Cheese!

Creamy blue and white Italian Gorgonzola cheese, melting and oozing over a huge burger, laid on a bed of thick-cut, smoked bacon and topped with fresh basil and tomatoes!

This is burger heaven on the grill!

If you're into the 'black and blue' . . . beef and blue cheese combination, then this is for you.

Why grill when it's almost October?  It was 87 degrees today and after decorating the house for autumn, I was in a sweat and not wanting to cook in the kitchen.  Mr. Meat and Potatoes Bill loves to grill anyway.

It's also another night of football on TV, so easy-peasy and casual was required.

This is super easy too!

If you don't care for Gorgonzola (Italian blue cheese), than use your favorite cheese.  How about trying Gruyere for something a little more French?  Or a nice sharp cheddar?  Spicy pepper jack would be great too!  

Use what you like, just make sure that the cheese melts all over the burger.  You'll need a big stack of napkins for this big burger for all of the cheesy-infused drippings of the tomatoes and beef running down your chin!

I had some extra Gorgonzola in the frig after using some in my previous salad that I just posted with figs and Gorgonzola/blue cheese.  And I just hate to waste food.  This stuff always seems to spoil quickly, so I only buy a small piece at a time.

And this cheese is just so creamy, tangy delicious!

Mmmmm!

There's no secret recipe to this decadent burger either!

Burgers with Smoky Bacon, Basil and Gorgonzola Cheese

Use the highest quality of ground beef/sirloin.

Form huge patties of burgers.

Tip:  Put a small indentation about the size of an inch and a half in the center of each burger.  As the burgers cook, this pops out and the center of your burgers cook better.

Season the way you like, I added some garlic and oregano.

Grill to the level of doneness that you prefer (we like ours medium-rare).

Near the end of being cooked, add on the Gorgonzola cheese (it is soft and melts fast).

Use huge hamburger buns!

Toast the buns very briefly (this prevents them from becoming soggy from the beef and tomato juices).

Lay lettuce leaves on the bottom half of the bun.

Layer on the well-cooked, browned, thick-cut, smoked bacon.

Place the cooked burger with melted cheese (use the microwave if you have to) on top of bacon and lettuce.

Layer on thick-cut ripe tomatoes.

Layer on big, fresh basil leaves.

Place the top half of the bun on top.

Condiments:

For this I recommend a nice, simple mixture of extra virgin olive oil and minced garlic to spread on each half of the bun.

the creamy, soft Italian Gorgonzola cheese just melting all over the juicy burger and bacon!

bright colors of fresh green basil leaves and red tomatoes

Mangia!
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Grilled Prosciutto and Fig Pizza

Some fruits and vegetables have a brief moment in the limelight of a season.  Figs are included in that group of "now you see them, now you don't" fruits.  The time is now to find figs in the market, and I had one more little basket left to use from my shopping.  

Plus I'm finding it high time for me to jump on the trendy bandwagon of making a 'grilled' pizza with a focus on those sweet blue-skinned gems.

Fig trees produce twice a year, of which one is this present moment.  Yet in some places it's a real truffle-hunt to find them (my little town for instance).  To find the fig treasure I had to drive 50 miles to Whole Foods to nab up a few baskets and have my 'eureka' moment'.  

Upon my discovery, I dove in with an over-expression of delight and enthusiasm.  

My husband thought I had lost my mind . . . he just wanted sausage pizza, period.  Which of course, I gladly prepared a separate pizza for him!  

Now for some of you the temperatures are starting to feel a bit more like autumn, but here in South Carolina, it's still warm.  September is not a time to go to football games all bundled up in sweaters with small bottles of peppermint schnapps tucked in your pockets to keep you warm during the game.  

No, not at all !  

Grilling outside is still the norm this time of year here, especially if you're into tail-gaiting at football games!   Grilling this pizza with the interplay of seasonally fresh figs with their jammy sweetness and prosciutto's saltiness is a perfect excuse to spend the warm afternoons and cooler evenings outside in Southern Septembers.  Add in the tangy, creamy marinated mozzarella cheese and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and the results will send your tastebuds into Italian nirvana!

