Blue Ridge Spa Weekend 2015

Another fabulous trip with the Birds!  Kim organized a trip to Serenity in the Mountains Spa.  Recipes to come.  Photos for now.

Fiesta night with make your own dang quesadilla bar.

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Terri’s Charm School now accepting applications.

 

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Magic Baskets from Kim and Gina.

 

 

 

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Our favorite game Left, Right, Center.  We had another round of cash and white elephants.

 

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Pecan Crusted Quiche by Gina and Southern Living.

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¾ cup chopped pecans
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon paprika
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup chicken broth
¼ cup mayonnaise
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken
½ cup (2 ounces) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
¼ cup minced onion
3 drops of hot sauce
¼ cup pecan halves

Directions
Combine first 5 ingredients in a medium bowl; stir well. Add oil; stir well. Firmly press mixture in bottom and up sides of a 9-nch deep-dish pie plate. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes. Cool completely.

Combine sour cream and next 3 ingredients; sir with a wire whisk until smooth. Stir in chicken, ½ cup cheese, onion, and hot sauce. Pour chicken mixture over prepared crust. Arrange pecan halves over chicken mixture. Bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Yield: 8 servings

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Hash Brown Casserole by Gina.

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The moose it toting some fruit while munching on the quiche.

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Whoa buddy, you’re dropping a berry!

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Without Julie.

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Without Gina.

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Departure group photo.  Till next time, ladies!

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Sausage Balls – Huller House Part 10 – The End

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Sausage Balls

2 1/4 Cups Bisquick
2/3 Cup Milk
1 pound sausage. (I used 1 pound mild and 1/3 pound spicy)
2 Cups Sharp Cheddar Cheese Finely Shredded

Mix the Bisquick and Milk. Then mix in the sausage and cheese.
Drop on cookie sheet. About a teaspoon. I used the Pampered Chef’s small cookie thing.
Bake at 450* for 8 minutes.Then eat ’em up.Can refrigerate and reheat in a moist paper towel. 3-5 of them for 10 seconds.

Served by Joanna at Huller House, February 2015.

 

When Joanna is not cooking delicious treats in the kitchen, she can be found pole dancing in the doorway.

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We had breakfast in front of the TV watching Fried Green Tomatoes.

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Best quote from the movie.

Ninny Threadgoode: I found out what the secret to life is: friends. Best friends.

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I’m sure we all agree.  Thanks to Terri for hosting.  We had a wonderful, incredible, great, fantastic, amazing time!

Sweet and Sour Salad

 

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Sweet & Sour Salad

 

For Salad Dressing:

1 cup olive oil

¾ cup rice vinegar

½ cup sugar

1 package beef ramen noodle season mix

 

Mix ingredients above together ahead of time and chill.

 

For Salad:

2 bags broccoli slaw

8 sliced green onions

6 oz. Sunflower seeds (unsalted)

6 oz. Slivered almonds (toasted @ 350 for 10-15 minutes)

2 packages beef ramen noodles crushed

 

It is best to mix dressing with other ingredients right before serving, although it is still good to eat it but is not as crunchy after a while.

Breakfast Enchiladas

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Breakfast Enchiladas
1 (1-pound) package hot ground pork sausage
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
4 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
14 large eggs, beaten
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Cheese Sauce
1/3 cup butter
1/3 cup flour
3 cups milk
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Cheddar cheese
1 (4.5-ounce) can chopped green chiles, undrained
3/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation

Melt butter in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat; whisk in flour until smooth. Cook, whisking constantly, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk; cook over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until thickened. Remove from heat, and whisk in remaining ingredients.

8 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese with jalapeños
Toppings: halved grape tomatoes, sliced green onions, chopped fresh cilantro

Preparation

Cook sausage in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring until sausage crumbles and is no longer pink. Remove from pan; drain well, pressing between paper towels.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add green onions and cilantro, and sauté 1 minute. Add eggs, salt, and pepper, and cook, without stirring, until eggs begin to set on bottom. Draw a spatula across bottom of pan to form large curds. Continue to cook until eggs are thickened but still moist; do not stir constantly. Remove from heat, and gently fold in 1 1/2 cups Cheese Sauce and sausage.

Spoon about 1/3 cup egg mixture down the center of each flour tortilla; roll up. Place, seam side down, in a lightly greased 13- x- 9-inch baking dish. Pour remaining Cheese Sauce evenly over tortillas; sprinkle evenly with Monterey Jack cheese.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until sauce is bubbly. Serve with desired toppings.

Served by Gina at Joanna’s lake house – October 2014

We made chalkboard platters.

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And we made Thanksgiving banners

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Sticky Buns

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Sticky Buns

1 package dry yeast

1/4 cup warm water (105 degrees to 115 degrees)

1 cup milk, scalded

1/4 cup shortening and addition shortening for brushing on top of dough

1/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon salt

4 cups bread flour

1 beaten egg

 

Topping

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1/2 cup butter

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

2/3 cup chopped pecans

 

Filling:

1/4 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon (optional)

 

Soften dry yeast in warm water.  Combine hot milk, shortening, sugar and salt.  Cool to lukewarm.  Add 1 cup of the flour, beat well.  Stir in softened yeast and egg.  Add remaining flour gradually to form a soft dough.  Shape into a ball and place into a greased bowl.  Brush the top lightly with additional melted shortening. Cover with a linen towel and let rise in a warm place until doubled (about 45 minutes).  In a saucepan mix together ingredients for topping.  Heat slowly, stirring until blended.  Pour into greased 9X13-inch pan.  When dough has doubled, punch down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.  Divide dough in half.  Roll each piece into a 10-inch by 12-inch rectangle. Brush each rectangle with the softened butter from the filling ingredients.  Use more butter if necessary.  Combine sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle 1/2 over each rectangle.  Beginning with the long side, roll each in jelly-roll fashion.  Seal edge with a little water.  Cut each roll into eight 1 1/2 inch slices.  Places slices in pan on topping, cut side down.  Repeat with remaining dough.  Cover again with a towel and let rise until doubled, approximately 45 minutes.  Bake at 350 degrees uncovered for about 25 minutes or until lightly browned.  Cool 2 minutes and invert on a serving dish.  Serves 8.

