Top Ten of 2010...and the Award Goes To.....

I am totally jumping on the Bloggy Bandwagon here and giving you the Siggy Spice Top Ten of 2010.  But since I like to bling things up a bit, I am handing out awards to my winners....you know, cause I am a fancy like that!  So...here we go!

First up, the "I Didn't Even Need to TWEEK it" award goes to......

                                          HOT HOAGIES



Next, the "Make Your 6-Year-Old Sound Like Gollum Saying "Myyyyy Preecciooousss" While Shoveling In Her Mouth" award goes to........

                            NIRVANA IN A BOWL



The "Holy NUTS, I Just Made Chinese Food That Taste's Like Chinese Food" award goes to....

                            SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN



The "Look at Me Being All Grown-Up, Sexy, Yet Totally Fun" award goes to...

                            BROWN BUTTER SEA SALT
                            RICE KRISPY TREATS



The "Most Versatile, Make Ya Wanna Turn On Your Oven in 100 Degree Heat" award goes to...

                             HOMEMADE BREADSTICKS



The "If Betty Crocker Were a Drug Dealer" award goes to.....

                           CARAMEL CRACK



The "Was Rated as Most Popular on Tasty Kitchen Until Some JackHole Rated it a 3/5 Because "I-just-really-am-not-a-fan-of-French-Toast"" award goes to.....

                                         FLUFFY FRENCH TOAST



The "ORIGINAL Have Your Drink and Eat It Too" award goes to:

                            CHOCOLATE GUINNESS
                            CUPCAKES



Next, the "Fugly But Scrumptious, Literally a Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner" award goes to.....

                            CROCKPOT CHICKEN
                            PARMESAN



Finally, the "How Porky Pig Got His Stutter" award goes to.....

                            DRUNKEN PORK CHOPS



Thank you SO much for making my 2010 an AMAZING one!  May your 2011 be filled with MUCH love, health, and happiness! 
XOXO

This post has been linked to:
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Mommy's Kitchen
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Frou Frou Decor

Cappuccino Chip Cookies and Fudge Puddles. It's a Cookie Two-fer!

I thought since we have a little less than a week left before those pesky resolutions ban us from cookies and sweet treats, I have a sworn and bound duty to share with you TWO spectacular cookies from our Holiday Cookie Palooza! 

First up....Cappuccino Chip Cookies from my friend Kim!  These are fabulous and were a great snack for Santa to keep his energy going to wrap all the gifts he waited until the last minute to buy visit all those houses!  This recipe makes a LOT (like 4-5 dozen) of these coffee-chocolatey bits-o-love, which makes them oh so very nice to share.

Cappuccino Chip Cookies

• 4 sticks of butter, melted
• 1/4 cup instant coffee crystals
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsp brandy or rum extract
• 3 cups sugar
• 3 eggs, beaten 
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 3 cups mini chocolate chips
• 5 1/2 cups flour 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Melt butter in a (very) large bowl.  Whisk in the instant coffee and extracts until the coffee is dissolved.
Add sugar, eggs, baking soda and baking powder; mix well.
Stir in chocolate chips.  Add flour in one-cup increments, stirring after each addition. Mix until flour is evenly distributed.
Form walnut-sized balls of dough, roll in sugar if desired.
Place 2" apart and bake for 9 to 11 minutes.

YUM!

Next up, Fudge Puddles, aka Puddles-o-YUM!  I can't remember where I originally saw this recipe, but when the lovely Tina from Mommy's Kitchen blogged these, I double bookmarked them to make.  They are so fabulously rich...perfect with a cold glass of milk!

Fudge Puddles

Cookie Crust recipe:

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 /2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 large egg
• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Grease a mini-muffin pan.
In a large mixer bowl, combine butter, peanut butter, and both sugars. Beat in egg and vanilla Next, in a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add flour mix to the creamy mixture. Chill in the fridge for at least one hour (or in the freezer for about 15 minutes). Remove from fridge and form into 1" balls.
Add 1 ball to each muffin cup. Bake for about 15 minutes or until very lightly browned. Remove from oven and make an indentation in the center of each ball. I used the handle of my potato masher, cause that's how I roll.  Let them cool in the pan for at least 5 minutes and then move to a cooling rack.
Once all of the cookies are done baking, it's time to make the fudge filling.

Filling recipe:

• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 cup butterscotch chips
• 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 14 ounces
• 1 tsp vanilla

In a microwave safe bowl or saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the nuts/sprinkles. Microwave for 1 minutes. Stir well. If there are still un-melted chips, continue to melt in microwave for 15 second increments until all smooth:
Immediately start filling the cookie cups with the filling. Work quickly to avoid the mixture hardening up on you.  Instead of using a spoon to fill each cup up with, I put the mixture into a Ziploc baggie and snipped the corner off to fill that way.  It went MUCH faster. Let set for an hour or until fudgey center has firmed-up.

