Jeremy's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Olives

 

 

 

Excited to share with you our friend Jeremy's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Olives that our Bethany came home raving about this fall after a visit to our friends ranch the Hamman's.  She said they loved these olives so much that they actually hid them to keep them all to themselves! 

Jeremy has been a friend of our family for many years in our Texas Hereford and Polled Hereford Association.  His love of life and sweet friendship is special to our girls and family.  His has a keen wit and is just a hoot to be around.   

Little did I know that outside of a Hereford cattle show Jeremy is a fantastic cook!  While at the ranch I understand he cooked several wonderful things.  I'm sorry I missed out and thank the Hamman's for having our Bethany in from Texas Tech for the weekend.

We love our olives stuffed with jalapenos, so wrapping them in bacon was something we had never thought of.   Bacon wrapped anything is way up on my list of comfort food!

I placed these olives in foil for easier cleanup of my baking dish.  Cooking time is between 35 and 45 minutes and I used the roasting element on my convection oven. 

I think I'll be try wrapping Feta cheese or garlic stuffed olives with bacon for our next party. It's especially good with pepper bacon and we used New Braunsfels Smokehouse Bacon which was a gift from our dear Hereford friends the Echols of Muleshoe Ranch for this first batch.  All our Hereford family is very dear to us. 

 



Thank you Jeremy for the fantastic new recipe for these olives!  We absolutely love them and now buy our jalapeno olives in bulk so that we are ready to make these appetizers on a minutes notice! They will be wonderful around the holidays and perfect to take to help out with friend's parties. 

Click here for Jeremy's Bacon Wrapped Jalapeno Olives

Enjoy your holidays ahead and here's another appetizer to wow your family and friends with!

 

Isn't my logo cute?  Thanks Bethany for the cute Christmas light addition to our logo! 

 

Sweet and Salty Toffee Crackers!

 

Sometimes genius hits!  This week after realizing I was almost out of brown sugar, one of the quickest and easiest desserts was created in under fifteen minutes. The results were delicious and as our staff at school said simply addicting.  These Sweet and Salty Toffee Crackers are one of my newest dessert creations that will be at every holiday meal from now on.

The secret ingredient to these little gems are the Heath Toffee Bits - Bit 'O Brickel Toffee Bits that top off the saltine crackers.  Just recently my husband and I have discovered Heath Bars and we love them and especially in the snack size bars.  Adding these little sugary bits made specifically for baking to the crackers truly took them over the top in flavor!

 



I used unsalted butter for the best results, but you could substitute with margarine instead.  The combination of brown and white sugars worked as well along with the vanilla to flavor them.  And for the saltine crackers the cheapest costing brand worked just fine.

These crackers will keep up to two weeks covered in an airtight container and would be perfect for the holidays ahead.

So the next time you are needing a delicious, quick and easy dessert to take to a party or just make for yourself or family, here is the perfect recipe.  I literally threw this together before taking my daughter to school in fifteen minutes. You can't get any easier than that. The extra cooking time in the oven with the heat turned off was a result of her needing to be at school and using the oven timer to stop the cooking as I drove away. 

Did I tell you how much I love my cooking timer on my oven? It's a must for busy cooks and times that take you away from your kitchen. 

Click here for the recipe for The Ranch Kitchen's

Sweet and Salty Toffee Crackers!

It's like I said...you never know when genius will hit.  Sometimes it's because you are a last minute, late to school mom who needs a dessert for a potluck at school and whammo you've created something wonderful! 

This was my genius for the week.  It doesn't happen often! 

Enjoy!

Alise

 

Sweet Potato Pie

Sharing this wonderful looking Sweet Potato Pie today from my friend Karen Steelman Shirley who I've know for just a 'few' years!  Karen and I teach in the same district and her happy spirit and kind heart is truly a blessing to me and her students.  

She posted on Facebook how she made this pie and I asked her if it could be shared on my blog.  In our little hometown we have a pie contest each year with sweet potatoes that are judged simply on the flavor of this vitamin packed vegetable.  The intent is for the spice not to overpower the flavor and I think her family recipe does just that!  

I like to bake my sweet potatoes on a foil lined cookie sheet, tips cut off and spray their skins with just a bit of oil.  

This would be an excellent addition to your holiday table! 

Sweet Potato Pie

4 sweet potatoes, baked and mashed
1 2/3 cups evaporated milk

1/3 cup butter, softened

4 eggs, beaten

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

11/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon salt

 

2 pie shells/crust, ready made

Bake four large sweet potatoes or yams in the oven on 250 degrees until soft to the touch (when you squeeze them they should feel like they will come apart).  This should allow you six cups of potatoes.  Mash them and add 1/3 cup butter that has been softened.  To this add 4 beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon of vanilla and 1 2/3 cups evaporated milk and all spices (nutmeg, cinnamon, salt, and ground cloves). Mix all together and beat well with a mixer until smooth.  Pour into pie shells and bake on 425 approximately 45 minutes until done. This will make 2 - 9 inch pies.  

Thanks so much Karen Steelman Shirley for sharing this pie from your family member Dale Montgomery!