Today isn’t just any Friday, today is our Freaky Friday Recipe Swap- Winter Edition 2022! Michaela of An Affair From The Heart is an incredibly talented food blogger and she is the one that organizes us bloggers and these recipe swap events several times a year.  Each of the participating bloggers are assigned another blog to showcase by choosing a recipe of theirs to make and share. I was assigned Lynn from Fresh April Flours!

Michaela, your efforts and time are so very appreciated! You all have got to head over to her blog and browse all the mouth watering recipes. Some of my favorites? Her S’mores Treats are addicting and so easy! Need something easy in a slow cooker then try her Crock Pot French Dip Sandwiches. Hosting a get together, Michaelas Cream Cheese Party Ball is sure to be a hit!

Lets dive into the recipe I chose for our swap, Breakfast Chorizo Enchilada Bake! Lynns recipes all sound amazing so what drew me to this one? We are big fans of Tex-Mex, and this really reminded me of the breakfast tacos we enjoyed in Texas. I look forward to also trying Lynns Buffalo Chicken Chili, No Bake Cheesecake Bites and her stunning Orange Creamsicle Layer Cake. Lynn is a self taught baker and as I tend to lean more towards cooking- I plan to use Fresh April Flours for all my sweet treat baking. Lynn and I have more then a love of food in common, we both grew up in a big Italian family and played field hockey!

My boys hockey schedule is INSANE so when I come across a recipe like this, its a joy! Minimal prep, big flavor and a family pleasing meal- what’s not to love? It starts with cooking chorizo, bell pepper and onion together until tender. In goes a simple mixture of egg, milk and seasonings. Cook the egg, moving everything around in the pan to get a nice gentle cook for a soft scramble. Once thats off the heat you’ll stir in green enchilada sauce.

This scramble alone is SO flavorful and would be delicious as is thrown into a warm taco but we’re not done there.. it gets better!! In a 9×13 baking pan you’ll coat the bottom with more green enchilada sauce, layer in 6 corn tortillas and start building this Breakfast Chorizo Enchilada Bake. Spread half the scramble over the tortilla then top with shredded Mexican cheese. Another layer of tortillas, scramble and cheese. I finished with one more layer of corn tortillas and cheese.

Pop the bake in the oven and cook for 25 minutes. I topped with fresh snipped scallions, diced tomato and avocado slices but here’s where you get to be creative and do your thing. A dollop of sour cream, some fresh mini pepper slices, lots of cilantro, guacamole… go for it! My family absolutely devoured this Breakfast Chorizo Enchilada Bake!

NOTE: Lynn suggests to store leftovers in the refrigerator, covered tightly, up to 5 days. Dish freezes well, up to 2 months. Thaw in refrigerator overnight. Make ahead: you can prep the chorizo and egg filling up to 1 day in advance. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use and proceed with step 5.

Take a look at all of our 2022 Freaky Friday Winter Edition Recipes:

1. 1. An Affair from the Heart – Homemade German Chocolate Cake
   2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Cafe Rio Sweet Pork
   3. Devour Dinner – Sweetie Pie’s Mac and Cheese
   4. Family Around the Table – Easy Garlic Knots
   5. Feast + West – Guinness Chocolate Cake with Irish Buttercream
   6. Fresh April Flours – Homemade Buttermilk Biscuits
   7. The Fresh Cooky – Easy Mini King Cake Recipe with Crescent Rolls
   8. Hostess at Heart – Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Blondies
   9. House of Nash Eats – Pizza Casserole
   10. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Cheesy Garlic Bread
   11. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Breakfast Chorizo Enchilada Bake 
   12. Life, Love & Good Food – Cheddar Cheese Popcorn
   13. The Speckled Palate – Hot Spinach Artichoke Dip
   14. Sue Bee Homemaker – Cornbread Tamale Pie

Our first Friday of December- how did that happen so quickly? Today is a special Friday here on the blog- its our Freaky Friday Virtual Cookie Exchange! Michaela of An Affair From The Heart is not only an amazing food blogger, she is the one that organizes us bloggers and these recipe swap events several times a year. I have to say, the cookie exchange is probably my favorite one of the year. We are all assigned a blog to showcase by choosing a recipe of theirs to bake up and share. I was assigned the insanely talented Sheila of Life, Love & Good Food .

Michaela puts an incredible amount of time and effort into organizing these blog hop recipe swaps and I sure appreciate her efforts & support. Her food blog, An Affair From The Heart, has some of the most delicious recipes you will find! you’ve got to try her Chocolate Orange Fudge, Potatoes Au Gratin, Peppermint Dipped Chocolate Chip Cookies and her Glazed Smoked Ham!