YUM 2.0

These recipes has been linked at:
Nikkis Nifty Knacks
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen
Eat at Home

Tate's Bake Shop Box-o-Lovin' Winner

THANK YOU SO MUCH to all that entered the Tate's Bake Shop giveaway.  I am so happy to have had this opportunity to partner with Tate's for these yummies!  Unfortunately, there can only be one winner...congratulations MamaLinda!  You are the winner of the Tate's Bake Shop Giveaway!!!

Please email me to claim your prize.
Sending COOKIE KISSES to you all!  xoxo

Merry Christmas!

photo courtsey of NellArt

Wishing you a VERY Merry Christmas!  May your upcoming year be filled with MUCH love, health, and happiness!  Sending each one of you cookie kisses and candy cane hugs! 
XOXO
~Sig


p.s. - as a side note, remember the "beat the after Christmas blues" Tate's Bake Shop cookie giveaway ends tonight, so make sure to enter!

Cookie-Palooza 2010 and a Tate's Bake Shop GIVEAWAY!!!

So, right about this point, I am sure you are bake, bake, baking your little hearts out. I just hosted Cookie-Palooza 2010, complete with Pomegranate White Wine Spritzers. For some reason, we didn't get as much baking done as we had hoped, hmmm!

Thank goodness I was contacted by Tate's Bake Shop. They were OH SO generous to send me a box-o-love, complete with their famous Chocolate Chip Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, AND a Tate's Bake Shop cookbook to add to my stash! Now, I am supplementing my Cookie Platters with some Tate's as well!

Tate's Bake Shop is a bakery in the Hamptons whose Chocolate Chip cookies have been ranked "Best EVER" in many publications. These thin, crispy, buttery beauties totally live up to the title! And I am sure I don't need to tell you the happy dance I jigged when I got their cookbook as well. It seems to me, most restaurants that put out a cookbook never give up the goods. But this beautiful cookbook does! They put all the bakery favorite's right there in black and white for you to be able to recreate at home.
The GREAT news....Tate's is going to send one of YOU this same box-o-lovin'! Chocolate Chip Cookies, White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookies, Oatmeal Raisin Cookies, and the Tate's Bake Shop cookbook! How do you win this you may ask? Well, simply leave me a comment listing your "must have" on your holiday goodie platter.

And, because I think you guys are the BEST, here are some additional ways to get entries:

1. Become a follower on Siggy Spice. Once you do, or currently are, leave an additional comment.
2. Become a fan of the Siggy Spice Facebook Page. Once you do, or you currently are, leave an additional comment.
3. Become a fan of Tate's Bake Shop's Facebook Page. Once you do, or currently are, leave an additional comment.

As an extra bonus, visit Tate's website by clicking HERE. They are offering a super secret discount code good for 15% off if you order from their website by December 31st. Ready....super secret discount code is "cookie"!
I will use the Random Number Generator to select the winner on Sunday, December 26th. You know, the day after Christmas...to help avoid the after Christmas blues! Tate's is sponsoring this giveaway and is open to all US residents.

Roasted Veggies and Sausage - ONE POT LOVIN'

It is FREEZING here in ol' NC!  I mean, Denver is looking like a tropical getaway type of freezing!  Truth be told though, I am loving cooking and baking things in the oven without having to run the AC at the same time.  This dish is a definite winter staple and a favorite in our house.  Not only is it super simple to prepare, but it is completely versatile depending on tastes, mood, and/or what you have in your fridge.  So I am sharing it with you today as not a "follow-the-rules-or-else" recipe, but more of a guide that you can TWEEK as you like it. 
It is fabulous and kick yourself easy, so give it a whirl. 

Ingredients:

• 2 pounds red or gold potatoes, halved and sliced about 1/2" thick
• 2 packages whole mushrooms, 8-10 ounces each.  If they are large, go ahead and halve them.
• 2 red bell peppers, chunked up into large bite sized pieces.
• 1 large red onion, chunked up into large bite sized pieces.
• 1/3 - 1/2 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Enough to coat all veggies thoroughly.
• 1 TBSP Montreal Steak Seasoning.  That stuff is magic in a jar I tell you.
• 1 tsp garlic salt
• 4 TBSP butter (optional)
• 2 packages, 14 ounces each, Smoked and/or Kielbasa sausage.  Feel free to use Turkey Sausage, gobble, gobble.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a large roasting pan, combine all the veggies and toss with 1/3 cup of extra virgin olive oil to ensure even coating.  If all the pieces aren't thoroughly coated, add a little more oil, up to 1/2 cup TOTAL.  Sprinkle Montreal Steak Seasoning and garlic salt.  Use your hands again to toss well to make sure all veggies have some seasoning on it.  If you are in the butter is NOT optional camp, dot the top of veggies with butter.


