50 Perfect Dishes for your Memorial Day / Labor Day Party

September is almost here. I can hardly believe it. It has been such an amazing summer. Our Summer Grilling Celebration was a huge success. So, Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer for most of us. The last blast. Well, if it has to end... Let's make it spectacular!!!

Here are 50 ideas for your perfect Labor Day Party. Burger, chicken, steak, fries, sides, condiments and salads are all included. We are going to start you out with 10 of our favorite TSRI burgers and ten Grilled Chicken recipes. There is something for every barbecue! Check back for more ideas for your party. We will be sharing fabulous cocktail and dessert idea tomorrow.

Continue Reading »

September is almost here. I can hardly believe it. It has been such an amazing summer. Our Summer Grilling Celebration was a huge success. So, Labor Day weekend marks the end of summer for most of us. The last blast. Well, if it has to end... Let's make it spectacular!!!

Here are 50 ideas for your perfect Labor Day Party. Burger, chicken, steak, fries, sides, condiments and salads are all included. We are going to start you out with 10 of our favorite TSRI burgers and ten Grilled Chicken recipes. There is something for every barbecue! Check back for more ideas for your party. We will be sharing fabulous cocktail and dessert idea tomorrow.

Continue Reading »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Marshmallow crunch brownie bars

Well, we finally sold our old house. The buyers closed on it successfully, so we no longer own two homes. It's a bit sad and exciting at the same time. We made some great memories in the old house, including bringing our daughter there after she was born, and it was also the first place my husband and I lived in after we got married. We have 7 years of great memories in our former home.

Now that we are in a new house, it's time to make new memories - and a new recipe! I had bought a bag of mini marshmallows and used part of them to make S'mores bars. I had no idea what to do with the remaining marshmallows and stumbled upon this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker.  Since it contained peanut butter in the topping, I knew that my husband and coworkers would really enjoy this recipe. And because I'm not a fan of peanut butter, I wouldn't get tempted to snack on this either.

Although my husband really enjoyed these bars, I have to admit that the top layer of the chocolate peanut butter with crispy rice was really hard to spread. You may or may not be able to tell that I had to swirl the marshmallow and top layer together. I don't think that detracted from the taste though!

I only made half the recipe since I only had two eggs remaining and didn't want to make a trip to the grocery store to buy another dozen. My CSA delivery would be arriving on the same day with a dozen organic eggs, so it wasn't worth the trip. The full recipe for the brownies is below.

Ingredients

Brownie layer

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Toppings

• 1 bag (10½ ounces) miniature marshmallows
• 1½ cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (don’t use natural peanut butter)
• 1 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1½ cups crispy rice cereal

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.

To make the brownie layer: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsweetened chocolate, butter and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips. Stir occasionally while melting. Set the mixture aside and let it cool for 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until it is well mixed. Slowly incorporate the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, and mix well. Then add in the dry sifted ingredients and mix. Finally, fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even out the top with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If you poke a toothpick into the corner of of the pan, you should see moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven and immediately top them with the marshmallows. Bake the pan for an additional 3 minutes and remove from the oven to let it cool slightly.

While the brownies are baking once more, melt the milk chocolate chips, peanut butter, and tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Keep stirring until it is completely melted. Remove the mixture from the from heat, add the crispy rice cereal and mix well. Allow to cool for 3 minutes.

Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting.

Yield: About 32 bars

Source:  Brown Eyed Baker, who adapted it from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody; originally from Buttercup Bakes at Home by Jennifer Appel

Well, we finally sold our old house. The buyers closed on it successfully, so we no longer own two homes. It's a bit sad and exciting at the same time. We made some great memories in the old house, including bringing our daughter there after she was born, and it was also the first place my husband and I lived in after we got married. We have 7 years of great memories in our former home.

Now that we are in a new house, it's time to make new memories - and a new recipe! I had bought a bag of mini marshmallows and used part of them to make S'mores bars. I had no idea what to do with the remaining marshmallows and stumbled upon this recipe on Brown Eyed Baker.  Since it contained peanut butter in the topping, I knew that my husband and coworkers would really enjoy this recipe. And because I'm not a fan of peanut butter, I wouldn't get tempted to snack on this either.

Although my husband really enjoyed these bars, I have to admit that the top layer of the chocolate peanut butter with crispy rice was really hard to spread. You may or may not be able to tell that I had to swirl the marshmallow and top layer together. I don't think that detracted from the taste though!