Lets get to these Lemon Thumbprint Cookies with Strawberry Jam shall we?! While browsing Sheilas blog, Life, Love & Good Food, for a special cookie to share as part of our Virtual Cooke Exchange I was immediately drawn to these. There were SO many yummy sweet treats to choose from, such as, Gingerbread Gems, Caramel Pecan Thumbprint Cookies and her Cherry Biscotti. I think what drew me to these was that touch of lemon in the cookie, I really love the brightness that lemon zest adds to a sweet treat. In Sheilas recipe she uses raspberry jam which is a perfect combo with lemon but ya know, my kiddos rule the house so I went with strawberry.

The dough is really really simple! Butter, sugar, vanilla, lemon zest and salt are mixed until light and fluffy. You’ll then add the egg and mix until well combined. The flour goes in last. Using a cookie scoop you’ll scoop out these perfect two-bite sized cookies and roll them into smooth balls with your hands. Place them evenly spaced out onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Using the tip of your finger you’ll create a little crater in each of the cookies. This will be where you’ll add the jam after the cookie has baked and cooled. Bake your cookies at 350 degrees for about 14 minutes. Allow them to cool on the pan for 5 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.

While the cookies are baking you can make the simple glaze- powdered sugar, milk and vanilla or almond extract. The recipe for the glaze makes a bit more then needed for these cookies but you can keep it covered in the fridge for other holiday cookies. Keep covered with plastic wrap while waiting to use the glaze so it doesn’t form a hardened top.

Once the cookies are cooled you can go ahead and fill those thumbprints with jam. The glaze is last and you’ll want to make sure to keep the cookies on the cooling rack but place the cooling rack onto your parchment lined baking sheet so that it will collect the drips.

For the glaze, I simply used my mini whisk to give a rustic drizzle going over the cookies from to back and side to side. You can use a piping bag or plastic zip bag as well. Allow the cookies to sit out until the glaze hardens up on there and then you can place them in an air tight container for keeping. I place a piece of parchment between layers to prevent the cookies from sticking to each other.

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Holiday Cookie Exchange Recipes:

1. 1. An Affair from the Heart – Candy Cane Puppy Chow
   2. The Carefree Kitchen – Christmas Linzer Cookies
   3. Devour Dinner – Peppermint Meltaways
   4. Family Around the Table – Chocolate Overload Cookies
   5. The Foodie Affair – Easy Pecan Pie Crust Cookie Recipe
   6. Fresh April Flours – Pecan Chocolate Chip Cookies
   7. The Fresh Cooky – White Chocolate Peppermint Cookies
   8. Hostess at Heart – Crumbl Cookie Recipe
   9. House of Nash Eats – Peppermint Chocolate Chip Cookies
   10. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Peanut Butter Cup Cookies
   11. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Lemon Thumbprint Cookies with Strawberry Jam
   12. Lemon Blossoms – Cranberry Orange Biscotti
   13. Life Currents – Chocolate Mint Rugelach
   14. Life, Love & Good Food – White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies
   15. Soulfully Made – Polar Bear Paw Cookies

It’s that time of year my friends! There’s something about the holiday season that just puts me into a happy place. Today I’m sharing with you a gift that would be perfect for just about anyone {over 18 years of age} on your holiday list! This Family Game Night Gift Basket with NJ Lottery is just gorgeous and packed with the newest NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs, homemade scones, a game, puzzle, cards, snacks & more!

Have you all started the holiday shopping yet? I know I tend to be a little late to the game. This year I was sitting thinking of a fun idea to gift to some of our family friends that would be enjoyed by everyone. I know we love a good game night so why not throw together an amazing Family Game Night Gift Basket with NJ Lottery! I think a gift that can be enjoyed with loved ones is so thoughtful- especially as people are staying in more than going out. This basket is filled with homemade scones, popcorn, gummy bears, games and the newest New Jersey Lottery Holiday themed Scratch-Offs available for the holiday season.

The New Jersey Lottery  is introducing 4 Holiday Scratch-Offs ($1 “Festive $50’s”, $2 “Holiday Lucky Times 10”, $5 “Holiday Delight”, and $10 “$50 and $100 Blowout!”). These Holiday themed games are fun, festive and who wouldn’t love the chance to win one of the many prizes! These tickets can now be found at any brick & mortar stores that sell NJ Lottery Scratch-Offs. I LOVE a themed gift and this year I am celebrating with a basket full of family friendly goodies (NJ Lottery Scratch-Offs for ages 18+)!

Be sure to check out my themed gift baskets from years past… Pasta Lovers Gift Basket, Baking Lovers Gift Basket, Food Lovers Gift Basket and Breakfast Lovers Gift Basket.

