See that snowflake? It’s really a tortilla. I saw those and knew I had to make them, for while it is cold enough to get snow right now, we don’t have the moisture to go with it. So I had to make my own. The originals had melted butter and sugar on them, which were very cute. But I chose to go savory so that I could dip them in hummus.

The key is definitely to heat the tortilla in the microwave for about 15 seconds so it’s pliable and then just cut it like you would a snowflake. Yes, it is harder to do than say cutting paper, but who cares if it’s not gorgeous, you are going to eat it and it’s way fun. Buy the biggest tortillas you can to make it easier to cut. You can go smaller but your shapes will be limited. Mine was limited as I was cutting left handed. Which was amusing unto itself.

Tortilla Snowflakes

flour tortillas

melted butter
sea salt
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Warm tortillas in microwave until soft and pliable. Fold into quarters or eighths.

Use scissors to cut out shapes and then unfold. Place tortillas on foil-lined baking sheet and brush with melted butter and sprinkle with salt.

Bake for 10-15 minutes (mine took WAY less time…like 5 minutes..so watch them), until golden brown around the edges. Cool until easy to handle and eat up. Eat plain or dip in yogurt, hummus, or any yummy dip.

To see a more step by step approach go on over to Our Best Bites.com

“Did you make bacon?” This was said not really as a question but more of an accusation by my bff. As in did you make bacon and I didn’t get any how dare you. How. Dare. You. But no bacon was in sight (and not because it was in my belly). I stood there rolling out crackers as he kind of sniffed around like a basset hound (apparently a hound with a cold since his smell was off). He finally did break down and ask what I was making, and I said crackers. I got the no that’s not what I smell look from him but I followed up smoked cheese crackers…and the little light bulb went off.

Trader Joe’s makes a blend of shredded smoked cheese that has a blend of smoked cheddar, Gouda, provolone, and mozzarella. It’s good stuff. Had seen on my time suck aka Pinterest people had made their own Gold Fish crackers and decided to give it a go with the cheese I had.

These would have turned out much better if I wasn’t in such a rush. We had great baking weather on Monday but I had stupid errands that got in the way. But I felt such pressure to try and squeeze baking in. So I rushed. And because of that…they are a little on the thick side. The ones that I bothered to roll out properly…i.e. the ones right in the beginning before I got bored of rolling stuff out are more like crackers. The ones where I got lazy, i.e. most of them turned out more like puffs. Which both were tasty, don’t get me wrong. I even made some in the shape of farm animals for the kiddos…but the adults ate most of the farm animals. I mean who doesn’t love a smoked cheese cow?

These are a fun thing to do with kiddos as you could have them help cut out the shapes or at least pick out the shapes if your kids are lazy like me. Anyway, you could make these with any cheese as long as say you weren’t going the Velveta way…and well that isn’t really cheese.

BTW- only a few more days (until August 31st) to VOTE for me! You can vote every day….please do.

Smoked Cheese Crackers

1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 tsp. salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper if so desired
4 TBSP cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
8 ounces grated smoked cheese blend (or whatever cheese you want)
3-4 TBSP water

Pulse the flour, salt and pepper, then add butter and pulse until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add grated cheese a little at a time until the mixture again resembles coarse meal.

Pulse in 3 to 4 tablespoons of water, one tablespoon at a time, and only enough so that the dough forms a ball and rides the blade.

Remove, wrap in plastic, and chill for 20 minutes or up to 24 hours.

Roll the dough out to 1/8th-inch thickness. You won’t need to flour the surface…or at least I didn’t. So try before you flour up. As discussed my version of 1/8th thick was not quite up to par.

Bake at 350° F for 15-20 minutes or until crackers are golden brown. If the outer edges your pan are done but the crackers in the center still need a few more minutes- remove crackers on the edges and bake the center crackers for a few more minutes.

Remove from oven and recut any squares that may be stuck together. Store in an airtight container for up to one week or freeze.

Adapted from Savory Seasonings who got it from Country Living

(Blackberry and Sparkling Wine Geletina…yep that’s dessert, not a drink!)