I only made half the recipe since I only had two eggs remaining and didn't want to make a trip to the grocery store to buy another dozen. My CSA delivery would be arriving on the same day with a dozen organic eggs, so it wasn't worth the trip. The full recipe for the brownies is below.

Ingredients

Brownie layer

• 4 ounces unsweetened chocolate
• 2/3 cup unsalted butter
• 1¼ cups semisweet chocolate chips, divided
• 1-1/3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Toppings

• 1 bag (10½ ounces) miniature marshmallows
• 1½ cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 cup smooth peanut butter (don’t use natural peanut butter)
• 1 TBSP unsalted butter
• 1½ cups crispy rice cereal

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9×13-inch pan.

To make the brownie layer: In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the unsweetened chocolate, butter and ¾ cup of the semisweet chocolate chips. Stir occasionally while melting. Set the mixture aside and let it cool for 5 minutes.

In a medium bowl, sift together the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside. 

In a separate large bowl, whisk the eggs. Gradually add the sugar and vanilla and whisk until it is well mixed. Slowly incorporate the melted ingredients into the egg mixture, and mix well. Then add in the dry sifted ingredients and mix. Finally, fold in the remaining ½ cup semisweet chocolate chips.

Pour the batter into the prepared pan, and even out the top with a spatula. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. If you poke a toothpick into the corner of of the pan, you should see moist crumbs.

Remove the brownies from the oven and immediately top them with the marshmallows. Bake the pan for an additional 3 minutes and remove from the oven to let it cool slightly.

While the brownies are baking once more, melt the milk chocolate chips, peanut butter, and tablespoon of butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Keep stirring until it is completely melted. Remove the mixture from the from heat, add the crispy rice cereal and mix well. Allow to cool for 3 minutes.

Spread the mixture evenly over the marshmallow layer. Refrigerate until chilled before cutting.

Yield: About 32 bars

Source:  Brown Eyed Baker, who adapted it from Culinary Concoctions by Peabody; originally from Buttercup Bakes at Home by Jennifer Appel

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Baked Pasta with Eggplant, Beef and Cheese

Can you believe it's almost September?! Where has the year gone? Whilst the first, tentative, signs of Spring seem to be on their way - the nights don't come quite so quickly now, the flowers have started to bloom - the nights can still be bitingly cold, and comfort food is still very much on the menu.

I made this baked pasta dish for dinner the other night, when I wanted something that would provide leftovers for the next few days of work. I actually made it on a weeknight, but it does take quite a while, so I'd suggest making it on the weekend, or when you have a bit of extra time on your hands.

I was inspired, in structure, by Nigella's delicious pasta al forno from Feast - think lasagne, but with penne instead of lasagne sheets. I changed it up to suit my tastes, and used my own recipes for the different components. I made a beef bolognese sauce (I think all the cool kids are calling this a 'ragu' these days), stirred through some cooked penne, layered it in a baking dish with cubes of roasted eggplant, and topped it with lashings of cheesy béchamel sauce. So many of my favourite things, in the one dish. Dee-licious!

Enough words, it's picture time!

Here's the eggplant! Before:

Eggplant Cubes

And after!

Roasted eggplant cubes

Mmm.. I love roasted eggplant, and they're so nice in little cubes, with their squidgy soft interior and slightly burnt, crunchy edges. I kept picking at these as I was making the rest of dinner - so addictive! Eggplants are like sponges, and you can definitely taste the oil that you roast them in, so use an olive oil that you really like.

Beef Ragu, Penne in the background

I. Love. Béchamel. Even more so when you chuck in a handful of grated cheddar cheese!

Béchamel

Phew - busy working area!

So, as I said above, I stirred the penne and meat sauce together, then layered it in a baking dish with the eggplant cubes. You probably could just stir the eggplant pieces through the pasta as well, but I didn't want them to break up or disintegrate.

To finish it off, I just poured over the béchamel, grated some parmesan over and chucked it in a hot oven until it was browned and bubbling and blistering. (I was very hungry by this point, and found myself staring at the dish in the oven, yelling "cook, damn you, cook!", hehehe).

This recipe is quite labour intensive, with all the different components you need to prepare. However, no individual part is too difficult - and it tastes absolutely awesome. Once you bite into that gorgeous tomato-meat-eggplant-cheesy goodness, all that effort and time (and dirty pots & pans!) fade into the distance.