How adorable is this winter penguin gift box? I found them a few years ago and bought several because they’re just great to have on hand for gifts. The past couple years have not been the easiest for so many and life has really changed. I know a lot of our friends are spending more time at home with their families so what better gift than one that can be enjoyed by the whole family- plus I LOVE a gift basket! With a game night in mind I grabbed a beautiful puzzle, deck of playing cards, dice game, holiday drinking cups perfect for hot chocolate, snacks and a bag of my homemade Chocolate Chip Scones. For that element of surprise, something special for the adults (18+) and the chance to win I created a couple ways to incorporate NJ Lottery Scratch-Offs!

I found these mini cardboard popcorn holders at a local party store and thought they’d be a perfect way to incorporate the 4 NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs. For the $1 “Festive $50’s” I opened up one of the popcorn holders, grabbed some ribbon, paper, a marker, decorative cutting scissor and tape. I cut out a rectangular piece of scrapbook paper with the fun scissors and wrote “Pull Me” on it. 

Next cut a long enough piece of ribbon that can fit about 5-6 of the $1 “Festive $50’s”. Starting with the “Pull Me” paper, place a small piece of tape on the back of the scratch-offs to attach to the ribbon, making sure not to tape over the barcode. Carefully place the scratch-offs into the popcorn holder leaving only the “Pull Me” showing. 

I used two more popcorn holders to hold some of the $2 “Holiday Lucky Times 10”, $5 “Holiday Delight”, and $10 “$50 and $100 Blowout!”. I left the holders flat this time, inserted 3-4 NJ Lottery Scratch-Offs into each then placed them onto the front of the gift box using the lid on the bottom to keep them in place. Its so easy but so fun and perfect for a Family Game Night Gift Basket with NJ Lottery. 

I know I’d be thrilled to get this as a gift! Gift baskets are a great way to show friends and family how much you appreciate them and are so customizable. I made this one for my brother and I know the family is going to love it!  I think the holiday themed scratch-offs are the perfect addition to this holiday basket! I can’t help but wonder, What would YOU do if you won? Me- well I think I’d complete a couple home projects I’ve been wanting to do. 

I have to tell you about something I just learned about with the NJ Lottery, the Million Dollar Replay!! If you go ahead and sign up for FREE to the NJ Lottery VIP Club you can actually enter non-winning tickets into a Million Dollar Replay second chance drawing!! How awesome is that… because hey, everyone deserves a second chance!

Be sure to check out some more amazing ways to gift the NJ Lottery Holiday Scratch-Offs.

For more information visit New Jersey Lottery 

*Disclaimer: You must be 18 or older to buy a lottery ticket. The New Jersey Lottery reminds players, it’s only a game…remember to play responsibly. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1800-GAMBLER®.

Let me start by telling you, I am not a “baker” but scones are SO easy to make and absolutely delicious! You can make these all in one bowl and they only take maybe 5-10 minutes to whip up. These Cranberry Orange Scones make for a perfect light breakfast, addition to a brunch spread and fantastic to gift to friends and family.

One of the many reasons I love scones is that the base recipe is always the same and then you get to play with variations. Raisin, Chocolate Chip, Dried Cranberry White Chocolate, Oreo, Blueberry… the possibilities are endless! Cranberry and Orange is a classic combination this time of year. I know one of my Thanksgiving sides is Cranberry Orange Sauce so why not throw that into a scone?

The scones start with a mix of flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. You’ll then incorporate COLD butter using either a pastry blender/cutter as I did or in a food processor set with the dough blade. You are looking to cut the butter into the dry ingredients until you’ve got pieces the size of peas. It’s important to use cold butter to help create the lightness of these scones. If you are using a food processor you will pour the ingredients into a mixing bowl after the butter is incorporated.

Once the butter is incorporated you’ll stir in a heaping Tbsp of orange zest and a heaping cup of fresh cranberries. Coat the berries with the dry mix- this helps to evenly distribute them in the dough. In a measuring cup you’ll whisk together the buttermilk and egg and then add it to the dry ingredients. Using a rubber spoon, mix the dough until the dry is mostly incorporated, being sure to not over mix.

I did switch up shaping on these scones, going with more of a mini scone. Its super easy using a cookie scoop. This recipe will get you about 12 mini scones or 6 large scones. If you want to make a larger sized simply pour the dough out onto the counter and gently shape into a circle and cut into 6 even triangles. If using a scoop simply scoop and place them onto a lined baking sheet.

To get that pretty sheen when they bake you’ll brush the scones with an egg wash (an egg whisked with a little water to loosen) then sprinkle the tops with a little sugar. These bake at 400 degrees for about 12-14 minutes or until golden brown.

