Delicious Dish Tuesday... Caramel Apple Martini

This Tuesday is an extra special Delicious Dish Tuesday because not only am a posting a recipe, but I am linking up with the lovely ladies at The Sequin Notebook for their monthly cocktail link up.   Being a bartender by night I always seem to have lots of times to come up with various drinks to please our customers when they don't want something that is on the menu.  Today I am going to share with you my Caramel Apple Martini recipe... it is a slightly new twist on a classic favorite!!

Elizabeth's Killer Caramel Apple Martini

Ingredients:
2 oz. Vanilla Vodka
2 oz. Sour Apple Pucker
Caramel Sauce

Directions:
1. Swirl caramel sauce around martini glass.

2. Pour vodka and sour apple pucker into a shaker with ice.  Add a small squeeze of caramel.

3. Shake vigorously for 15 seconds

4. Strain into glass.

5. Enjoy!!

Do you have a favorite cocktail recipe?

Delicious Dish Tuesday... Nan's Icebox Cookies

I know that Christmas is over, but before the holiday season has completely passed us by I wanted to share with you my great-grandma's Icebox cookie recipe.  This has been one of my favorite Christmas cookies ever since I was a little girl and I am so thrilled to have the ability to continue my Nan's legacy in making this cookie.  One of the funny things about making my Nan's cookies is that although we all have the same recipe, for some reason depending on who makes the cookies they all have a slightly different taste to them.  No matter what they taste delicious, it is just kind of amusing how they all always seem to taste differently.

Nan's Icebox Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. packed light brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped walnuts

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Sift flour, soda and salt.  Set aside.

3. Cream butter.
4. Add sugars, egg and vanilla to butter.

5. Gradually add flour mixture and nuts.

6. Turn dough onto large piece of wax paper and shape into bar 2" in diameter.

7.  Put in freezer until hard (I usually put it in the freezer overnight)
8. Slice into 1/8" thick pieces and place on cookie sheet.

9. Sprinkle with granulated sugar.

10.  Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown (in our oven it takes about 8 minutes)
11. Enjoy!!

Do you have any holiday favorite family recipes?

Delicious Dish Tuesday... Peppermint Bark

Before the Holiday Season comes to an end I wanted to share with you my (fairly) quick and easy recipe for Peppermint Bark.  I fell in love with peppermint bark years ago after trying some from Williams Sonoma and was determined to figure out how to create my own.  While I don't think mine is as good as the stuff I can get at Williams Sonoma (I swear they put something extra in there to make it so delicious and so addicting) but I think it is still pretty darn good!!

Peppermint Bark

Ingredients:
1, 12 oz bag semi-sweet chocolate chips
1, 12 oz bag white chocolate chips
1 tsp. peppermint extract
8 candy canes, crushed

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 250.
2. Line a 9"x13" pan with foil, letting it hang over the sides

3. Spray foil with non-stick cooking spray.
4. Pour the semi-sweet chocolate chips in an even layer over the foil.

5. Place in oven from 5 minutes until almost melted.

6. Remove from oven and smooth with knife.

7. Place in fridge until cold/firm (about 20-25 minutes)
8. Melt white chocolate chips in a double boiler until chocolate is almost melted.

9. Remove from heat and stir in peppermint extract.

10. Let cool a bit and spread over chocolate layer.

11. Sprinkle with crushed candy.

12. Chill until both layers are firm and you can break into bite-sized pieces.

13. Enjoy!

Do you have any favorite holiday recipes?

Delicious Dish Tuesday... Easy Peasy Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

It's that time of the week again... Tuesday... so you know what that means.... Delicious Dish Tuesday!!  Delicious Dish Tuesday is a weekly link up hosted by Mary at Eat, Drink & Be Mary, Alesha at Full Time Mama, and Amanda at Coping with Frugality.  I have found so many fantastic recipes through this link up, and have even had the honor of being the featured recipe twice!!

