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Be Back Soon!

amy — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 01:51:42 +0000

We’re doing a little “house cleaning” on Sing For Your Supper this week (which is why you haven’t seen any updates lately- sorry!), but I promise I’ll be back to blogging in the next couple of days! Sorry for the absence! Thanks for being awesome!

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Some Sweet Valentine’s Day Desserts…

amy — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 09:00:54 +0000

If you’re anything like me, you’re probably planning a quiet, lovely dinner-for-two at home with your sweetie this Valentine’s Day (that’s the best way to do it, in my opinion!). Which means you’re going to need a knock-out dessert to end the meal on a high note! You’ve come to the right place because I happen to have a few delicious desserts that are sure to ‘wow’ your significant other this Valentine’s Day!

Red Velvet Cake Napoleons – I just posted these yesterday and just had to share them again because they’re so cute! If you have kids, this would be a great project for them to help with! So much fun to make and a little something different from a cupcake or regular cake.

Mini Chocolate Chip Sandwich Cookies – These are just for fun; fun to sit and nibble while watching a movie together (Johnny Depp in Chocolat, anyone??), or as a little Valentine’s midnight snack! I’m addicted to chocolate chip cookies, so these have a special place in my heart!

Pink Raspberry Marshmallows – Fluffy, sugary….pink. These are so much fun to make and to eat! And they’d bet totally delicious dipped in rich, fudgy chocolate fondue!

Fudgy Chocolate Fondue – Speaking of fudgy fondue, this one is to DIE for! I think chocolate fondue is the ultimate Valentine’s Day dessert – it’s so romantic! The dipping possibilities are endless: strawberries (the ultimate fondue dipper!), oranges, bananas, cheesecake bites, pound cake, angel food cake, cherries, marshmallows…anything you want! This is my go-to Valentine’s Day dessert!

Giant Cookie Cake – Cookie cakes have a special meaning for hubby and me. I used to make them for him in high school when we were both in band. He LOVED them and looked forward to getting them from me! Last year I put together a special cookie cake just for him as a Valentine’s Day treat! These are the easiest things in the world to make and you can decorate it any way you want! This is another one that would be great for the kids to help with!

Gooey Chocolate Cakes – And lastly, my all-time favorite dessert. I make these anytime I need a “wow factor” dessert, a quick and easy chocolate fix, or a cozy night at home. Those gooey, molten centers get me every single time! Mmm!!! I will be making these for our Valentine’s dessert this year and can’t wait to dig in! There’s a rule that goes along with these cakes, however – you MUST serve with ice cream on top! It’s just not the same without it! Period!

I hope you’re able to gather some inspiration from these recipes for your own romantic Valentine’s meal! These are my very best and hope you enjoy! Whatever you and your sweetheart have planned for this Valentine’s Day, I hope it’s extra special and wonderfully romantic! Enjoy!

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The Bake It Pretty Winner Is…

amy — Sat, 29 Jan 2011 19:56:54 +0000

Congratulations, Elizabeth!! Check your inbox for an email from me! Hope you enjoy your $20 to Bake It Pretty!! And thanks to everyone who entered- I simply loved reading all your interesting questions for Mozart- I’m sure he’d most definitely get a kick out of them too!

Check back next week- starting Monday I’ll be posting some sweet Valentine’s Day recipes you’re sure to love! Enjoy your weekends!

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You Need Mexican Food.

amy — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 17:20:30 +0000

Yes, I know it’s practically New Year’s and everyone is scouring the internet for New Year’s Eve appetizers, drinks and fancy desserts. To be honest, hubby and I don’t really do all that fancy shmancy stuff. We stay home. It’s heaven. We watch the Twilight Zone marathon on tv, play cards, eat snack food or cook steaks, drink lots of champagne and most times, fall asleep before midnight. I love it and look forward to it year round. I’m sure a big fancy party would be nice, but frankly, after all the Christmas festivities and driving all over the place to be at so many different celebrations…we need a little break. AND you may recall the lovely picture of me holding 4 gorgeous kinds of delicious cheeses?? Well, I’ve made a New Year’s Eve date with those cheeses and I simply can’t wait. It doesn’t take much to make me happy.

