Sun Dried Tomato Dip for Vegetables – Huller House Part 1

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Sun Dried Tomato Dip

3  ounces chevre (goat cheese)

3 ounces light cream cheese/yogurt mix (I use Kroger brand)

2 – 3 tablespoons fresh herbs (dill, cilantro, tarragon, oregano and/or basil)

2 tablespoons cooked, crumbled bacon

2 tablespoons sun-dried tomatoes, drained if in oil

Soften the goat cheese and cream cheese in the microwave for 30 seconds.Place all ingredients in a food processor and chop until well blended.  Serve with crusty bread, crackers, sandwiches, wraps, or vegetables. Can also be used to flavor omelettes, potatoes, chicken, or other savory dishes.

Served by Gina at Terri’s Lake House February 2015

 

We gathered at the Huller House on Lake Jackson on a beautiful and unseasonably warm weekend in February to “Teach a Cardinal”.

We started with appetizers from Gina and Julie and lit our Friendship Circle candle. Or as Joanna likes to call it, The Ring of Sloths.

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Then we took a quick trip to  Factory Shoals. The light was fading but the fun was just getting started.

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We made our own Circle of Sloths.

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Just to be sure we were totally bonded, we made it again.

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Heading back for dinner and more friends to add to the circle.

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Lasagna Soup – Huller House Part 2

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Lasagna Soup

yield: 8 SERVINGS

ingredients:

for the soup:

  • 2 tsp. olive oil
  • 1-1/2 lbs. Italian sausage
  • 3 c. chopped onions
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
  • 2 T. tomato paste
  • 1 28-oz. can fire roasted diced tomatoes
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 6 c. chicken stock
  • 8 oz. mafalda or fusilli pasta
  • 1/2 c. finely chopped fresh basil leaves
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

for the cheesy yum:

  • 8 oz. ricotta
  • 1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese
  • 1 c shredded mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • pinch of freshly ground pepper
additional cheesy yum for topping soup:
  • 2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

preparation:

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add sausage, breaking up into bite sized pieces, and brown for about 5 minutes. Add onions and cook until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic, oregano, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 1 minute. Add tomato paste and stir well to incorporate. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the tomato paste turns a rusty brown color.

Add diced tomatoes, bay leaves, and chicken stock. Stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Add uncooked pasta and cook until al dente. Do not over cook or let soup simmer for a long period of time at this point, as the pasta will get mushy and absorb all the soup broth. You may even want to consider cooking the noodles separately, and then adding some to individual bowls before ladling the soup over them. This would be an especially smart move if you are anticipating any leftovers. Right before serving, stir in the basil and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

While the pasta is cooking, prepare the cheesy yum. In a small bowl, combine the ricotta, Parmesan, mozzarella, salt, and pepper.

To serve, place a dollop of the cheesy yum in each soup bowl, sprinkle some of the mozzarella on top and ladle the hot soup over the cheese.

Served by  Gina at Huller House February 2015

 

For a fabulous soup supper Gina served lasagna soup and chicken and rice soup.  Both excellent fare.  We started off the Magic Bags with monogrammed aprons.

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Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup – Huller House Part 3

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Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice Soup

6 cups chicken broth

2 chicken breast halves (cooked, boneless and cubed)

1   6-ounce package long grain and wild rice blend, quick cooking version (You will use the seasoning packet.  I used Uncle Ben’s roasted chicken flavor)

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

3/4 cup butter

1 cup diced carrots

1 cup diced celery

1 cup diced onion

3 cups light cream

Open rice, pull out seasoning packet and set aside.  In a small bowl combine pepper and flour, set aside.In a large pot bring broth and chicken to a boil.  Add rice, cover pot and remove from heat. In a medium sauce pan add butter, carrots, celery, and onions.  Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes. Stir in contents of seasoning packet and continue cooking until vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes more.  Add seasoned flour mixture to butter mixture.  Stir to form a roux (paste). Saute roux for 3-5 minutes to cook out the raw flour taste. Whisk in cream a little a time until fully incorporated.  Cook until thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir creamed mixture into broth and rice.  Cook until heated through and  rice is done, about 15-20 minutes.

