Bark Cheese Board Review and #Giveaway

Christmas is right around the corner, so how about a fantastic giveaway??

I was recently approached by Uncommon Goods about their wonderful products.  If you haven’t heard of them before, Uncommon Goods is a privately owned Brooklyn, New York retailer.   They pride themselves in providing unique products that are good for the environment and not tested on animals.  In addition to that, they also feature a wide variety of handmade and upcycled products.  And they’re affordable!  Just click here for some awesome gift ideas, all under $100!

Now since I focus on cooking over here, the folks over at Uncommon Goods let me peruse their fantastic selection of dining and entertaining products (check that wonderful collection out here) and I absolutely fell in love with this Bark Cheese board.

I mean, how gorgeous is it?

Photo & Description (below) courtesy of Uncommon Goods

Candy Cane Brownie Crinkle Cookies

Ohmygosh.

Have you seen what’s in stores this Christmas?  Peppermint Bark Bells!  I really thought that nothing would ever trump Candy Cane Kisses as my favorite Christmas Candy, but the Peppermint Bark Bells completely blew those out of the water.  Completely.

I knew immediately that I wanted to make chocolate blossom cookies with the bells, because chocolate.

Sadly, oh so sadly, the peppermint bells completely failed to hold their shape like the kisses do.  And while they still taste completely delicious (totally live up to expectations in that aspect), they’re simply not aesthetically pleasing.  Not that looks are everything, but these are Christmas cookies, they should be pretty! 

Roasted Brussels Spouts & Cauliflower with Bacon

I made this delicious side dish for my mini Thanksgiving, but it would work well with most meals.

My family loved the bacon & parmesan and I loved that they were eating Brussels sprouts and cauliflower!

Side note: As my kids get older, I think it’s getting confusing to refer to them by age.  So now they have blog names.

Meet Dude & Spud.

Apple-Bacon Turkey

This year my mom is hosting Thanksgiving, but when I came across this recipe, I simply couldn’t resist whipping it up for a little mini Thanksgiving, just for my family.

I absolutely love, love, love, love, LOVED this recipe!  The apple in the cavity lent just a bit of sweetness to the turkey and the gravy, while the bacon (of course) gave a nice smoky flavor and {super bonus!!} kept the breast meat super, super moist!  No dry turkey in this house! (and I think I even overcooked it slightly!)

I also love that the bacon and apple flavors are subtle, so even turkey traditionalists will love this turkey!

Spiced Rum Caramel Apple Pie: Spiked Challenge

This month, I decided to join in the fun of the Spiked! Spiced Rum Challenge hosted by Julie from This Gal Cooks and Carrie from Frugal Foodie Mama.

I’m always a fan of cooking with booze (even though I’m pregnant because the booze cooks out & it’s preggy safe!) and this one really inspired me.

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, I knew I wanted to spike an apple pie!  But not just any apple pie, a caramel apple pie!

As I was beginning to cook, I quickly realized the error in my fit of inspiration.  I had sworn off homemade caramel sauce a little over a year ago after many, many failed attempts.  Uh oh…

Thankfully, my candy making skills have come along way in the last year and after…ahem…two…attempts, I was able to whip up a fantastic Spiced Rum Vanilla Bean Caramel Sauce!

There isn’t a ton of rum in the sauce, but it is enough to add a beautiful robust richness to the caramel, which of course makes one of the best, flavorful apple pies I’ve ever eaten!

Creamy Tomato Basil Soup with Sausage: SRC

It’s the second Monday of the month which means: Secret Recipe Club!

This month, I was able to whip up something delicious from Ellie’s blog, The Bitchin’ Kitchin’.

Ellie has so many wonderful seasonal recipes to pick from, but ultimately I was drawn to her recipe for a hearty Tomato Basil Soup!

I am always looking for ways to add protein to tomato soups adding both beans and Greek yogurt,(otherwise I get hungry way too quickly) but I somehow never thought to add meat!

I did adapt the recipe a bit, reducing the amount of heavy cream.  If making this again, I would even consider omitting it entirely (it was sheer luck that I even had it on hand, I almost never use heavy cream), substituting with either whole milk or half and half (but by all means NOT fat free half and half!  Check the ingredients people, you’ll be horrified).

I served up this delicious, hearty tomato soup with another SRC favorite, Epic Grilled Cheese, made on Asiago Bread!  It was perfect on a chilly fall day!  Thank you, Ellie, for a fantastic recipe!

Fiesta Chicken & Rice Casserole

Fiesta Chicken has been a favorite recipe in my house since the early days of my marriage when I almost exclusively cooked with canned soup based recipes.

Though I come to rely on those soups less and less throughout the years, I can’t deny that this is still a winner. 

I’ve adapted the recipe somewhat throughout the years and even made it freezer meal friendly!  Served with corn muffins, it’s a casserole the whole family can enjoy!