So, the point of all this rambling is to let you know that I won’t be posting New Year’s Eve recipes here today. Nor will I be posting a list of my favorite recipes from 2010 like so many other bloggers are doing. Today, I’m posting….Mexican food. Yes, that’s right. Trust me, you’ll thank me later. Immediately after Christmas and the holidays, the one thing I crave above all else is Mexican food. Think about it- we’ve all been eating party food, ham, turkeys, dressing, cakes, and grandma’s fudge for weeks straight. I don’t know about you, but I need a little variety after all that holiday food. And Mexican food is just the ticket. Hubby and I went last night and ate Mexican food and it tasted SO good! So, since I thought some of you might be needing a little variety this time of year, here are my very favorite Mexican food recipes. Do yourself a favor and try some this week- I promise, you’ll be so glad you did.

Mexican Casserole -my mom’s famous recipe that never seems to get old. So easy to make and assemble and always a crowd pleaser!

Grilled Chicken Fajitas -if you love fajitas, you’ll love these! The chicken is so flavorful and juicy- these are my very favorite fajitas. If it’s too cold to grill where you are, don’t worry- feel free to use an indoor grill pan or even just a skillet.

Salsa Verde Sour Cream Enchiladas -AKA: “knock-your-socks-off enchiladas”; these are hands down, the BEST sour cream enchiladas I’ve ever had! You simply must try them!

Pulled Pork Tacos -throw everything in a dutch oven, let it do its thing, and you’ve got moist, tender pork tacos that are bursting with flavor. These are my very favorite tacos! Even my husband, the taco connoisseur said these are some of the best tacos he’s ever had!

Stacked Enchiladas – my Daddy’s grandmother’s recipe and a family favorite. I make these every year right after Christmas. They’re so easy and so, so good!

Homemade Salsa and Guacamole -whatever you choose to make, don’t forget the homemade salsa and guacamole! These come together in literally minutes, and so worth the extra effort! Forget that jarred stuff!

Now, GO and make yourself some tasty Mexican food! Happy New Year!!!

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Goodies For Me AND For You!!

amy — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 15:34:25 +0000

See these sweet, crispy, yummy looking cookies?? These aren’t any regular cookies- they’re Tate’s Bake Shop cookies! Maybe you’ve heard of Tate’s (they’re only the best bakery in Southampton!) and maybe you haven’t- but I can assure you, they have an amazing reputation (many claim that Kathleen’s chocolate chip cookies are the best out there!). They’ve been featured in the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Washington Post and many more. So when I received an email from Elizabeth, asking if I’d be interested in trying out some of their cookies and reviewing the Tate’s cookbook, I didn’t hesitate before emailing back, “YES!”! In no time, I had a gorgeous package of 3 kinds of delicious cookies and a Tate’s Bake Shop cookbook signed by Kathleen herself! Sweet!

As soon as I got my package, it took me about .8 seconds to rip into it and sample those chocolate chip cookies right away (in fact, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t munching on what’s left of them right now….mmm), and let me tell you- these are delicious! Probably the best crispy cookie I’ve ever had! I’ve already blown through the cookbook and found some amazing sounding recipes I absolutely can’t wait to try! The ones that really jumped out at me were the Hummingbird Cake, Apricot Pie, and Nutella Shortbread Sandwich Cookies to name a few (I mean really, don’t those sound amazing?!), and I can tell you Kathleen’s Pumpkin Pie will most definitely be on my Thanksgiving table this year!

But you know the best part about all this??? I have a sweet package for YOU!! That’s right, Tate’s wants to send you the exact package of goodies they sent me- 3 kinds of homemade, delicious cookies (chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin and white chocolate macadamia nut!) and a shiny new Tate’s Bake Shop cookbook (with a foreward by Ina Garten!)! Aren’t you excited??!!