I am a stay at home kind of gal when it comes to New Years. There is nothing better than filling up on food and wine and then only having to walk three feet to the bedroom. Sam’s Club asked a few of us bloggers to throw out some New Year’s Eve party ideas. My theme was Simple New Year’s Eve. Alright, definitely up my alley. I was all good with this until I found out I had to come up with decorations. Umm, Martha Stewart and Sandra Lee I am not. There are not table scapes in my future. So I panicked a little, until one day I came in and my dog (I leave the TV on for her) was watching a painting show on PBS. The lady was paining a bowl a fruit. And there I had it. Fruit is not only art, but edible…and so it began.
Off to Sam’s Club I went to find as much fruit as I can. And what goes better with fruit, than cheese! You already know that Sam’s Club offers some great cheeses, I just had to narrow it down a bit. I planned my menu to have some fruit in every bite. But let’s keep in mind that nuts and olives are fruits too. No, it’s not cheating. I also planned my menu to be as simple as possible, often using some of the same ingredients throughout the party dishes. The Ballarini Gorgonzola is used twice in my appetizers, first in the stuffed dates, and then in the crostini topped with Gorgonzola and a Pear-Onion Jam. The pine nuts that are topped on the dates are also used in the Hummus, which to save time was the Sabra pre-made Hummus, which I buy on a weekly basis (especially the pine nut flavor).
Add a nice Feta Walnut spread that is super simple to make, and is made that much better with a few Diamond Walnuts candied on top. The Zeal Sauvignon Blanc pairs really well with the Feta Dip (lucky for me they had a chart of what wines go with what cheeses right at my Sam’s…because truthfully, I’m not skilled in that area ).
The centerpiece, which is essentially a bunch of fruit. But the fruit doubles as part of the appetizer as pears, grapes, and apples all go lovely with cheese. Or even better, how about a cheese that already has fruit in it, the Wensleydale Cheese with Autumn Fruits has both currents and apples mixed into and aged with the cheese. Yummy.
And for dessert, I went with something that usually surprises people. Blackberry and Sparkling Wine Geletina. Geletina is a fancy way of saying Jell-O. Yep, wine Jell-O. I know it seems a little odd. But if you are a champagne or sparkling wine fan, you will really enjoy these. I made them a few years back with Prosecco but tried them this time with the Beciano Mocsato D’asti. Either work. These are light and refreshing and what is a better way to toast the New Year than with dessert!!!
So head on over to Sam’s Club this holiday season to help make you New Year’s Eve party Simple and Easy. And have a Fruitful New Year! Feel free to come talk a little New Year’s Eve party planning with me over on the Sam’s Club Facebook Page.
*As always, I was compensated for this post, was given a Sam’s Club membership, and a gift card to purchase the food that is in the post, but opinions are that of my own.

If you want to add a little extra cheer in your New Year, why not enter the Sam’s Club “New Year’s Eve Resolutions” Twitter Contest. It starts at 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time (“EST”) on December 27, 2010 and ends at 11:59 p.m. EST on January 1, 2011.
You have the chance to win a 14-piece Cuisinart Cookware Set (Value $149.98)! I could use some new cookware right about now, how about you?
All you need is a Twitter account. Go to Sam’s Club Twitter page to become a follower of Sam’s Club. Tweet your response to the Contest question: “What New Year’s Resolution Have You Achieved?” using the hashtag #jumpstart and mentioning @Samsclub in the tweet. You have the option of tweeting their response on the Sam’s Club Twitter page OR their own Twitter page. However, the correct #jumpstart and @Samsclub must be present in the answer in order for the response to be counted as an Official Contest entry.
One entry per person. There is one winner and contest entry will be judged based on the clear relationship between the tweet and the following criteria: Originality (40%); Pertinence to Theme (40%); Difficulty (20%).
To see more info, go here.