This week I am sharing with you a quick and easy peanut butter fudge recipe.  I love this recipe because it takes not even 10 minutes to throw together, but it tastes absolutely delicious!!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients:
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 bags milk chocolate and peanut butter chips
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Directions::
1. Line a 9"x9" pan with wax paper.

2. Pour sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips into a microwave safe bowl
3. Melt chips in microwave (I put mine in for 2 1/2 minutes)
4. Stir together.

5. Stir in vanilla.

6. Pour mixture into wax paper lined pan.

7. Refrigerate until cool.
8. Cut into squares.
9. Enjoy!

Do you have any quick and easy dessert recipes?

Delicious Dish Tuesday... Crock Pot Beer Can Chicken

It's been a couple weeks since I have participated in  a Delicious Dish Tuesday link up, so I figured it was high time I post another recipe on here.  Delicious Dish Tuesday is a weekly link up hosted by Mary at Eat, Drink & Be Mary, Alesha at Full Time Mama, and Amanda at Coping with Frugality.  I have found so many fantastic recipes through this link up, and have even had the honor of being the featured recipe twice!!

Everyone knows I am pretty much obsessed with crock pot recipes... Crock Pot BBQ Chicken, Stouted Pork & Kraut, Firey Chile Beef, and Smothered Beef Patties... just to name a few of the ones I have posted in the past.  Today I am going to share with you yet another quick and easy crock pot recipe.  This is a go-to recipe in our house when I need something that I can make when I have to work and want to cook for the hubby.  The crock pot beer can chicken takes pretty much 5 minutes to throw together and after some hours in the crock pot you have a delicious home cooked meal!

Crock Pot Beer Can Chicken

Ingredients:
2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
1 can beer (I used Guiness this past time... but have used a ton of different beers in the past)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 Tbsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions:
1. Spray your crock pot with non-stick cooking spray
2. Place all ingredients in the crock pot (I even throw the chicken in frozen!)

3. Cook on  high for 4-5 hours.
4. Enjoy!!

Do you have any quick and easy crock pot recipes?

Delicious Dish Tuesday... Dad's French Toast

It's been a couple weeks since I have participated in  a Delicious Dish Tuesday link up, so I figured it was high time I post another recipe on here.  Delicious Dish Tuesday is a weekly link up hosted by Mary at Eat, Drink & Be Mary, Alesha at Full Time Mama, and Amanda at Coping with Frugality.  I have found so many fantastic recipes through this link up, and have even had the honor of being the featured recipe twice!!

A couple of years ago my Dad stumbled upon a French Toast recipe somewhere that has become quite a favorite for our family over the  years.  It is one of those breakfasts that we make just about every time we are home in NJ for a special event... Mother's Day, Father's Day, Mom's Birthday, Dad's Birthday, etc.  It has become such a breakfast staple that I decided to make it for brunch for friends this past Sunday and let's just say that it went over pretty well with them! I think the secret may be in the bread, but whatever it is, it is just soooooo good!

Of course I took no pictures of the actual process this time because I was so focused on getting ready for brunch, but at least I have pictures of what the finished product looks like!

Dad's French Toast

Ingredients:
1 loaf Challah bread
4 eggs
1 1/3 c. milk
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. vanilla
1 container of strawberries (optional)
1/2 c. sugar (optional)
Powdered Sugar (optional)

Directions:
1. Slice loaf of bread
2. Slice strawberries and put in a bowl with 1/2 c. sugar (to use an an optional garnish for your french toast... or sometimes we soak the strawberries in Grand Marnier to make them extra delicious)
3. Beat together eggs, milk, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla
4. Heat a medium sized, lightly oiled pan over medium-high heat
5. Dip the slices of bread in the egg mixture, be sure to coat both sides of the bread.
6. Place in pan and cook until golden brown on each side.
7. Sprinkle with powdered sugar (optional)
8. Enjoy!

Do you have any family favorite breakfast recipes?