Baked Pasta with Eggplant, Beef and Cheese
An original Sarah Cooks recipe, inspired in structure by Nigella's rigatoni al forno from Feast

Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper
1 eggplant
250g short pasta (e.g. penne, penne rigate, macaroni, rigatoni)
For the Tomato Meat Sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
500g minced beef
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
For the Béchamel
40 grams butter
40 grams plain flour
700 millilitres milk
1 handful grated cheddar or tasty cheese
Parmesan cheese, for topping

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Cut the eggplant into approx 1cm cubes. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Spread the eggplant pieces in an even layer onto a tray, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and soft. Season generously with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.
For the tomato meat sauce, heat some oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the minced beef, stirring to break it up. Once the meat is browned, add in the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, turn down to a robust simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the béchamel, melt the butter in a wide frying pan. (Any saucepan will do, but a wide and shallow cooking vessel means the sauce will cook faster). Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the while. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and creamy. Off the heat, throw in the grated cheddar cheese, and stir to combine.
Now, you are ready to assemble! Tip the cooked pasta into the tomato and meat sauce, and stir to mix evenly. Layer the saucy pasta with the eggplants in a large baking dish. Pour over the béchamel. Grate the parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for 10 minutes or so, until the entire thing is heated through and the top has browned in places. (Put it under the grill to speed things up a bit!) Allow to sit for 5 minutes before digging in.

Serves 6

Can you believe it's almost September?! Where has the year gone? Whilst the first, tentative, signs of Spring seem to be on their way - the nights don't come quite so quickly now, the flowers have started to bloom - the nights can still be bitingly cold, and comfort food is still very much on the menu.

I made this baked pasta dish for dinner the other night, when I wanted something that would provide leftovers for the next few days of work. I actually made it on a weeknight, but it does take quite a while, so I'd suggest making it on the weekend, or when you have a bit of extra time on your hands.

I was inspired, in structure, by Nigella's delicious pasta al forno from Feast - think lasagne, but with penne instead of lasagne sheets. I changed it up to suit my tastes, and used my own recipes for the different components. I made a beef bolognese sauce (I think all the cool kids are calling this a 'ragu' these days), stirred through some cooked penne, layered it in a baking dish with cubes of roasted eggplant, and topped it with lashings of cheesy béchamel sauce. So many of my favourite things, in the one dish. Dee-licious!

Enough words, it's picture time!

Here's the eggplant! Before:

Eggplant Cubes

And after!

Roasted eggplant cubes

Mmm.. I love roasted eggplant, and they're so nice in little cubes, with their squidgy soft interior and slightly burnt, crunchy edges. I kept picking at these as I was making the rest of dinner - so addictive! Eggplants are like sponges, and you can definitely taste the oil that you roast them in, so use an olive oil that you really like.

Beef Ragu, Penne in the background

I. Love. Béchamel. Even more so when you chuck in a handful of grated cheddar cheese!

Béchamel

Phew - busy working area!

So, as I said above, I stirred the penne and meat sauce together, then layered it in a baking dish with the eggplant cubes. You probably could just stir the eggplant pieces through the pasta as well, but I didn't want them to break up or disintegrate.

To finish it off, I just poured over the béchamel, grated some parmesan over and chucked it in a hot oven until it was browned and bubbling and blistering. (I was very hungry by this point, and found myself staring at the dish in the oven, yelling "cook, damn you, cook!", hehehe).

This recipe is quite labour intensive, with all the different components you need to prepare. However, no individual part is too difficult - and it tastes absolutely awesome. Once you bite into that gorgeous tomato-meat-eggplant-cheesy goodness, all that effort and time (and dirty pots & pans!) fade into the distance.

Baked Pasta with Eggplant, Beef and Cheese
An original Sarah Cooks recipe, inspired in structure by Nigella's rigatoni al forno from Feast

Ingredients
Extra virgin olive oil, salt, pepper
1 eggplant
250g short pasta (e.g. penne, penne rigate, macaroni, rigatoni)
For the Tomato Meat Sauce
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
500g minced beef
2 x 400g tins of chopped tomatoes
For the Béchamel
40 grams butter
40 grams plain flour
700 millilitres milk
1 handful grated cheddar or tasty cheese
Parmesan cheese, for topping

