Easy Bacon Frittata Recipe

 Book Reviews, Recipes  74 Responses »
May 102013
 

Thank you to Gooseberry Patch for providing a cookbook to try out this yummy frittata recipe.

Breakfast foods have always been some of my favorites.  Eggs, hashbrowns, pancakes, bacon.  They’re so versatile – and delicious – but I often end up serving them the same ‘ole way.  So when I saw the recipe for an Easy Bacon Frittata in Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook “101 Farmhouse Favorites” I knew it was the first thing I wanted to try.

While I’ve always enjoyed frittatas, this was my first time attempting to make one.  I’m glad I gave it a whirl.  It was easy to complete and makes a nice change from standard breakfast or brunch fare.

Easy Bacon Frittata Recipe

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Savory Cheese Biscuit Recipe from Gooseberry Patch

 Book Reviews, Recipes  85 Responses »
Mar 222013
 

Savory Cheese Biscuit Recipe from Gooseberry Patch's "Weeknight Dinners"

Rustic Cheese Biscuit Recipe

Rolls are one of my favorite things about going out to eat at a restaurant.  Almost all of them bring you a basket of rolls or biscuits, loaves of bread, or bread sticks.  Some have great flavored butters or provide you with dipping sauces.  No matter the form or the accouterments  it’s always good.

We do try and serve a few of our own bread sides with our meals at home, too.  Usually it’s heat-and-serve rolls or garlic bread, homemade cornbread, or on occasion a homemade loaf of bread.  One thing I’ve wanted to try that I hadn’t so far, though, were cheese biscuits.  They are a family-favorite when we go out to eat (Ashley says she could live on them) and I hoped that any homemade variety that I tried would be similar in taste.

Then I found this Savory Cheese Biscuit recipe in the new “Weeknight Dinners” cookbook from Gooseberry Patch.  The recipe was submitted to the cookbook by J.C. Schmeltekopf and they are extremely fast and easy to make.  They’re also really good.  Hubby had one and said, “Hey that’s good”.  Five minutes later he was saying, “Hey that’s really good” and kept commenting on them throughout the night.  Always a good sign! Continue reading »

Slow Cooker Recipes: Cheesy Pizza Dip

 Book Reviews, Recipes, Reviews  23 Responses »
Feb 152013
 

Slow Cooker Recipes From Gooseberry Patch

Slow Cooker Recipes: Pizza Dip from Gooseberry Patch's Slow Cooking All Year 'Round

Bubbles’ birthday party is next weekend and I’ve been working on our menu.  Most of the party ideas I found earlier were for sweets and decor; only one of them was for something to go with the meal.  And while Minnie Oreo pops and cupcakes sound delicious, I think our guests might also like something savory.  Appetizers, dips, and finger sandwiches all came to mind as they’re usually easy to throw together and people can graze while they talk and hang out.

My husband makes a great cheesy sausage dip that we often have for family gatherings and tailgating but I thought maybe for this party we’d have something just a bit different.  I don’t want to serve my guests anything I haven’t tried before, though, so for the last few days I’ve been cooking up small batches of dip to sample.  One that I found that I like is the Pleasing Pizza Dip submitted by Jennifer Crsip to Gooseberry Patch’s new cookbook Slow Cooking All Year ‘Round.

Slow Cooker Pleasing Pizza Dip

1 C ground Italian pork sausage, browned & drained
1 C pepperoni, diced
2 8oz packages cream cheese, cubed
2 C shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/2 C sour cream
2 1/2 C pizza sauce
2 1/2 T dried oregano
2 tsp. garlic powder
tortilla chips

Combine all ingredients except tortilla chips in a slow cooker.  Cover and cook on low for 2 hours, stirring occasionally, until dip is smooth and warmed through.  Serve warm with tortilla chips.  Serves 10-12.

Slow Cooker Recipes: Pizza Dip from Gooseberry Patch's "Slow Cooking All Year 'Round" Cookbook

What I love about this recipe is that you can mix it up to include your favorite pizza toppings.  I’m not sure if all our guests like mushrooms, but the next time I make this for just our family (for a football game or just to snack on during the weekend) I will probably add a small can of sliced mushrooms.  Or maybe ground beef instead of sausage plus a handful of diced bacon.  Lots of possibilities! Continue reading »

2012 Holiday Gift Guide: Bring Home The Sparkle Box

 2012 Holiday Gift Guide, Book Reviews, Christmas, Closed Giveaways, Holidays  9 Responses »
Dec 132012
 

The Sparkle Box (A Christmas Book)

Views From the 'Ville 2012 Holiday Gift Guide

We love reading Christmas books and are always looking for new ones to add to our collection.  The Sparkle Box by Jill Hardie is a new one for us this year and it’s a beautiful book.  It’s been a great reminder that not every gift comes from a store and that sometimes doing for others is the best gift you can give yourself.

The story centers around Sam and his family.  Sam is a young boy who is very excited for Christmas.  He loves the traditions, the parties, the holiday foods, and, of course, presents!  He’s very interested in a sparkling gift box that is beneath the tree but all his parents will tell him is that they will open it together on Christmas morning.

The Sparkle Box Christmas Book by Jill Hardie

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