Served by Julie at Joanna’s Lake House –  October 2014

 

Steps:

 

Mix dough ingredients.  Allow to rise in a warm place in a greased bowl.

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Divide dough in half.

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Roll out to a 10X12 rectangle.

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Spread with butter and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar.

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Roll up and slice.

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Let rise again.

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Bake and enjoy a sunrise breakfast at the lake.

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Another beautiful sunny morning in October.

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Cheesy Potato Casserole

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Cheesy Potato Casserole

1 can (10.5 oz.) condensed cream of chicken soup

2 cups sour cream

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1/3 cup sliced green onion

1 package (30 oz.) shredded hash brown potatoes

2 cups crushed corn flake cereal

1/4 cup butter melted

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a 13 X 9 baking dish.   In a large bowl, whisk together the soup, sour cream, salt and pepper.  Stir in cheese, onion and hash browns until well mixed.  Spoon evenly into baking dish.  In a medium bowl mix together the cereal and butter.  Sprinkle evenly on top of hash brown mixture.  Bake uncovered for 45 – 50 minutes or until hot and bubbly.  Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

 

Served by Julie at Christie’s shower at Terri’s house.

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Cheese Straws III

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Cheese Straws

1 pound sharp cheddar cheese,shredded

2 sticks butter

3 cups all-purpose flour

dash red pepper, salt, and paprika

Combine cheese and butter, add flour, salt, pepper, red pepper and paprika.  Mix thoroughly.  Force through a cookie press into long strips on greased cookie sheet.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes until lightly browned.

Served by Julie Murphy at Christy’s shower September 2014

 

Menu for Christy’s Shower

Chicken Salad Croissants

Honey Baked Ham

Sausage Crescents

Hash Brown Casserole

Broccoli Slaw

Cheese Straws

Cut Fruit

Yogurt Parfaits

White Layer Cake

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Sausage and Cheese Grits Casserole

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Sausage and Cheese Grits Casserole

4 cups water

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup uncooked quick grits

1 9-ounce package precooked turkey sausage crumbles

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

2 tablespoons butter

4 eggs, beaten

1/2 cup milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Butter a 3 quart casserole.  Heat water to boiling, add grits and salt.  Cook according to package directions until tender.  Stir in the sausage, 1 cup of the cheese and butter.  Mix together the milk and eggs and add to grits mixture.  Pour into casserole pan.  Sprinkle with remaining cheese.  Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until center is set.  Cool 10 minutes before serving.

Served by Julie at Joanna’s Lake House 2014

 

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Cheese Danish

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Cheese Danish

2 cans read to use refrigerated crescent rolls

2 8-ounce packages cream cheese

1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg white

 

Glaze

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a 13 X 9-inch pan.  Lay a pack of crescent rolls in the pan and pinch the openings together.  Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, and egg together until smooth.  Spread the mixture over the crescent rolls evenly and then lay the second pac k of crescent rolls on top of the cheese mixture and brush with egg white.  Bake for 35- 45 minutes until the top is golden brown.  Top with glaze after cooling for 20 minutes.

Served by Nancy P. at Joanna’s Lake House 2014

 

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Spicy Baked Eggs

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Spicy Baked Eggs
2/3 cup marinara sauce
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
salt and freshly ground black pepper to
taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf
parsley
4 eggs
2 tablespoons finely shredded Parmigiano
-Reggiano cheese
1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon olive oil
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
4 slices toast or 2 English muffins
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
2. Spoon marinara sauce into the bottom of a square baking dish.  Sauce should be about 1/4 inch high. Sprinkle with red pepper flakes, salt, black pepper, and parsley. Make a narrow wells in the center of the sauce for the eggs.
3. Crack each egg into a ramekin, then pour into the baking dish over the marinara sauce in the wells.
4. Sprinkle with Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, then drizzle with olive oil, and then drizzle with heavy cream. Season with salt and black pepper to taste.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until yolks are just set, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve with toast or English muffins.

You can make as many servings of this as you need. Just use a larger dish and adjust ingredients accordingly. I use a 13×9 dish for 6 eggs or 1 1/2 time this recipe.

Terri’s “Drink of the Day”

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Kim’s super mom goodie baskets.

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An ocean of Brownies from Kim’s Goodie Baskets.

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Puppy Chow….also in the Goodie Baskets.

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Gina’s Shrimp and Grits.  Recipe to come soon!

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Joanna’s Takeout Service

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Julie’s relaxing porch perch to watch the ice melt.

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Terri was walking around town with the fam.

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Gina’s Apple Cake.  Recipe here.

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Cindy’s luncheon date with her mom.

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Cindy’s still-no-power-on-breakfast tea with her mom.

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What a day!