(My attempt at a centerpiece )

Fruitful New Year’s Eve Menu

Appetizers:
Red Grapes
Apples
Pears
Medjool Dates Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Pine Nuts (recipe follows)
Feta Walnut Spread with Candied Walnuts (recipe follows)
Crostini with Gorgonzola and Pear-Onion Jam (recipe follows)
Hummus with Olive Tapenade and Pine Nuts (tapenade recipe to follow)
Wensleydale Cheese with Autumn Fruits and Keebler Entertainment Crackers

Dessert:
Blackberry and Sparkling Wine (I used Beciano Mocsato D’asti this time around) Gelentina (see recipe here)

Drinks:
Zeal Sauvignon Blanc

Beciano Mocsato D’asti

(Feta Walnut Spread with Candied Walnuts and Hummus with Olive Tapanade and Pine Nuts)

Feta-Walnut Spread with Candied Walnuts

8 ounces Feta Cheese, at room temperature
8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 TBSP minced parsley
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 cup chopped walnuts

Using a food processor, blend all the ingredients until smooth. Place spread in bowl and top with candied walnuts.

Candied Walnuts:

3/4 cup walnuts
1/4 cup granulated sugar
Pinch of sea salt

Place a sheet of parchment paper onto a baking sheet.
Using a medium saucepan, add sugar. Use a wooden spoon or any heat resistant spoon to stir around to avoid clumps. Sugar will turn liquid and start to turn a nice brown color. Don’t go too dark or it will be bitter.
Toss nuts into the caramel sugar and coat the nuts with the caramel. Sprinkle sea salt.
Pour onto prepared pan to let them cool.

Hummus with Olive Tapenade and Pine Nuts

1 (1 pound , 9 ounce) container of Sabra Roasted Pine Nut Hummus
Olive Tapenade
1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

Place Hummus in a serving bowl. Place tapenade in center of dip and top with pine nuts.

Easy Olive Tapenade
1 cup pitted black olives
2 cups green olives
3 tsp. olive oil
3 tsp. Balsamic vinegar
3 TBSP pine nuts
1 clove garlic, minced
Preparation:
Combine all ingredients in the blender or food processor and blend for a few seconds until smooth.

(Crostini of Gorgonzola and Onion-Pear Jam and Dates stuffed with Gorgonzola and Pine Nuts)

Crostini with Gorgonzola and Pear-Onion Jam

8 ounces Gorgonzola, at room temperature
8 ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper to taste
2 baguettes or French bread if you can’t find
Recipe for Pear-Onion Jam (get recipe here)
Using a stand mixer, blend together the cheese and spices until fully incorporated.
Slice baguettes thinly. Spread a generous tablespoon of cheese mixture on top of bread. Place under broiler until cheese gets bubbly.
Top with Pear-Onion Jam. Can be served at room temperature.

Dates Stuffed with Gorgonzola and Pine Nuts

1 pound Medjool dates, halved with pit removed
8 ounces Gorgonzola, at room temperature
8 ounces Cream Cheese, at room temperature
Salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup pine nuts

Using a stand mixer, blend together the cheese and spices until fully incorporated.
Pour pine nuts into a large shallow bowl.
Spoon or pipe cheese mixture into date half. Press cheese side into pine nuts, so that they stick to top. Serve at room temperature. Amount of appetizer depends on size of dates.

The first time I took my husband to a Sam’s Club he was in awe. See he had never been to one before. Or a warehouse club in general  for that matter. He was of the consensus that a warehouse club meant rows and rows of 100 pound bags or rice and beans. So when he saw things like televisions, jewelry, pillows, tube socks,  and what not he was a little like a kid in a toy store for the first time. I think a lot of people would be surprised what Sam’s Club has to offer. Especially since  not everything is be in bulk like people think.

Let’s talk cheese for example. I am fortunate enough to be in partnership now with Sam’s Club. And with that partnership came a LARGE box of cheese. Can you imagine? You come to the door and there is a large box of gourmet cheese just hanging out there. Calling your name. Free cheese. Free good cheese (disclaimer, in case you didn’t catch on Sam’s Club gave me 14 free cheeses). My mind was a little bit on overload, as well as my fridge at that point.

Then came the hard part. Pick your favorite. Ummm. That’s like saying to a parent pick your favorite child (but then again we all know I’m my parent’s favorite ).

Then once you found your favorite, make something on your blog with it. Did you know Mario Batali even made cheese? He does. I tried three of them. All good. But not what I was looking to bake with. I went through his Parmigianino Reggiano like nobody’s business though on just about every dinner we ate for two weeks.