All you have to do to enter is leave me a comment answering this question: What are you most thankful for this Thanksgiving season? (**Earn an extra entry by becoming a fan of Tate’s Facebook fan page- just leave me a separate comment telling me you’ve done so)

You’ll have until midnight Friday, November 26th to enter, then I’ll pick one winner randomly and announce on Saturday. And if you aren’t the lucky winner, don’t worry- all Sing For Your Supper readers will receive %15 off any tatesbakeshop.com purchase now through December 15, 2010 using the coupon code: cookie. I highly recommend the chocolate chip cookies.

Good luck to you all! This is an amazing package and I’m thrilled to add Kathleen King’s brilliant cookbook to my shelf!

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My Best Thanksgiving Desserts…

amy — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 21:45:55 +0000

As you can see (this picture was taken two Thanksgivings ago, at my house), desserts are a BIG deal at Thanksgiving in my family. Big. My mom usually makes about six (or more!) different pies. Yes, six. Two pumpkin, two pecan and most importantly, two buttermilk. Not that the other dishes aren’t important…it’s just the pies I tend to start craving a month before Thanksgiving. So, I thought it might be fun to give you a list of my best, most favorite Thanksgiving-inspired desserts. Some of you out there may still be looking for good ideas for your own Thanksgiving tables and I’d love to help out! These recipes are all extremely quick and easy and use ingredients you probably already have in your pantry! Here we go!

Pumpkin and Maple Gingerbread Bundt- incredibly moist and full of great flavors!

All-In-One Holiday Bundt Cake – pumpkin, fresh cranberries, apples and pecans…this cake literally has it all and it’s wonderful! Great at breakfast, too!

Thanksgiving Two-fer Pie – Dorie Greenspan’s brilliant idea of mixing pumpkin pie and pecan pie to create one gooey, delicious, crunchy, spice-filled pie! Amazing!

Cranberry-Orange Bread – I make this pretty much every Thanksgiving, usually for breakfast the morning of. It’s great with a cup of coffee!

(Low Fat and Low Sugar) No-Bake Turtle Pumpkin Pie – my Aunt Josie’s recipe. Keep it as is for a fantastic low-sugar dessert (seriously- you’d never know!) or make it with non sugar-free pudding and caramel for an indulgent treat! Seriously, seriously GOOD!

Caramelized Onion-Cranberry Tart with Bacon and Gorgonzola – this one actually doesn’t count as a dessert, but I had to include it because it’s so GOOD! A perfect compliment to your Thanksgiving meal- it’s tart, crumbly, slightly sweet and full of so much amazing flavor! I LOVE this one!

Pumpkin Cranberry Walnut Bread – one of my favorite allrecipes.com recipes gets a teensy face-lift with cranberries and walnuts. Another great breakfast treat!

Buttermilk Pie – my great-grandmother’s famous recipe. No one has ever been able to resist it. It’s sweet, creamy, buttery and extremely rich. A Southern classic.

Vermont Spice Cake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting – and finally, my favorite. This cake is not only impressive and gorgeous, it’s insanely delicious. I adore the combination of the dense pumpkin cake with the cool maple cream cheese frosting…an absolute dream! This has quickly become one of the all-time most popular recipes on Sing For Your Supper! It won’t disappoint!

So there you have it- my very best Thanksgiving desserts! I hope you’ll be able to find something you might like to add to your own Thanksgiving table this year! Happy Baking!

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Peanut Buttery Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup…

amy — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 21:18:37 +0000

I’m always so thankful for people in my life who encourage me to try new things and broaden my horizons! My co-worker and friend, Jana brought some homemade carrot soup to work with her a couple of weeks ago, and as she started telling me the ingredients, my interest was immediately peaked- carrots, potato, tomato, cilantro and….peanut butter?!! Peanut butter?? With carrots and potatoes?? But as she heated it in the microwave I realized this was something I HAD to try! It smelled amazing! As luck would have it, since Jana is such a sweet lady, she brought me a bowl the next day!! It was delicious! The peanut butter and cilantro added an almost Thai flavor to the warm spices and sweet carrots. I had to make this soup!