Method
Preheat the oven to 200C. Cut the eggplant into approx 1cm cubes. Drizzle generously with extra virgin olive oil and toss to coat. Spread the eggplant pieces in an even layer onto a tray, and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until lightly browned and soft. Season generously with salt and pepper, and set aside.
Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to packet directions. Drain and set aside.
For the tomato meat sauce, heat some oil in a medium saucepan. Add the onions, garlic and a pinch of salt, and cook until softened, about 10 minutes. Add the minced beef, stirring to break it up. Once the meat is browned, add in the chopped tomatoes. Bring to the boil, turn down to a robust simmer and allow to cook for about 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
For the béchamel, melt the butter in a wide frying pan. (Any saucepan will do, but a wide and shallow cooking vessel means the sauce will cook faster). Add the flour and stir to combine. Cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring all the while. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook, stirring, until the sauce is thickened and creamy. Off the heat, throw in the grated cheddar cheese, and stir to combine.
Now, you are ready to assemble! Tip the cooked pasta into the tomato and meat sauce, and stir to mix evenly. Layer the saucy pasta with the eggplants in a large baking dish. Pour over the béchamel. Grate the parmesan cheese over the top. Bake for 10 minutes or so, until the entire thing is heated through and the top has browned in places. (Put it under the grill to speed things up a bit!) Allow to sit for 5 minutes before digging in.

Serves 6

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The Best Ever Simple Crockpot Pulled Pork Sandwich Recipe

Being married to a meat and potatoes Iowan there is a high standard for certain dishes. One of the high standards has been a pulled pork sandwich. A classic Iowa dish that has apparently been nearly perfected. In fact when we went back to Iowa for Chad's 20 year reunion we enjoyed some fabulous pulled pork sandwiches and out of this world sweet corn.

Continue Reading »

Being married to a meat and potatoes Iowan there is a high standard for certain dishes. One of the high standards has been a pulled pork sandwich. A classic Iowa dish that has apparently been nearly perfected. In fact when we went back to Iowa for Chad's 20 year reunion we enjoyed some fabulous pulled pork sandwiches and out of this world sweet corn.

Continue Reading »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

Easy One Skillet Meal: Hearty Italian Sausage and Potatoes

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Some nights I struggle more than others to find the perfect dish that will please everyone's palates. Just when I think I have run out of ideas or don't have the ingredients on hand, this Easy One Skillet Meal comes into my life. In an effort to please Mr Meat and Potatoes and use some amazing produce and fresh herbs I developed this recipe. It was so good Chad asked me to make it again, immediately.

Made with all fresh ingredients from my garden and our produce superstore (Sprouts - although they call themselves a farmers market, I still think of them as a grocery store). Dinner truly brings the family together. This one is no exceptions. However, you may want to make a double batch if you are hoping for left overs. It is that good! Trust me. Click the link below to read more and get this must have recipe!

GET THE RECIPE HERE

Continue Reading »

CLICK HERE FOR RECIPE

Some nights I struggle more than others to find the perfect dish that will please everyone's palates. Just when I think I have run out of ideas or don't have the ingredients on hand, this Easy One Skillet Meal comes into my life. In an effort to please Mr Meat and Potatoes and use some amazing produce and fresh herbs I developed this recipe. It was so good Chad asked me to make it again, immediately.

Made with all fresh ingredients from my garden and our produce superstore (Sprouts - although they call themselves a farmers market, I still think of them as a grocery store). Dinner truly brings the family together. This one is no exceptions. However, you may want to make a double batch if you are hoping for left overs. It is that good! Trust me. Click the link below to read more and get this must have recipe!

GET THE RECIPE HERE

Continue Reading »

reade more... Résuméabuiyad

KC Style Barbecue Sauce (Kansas City Style)

There is this barbecue restaurant around the corner, that is within smelling distance. I kid you not they send out subliminal smoke signals several times EVERY day. In the summer this isn't too bad, as you are rarely outside to smell it. But as the fall approaches and we are more frequently outdoors, this gets to be an issue. It usually works like this...
Continue Reading »

There is this barbecue restaurant around the corner, that is within smelling distance. I kid you not they send out subliminal smoke signals several times EVERY day. In the summer this isn't too bad, as you are rarely outside to smell it. But as the fall approaches and we are more frequently outdoors, this gets to be an issue. It usually works like this...
Continue Reading »

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Moose Munch Shortbread Cookies and a Trip to Harry & David

*alternate post title: Why I've gained 10 pounds in two weeks.*

This is a long "picture-heavy" post, but bear with me...I think you're gonna like it. 

Along with several other bloggers, I was invited to visit the Harry & David headquarters in Medford, Oregon. 