Aren’t they gorgeous!? That bright burst of color and tartness of the cranberries with the orange zest is perfection. While scones are best on the day of baking, they are also AMAZING for a few days after when you cut them and toast them with a bit of butter in a pan- drool!

Happy Friday!! Its that time again- its our Freaky Friday Recipe Swap: Fall Edition!! several times a year a bunch of us food bloggers, organized by the incredibly talented Michaela of An Affair From The Heart, get together for a recipe swap. We are each assigned a blog to then chose a recipe from to recreate and share. This round I was assigned the incredibly talented Debi of Life Currents! I’ve been following her blog for a long time and it is a go to for me when I need inspiration in the kitchen.

Michaela puts an incredible amount of time and effort into organizing these blog hop recipe swaps several times throughout the year and I sure appreciate her efforts. Her food blog, An Affair From The Heart, has some of the most delicious recipes you will find! Some MUST TRYS: Applesauce Bread with Chocolate Chips, Giant Butterscotch Cookies, Baked Roast Beef Sliders with Horseradish Sauce and her Reuben Burger. Talk about drool worthy, right?

The weather in NJ has gone back and forth quite a bit between crisp Fall like temps and warm humid rainy days… we are in the transition stage. I will say, as soon as I get a cool crisp day, I go immediately to soup. To me soup is such a comforting meal and I am always looking for new recipes to make. When it came time to browse through the Life Currents blog to pick the recipe I’d share- knew it had to be an easy and tasty soup and this Creamy Vegetable & Gnocchi Soup was the winner. Debi has SO many incredible recipes that I look forward to trying. Some of the recipes I plan to make very soon are her Crock Pot Chicken Tacos, Cheesy Shrimp Dip and her Blackberry Cream Scones.

This Creamy Vegetable & Gnocchi Soup is so great as it not only tastes fantastic but comes together easily and quickly. In my book that is a weeknight family dinner winner! You start with sautéing onion and garlic powder in butter and olive oil and the aroma, oh my, just glorious! Once beautifully softened and golden, stir in some flour to create your roux- the thickening agent for the soup.

What I love about all of Debi’s recipes- is the building of flavors. Once you’ve cooked the roux for a couple minutes you’ll stir in milk or half & half, fresh thyme, salt and pepper. Let that simmer away until its thickened up a good bit. Stir in shredded carrots and allow that to simmer for a few more minutes. I have to say, the fresh thyme along with the creamy soup bake is heavenly!

Once the carrots are tender you’ll add in vegetable broth, bring it up to a boil and let it simmer until thickened to your liking. From there go ahead and stir in frozen peas and  gnocchi, cooking for a few minutes or per the package timing. At the very end stir in some fresh chopped spinach. Season with any additional salt or pepper if needed. A little note- you’ll notice in my photo the gnocchi are not yet in the pot. I decided to make fresh potato gnocchi simply because I really enjoy making pasta. I gave a quick boil to my gnocchi then added them in a simmered in the coup just the last couple minutes.

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Fall Edition Recipes:

1. 1. An Affair from the Heart – Pumpkin Pie Bars with Shortbread Crust
   2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – 30 Minute Skillet Lasagna
   3. The Carefree Kitchen – Brazilian Cheese Bread
   4. Devour Dinner – Instant Pot Applesauce
   5. Fresh April Flours – Instant Pot Garlic Mashed Potatoes
   6. The Fresh Cooky – Air Fryer Ravioli
   7. The Foodie Affair – Bacon Wrapped Green Bean Bundles
   8. Hostess at Heart – Fudgy Chocolate Brownie Cookie Recipe
   9. House of Nash Eats – Pumpkin Bundt Cake
   10. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Halloween Monster Cookie Recipe
   11. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Creamy Vegetable Gnocchi Soup
   12. Life Currents – Loaded Potato Skins
   13. Life, Love & Good Food – Lemon Chicken Orzo Soup
   14. The Speckled Palate – Tortellini Butternut Squash Pasta with Pancetta and Spinach
   15. Sue Bee Homemaker – Overnight Sourdough Bread

I almost always have diced prosciutto or pancetta on hand, its so great in pastas, egg dishes or these Prosciutto, Mozzarella Chive Buttermilk Biscuits! The crisp salty prosciutto bites with the mild onion flavor of the chive and the shredded mozzarella- what a flavorful combo! With a little bit of patience you will get such a great flaky biscuit with this recipe.

Theres a few tricks to getting a perfect biscuit and it starts with temperature. To get nice layers and a flaky quality to your biscuit you NEED to have cold ingredients.  A bit before I start making biscuits, I toss the butter in the freezer to ensure its good and cold. In these biscuits I crisp up diced prosciutto then place it in the fridge to cool it down before mixing it. You do not want to melt your butter or warm the egg or buttermilk.