Served by Gina at the Huller House on February 2015.

With our new Magic Bag aprons on, we tackled our first Teach a Cardinal activity.  Gina showed us how to make birdseed hearts.  Add warm water to unflavored gelatin.  Mix in birdseed and mold in silicon heart mold.  Add straws so you can pull a string through when dry..  Very easy and appreciated by our feathered namesake.

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Oyster Cracker Snack – Huller House Part 4

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Oyster Cracker Snack

1 12-ounce box oyster crackers

1 1/2 sticks butter, melted

1 teaspoon dill weed

1/2 envelope (1 1/2 tablespoons) ranch mix

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Melt butter, add dill weed and pour over crackers. Mix  to coat crackers.  Sprinkle ranch mix over crackers and stir again.  Spread on a cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes stirring every 5 minutes.

Served by Julie at Huller House on February 2015

 

When the sun goes down, the shenanigans begin.

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DSCF2279 “I love my new barn,”  says Gina. “Happy to get it out of my house, ” says Joanna.DSCF2280

 

 

Ooey Gooey Grits Cake – Huller House Part 5

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Ooey Gooey Grits Cake from Gone with the Grits Cookbook

1 box yellow cake mix

2 eggs

1/2 cup butter

1 cup cooked grits (can omit for traditional recipe)

1 8-ounce package cream cheese

1 1-pound box powdered sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cake mix, eggs, butter and grits in a large mixing bowl.  Beat thoroughly.  Spread mixture in a well-greased 9X13-inch pan.  Beat next cream cheese, powdered sugar, eggs, and vanilla together until smooth and creamy. Pour over cake batter.  Bake for 35-45 minutes.  Cool and cut into bars.

Served by Julie at Huller House, February 2015

 

Saturday morning started with bagels and grits cake.

DSCF2285 We headed out to Juliette, GA.   One day I know we will fulfill our dream of personalized kayaks.  For now, we were excited to see the offerings at Juliette for leisure time on the shoals.

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Fried Green Tomatoes – Huller House Part 6

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FRIED GREEN TOMATO INGREDIENTS

  • 3/4 cup self rising flour
  • 1/4 cup cornmeal
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp pepper
  • 3/4 cup buttermilk (or substitute regular milk)
  • 3-4 green tomatoes sliced into 1/4 inch thick rounds
  • Vegetable oil or bacon grease for frying (I used peanut oil)

SAUCE INGREDIENTS

  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp ketchup
  • Pinch of cayenne, or more to taste

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour, cornmeal, salt, pepper, and buttermilk. Use a fork to mix the ingredients into a pancake-like batter. Use more buttermilk to thin the batter, if needed.  Heat 2 inches of oil in a skillet until hot enough to fry. Dip tomato slices in batter, letting the excess batter drip back into the bowl. Put the dipped slices immediately into the frying pan. The oil should sizzle strongly but not pop when the tomatoes hit the oil– if the oil pops or splatters, it’s too hot. Let it cool down a bit before proceeding.Fry the tomato slices in batches of 4 or 5 at a time (don’t crowd the pan) for 2-3 minutes per side, turning carefully with tongs when the coating turns golden brown. Transfer to a colander or wire cooling rack to drain. To keep the tomatoes from getting soggy before they’re served, Fannie suggest standing them up like wheels in the serving dish instead of stacking them.To make the sauce, whisk together the mayonnaise, ketchup, and cayenne in a bowl. Taste and season more, if needed. Serve sauce over the fresh fried green tomatoes.Fried green tomatoes are best eaten fresh out of the frying pan, they will become soggy fast if you don’t enjoy them within a few minutes of frying.

Recipe from Whistle Stop Cafe Cookbook as written by Tori Avey

Juliette, GA was bustling today with the onslaught of about 100 motorcyclists and of course, with the addition of the Eating Cardinals, too.

