2014 in Review: Jackson Hole Wyoming…Food Lovers Paradise!

Looking back over the trips we took in 2014 I have to say that Jackson Hole Wyoming exceeded all of our expectations! The people were friendly, the scenery was breathtaking, the hotel accommodations were spectacular. But the food was the big surprise...

Jackson Hole Wyoming was an unexpected food lovers paradise…When we arrived in Jackson Hole, our room wasn’t quite ready so we stopped into the W0rt Hotel’s bar for an appetizer.  We ordered a burger and some fries…a Kobe burger and Portobello fries. The fries were the surprise…Tempura fried, tossed in truffle oil, red pepper flakes, Parmigiano Reggiano and fresh parsley.

After we finished this surprisingly delicious afternoon snack we decided to walk down to Persephone Bakery and pick up the anniversary cake I pre-ordered before we arrived in Jackson Hole. It was a delicious 6 layer red velvet cake covered in cream cheese icing…just like the one we had at our wedding reception 25 years ago.

We were blown away by the quality of the food we experienced in Jackson Hole.  Even breakfast in our room was one for the books. The rooms at the Wort Hotel are beautifully appointed. The attention to detail and the finer touches that surround you with the feeling of true Western Hospitality could make cold cereal seem like a foodies’ dream come true.

Our anniversary dinner was a special treat. We were seated at the Chef’s Table at the Wild Sage Restaurant.  The place was really small, only a few tables so taking pictures of our food felt a little awkward. But I did manage to snap a pic of the Chef’s in action and the dessert the Chef sent to our table.

We enjoyed seared Foie Gras, bison rib eye and Wagyu Beef Tenderloin…

One of the last meals we enjoyed while in Jackson Hole was at Snake River Grill…the highlight of that meal was the Bacon wrapped Chorizo Stuffed Dates.  It’s been 10 months since we ate at SRG and I am still dreaming about that appetizer…I have even attempted to recreate it for friends.

Of course Jackson Hole has it’s fair share of places that offer pastries, ice cream, coffee and breads.  But just across the street from our hotel was a very special chocolate shoppe.  Atelier Ortega’s Coco Love…offered a selection of chocolates that were the perfectly sweet ending to an incredible vacation.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming is a foodies’ paradise.  Getting there may be a bit of a challenge, but once you’re there you will be hard pressed to decide where to eat first…we were there for 5 days and ate out every single meal and didn’t scratch the surface of all the incredible places there are to choose from in and around town.   Now we know that Jackson Hole offers everything you could want in a vacation destination!

 

Crack…My go to no bake dessert recipe…

I have one recipe that is my all time go to dessert recipe…The ingredients always seem to be available in my pantry.  When ever I make it and take it to a party, I am asked for the recipe…and yes I can rattle it off with no problem.  The recipe is a family hand me down…but if you look it up on the internet you will find dozens of variations on the original.  It is known by a variety of names; peanut butter clusters, trash, white trash and crack.

Ingredients:

2 cups Honey Nut Cheerios
1 cup Chunky Peanut Butter
1 cup Mini Marshmallows
1 pkg Almond Bark

Directions:

Combine Cheerios and mini marshmallows in a large bowl. Coarsely chop white bark, place in a microwave safe bowl and heat for 1-1 1/2 minutes stirring once.  Stir in chunky peanut butter until mixture is smooth.  Pour over dry mixture and stir until cereal is completely coated.  Working quickly, use two teaspoons…scoop a rounded teaspoon of mixture, use second spoon to help drop the sticky mixture onto wax paper.  Allow clusters to dry before storing in an airtight container.

Do you have a go to dessert recipe? Have you written a post on your blog about this dessert? Share your link in the comments section and join our virtual no bake dessert party!

 

Autumn Pear and Cranberry Chopped Salad….

Autumn Chopped Salad

 

Ingredients:
6 to 8 cups of Chopped Romaine Lettuce
2 medium pears, chopped
1 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped pecans
8 slices thick-cut bacon (applewood) crisp and crumbled
4 to 6 oz feta cheese, crumbled
Poppy Seed Dressing
Balsamic Vinaigrette (I like Newman’s Own Light Balsamic Vinaigrette)

Directions:

On a large platter, combine lettuce, pears, cranberries, pecans, bacon and feta cheese.  Drizzle generously with poppy seed dressing, followed by some of the balsamic vinaigrette. (I would estimate that I used about a cup of dressing…70% poppy seed dressing and 30 percent balsamic vinaigrette).  Toss and serve immediately!

Delicious!

Recipe: Southern Black Eyed Peas…

Southern Black Eyed Peas…

I have read numerous cookbooks and food blogs looking for a suitable recipe for our family’s New Years Day dinner.  There are dozens if not hundreds of recipes available.  I searched until I found a couple that had the ingredients that sounded good to me and created my own recipe.

Don’t let the number of ingredients listed deter you from trying this recipe…It’s easier than it looks and delicious!

Ingredients:

1# dry black-eyed peas, washed and picked
1/4 # of bacon, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
4 stalks of celery, diced
3 cloves of garlic, diced
3 qts of chicken stock (sodium free), heated and set aside
2 pinches of kosher salt
1/2 tsp of black pepper
1 tbsp of Cajun seasoning, Tony Chachere’s salt free
3 Bay Leaves
2 jalapeno, sliced
1 # pork sausage, hot and spicy

Directions:

In a medium sauce pan heat the chicken stock and reserve for later.

