Happy Halloween 2018~~I Have a Treat for You

Thrill your little ghosts and goblins with the easy Jack O' Lantern Taco Pockets before they go out begging tonight.

Filled with taco meat and cheese and sitting in a field of lettuce and tomatoes these Jack O' Lanterns are sure to scare up some fun at the dinner table.......

Egg Free Mini Chocolate Chip Muffins #MuffinMonday

These miniature chocolate muffins chock full of mini chocolate chips are the perfect bite for with your morning coffee.

Happy Muffin Monday everyone.  I'm glad you are here........

Thanksgiving Recipe Round-Up and a #Giveaway

Welcome to the November Recipe Round-Up! This months round-up brings you Thanksgiving and Fall themed recipes with pumpkin recipes galore! Our bloggers are sharing their favorite Thanksgiving inspired recipes with you, including breakfast, side dishes, main dishes and ((of course)) dessert...because what's Thanksgiving without some pumpkin pie?! Come check out what we are bringing you this month!. Plus we have another amazing GIVEAWAY that you don't want to miss!!

Banana Mummy Rolls #DeadandBreakfast

Your little Ghosts and Goblins will be thrilled with these adorable pastry mummies filled with chocolate hazelnut spread and bananas.  A perfect way to start off their Halloween Day.

The Festive Foodie group is celebrating Halloween with a Bed  Dead and Breakfast event.......

Restaurant Style Sweet and Sour Chicken and the Weekly Menu

No need to go out for dinner or order in carry out when you get a hankering for Sweet and Sour Chicken.  This easy recipe is ready in less time than it takes to get into the car and drive to the restaurant.

Tender, delicious chunks of white meat chicken breast, fried to a crispy, golden brown tossed with stir fry vegetables and coated in an amazing homemade sweet and sour sauce.

Pizza Soup #PrettySimpleCooking

This Tuscan White Bean and Fennel Soup is fondly referred to as Pizza Soup in honor of it's similar flavors.

Not only is it delicious it is "Pretty Simple Cooking"........

Jambalaya vs Paella #FoodnFlix #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

Did you ever stop to think about what the difference is between Paella and Jambalaya?  As close as I can determine, it is the seasoning and perhaps the pan in which it is made.

Regardless of what seasonings you use, what type of sausage or smoked meat you use, what cooking vessel you use the results are very similar.  A savory one pot meal of rice, vegetables and meat that is sure to please everyone at the table.

Peach Cobbler, A Book Review and the Weekly Menu

Lightly sugared and spiced peaches topped with biscuits and baked to a tender, sweet deliciousness.

This dessert was inspired by the Memoir, Educated by Tara Westover.  Join me as I discuss the book, share the recipe and plan my Weekly Menu......

Savory Stew paired with Lirac is Luscious #SoupSaturdaySwappers #Winophiles

Tender chunks of beef and pork slow cooked with root vegetables and peas in a savory tomato base.

Our Soup Saturday Swappers are sharing their favorites stews today.  I paired mine with a wonderful French wine......

Chayote Squash Stuffed with Seafood and paired with Donnachiara Wine #FishFridayFoodies #FreakyFruitsFriday

Delicious chayote squash is used as both the vessel for serving and as part of the seafood filling in this fun, tasty dish.

This is what happens with Fish Friday Foodies collides with Freaky Fruits Friday.........

Halloween Marble Bundt #Choctoberfest #BundtBakers

Starting with 2 boxed cake mixes makes this cake quick and easy.  Perfect for surprising your little ghosts and goblins this Halloween.  As an added bonus you will have enough batter left for a dozen cupcakes.

This wonderful bundt cake starts with an orange flavored batter and then has rich chocolate batter marbled throughout for a classic flavor profile.

Creamy Herb Cheese Pasta Bake #FantasticalFoodFight

This creamy herb pasta is quick, easy and delicious.  Prepare the sauce while the pasta boils and dinner is on the table in less than half an hour.

We are duking it out over Pasta this month with our Fantastical Food Fight..........

Chocolate Bread #Choctoberfest #FestiveFoodies

Surprise your kids with this Chocolate Yeast Bread for breakfast in the morning.  It is wonderful slathered with Nutella or Peanut Butter.

This is what happens when World Bread Day falls smack in the middle of ChoctoberFest......

Warm Eggplant Caprese Salad #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

Tender, roasted eggplant topped with garden fresh tomatoes and mozzarella cheese, drizzled with olive oil and balsamic vinegar and sprinkled with fresh basil.

This warm salad can be served as a first course, a side dish or a wonderful Meatless Monday meal......

Welcome to #Choctoberfest

Welcome to #Choctoberfest 2018 

 

 This is one of my favorite weeks of the year, because #Choctoberfest is finally here! From now until the end of the week, I am joining forces with over 100 other bloggers from around the world to post delicious chocolate recipes. 

Every day, #Choctoberfest bloggers will be celebrating all things chocolate - milk, dark, white, bittersweet, semi-sweet, and cocoa!