Grilled Prosciutto, Fig and Marinated Mozzarella Pizza

2 - 3 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups pizza sauce (either homemade or store bought)
1 cup fresh marinated mozzarella, small balls, cut in half
6 - 8 black mission figs, sliced lengthwise, stems removed
8 slices of prosciutto, torn into thin strips
2 Tbsp. fig balsamic vinegar (regular balsamico vinegar is fine too)
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
freshly cracked sea salt and pepper to taste

Home-made pizza dough.
If in a hurry, use "Naan" bread for individual pizzas.

Other topping options:  

Shaved Parmesan
Fresh basil leaves
Fig jam or spread
Rosemary
Red pepper flakes
Arugula leaves

Prepare pizza dough according to directions.
Let set overnight in the refrigerator.
Roll out the dough to the size(s) that you desire
Mix the minced garlic with the olive oil.
Spread generously on the pizza dough (blend more garlic and olive oil if you need more for larger or multiple pizzas).
Next generously spread on the pizza sauce.
Layer on the prosciutto strips.
Scatter sliced figs on top.

Grill on a medium-hot grill until cheese is ooey, gooey melted all over!
Keep a close eye on the grill because the dough may burn.
If you have a pizza stone, have it pre-heated on the grill and USE IT to prevent the dough from burning.
If you see that the dough is burning and the cheese is not quite as melted as much as you prefer, then just finish it off for 5 minutes in a very hot oven.

Serve with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to drizzle on the pizza.

you can find these marinated soft, fresh mozzarella balls on the olive 

and antipasto bar at Whole Foods or Fresh Market.

they REALLY make a huge difference in taste and texture!

spread the olive oil-minced garlic mixture on the dough and then

load up the dough or naan bread with the yummy ingredients

place the prepared uncooked pizza on a hot grill

for about 5 - 10 minutes

if you have a pizza stone it will help prevent burning the bottom of the dough

and as promised, a simple sausage and cheese grilled pizza for my husband!

Mangia!

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Fresh Fig and Arugula Salad with Gorgonzola & Balsamico Vinaigrette

 It's FIG SEASON!  

I'm so excited and jazzed about this brief season, of which it is their second (and last) season of the year.  I'm going to savor every brief moment of their arrival in the markets!  In Italy, a garden just isn't a garden without a fig tree, and that goes all the way back to the times of the Roman empire.  After all figs are one of the oldest known fruits!

Most Italians are crazy, no . . . obsessed over figs.  So much so that many Italian immigrants had to bring a precious fig tree over to America with them.  Figs are quite simply Italian staples used in both sweet and savory recipes.  They have a very brief life, you must use them immediately or they will spoil . . . and that would be a very sad thing!

To enjoy figs, here is another bursting-with-brilliant-flavors salad . . . only this time the shining star of the show is the humble little fig!  These delicious and subtly sweet gems add incredibly seductive beauty to a bed of greenery in a salad.

There is so much going on in this superb salad with the creamy gorgonzola, peppery arugula, tangy balsamico vinaigrette, sweet figs, and crunchy walnuts . . . it's like (excuse me) a fabulous symphony of flavor!  Your tastebuds are sent to gastronomic heaven.  I just love it when that happens!  This salad could easily be enlarged to a size to make it a main entree and that would be perfectly fine with me!

aren't they just beautiful?

so exotic and provocative in appearance!

I can see why figs have been so prized throughout time!

fresh fig and arugula salad with gorgonzola & balsamic vinaigrette

6 - 8 fresh black mission figs, sliced and/or halved
2 - 4 cups fresh baby arugula
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/3 cup gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Balsamico Vinaigrette

Place the baby arugula on individual salad plates.
Scatter the figs over the arugula.
Sprinkle on the walnuts and the gorgonzola cheese.
Drizzle with the vinaigrette or pass it around to your guests.

balsamico vinaigrette

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
4 - 5 Tbsp. balsamico vinegar
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. honey 
1/8 tsp. freshly cracked sea salt
1/8 tsp. freshly cracked black pepper

Blend all ingredients.
Make any adjustments necessary for your taste preferences.
Add more honey, if you like your vinaigrette more sweet, or
add more balsamic vinegar or dijon mustard if you like your vinaigrette more tart.

2 - 3 servings

Mangia!
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Butterflies, Bumblebees, and Blue Blossoms in The Gardens

Blue . . . one of the most difficult colors to include in a garden, and especially in large amounts that bloom for longer periods of time to enjoy!  And who doesn't love the color of blue?