I use a food processor with the dough blade to start the dry ingredients and butter but If you have a pastry cutter you can use that to work the butter into the dry.. You’ll add the flour and baking powder to a food processor and pulse a couple times to combine. From there you’ll add in the diced COLD butter and pulse until the butter is broken up into pea sized pieces. Place the mix into a bowl and add the browned and cooled prosciutto, shredded mozzarella, snipped chives, salt and pepper. Mix to distribute and coat.

The buttermilk and egg will be whisked together and added to the dry ingredients. Another tip for a good biscuit is not to overwork the dough. You want to mix until just mostly combined and if you have a Danish dough whisk that helps to not overwork the dough. Its good to have a little loose dry ingredients. You’ll go ahead and plop the dough onto a clean surface. Fold the dough a few times until everything is incorporated. From here I like to cut the dough into 4 even pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes to get everything back to COLD. Again- COLD is key to getting those flaky layers.

Take out the dough and lightly roll each into approx. an 8 in by 4 in rectangle. Stack each piece pressing ever so slightly. Cut the biscuits into 6 or 12 mostly even pieces depending on the size you are looking for. You can see all that gorgeous butter in there- that means it has not melted and will create those layers.

I saved the prosciutto grease to brush the biscuits with then topped with a little crack of salt and black pepper.

Happy Friday friends! Today is such a special day here on the blog because its our Freaky Friday Blog Hop- Summer Edition! So, what does that even mean? Well, several times a year a bunch of us food bloggers, organized by the incredibly talented Michaela of An Affair From The Heart, get together for a recipe swap. We are each assigned a blog to then chose a recipe from to recreate and share. This round I was assigned the incredibly talented Erin from The Speckled Palate!

Michaela puts in so much time and effort into organizing these recipe swaps throughout the year and she is so very appreciated for keeping these events going time after time. Her food blog, An Affair From The Heart, has some of the most delicious recipes you will find! Her Key Lime Pie Smoothie has me totally drooling over here! Her No Bake Fruit Tart is right my alley for summertime sweet treats. Her Jalapeño Popper Dip is such a great party snack that is guaranteed to be a huge hit! Whether you’re looking for a cocktail, dessert, breakfast, side dish, snack, main course… and so much more, Michaela has you covered!

Now for this fantastic Grilled Peach, Burrata & Arugula Salad, I cannot take credit for this dish of perfection. The credit for this one goes to Erin from The Speckled Palate. I was thrilled to hear that I got to chose one of Erins AMAZING recipes for our latest swap! The hardest part, as it pretty much always is, is choosing just 1 recipe to make. When I saw her Grilled Peach Salad with Burrata I knew this was the winner! Here in NJ we are its peach season so how could I not pick a peach recipe. I love this because of the great variety of flavor, textures and all the colors.

Have you all ever had grilled fruit? Its so good!!! It really enhances the natural sweetness of the fruit and adds just that slight hint of smokiness. The grilled peaches pair perfectly with toasted pecans, peppery arugula, creamy burrata cheese, the bright red onion and finished with a simple balsamic dressing. I am telling ya, this salad is perfection!!! There is minimal prep, minimal cooking making it just great for a hot summer day. I know sometimes burrata can be tricky to find so if that’s the case go ahead and use fresh mozzarella. But, seriously, if you can find burrata- go for it- it is dreamy!

A little note about this salad, arugula is a pretty delicate green so you’ll want to wait to put this together just before serving or you can lay out all the components and have people assemble on their plates. Another little note about this salad is that you’ll want to allow the peach and pecans to cool completely or they will wilt the arugula. Erin suggests toasted the pecans and I am totally on board with that! It really brings out the flavor and adds a great crunch to the salad.

Oh and can I tell you, the balsamic dressing is so simple, a handful of ingredients and is the perfect pairing to the salad! Olive oil, balsamic vinegar, some honey, salt & pepper. Shake it all up in a small mason jar and you are good to go. I LOVE a homemade dressing as they are so simple, so flavorful and not full of artificial ingredients like so many store bought.

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Summer Edition Recipes:

1. An Affair from the Heart – Simple Tiramisu
2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes –Roasted Tomatillo Salsa {Salsa Verde}
3. Devour Dinner – Pepperoni Bread
4. Fresh April Flours – Bananas Foster Cake
5. The Fresh Cooky – Old Fashioned Lemon Squares
6. Hostess at Heart – Kentucky Butter Cake
7. House of Nash Eats – Apple Pie Ice Cream
8. Lemon Blossoms – Strawberry Cake
9. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Grilled Peach Burrata Arugula Salad
10. Life, Love & Good Food – Bruschetta with Tomato
11. Off the Eaten Path – Fresh Garden Salsa
12. Sue Bee Homemaker – Jalapeño Popper Dip with Bacon
13. The Speckled Palate – Lemon Zucchini Bread
14. Take Two Tapas – Bacon Wrapped Jalapeño Poppers

If you follow along here on my little blog, you may notice that I don’t do a ton of baking… cooking is more my jam. That is true with the exception of scones and biscuits which I do bake up rather frequently. I love this trio of ham, cheddar and chives which adds such great flavor to a basic buttermilk biscuit.