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Julie Cam…DSCF2302

Leftover Box Cam…DSCF2303

When All Else Fails, Ask a Bystander Cam…DSCF2305

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“The secret’s in the sauce.”  (Quote from Fried Green Tomatoes movie.)DSCF2312 The church used in the movie… and the sun burning a hole in my camera lens.DSCF2315

Frosted Brownies – Huller House Part 7

Brownie

Polly’s Picnic Brownies from The Cat Who Cookbook

4 1-ounce squares baking chocolate

3/4 cup butter

6 eggs, beaten

3 cups sugar

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 cup chopped nuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Melt chocolate with butter.  Cool lightly.  In a large bowl beat eggs and sugar together.  Combine flour and salt with egg mixture.  Stir chocolate mixture into flour and egg mixture.  Add vanilla extract and nuts.  Pour into greased and floured 11-inch by 15-inch pan.  Bake 30-35 minutes. Cool.   Spread with frosting. Cut into squares.  Serves 8-10.

Frosting:

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup cocoa powder

4 cups powdered sugar

1/3 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Beat butter until fluffy.  Add cocoa and beat until well-blended.  Add powdered sugar alternately with milk.  Beat until smooth.  Blend in vanilla extract.

Served by Julie at Huller House, February 2015

 

For our next Teach a Cardinal we made beaded servers.

DSCF2322     I love how they they all turned out so different to represent each person who made it.  We had a UGA server, 4th of July server, fish server, to name a few.  To make them, use approximately 3 feet of a 20 gauge wire and about 12 beads.  Use pliers to coil the wire on one end.  Thread the beads.  Begin wrapping at the base of the server.  At the other end, tuck under the wire or coil the end to secure.DSCF2323 DSCF2326

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Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms – Huller House Part 8

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

from the barefoot Contessa

16 extra large white mushrooms, caps and stems separated
5 tablespoons good olive oil, divided
2 1/2 tablespoons Marsala wine or medium-dry sherry
3/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, casings removed
3/4 cup minced scallions, white and green parts (6 scallions)
2 tsp minced garlic (2 cloves)
1 tsp kosher salt
2/3 cup panko (Japanese dried bread flakes)
5 ounces Italian mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees

Trim the mushrooms stems and chop them finely.  Set aside.  Place the mushroom caps in a shallow bowl and
toss with 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the Marsala.  Set aside.

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a medium skillet over medium heat.  Add the sausage, crumbling
it with a wooden spoon.  Cook sausage for 8 – 10 minutes, stirring frequently, until it’s completely browned.
Add the chopped mushroom stems and cook for 3 more minutes.  Stir in the scallions, garlic slat and pepper and cook for another 2 – 3 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the panko crumbs, stirring to combine with the other ingredients.  Finally, swirl in the mascarpone and continue cooking until the mascarpone has melted and made the mixture creamy.  Off the heat, stir in the Parmesan, parsley, and season to taste. Cool slightly.

Fill each mushroom generously with the sausage mixture.  Arrange the mushrooms in a baking dish large enough to hold all the mushrooms in a snug single layer.  Bake for 50 minutes, until the stuffing is browned and crusty.

Served by Terri at her lake house Feb. 2015

 

Scarftastic Teach a Cardinal by Kim. I’ll insert the table commentary.

Gina:  I think I’ll take a black scarf.  Or green?  But I do like the coral..

Nancy S.:  I need a drink!  Make up your mind Gina.  All is know is you’re not getting my blue one.

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 Terri:   I think my favorite is the double strangle.

Julie:  Yes, I see what you mean.DSCF2331

Joanna:  I don’t care what you call it, just get it off my ears.  Give me your drink, Nancy.DSCF2332

Creamy Chicken and Garlic Green Beans – Huller House Part 9

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Creamy Chicken

1 (3 ounce) packages dried beef, in slices

8 -10 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 (3 ounce) packages cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup

paprika

In large casserole dish, place a layer of dried beef slices, slightly overlapping each other. In a saucepan, heat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and undiluted chicken soup. Heat through until cream cheese is partially melted. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle each breast with paprika.Cover and bake for 2 hours at 350.

Garlic Green Beans

Steam 1 pound green beans in microwave.  Add olive oil to a skillet and then saute the beans.  Add 1 teaspoon minced prepared garlic and two teaspoons bouillon paste.  Cook until desired tenderness.

Served by Nancy Perkins at Terri’s Lake House 2015

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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!