A. After seeing their catalogs for years, I've always secretly hoped that someone would send me a Harry & David gift basket (it never happened), so I was curious and knew this was a place I needed to visit.

B. Take a look at these other bloggers in attendance:  hello, bloggy rock stars!!!  (I'm not sure how I got thrown in with this bunch...they are the coolest.) I couldn't pass up seeing some familiar faces again AND meeting some bloggers I've been jonesing to meet for years now.

{back row: Rebecca, Kristen, Jenna, Lori, Heidi and moi.  

front row: Maria, Sandy, Rachel, Jessica, and Amy  photo credit: Sandy}

Here's my big takeaway from the trip... 
...the people at Harry & David LOVE food.  Love.  I had no idea that in the Rogue Valley of Oregon, Harry & David has over 700,000 pear trees.

They are famous for their Royal Riviera Pear; it's a Comice.  They don't grow it because it's the easiest to grow (it's not); they grow it because they feel they are the best.

I was so very impressed with their approach to growing, innovative pest management, and how they treat their harvesters by providing daily meals, medical care, and housing. 

Harry & David has a 3rd generation chocolatier who has been with the company for over 30 years...yes, as a matter of fact, his name IS Charlie.  The recipes are developed and made right there on site. May I recommend the coffee truffles?

This is a good place to talk about these Moose Munch Cookies.  They consist of a buttery, thick shortbread cookie, spread with a luscious, bittersweet chocolate glaze, and topped with a generous sprinkle of Harry & David's Moose Munch. 

{Moose Munch is a delectable caramel popcorn (made with slabs of butter...I saw it), mixed with cashews and almonds and enrobed in chocolate.  Yep.  I used the Dark Chocolate variety here.}

Moose Munch Cookies 

{makes 15-18}

for the cookies:

3 & 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 pound (3 sticks) salted butter, cut into chunks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or extract)

for the topping:

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, such as Ghiradelli

2 TBSP unsalted butter

Moose Munch

Whisk together the flour and salt.  Set aside.

Beat together the butter and sugars using an electric mixer until creamy.  Mix in the vanilla bean paste.  Add the the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating on low, just until combined.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, pressing the dough together and refrigerate 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface to 1/2" thick.  Cut with a 2 & 1/2" cutter and place the cut-outs on a cookie sheet.  Freeze for 10-15 minutes to prevent spreading.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden on the edges.  Remove immediately to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

To make the glaze, place the chocolate chips and butter in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Stir until melted.

Dollop the melted chocolate onto the cooled cookies and spread with an offset spatula.  Sprinkle on the Moose Munch.

The chocolate will set after several minutes, but will not harden completely.

Optional:  if you're feeling festive, break out your gold disco dust (you have gold disco dust, right?) and add just a touch to the completed cookies. 

Can I show you just a few more peeks from the trip?

{Travel day: sparkly shoes, big airplane and tiny airplane rides with Rachel proved to be very memorable, Ashland Springs Hotel...gorgeous.}

Sandy & her darling hubby Paul hosted dinner at their home our first night.  Sandy has a long relationship with Harry & David...her mom and aunts all worked there.

Sandy may call herself the Reluctant Entertainer, but she sure pulls off entertaining with a calm, relaxed demeanor and knows how to put everyone at ease.  From the setting, to the food, to the conversation, the night was perfection.  Her lovely daughter even provided music.

Harry & David treated us like royalty...snacks in the fields overlooking the orchards, dinner at a vineyard, wine and cheese tasting.  Yes, I could get used to this.  (Somehow, my yogurt for lunch doesn't cut it anymore.)

Aaaand, hanging out with these ladies wasn't too shabby, either.
{from top: Jenna, Maria, Jessica...Jessica (me) and bottom: Jenna, (me), Rebecca, Lori, Rachel, Maria, Rachel, Heidi}
(photo credit, bottom 3:, Jenna, Lori & Kristen)

I was even able to hang out with a few of my fellow red-faced runners!
{Amy, Kristen, Lori, (me)}

Let's look at those gorgeous pears one more time.

 Thank you, Harry & David.  You have a customer for life.

*alternate post title: Why I've gained 10 pounds in two weeks.*

This is a long "picture-heavy" post, but bear with me...I think you're gonna like it. 

Along with several other bloggers, I was invited to visit the Harry & David headquarters in Medford, Oregon. 