Theres a few tricks to getting a perfect biscuit and it starts with temperature. To get nice layers and a flaky quality to your biscuit you NEED to have cold ingredients.  A bit before I start making biscuits, I toss the butter in the freezer to ensure its good and cold. In these biscuits I dice up a ham steak and brown it a bit. I place the ham in the fridge to cool it down before mixing it. You do not want to melt your butter or warm the egg or buttermilk.

This dough does start in a food processor with the dough blade. You’ll add the flour and baking powder to a food processor and pulse a couple times to combine. From there you’ll add in the diced COLD butter and pulse until the butter is broken up into pea sized pieces. From there the dry mix goes into a bowl. You’ll add the browned and cooled ham, shredded cheddar, snipped chives, salt and pepper. Mix to distribute and coat.

The buttermilk and egg will be whisked together and added to the dry ingredients. Another tip for a good biscuit is not to overwork the dough. You want to mix until just mostly combined. Its good to have a little loose dry ingredients. You’ll go ahead and plop the dough onto a clean surface. Fold the dough a few times until everything is incorporated. From here I like to cut the dough into 4 even pieces, wrap in plastic wrap and pop in the freezer for 10 minutes to get everything back to COLD.

Take out the dough and lightly roll each into approx. an 8 in by 4 in rectangle. Stack each piece pressing ever so slightly. Cut the biscuits into 6 mostly even pieces.

These bake up to be a pretty large biscuit, feel free to cut into smaller pieces. These will bake up at 400 degrees for about 22-25 minutes, or until perfectly golden. These are amazing straight out of the oven but I really LOVE them split in half and then toasted with butter. HEAVEN!

Happy Friday! Today is a special day because its our Freaky Friday Blog Hop- Spring Edition! So what the heck does that mean? Well, several times a year a bunch of us food bloggers get together for a recipe swap. We are each assigned a blog to then chose a recipe from to recreate and share. This round I was assigned the incredibly talented Nicole from Or Whatever You Do.

My food blogger pal Michaela from An Affair From The Heart puts so much time and work into organizing these recipe swaps throughout the year and her efforts are so incredibly appreciated. Her blog is packed with some of the most tasty recipes you’ll find! Her Chicken Piccata is such a delicious Italian classic! You have to check out her Slow Cooker Cilantro Lime Pork, mouthwatering good! Oh my goodness and her Traditional Reuben Sandwich is piled high and just layer upon layer of amazing flavor.  Everything on her blog is mouth watering and sure to be a family or crowd pleasing dish!

You al have to head over to check out all the AMAZING recipes on Or Whatever You Do. While the range of recipes on Nicoles blog is huge, her specialty is definitely all things smoked, grilled or cooked on a flat top. There is even an Or Whatever You Do Everything Rub you can purchase! I know, I totally picked something different from those but I am a sucker for lemon and was looking for a Mothers Day dessert so this Lemon Blueberry Bread just jumped out to me. There are so many recipes I will be trying soon, like her Smoked St. Louis Ribs, Skirt Steak Street Tacos and Blackened Shrimp Caesar Wrap.

Back to this FABULOUS Lemon Blueberry Bread, shall we… Nicole uses meyer lemons in her recipe which I absolutely love! Meyer lemons are less acidic then a regular lemon and just perfect for baking. Of course, I can only find them occasionally and had no luck so you will see that I use regular lemons. Trust me- either way, you are going to LOVE this bread!! It starts out with creaming together sugar, butter and a good amount of lemon zest until creamy.

You’ll then add in one egg at a time being sure to incorporate each into the batter. Next up is the vanilla and milk. Lastly you’ll add the baking powder and flour. Mix until incorporated then stir in a lovely amount of blueberries. You’ll split the batter between two buttered loaf pans and bake for about 55-60 minutes at 350 degrees.

Now you may be wondering… there has to be more lemon than just that lemon zest right? Oh yes, this is where Nicole really turns it up. As the bread bakes you’ll make a lemon syrup which is equal parts lemon juice and sugar that is cooked until slightly thickened. Once your bread is out of the oven and cooled a bit you’ll poke some holes into the top of the bread with a skewer and brush the syrup over top letting it soak right up.