I considered the Formage D’Affinois. Which is a French double-cream cheese that I thought I could do something with but in the end I decided I wanted to go blue. I had a few blue cheese offerings but decided for what I was making, the Maytag Blue was clearly the best choice. If you want to see all the cheeses that Sam’s is offering up (and there are quite a few) as well as enter to win a trip to Paris (Paris people!) then go here.

Maytag Blue for those who don’t know is produced by having each wheel made by hand, aged in caves (no, not the Bat cave…but wouldn’t that be cool?) twice as long as most other cheeses. What I like about it is its texture and the fact that it has a lovely blue cheese flavor but without being too blue cheesey. Which sounds weird but I think most of you know what I mean. And yes, I got my cheese at Sam’s Club.

I had originally thought about a blue cheese tart with a cherry compote, but truth is that Fall is here (wearing sweats as I type this) and stone fruit is on its way out. So I switched to pears. If you aren’t into wine you could always just poach your pears in white grape juice or even apple juice for that matter.  And to represent the fine Pacific Northwest I have hazelnuts from my friend’s tree. Which are candied because if you haven’t tried nut brittle or candied nuts with blue cheese you my friend are missing out! Technically you probably want to skin the hazelnuts, but that’s way too much effort for this lazy girl. I think the skins on worked just fine. More rustic if you will.  I must say these actually exceeded my expectations. I knew the flavors were going to go well together but I ate these in the blink of an eye. Well two blinks.

It makes for a very simple to make yet highly sophisticated (impress your friends!) dessert…or even appetizer, or lunch if you throw a little salad on the side. Throw in a pork roast and you have got yourself a fine Fall meal.  If you want more Fall ideas you can check out some ideas here.

Maytag Blue Cheese Tart with Poached Pears and Candied Hazelnuts

16 ounces pie or short dough (any recipe of your liking)

3 pears (I chose Asian pears), peeled, cored, and sliced

2 cups dessert wine (I chose to use an ice wine, but a Riesling would do nicely)

6 ounces Maytag Blue Cheese (which you can get at Sam’s Club), at room temperature

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/3 cup plus 1 TBSP granulated sugar

2 egg yolks

Candied hazelnuts (recipe follows)

In a medium sauce pan bring wine to a simmer. Add pears to pan and reduce heat, but make sure that the liquid is still simmering. Let them simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from liquid and set aside to cool. You will have left over pears, keep them to use as a topping.

Preheat oven to 350F.

Spray six 5-inch diameter tart pans to help avoid sticking.

Roll out your pie dough on a floured surface to about 1/4 –inch thick. Cut out six 6-inch circles using a paring knife. Line the tart pans with the dough and trim off the excess dough from the edges.  Prick the bottom of the tarts with a fork or knife to help prevent them from puffing up.

Blind bake the tarts for 15 minutes.  Prick the tarts again if needed (if they want to rebel and puff up). Let tart shells cool for 10 minutes.

Arrange pears in a circular pattern or just throw them in how you like (your choice) at the bottom of the tart shell.

Using a stand mixer (or a large bowl and beaters) mix together the cheese, cream, sugar, and egg yolks using a paddle attachment on medium high speed. Beat until mixture is smooth.

Spread the cheese mixture over the pears (I used an everyday spoon) evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until set and allow them to cool on a rack for about 15 minutes.  Add pear garnish and top with candied hazelnuts.

Serve slightly warm or at room temperature.

Candied Hazelnuts

1/2 cup hazelnuts, skins no skins your choice (I was lazy so went with skins on)

3 TBSP sugar

1 TBSP unsalted butter

Toast hazelnuts for 1 minute in a medium sized pan (non-stick is your friend here) over medium heat.

Add sugar and butter.

Using a wooden or non-stick spoon make sure that the nuts are coated with the sugar and butter mixture.

Pour onto a parchment-lined baking sheet to cool. Break up into individual pieces as best you can (use your teeth if you have to…kidding…kind of)

Disclaimer: I was given a Sam’s Club membership. I was given compensation to write this post. I was given compensation to buy ingredients to make my tart. Just so ya know.