A. After seeing their catalogs for years, I've always secretly hoped that someone would send me a Harry & David gift basket (it never happened), so I was curious and knew this was a place I needed to visit.

B. Take a look at these other bloggers in attendance:  hello, bloggy rock stars!!!  (I'm not sure how I got thrown in with this bunch...they are the coolest.) I couldn't pass up seeing some familiar faces again AND meeting some bloggers I've been jonesing to meet for years now.

{back row: Rebecca, Kristen, Jenna, Lori, Heidi and moi.  

front row: Maria, Sandy, Rachel, Jessica, and Amy  photo credit: Sandy}

Here's my big takeaway from the trip... 
...the people at Harry & David LOVE food.  Love.  I had no idea that in the Rogue Valley of Oregon, Harry & David has over 700,000 pear trees.

They are famous for their Royal Riviera Pear; it's a Comice.  They don't grow it because it's the easiest to grow (it's not); they grow it because they feel they are the best.

I was so very impressed with their approach to growing, innovative pest management, and how they treat their harvesters by providing daily meals, medical care, and housing. 

Harry & David has a 3rd generation chocolatier who has been with the company for over 30 years...yes, as a matter of fact, his name IS Charlie.  The recipes are developed and made right there on site. May I recommend the coffee truffles?

This is a good place to talk about these Moose Munch Cookies.  They consist of a buttery, thick shortbread cookie, spread with a luscious, bittersweet chocolate glaze, and topped with a generous sprinkle of Harry & David's Moose Munch. 

{Moose Munch is a delectable caramel popcorn (made with slabs of butter...I saw it), mixed with cashews and almonds and enrobed in chocolate.  Yep.  I used the Dark Chocolate variety here.}

Moose Munch Cookies 

{makes 15-18}

for the cookies:

3 & 1/2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 pound (3 sticks) salted butter, cut into chunks

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp. vanilla bean paste (or extract)

for the topping:

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips, such as Ghiradelli

2 TBSP unsalted butter

Moose Munch

Whisk together the flour and salt.  Set aside.

Beat together the butter and sugars using an electric mixer until creamy.  Mix in the vanilla bean paste.  Add the the flour mixture in 3 additions, beating on low, just until combined.

Wrap the dough in plastic wrap, pressing the dough together and refrigerate 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350.  Line 2 cookie sheets with parchment paper.

Roll the chilled dough on a floured surface to 1/2" thick.  Cut with a 2 & 1/2" cutter and place the cut-outs on a cookie sheet.  Freeze for 10-15 minutes to prevent spreading.

Bake for 18-20 minutes until golden on the edges.  Remove immediately to a wire cooling rack and cool completely.

To make the glaze, place the chocolate chips and butter in a glass bowl over a pan of simmering water.  Stir until melted.

Dollop the melted chocolate onto the cooled cookies and spread with an offset spatula.  Sprinkle on the Moose Munch.

The chocolate will set after several minutes, but will not harden completely.

Optional:  if you're feeling festive, break out your gold disco dust (you have gold disco dust, right?) and add just a touch to the completed cookies. 

Can I show you just a few more peeks from the trip?

{Travel day: sparkly shoes, big airplane and tiny airplane rides with Rachel proved to be very memorable, Ashland Springs Hotel...gorgeous.}

Sandy & her darling hubby Paul hosted dinner at their home our first night.  Sandy has a long relationship with Harry & David...her mom and aunts all worked there.

Sandy may call herself the Reluctant Entertainer, but she sure pulls off entertaining with a calm, relaxed demeanor and knows how to put everyone at ease.  From the setting, to the food, to the conversation, the night was perfection.  Her lovely daughter even provided music.

Harry & David treated us like royalty...snacks in the fields overlooking the orchards, dinner at a vineyard, wine and cheese tasting.  Yes, I could get used to this.  (Somehow, my yogurt for lunch doesn't cut it anymore.)

Aaaand, hanging out with these ladies wasn't too shabby, either.
{from top: Jenna, Maria, Jessica...Jessica (me) and bottom: Jenna, (me), Rebecca, Lori, Rachel, Maria, Rachel, Heidi}
(photo credit, bottom 3:, Jenna, Lori & Kristen)

I was even able to hang out with a few of my fellow red-faced runners!
{Amy, Kristen, Lori, (me)}

Let's look at those gorgeous pears one more time.

 Thank you, Harry & David.  You have a customer for life.

reade more... Résuméabuiyad