Now, In a dutch oven or similar pot cook the diced bacon until browned but not crisp.  Next add the holy trinity; diced onion, bell pepper and celery to the bacon and cook until wilted.  Add diced garlic and cook for an additional minute.  Add rinsed black-eyed peas to veggie mixture and stir thoroughly for 3-4 minutes.  Begin adding the hot chicken stock to the peas and veggies (reserve 2 cups of liquid, you will probably need it later)..next add the salt, pepper, jalapeno, bay leaves and seasoning. Bring the pot to a roiling boil, reduce the heat and simmer partially covered.  Cook for 1 hour and 30 minutes. In a separate pan, crumble and brown the pork sausage.  Drain the fat and set the sausage aside until needed.

After the peas have cooking for an hour you may need to add more chicken stock if the mixture has gotten too thick.  Also add the cooked pork sausage stir and  continue cooking for an additional 30 minutes.  Now it’s time to make your cornbread or rice whichever you prefer to serve with your black-eyed peas.

Due to my Southern heritage, I would normally choose rice over anything else …growing up in the south rice is as common on the dinner table as salt and pepper…however, you may want to forgo the rice with this dish so that you can enjoy more of the peas. Yes they are that good…and filling!

Now it’s time to Enjoy!

New Years Day, Food for the Soul…

The New Years Day menu is steeped in age-old tradition as well as a little bit of superstition.  I don’t go in for superstition but I am big on traditions…and of course the one tradition that seems to unite the world is one that is tied to food.

Food for the Soul…Black eyed peas, cabbage and ham or symbols of luck, prosperity, wealth and health.  It seems that the tradition of eating black-eyed peas on New Years Day began in the South in the 1860’s.  However, black-eyed peas have been part of the Jewish celebration Rosh Hoshana for hundreds of years.

Our traditional New Year’s Day dinner included; Southern Black Eyed Peas, Grilled Cabbage, Jalapeno Deer Sausage and Cornbread.

Rabbit Trail….

“Although the terms soul and spirit are sometimes used interchangeably, soul may denote a more worldly and less transcendent aspect of a person. According to psychologist James Hillman, soul has an affinity for negative thoughts and images, whereas spirit seeks to rise above the entanglements of life and death.”

Tying it all together…

If in fact our Soul has an affinity for negative thoughts and images what better way to overcome it than to rise above the entanglements of life than by lifting our Spirits by enjoying good food that represents good luck, prosperity, wealth and health…there definitely is no harm in it.

Wishing you and your family a very Happy, Healthy, Wealthy, and Prosperous New Year! 

Creamy Cocoa Mix…

This past weekend we hosted a family reunion.  While thinking through the process of hosting 60 people in our home I knew I had to to do something to keep everyone from hanging out in the kitchen.  I decided I would set up the coffee bar and drink station outside.

I set up a coffee and hot cocoa bar on the back porch.  I setup the table with the Keurig, K cups, Cocoa Mix and Marshmallows.

The Instant Creamy Cocoa Mix was very popular with everyone, kids and adults alike.  Everyone liked it so much I have decided I will make a big batch and gift it for Christmas to my friends.  If you enjoy a cup of hot cocoa, you should try this recipe.  You may decide to share some with your friends and family.

Ingredients:

10 cups dry milk powder
4 3/4 cups sifted confectioners sugar
1 3/4 cups unsweetened cocoa powder
1 3/4 cups powdered non dairy creamer

Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined.  Store in an airtight container.

2. For a single serving, place 1/3 cup of mixture in a cup and add 3/4 cup boiling water.   Stir to dissolve.  Top with whipped cream or marshmallows.

CUPCAKES…

I have often wondered when did we go crazy for cupcakes?  Personally I have been enjoying cupcakes since my Mom packed that adorable Hostess chocolate cupcake with the signature white squiggle in my lunch box.  But cupcakes are far from being a new treat…Cupcakes have been around since 1796.

Cupcakes became popular in the early 2000’s after Magnolia Bakery in New York was featured in “Sex and the City.”  Thanks to Carrie and Miranda we have been swept up in a cupcake whirlwind for over a decade…Cupcake are everywhere…their are cupcake shoppes, cupcake trucks, cupcake wars, and cupcake wedding cakes .

I love the entire cupcake experience…from walking into the bakery, standing in front of the display case,  imagining each flavor combination, visually devouring each cupcake, thinking of each of my guests and what they might enjoy and of course choosing a couple extras so that there will be leftovers.

Here are a couple of my choices from my last visit to our local cupcake shop…Rise!  Wicked Spice Cupcakes, cinnamon and spice cake brushed with butter, dipped in cinnamon sugar topped with cinnamon buttercream….They were the perfect compliment to our weekly gathering of friends.

Green…

Our pomelo trees are heavy with fruit.  The fruits are probably weighing a pound each but they are still green and growing.  When the fruits are ready for harvest the skin will become pale green to yellow and  they will weigh as much as 4lbs.  I am looking forward to enjoying the fruits our labor…

Portion Control…

Flour Girl…

While vacationing in South Lake Tahoe we decided to do a little window shopping.  As we were browsing through the shops at the beautiful Ski Run Marina we stumbled upon the sweetest shoppe…at first I was drawn in by the name over the door, “Flour Girl Wedding Cakes“, an adorable play on words and I for one appreciate a good word play…Then as I looked through the large picture window, I found myself peering in on the flour girls busy at work…I was only there for a few minutes but it was like watching a ballet.  Two  beautiful women dressed for the occasion, their movements were graceful and they seemed at ease with one another.  They were busy whipping up icing and smoothing it over what I can only imagine was deliciously moist layers of cake. I could have stayed there all day, watching them create the only thing that can rival the beauty of the bride…the Wedding Cake!

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