I've got blue iris that bloom for about a week and a half in the spring, little blue pansies in the winter that you can barely see, some Russian sage, and a few blue hydrangea that I can't grow further than a few inches with the hungry deer out here in the countryside.

So for this "Wordless Wednesday", which I am now officially re-naming "A Walk in The Gardens Wednesday" (at least on my blogs that's what I'm going to focus my Wednesdays on), I'm focusing on the color of blue in our gardens!  While outside mowing the front pasture this afternoon before the rains set in, I was just staring at these huge, awesome, and completely-covered-with-blue-blossom bushes, and had this little 'a ha' moment for today's post.

These beautiful perennial blue bushes grow larger every year, are incredibly carefree (well you might want to give them some nice fertilizer food twice a month like I do to keep them extra happy and blooming), THRIVE in the heat and drought, require minimal watering, are deer resistant (YAY!) and attract butterflies and bumblebees to 'healthily' your gardens even more!

About four years ago, we lined our very long driveway with these blue floral bushes mixed with taller pink crepe myrtle trees and some green 'adiago' grasses (also beginning to bloom right now . . . but that's another garden post).  All heat and drought lovers!  And when you live on an acreage with a 'well', you have to be ever-so-careful with your water use!

Everyone asks me:  what is the name of those bushes?  "Blue Mist Shrubs" aka: "Caryopteris".  You can buy these guys in small pots in a specialty nursery (not Lowe's, Home Depot, or WalMart) for around $5.00 or so.  THEY GROW FAST, so don't worry!  The second year of bloom is mind-boggling with how fast and how large they grow with so many blue blooms.  They reach about 4 to 5 feet tall and so you need to plant them at least 3 feet apart, a point at which they will grow together into a lovely hedge!

PLUS, when summer is ending and everything else in your garden has finished blooming, except for those annuals that we plant for color, these bushes just show off among the greenery, along with the flowering crepe myrtles!

Only a few negatives:  They lose their leaves in the winter because they are woody bushes, not evergreen.  Plus, as a good gardener, you need to cut them back in the spring just like you would do with your ornamental grasses so that they have a healthy growth in the coming summer season.

But let me tell you, they are so worth it!  I look forward to these blue blooms at the end of every summer before everything turns yellow, gold, orange, and red in fall.

This is just one of summer's 'last hurrah' in the gardens!

one bumblebee so drunk in happiness, he's upside down!

we have these bushes mixed in with our pink crepe myrtle trees (for height).  

This little crepe myrtle is 3 years old that we planted at just about 2 feet tall 

-- the deer made it difficult to get them to this height, but with patience, 

they will continue to grow and fill out!

blue, blue, blue . . . covered with blue blossoms!

a BIG THANK YOU to the editors of "Bon Bon Break" an on-line e-magazine for featuring this post in their publication which you can find by clicking on this link!

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Roasted Red Pepper Panini ~ ~ Classic!

Do you love panini?  Fresh sandwiches?  Healthy sandwiches?  Fast and easy sandwiches?  Hot sandwiches?  Flavorful, new, sandwiches that aren't the same-old, same-old go-to sandwiches?  Anything delicious between two slices of crispy on the outside and soft on the inside artisan bread calls my name!

By now most Americans have fallen in love with Italian panini, basically amped up sandwiches beyond our delicious grilled cheese sammies, but then heated up on a panini press or grilled pan.   However, most Americans don't realize that ONE of these is correctly termed a "panino", (panini is plural for more than one).  But why sweat the small stuff?  Panini literally means 'small breads' in Italian which began their popularity trend here in the States in the 70's and 80's, originating from 'paninoteche' Milanese bars.  How about that for a trivia question?

Now if you don't have a panini press, you can use a grilled skillet and place another heavy pan on top to 'press' the bread into the grills of the skillet.  Half-way through cooking (when you see a golden color and dark grill marks on the bread) you need to turn the panino over and grill the other side, once again with something heavy to press the panino down into the grills.

What you put inside of your bread is totally up to your imagination, but here's a great end of summer recipe for you that I find absolutely marvelous, especially with the dipping herbs in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  For this panino, I used roasted red peppers, so here is a tutorial with photos of how to roast red peppers on my blog:  roasting red peppers!

please click on the link below to read this delicious recipe!

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