Hang tight… one more layer of lemon deliciousness!! Once the breads have cooled completely they get a generous drizzle of lemon glaze which is simply lemon juice and powdered sugar. Oh me heavens, right?!?! This Lemon Blueberry Bread is just so pretty and would make for a great gift or addition to your brunch or dessert table.

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Spring Edition Recipes:

1. A Dish of Daily Life – Smoky Chicken Street Tacos
2. An Affair from the Heart – Sheet Pan Shrimp Fajitas with Cilantro Lime Butter
3. An Affair from the Heart – Blueberry Mojitos
4. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Easy Chile Relleno Casserole
5. The Carefree Kitchen – Glazed Lemon Cookies
6. The Culinary Compass – Easy Candied Pecan Recipe
7. Devour Dinner – Cheese Stuffed Meatloaf
8. The Foodie Affair – Keto Broccoli Salad
9. The Fresh Cooky – Bowtie Pasta Recipe
10. Hostess at Heart – No Bake Chocolate Cheesecake
11. House of Nash Eats – Roast Beef Sliders
12. Lemon Blossoms – Lemon Blueberry Crumb Bars
13. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Lemon Blueberry Bread
14. Life, Love & Good Food – Sandwich Cubano
15. Off the Eaten Path – Grilled Vegan Guacamole
16. Or Whatever You Do – Blackstone Mexican Style Street Corn
17. The Speckled Palate – Lemon Bars
18. Take Two Tapas – Pepperoni Pizza Pinwheels

When it comes to lunch around here, everyone has been home since last March. My hubby started a new job and now gets to work from home full time. The boys- well i’m very thankful they’ve been in school in some fashion since September but they are half days so lunch is home. While I am enjoying not packing lunch boxes, I am finding that we are all bored with the same things for lunch so I came up with this delicious and super easy Pancetta, Lettuce and Tomato with Pesto Mayo sandwich.

Obviously, there is nothing fancy going on here but its a fun and tasty twist on a classic BLT. A simple swap of pancetta instead of bacon gives this a fun Italian take on the classic sandwich. While I kept things similar with using romaine lettuce you could use arugula for a great peppery bite- my kiddos aren’t fans, so. Happen to see some great ciabatta bread- another great option! Have fun, make it your own.

The other element  put a spin on was the mayo part of the sandwich. To keep it going with a little Italian flare I stirred some homemade basil pesto I had on hand with mayo and voila, pesto mayo! If you don’t have homemade pesto go ahead with some store bought but I will be honest, I haven’t yet found one that is close to homemade.

Basil pesto is super easy! A bunch of basil, a couple garlic cloves, pine nuts (walnuts are a good option too) and a little squeeze of lemon juice get pulsed in a food processor. Once you’ve got a good course chop on it, start streaming in good olive oil. Once smooth, remove from the food processor, stir in a bit of pecorino, salt and pepper. Done!

This makes enough for a couple sandwiches. Go ahead and adjust for more. Be crazy, make it a triple decker! The triple decker in everything happens to be my kids new favorite way to eat a sandwich.

Happy Friday friends! Today is another special day here on the blog, its our Freaky Friday Blog Hop- Winter Edition 2021! So what does that mean? A bunch of us food bloggers get together for a recipe swap. We are each assigned a blog to then chose a recipe from to recreate and share. For this round I was assigned that wonderful Kathleen from The Fresh Cooky!

My pal Michaela from An Affair From The Heart puts so much time and work into organizing these recipe swaps throughout the year. Her blog is packed with some of the most tasty recipes you’ll find! Her Sausage Cheese Dip would make for a perfect snack at any party! You have to check out her Chocolate Whoopie Pies– they are adorable and perfect for a Valentines Day treat! Oh my goodness and her Baked Roast Beef Sliders with Horseradish Sauce are to die for!!!  Everything on her blog is mouth watering and sure to be a family or crowd pleasing dish!

Let me tell ya, I am surrounded by amazingly talented friends because Kathleen from The Fresh Cooky totally crushes it in the kitchen! Like me, Kathleen is married with two boys. Hers are a few years older than mine and if they eat the way my boys eat then I have no doubt she spends a lot of time in the kitchen cooking up things to feed those hungry bellies! When I browse through her blog the first thing that comes to mind is COMFORT and I love that! Her Creamy Chicken Poblano Soup has so much flavor and will surely warm you on a cold night! Her Greek Butter Cookies are a delicious treat any night of the week.