We are starting with a #Choctoberfest prize pack from our generous sponsors. Scroll down to learn how you can enter to win. One lucky winner will receive the following:

• A 100-Piece Cake Decorating Kit from our blog sponsors The PinterTest Kitchen. This set includes a cake turntable, piping bags, piping tips, flower nozzles, scapers, and more.
• A-+ 3n Instant Pot and a 40-Pound Case of Granulated Sugar from our gold sponsor Imperial Sugar. Imperial Sugar provides high-quality sugar and sweetener products and over 100 years of time-tested recipes. Sweet things happen when people come together in the kitchen, and that’s why Imperial Sugar has been at the heart of family traditions and celebrations for generations.
• Coconut Oil and Chocolate Silk Greens from our silver sponsor Barlean's, your trusted source for chocolatey goodness superfood nutrition. Barlean's has a commitment to staying ahead of the innovation curve in providing the absolute highest quality product.
• A Chocolate Gift Pack from our silver sponsor Forte Chocolates. You'll receive 12 of their most popular chocolate bars. With Forte Chocolates, you can celebrate life through chocolate. They also have a line of chocolate developed specifically to use in savory recipes.
• A Chocolate Gift Pack from our silver sponsor Divine Chocolate. You'll receive one of each of their baking bars, a white chocolate bar, and their top 5 everyday bars. Divine Chocolate is the only Fairtrade chocolate company in the world that is owed by cocoa farmers. Their baking bars are also a delicious vegan option.
• A Selection of Sprinkles from our silver sponsor Sprinkle Pop. Sprinkle Pop's bespoke sprinkle creations are one of a kind, just like you! At Sprinkle Pop, you can also order a custom sprinkle mix; there isn't a sprinkle mix that you can dream up that they can't create.

That's a prize pack worth over $400! Open worldwide, except where prohibited. Must be 18+ to enter (21+ in some locations). See terms and conditions for more details. To enter, simply follow our sponsors using the widget below.

You can gain additional entries by following me and the other participating bloggers. A winner will be drawn on October 21, 2018 and contacted via email. Good luck!

  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Don't forget to come back to my blog for more chocolatey goodness tomorrow and Thursday.

Check out our participating bloggers: The PinterTest Kitchen ♥ 2 Cookin Mamas ♥ 27th and Olive ♥ A Day in the Life on the Farm ♥ A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures ♥ A Little Fish in the Kitchen ♥ addicted 2 recipes ♥ Amy's Cooking Adventures ♥ An Affair from the Heart ♥ April GoLightly ♥ At the Table with R and R ♥ Baking Sense ♥ Blade & Barbell ♥ Blogghetti ♥ Body Rebooted ♥ Books n' Cooks ♥ Bottom Left of the Mitten ♥ Canning and Cooking at Home ♥ Cheese Curd In Paradise ♥ Chef Sarah Elizabeth ♥ Cindy's Recipes and Writings ♥ Coconut & Lime ♥ Cook With Renu ♥ Cook's Hideout ♥ Cookaholic Wife ♥ Cookie Dough and Oven Mitt ♥ CopyKat.com ♥ Daily Dish Recipes ♥ Everyday Eileen ♥ Fairyburger ♥ Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice ♥ Family Around the Table ♥ Fix Me a Little Lunch ♥ Frankly Entertaining ♥ Frugal & Fit ♥ Get the Good Stuff! ♥ Growing Up Gabel ♥ Hardly A Goddess ♥ Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks ♥ Home Sweet Homestead ♥ House of Nash Eats ♥ Intelligent Domestications ♥ jenniferbakes ♥ JoAnn's Food Bites ♥ Join Us, Pull up a Chair ♥ Jolene's Recipe Journal ♥ Jonesin’ For Taste ♥ Karen's Kitchen Stories ♥ Kate's Recipe Box ♥ Kelly Lynn's Sweets and Treats ♥ LeMoine Family Kitchen ♥ Life on Food ♥ Life, Love, and Good Food ♥ Lisa's Dinnertime Dish ♥ Little House Big Alaska ♥ Long Distance Baking ♥ Maria's Mixing Bowl ♥ Moore or Less Cooking ♥ Must Love Home ♥ Norine's Nest ♥ Our Good Life ♥ Our Sutton Place ♥ OVENTales ♥ Palatable Pastime ♥ Prettysweetblog ♥ Red Cottage Chronicles ♥ Restless Chipotle ♥ Reviews, Chews & How-Tos ♥ Sarah Cooks the Books ♥ Sarah's Bake Studio ♥ Savory Moments ♥ Seasonal and Holiday Recipe Exchange ♥ Seasoned Sprinkles ♥ Seduction In The Kitchen ♥ Simple Family Crazy Life ♥ Simply Inspired ♥ Meals Snacks and Sips ♥ Soulfully Made ♥ Stephie The Happy Mom ♥ Sumptuous Spoonfuls ♥ Sweet Coralice ♥ Take Two Tapas ♥ Tampa Cake Girl ♥ That Recipe ♥ The Baking Fairy ♥ The Beard and The Baker ♥ The Food Hunter's Guide to Cuisine ♥ The Gingered Whisk ♥ The Heritage Cook ♥ The Mad Scientist's Kitchen ♥ The Olive Blogger ♥ The Pajama Chef ♥ The Redhead Baker ♥ The Saucy Fig ♥ The Spiffy Cookie ♥ The Weekday Gourmet ♥ This is How I Cook ♥ Trampling Rose ♥ Turnips 2 Tangerines ♥ Walking Fruitfully ♥ Wendy Polisi ♥ Wildflour's Cottage Kitchen ♥ Zesty South Indian Kitchen

Craziness Abounds and the Weekly Menu

Let me tell you folks, my life is not as it once was.  Yes, I still sit here and make a Weekly Menu but more often than not it get's switched around and changed up.