I didn’t even wait a week before trying it myself- only this time, I used butternut squash, carrots and sweet potato. Honestly, it tasted almost exactly the same as Jana’s- YUM! Do me a favor and try this soup SOON! It’s completely delicious and makes a great, easy weeknight meal!

Peanut Buttery Carrot and Butternut Squash Soup
-adapted from my friend Jana’s recipe

1/2 of a butternut squash, peeled, seeded and chopped (save the other half for another dish)
1 small sweet potato, peeled and chopped
1 1/2 pounds carrots (about 8 medium-sized carrots), peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cups chicken broth (if you want to make this soup vegetarian, feel free to use vegetable stock instead!)
1 teaspoon tomato paste
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 pinch cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/3 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish, if desired

In a large stock pot, sauté the onion, garlic and ginger in the olive oil over medium heat for about 10 minutes, or until soft. Add in the carrots, butternut squash, sweet potato and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and bring to a low boil and cook for 20-30 minutes, until all the vegetables are soft. Add in the tomato paste, salt, pepper, cumin, cayenne pepper, curry powder, and cilantro. Using a hand blender (or regular blender, a little at a time), puree the vegetables until smooth (you may want to add a little more chicken broth or water if the soup is too thick). Stir in the peanut butter and check for seasoning. Serve with additional cilantro if desired.

**Don’t forget to enter my Dorie Greenspan giveaway!! You have until midnight on Halloween! Go! Go! Go!

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Meeting Dorie At Last!!!

amy — Tue, 26 Oct 2010 13:35:25 +0000

The one and only Dorie Greenspan (my idol!) came to Dallas this past weekend to do a cooking demo and you KNOW I wasn’t about to miss out! After three years of worshiping her, I FINALLY got to meet her in real life and she was every bit as sweet and as wonderful as I thought she would be! I confess, I may have “geeked out” on her a couple of times….the first time she walked past us while we were in line, I waved at her so frantically you would have thought she was Santa Claus at the Christmas parade and I was a dorky 8 year old kid. But in a way, it was pretty much like getting to meet Santa as a kid- the most exciting day of your year. And it truly, truly was. She immediately walked over to Jessica and me and when we told her who we were, she got a big smile on her face and gave us both giant bear-hugs. Pure and utter joy.

The food was amazing! She made for us (all from her new book Around My French Table):

Salmon Rillettes- a delicious spread made with fresh and smoked salmon, spring onions and lemon juice. SO delicious!

Fresh Tuna, Mozzarella and Basil Pizza – so simple and light! And the puff pastry added just the right amount of richness!

Cauliflower-Bacon Gratin- OMG, so goooood!! Creamy, rich and flavorful! This dish is definitely making it to my Thanksgiving table this year!

Lamb and Dried Apricot Tagine- I think this one was my favorite. The lamb was so tender you didn’t need a knife and the spices were perfect! I loved it!

And lastly, a Sablé Breton Galette with Berries – lemon curd, strawberries and Dorie’s perfect tart crust. What’s not to love?!

Cheers, Dorie! And happy birthday to you!!!

See?? Geeking out. It happened numerous times.

OMG…Dorie hugged me!!

LOVE her!!!

Me, Dorie and Jessica- SO fun!

So obviously, my afternoon spent with Dorie absolutely DID NOT disappoint. I got to meet my idol, taste some fantastic food and lastly, I got an extra copy of Around My French Table to give away….to YOU!! Wheeeeeee!!!

Looky here!! That’s for YOU!!

So all you have to do to enter for a chance to win the fabulous Ms. Greenspan’s newest (and totally awesome!) book is:

Leave me a comment in the comments section below answering this question: “If you could meet Dorie today, what would you ask her?”