I have to tell you, when I saw her recipe for Slow Cooker Red Beans and Rice I knew that was the winner! Really simple ingredients but so much flavor. The prep is minimal and everything just gets thrown in the slow cooker to do its magic. I love what Kathleen writes in the post about this dish- Is it traditional? Maybe not exactly what you’d get in New Orleans but its a darn delicious meal that the family will love! This is why I love cooking so much. You can play, you can alter, you make it your own.

If you happen to have a slow cooker where the insert can go on the stovetop you get one less thing to clean. If not that’s ok- its just one sauté pan. You start creating an amazing base of flavor right here with sautéing onion and celery in a little olive oil until softened. You’ll then add in the cajun seasoning, thyme, bay leaf and a pinch of salt and pepper.

You can technically skip all this and throw everything into the slow cooker but I definitely recommend doing it this way. When you add garlic, the dry seasoning and herbs to the sauté pan the flavors really wake up and get a bit of a toasted enhanced flavor to start the dish. You’ll just cook this for a couple extra minutes before adding it to the slow cooker.

One little note- I didn’t have dry beans so I used canned red kidney beans (rinsed and drained) so I do use less liquid here then in Kathleens recipe. At this point you are ready to add everything right into the slow cooker. You’ll add sliced kielbasa and water. Kathleen gives the option for chicken breasts as well and I thought that was great. If you use the chicken breasts as well you can add them in 4 hours into the cooking time. This is also when I added my beans since they are already cooked.

You’ll let this go in the slow cooker for 6-8 hours on high or 8-10 on low. The result is fantastic!!! The beans are creamy, the perfect amount of spice from the cajun seasoning and the tender chicken and kielbasa… YUM!!! You’ll serve with a heaping spoonful of white rice cooked per the package directions. This Slow Cooker Cajun Red Beans and Rice is one incredibly comforting meal! After enjoying it for dinner I texted my dad and said, “I have a meal for you to come pick up”.  So on day 3 of of this snow storm we just had my dad came by and here’s what he had to say, “That was the best rice dish I’ve ever eaten. Moist, creamy, super tasty”. 

Take a look at all of our 2021 Freaky Friday Winter Edition Recipes:

1. An Affair from the Heart – Copy Cat Taco Bell Enchirito
2. Aunt Bee’s Recipes – Three Cheese Jalapeno Poppers
3. The Carefree Kitchen – Lemon Bundt Cake
4. The Culinary Compass – Rotel Sausage Dip
5. Devour Dinner – Cheese Enchiladas
6. The Foodie Affair – Gluten Free Irish Soda Bread
7. The Fresh Cooky – Cranberry Bourbon Cocktail
8. House of Nash Eats – Pineapple Casserole
9. Kathryn’s Kitchen Blog – Crab Stuffed Mushrooms
10. Lemoine Family Kitchen – Red Beans & Rice
11. Life, Love & Good Food – Pan Seared Scallops 
12. Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish – Weeknight Broccoli Shrimp Stir Fry
13. Off the Eaten Path – Extra Crispy Air Fryer Chicken Wings
14. Soulfully Made –  Stuffed Pepper Meatloaf
15. The Speckled Palate – Pretzel Cheese Dip
16. Sugar Dish Me – Cheesecake Brownies with Graham Cracker Crust
17. Take Two Tapas – Buffalo Chicken Taquitos in the Air Fryer
18. West Via Midwest – Frito Corn Salad

Biscotti are easily one of my favorite cookies to bake. I love playing with the flavor combinations too. I’ve posted recipes for Orange Pecan and Pecan Cornmeal Biscotti but I’ve also done a cranberry and white chocolate chip (yum!). In these Orange, Cranberry & Pistachio Biscotti I love that slight brightness from the orange, the sweetness  and chew of the dried cranberries and the crunch of the pistachio.

With biscotti I use the same core recipe and just switch out the add ins. They really are so simple. All the dry ingredients get mixed in a bowl, the add ins get evenly distributed by mixing them in as well. You then add in the wet ingredients to the bowl and just stir until mostly combined. Turn the dough out onto the counter and knead just a couple times to make sure its all together.

I then go ahead and split the dough in half and form each half into a flattened oval on a baking sheet. Try to get the length and thickness as close to even as possible so that it bakes consistently. The biscotti dough will get baked for about 25 to 27 minutes. The edges will be lightly golden. You’ll remove the pan from the oven, lower the temperature and let the cookie to rest for about 10 minutes.

After the cookie has rested and cooled slightly you will then slice the dough on a slight angle with a nice sharp knife. Again you’ll want to try to keep the pieces a relatively even size. You’ll go ahead and place the  biscotti back on the baking sheet, on one side and bake for another 15 minutes, flip them onto the other side and bake another 15 minutes.

Allow the biscotti to cool on a cooling rack. Once completely cool you can add them to your cookie jar and they’ll last for several weeks.