I'm going to continue making them though because it does give me a semblance of order and even if the exact menu item isn't prepared another recipe is prepared using the ingredients that were on hand or purchased.  So C'est la Vie as they say.....

A month of #MerlotMe food and wine pairings #WinePW

October is MerlotMe month.  Today the members of our Wine Pairing Weekend are going to share their thoughts on this wonderful varietal.  We would love for you to join us for twitter chat at 11 am ET following #MerlotMe and #WinePW.  We will be discussing wines that we received from sponsors for this event.  All opinions expressed by me during chat or on this blog are completely my own.

I received these 5 bottles for purposes of tasting and pairing.   I want to thank Jeff of Food Wine Click for all of his hard work in arranging this opportunity for our group.  You can learn more about the #MerlotMe movement in his information post.  

Join me as I discuss my pairings........

Dragon Fruit Sorbet and a Book Review #FreakyFruitFriday

This easy to make Dragon Fruit Sorbet would be the perfect palate cleanser for your next Asian Dinner party.

Come to think of it, an Asian Dinner Party would be perfect for a Halloween get together.....

Halloween Crunch #FestiveFoodies #ImprovCookingChallenge

Cinnamon cereal, pumpkin seeds, and almonds coated in honey and baked to a crunch goodness then tossed with some candy corn makes for the perfect Autumn snack.

Join me today as our Improv Cooking Challenge teams up with Festive Foodies resulting in this fun Halloween recipe.

Blood Orange Prosecco Cocktail #EattheWorld

Toast in Halloween, better known as All Saint's Eve, Italian style with this Blood Orange Prosecco Cocktail.

The pumpkin is courtesy of my granddaughter.  Not bad for a just turned 4 year old........

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole #NationalPizzaMonth

This delicious, hearty and filling deep dish pizza is baked up in a casserole.  It is sure to make the whole family happy.

Welcome to National Pizza Month..........

Homemade Pitas #BreadBakers

This delicious bread is hot out of the oven and ready to be eaten in about 2 hours time and gone in about 2 minutes.

Join the Bread Bakers today as we visit the Middle East.......

Mini Mummy Meatloaf #Halloween #KitchenMatrixCookingProject

Thrill your little Ghosts and Goblins this Halloween by serving up these fun and tasty Meat Loaf Mummies.

Join the Festive Foodie Group today as we celebrate Halloween.......

Garlic Puffs #BakingBloggers

Flaky, tender puffed pastry rounds filled with garlicky goodness.

The Baking Bloggers are keeping away all the Vampires this month with a great selection of goodies featuring Garlic.  Please join us........

Pan Seared Shrimp with Wild Mushroom Risotto and Laguna Wine #ItalianFWT

Our Italian Food Wine and Travel group was provided with samples of Lugana wine this month by our generous sponsor, Susannah at Vigneto Communications.   Susannah requested that we pour, sip, pair and then provide our honest impression.  All opinions and thoughts are solely mine. 

If you are of legal drinking age, I invite you to join us as we visit this wonderful area that borders Lake Garda in Northern Italy.

A Productive Week and The Weekly Menu

Yes, I know I didn't need another pan but it was on sale and I couldn't resist.  Besides it was worth the big smile from Marissa and her friends when they walked into the house after school the other day and they saw this cute little guy made with boxed brownie mix, canned frosting and sprinkles.

We have been busy around here.  Building.  Baking. Planning. Preparing.  Come inside and see what we've been up to.........

Rambutini. What happens when #ThirstyThursday meets up with #FreakyFruitsFriday

These cocktails are made with an Asian fruit knows as Rambutan.  I had never heard of this exotic, freaky fruit before but I think I will be seeking it out every chance I get.

The outside rind, that I used to garnish the glass, is hairy and scary.  Perfect for Halloween......

Butter Roasted Pumpkin Seeds #FoodieExtravaganza

Don't throw away those seeds when you make Jack O Lanterns with the kids this year.   Toss them with a little butter and salt and roast them to make a delicious crunchy treat.

 

Our Foodie Extravaganza group is celebrating all things Pumpkin this month.  Please join us......

October Happenings and a Cheese Burger Casserole

I cannot believe it is already October 1st.  Before you know it Christmas will be here and we will be ringing in a New Year.  It boggles my mind how quickly time flies.

I'm just stopping in today to share a wonderful casserole that will take care of the Cheese Burger hankering you get when the weather is more conducive to baking than grilling.  I'm also going to give you a sneak preview of what I have planned this month.