And for extra entry opportunities, feel free to do the following:

#1. ‘Like’ me on Facebook

#2. Follow me on Twitter (Sing4YourSupper)

#3. Tweet this post

You can do just one or all four if you want to- it’s up to you! Just leave a comment for each one (and if you already ‘like’ or follow me, leave a comment telling me so!). You have until Halloween (that’s Sunday) at midnight (Central Time) to enter. I’ll pick ONE very lucky winner randomly on Monday, November 1st!

Good luck!!

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Blow Your Mind Brownie-Nutella Mousse Pie!!

amy — Wed, 05 May 2010 17:12:16 +0000

One question: are you ready for this??? Are you ready for the sheer awesomeness?? Love brownies? Love Nutella? Love pie??? How about a Brownie-Nutella Mousse Pie?! Golly, I’m getting excited all over again just thinking about it! This pie will seriously blow your mind- it did ours! In fact, it was so delicious, I felt the need to immediately text my sister to tell her just how awesome it was.

I wanted to try this idea out because I love to spread Nutella on my leftover brownies (yum) and I had seen this recipe floating around – I decided to sort of combine the two and ended up with the Brownie-Nutella Mousse Pie….thank you, Pie Gods. Thank you. The Nutella mousse in itself is out of this world – I had to force myself to stop eating with a spoon! The cream cheese really gives it a fantastic, rich flavor. And combine that with a brownie??? Pure heaven. You simply MUST try this.

Blow Your Mind Brownie-Nutella Mousse Pie

1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked
1 box brownie mix (or homemade)
5 ounces cream cheese, softened (this is slightly more than half of an 8-oz block)
1/2 cup Nutella, plus more for drizzling
1/2 pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Make brownie batter as directed on the box and pour into a prepared pie crust. Bake for 35-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool completely.
Using a mixer, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form. Transfer to another bowl and set aside.
In the same mixer bowl, mix Nutella and cream cheese until well combined. Spoon in 1/3 of the whipped cream and gently fold in. Repeat with remaining whipped cream- be careful not to stir- it won’t be as light and fluffy. Chill the mousse until the brownie layer is completely cooled.
When the pie is cooled, spread the Nutella mousse evenly over the brownie layer. Drizzle with remaining Nutella (either microwave it on low heat for a few seconds or heat it on the stovetop over low heat to thin it out slightly.) If you want, you can use a piping bag with a #3 tip to do this, or use a plastic bag with the tip snipped off. Serve and enjoy the brownie-Nutella awesomeness!!

**Don’t forget about my $60 giveaway- 3 more days to enter!!**

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Awesome Giveaway!!

amy — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:21:09 +0000

Alright folks, get ready, because this is awesome! The good people at CSN have approached me with a great giveaway opportunity – a $60 gift card to spend however you want, on any of their sites! Woah! Ok, so I’m being a little over dramatic, but it’s what I do, ok? They have a plethora to choose from- anything from lighting to kitchen supplies to home improvement to baby and kid stuff! 60 bucks, man! If it were up to me, I’d go with something along these lines:

The Emile Henry Pie Dish – comes in lots of colors!

The Blomus Ondea Round Bowl – super chic!

You get the idea- you’ll have $60 to spend however you want on any of CSN‘s sites! Free reign! Here’s how to enter:

*Leave a comment on this post before Friday, May 7th at midnight answering me this question:

If you could go back in time to any era, what would it be and why?? Personally, I’d go back to 1700′s Scotland and find me a smokin’ hot Clansman to take a picture of. (Man, I’ve been reading too much Outlander…)

Bonus Entries:

1.) Follow me on Twitter- Sing4YourSupper and re-tweet this post

2.) Become a Fan (or ‘liker’) of my Facebook fan page

3.) Follow my RSS feed

So there you have it- 4 possible chances to win. Leave a separate comment for each bonus entry. And that’s all you have to do to get $60 to spend as you please on CSN’s websites! Sweet, huh?! I’ll randomly pick one winner, and then the CSN folks will email you with your sweet new gift card. Be sure and leave your email address in your comment so I’ll know where to reach you if you WIN! Yee Haw!! Best of luck, friends!

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