BEFORE -
Make sure all the veggies are somewhat the same size to ensure even cooking


Cover roasting pan with foil and place in oven for 30 minutes.
Cut up sausage into single serving pieces, not bite sized, and set aside.
Once the initial 30 minute cook time is completed, remove from oven and remove foil carefully so you don't get a steam burn.  Place sausage on top of veggies and return to the oven with no foil on top.  Cook an additional 20-30 minutes or until the potatoes are tender and sausage is warmed thoroughly.
There you have it...easy peasy!
Once you pull it out of the oven, crack your oven door and use the heat you already paid for to help heat the house!
Stay warm my friends!

This recipe has been linked to:
Nikkis Nifty Knacks
Eat at Home Cooks

Caramel Crack

If Betty Crocker was a drug dealer, this is what she would be slinging.
This little gem is very much like the Apricot/Raspberry Crumb Bars but filled with caramel and chocolate.
Add this one to your holiday platter and have all your friends and neighbors mowing your lawn and bringing you coffee for an entire year!

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks melted butter
• 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups flour
• 2 cups oatmeal
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/3-3/4 bag of chocolate chips, depending how chocolately you like it
• 1 jar (10 ounces-ish) of caramel topping.  I used the Fleur de Sel Caramel Sauce from Trader Joe's, but you could use Smucker's or Mrs. Richardson's. 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
Grease a 9"x13" baking pan.
Combine the brown sugar, flour, oatmeal, baking soda & salt. Add melted butter and  mix until crumbly.
Press HALF of the mixture into the bottom of the prepared pan and bake for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and spread the jar of caramel topping on top, followed by the chocolate chips.  Sprinkle the remaining prepared dough mixture over the top.
Place back in oven and bake for an additional 15 -20 minutes, until it's a light golden brown.
Allow to cool and chill completely before cutting them into squares.  Go forth and gorge!

Recipe Source:  I have been making it for a while and do not know where I first saw it

Recipe linked to:
Frou Frou Decor
Tidy Mom
Simply Sweet Home
Mommy's Kitchen

It's a winner!

First off, I would like to thank everyone who entered to win the Trader Joe's Holiday Yummies Giveaway!  I loved reading every single comment :)
Just so everyone knows what was done here, entry numbers 1-53 are those that submitted or linked up a recipe for the Thanksgiving Extravaganza.  Entry Numbers 54-152 are the comments on the post, and entry numbers 153-157 are from the last chance entry regarding the Swedish Chef on Face Book.
Drum Roll Please......

Congratulations Anthony, Jackie, and Ayden!
Please contact me to claim your bag-o-yum!

THE Pecan Pie with Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce

She said it was the pie that would make you cry...and she was right. 
THIS pie was THE highlight of our Thanksgiving feast.  It was just perfect....and the sauce.  Holy guacamole Batman!  This sauce was completely divine and I am squeezing my squishy brain to find out what else I can drizzle it over...bread pudding....pumpkin cheesecake....toast. 
It was immediately requested to come back at Christmas, or Tuesday, which ever comes first.
Seriously guys, give this one a try!

Pecan Pie with Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce
recipe adapted from  Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1 whole unbaked pie crust.  Make your own or take some help from the store.  I used Trader Joe's frozen pie crust, cuz that's how I roll...
• 1 cup white sugar
• 3 TBSP brown sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup dark karo syrup
• 1 tsp vanilla
• ⅓ cups butter (salted), melted
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1 heaping cup chopped Pecans.  I found the chopped pecans made a HUGE difference!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix sugar, brown sugar, salt, corn syrup, butter, eggs, and vanilla together in a bowl.
Pour chopped pecans in the bottom of the unbaked pie shell.
Pour syrup mixture over the top. Cover top and crust lightly/gently with foil and bake for 40 minutes. Remove foil, then continue baking for 20 minutes, being careful not to burn the crust or pecans.
NOTE: PIE SHOULD NOT BE OVERLY JIGGLY WHEN YOU REMOVE IT FROM THE OVEN. If it shakes a lot, cover with foil and bake for an additional 10 minutes or until set.

Whiskey Maple Cream Sauce
recipe from Pioneer Woman

Ingredients:

• 1-½ cup Heavy Cream
• 5 TBSP pure Maple Syrup. NOT Mrs. Butterworths...REAL Maple Syrup!
• 3 TBSP light Corn Syrup
• 1 TBSP Whiskey (can Add More If Desired)

Combine cream, maple syrup, and corn syrup in a saucepan and stir to combine. Cook over medium-low to medium heat, stirring constantly, for 15 minutes or until sauce is reduced and thick (sauce should bubble slightly as it’s cooking.)
When sauce is thick, remove from heat and stir in whiskey. Return to heat for a couple of minutes, stirring constantly.
Pour into a container and refrigerate until completely chilled. Stir before serving

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And now, for the moment you have all been waiting for...for an extra entry for the super yummy Trader Joe's giveaway, click HERE and leave the super secret word "PECAN PIE" in the comments section!

This recipe is linked to:
Nikki's Nifty Knacks
Simply Sweet Home
Tidy Mom
Frou Frou Decor
Mommy's Kitchen