Jamie Oliver's Empire Roast Chicken and Cookbook Giveaway {Now Closed}

Hello friends!  Did you have a nice Thanksgiving?  Hope so!  Mine was especially nice, since the week before my little 7 year old boy was in the pediatric ICU, diagnosed with a serious but fixable heart condition.  It was quite scary, but we felt very blessed that he was able to come home for Thanksgiving and that my parents could be with us.  They have his heart stabilized now and we have his surgery this Thursday.  He is doing really well now, in fact it is hard to keep him resting as the Dr ordered when he is feeling so good:)  Let me tell you this has been a nightmare and I can not wait to have it over with!  It is so hard to see your children sick.

But on to happier and less traumatic things...I have a fun cookbook to tell you about today.  I have always been a big  fan Jamie Oliver.  I love to watch his show on Foodnetwork.  He accent is adorable and I love how passionate he is about creating healthy, fresh and fabulous food. Have you seen his Food Revolution series?  It is pretty great!  Anyway this is his newest cookbook where he shares recipes that celebrate the rich heritage of his homeland.

Here is a partial summary from the book:

Having grown up in his parents' gastropub, Jamie Oliver has always had a special place in his heart for British cooking. And in recent years there's been an exciting revolution in the British food world in general. English chefs, producers, and artisans are retracing old recipes, rediscovering quality ingredients, and focusing on simplicity and quality. Jamie celebrates the best of the old and new (including classic British immigrant food) in his first cookbook focused on England.

Here are over 130 great, easy-to-prepare recipes, ranging from salads--Heavenly Salmon and Epic Roast Chicken; to puddings--Rhubarb and Rice Pudding and Citrus Cheesecake Pots; to Sunday lunch--Guinness Lamb Shanks and Roast Quail Skewers; and, of course, the crumbliest scones. America has already fallen for the new British gastropub cooking, with popular restaurants by chefs such as April Bloomfield of The Spotted Pig and the John Dory. Now Jamie shows how to make the same delicious food at home. This is definitely not your grandmother's mushy peas!

My Dad served a mission for our church in England, so it was fun to look through the book with him.  The pictures are mouthwatering, and Jamie's recipe introductions and explanations are heartfelt and delightful.  This is a great cookbook and i am happy to be able to give a copy away to one of you.  To enter simply leave a comment on this post and I will use random .org to pick a winner on Friday.

You can order a copy on amazon here.  

Before you get your own copy to explore, here is one of my favorite recipes so far,  straight from the cookbook:


 

EMPIRE ROAST CHICKEN

BOMBAY ROASTIES | AMAZING INDIAN GRAVY

Ask any British person what their two favorite meals are and I reckon most people would say their mum’s roast chicken, and a curry. Well, welcome to Empire roast chicken, a combination of both of those things. Your friends and family are going to love it. I love it. You will love it.

For the chicken and marinade

2 ¼ lb preferably higher welfare chicken
1 heaped tablespoon each finely grated garlic, fresh ginger and fresh red chile
1 heaped tablespoon tomato puree
1 heaped teaspoon each of ground coriander, turmeric, garam masala and ground cumin
2 heaped teaspoons plain yogurt
2 lemons
2 teaspoons sea salt

 For the gravy

3 small red onions, peeled
1 stick of cinnamon
10 cloves
3 tablespoons each of white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cups organic chicken stock
optional: plain yogurt, to serve

 For the Bombay-style potatoes

 1 ¾  lbs new potatoes
sea salt and ground pepper
1 lemon
2 or 3 tablespoons olive oil
a knob of butter
1 heaped teaspoon each of black mustard seeds, cumin seeds, garam masala and turmeric
1 bulb of garlic
1 fresh red chile, deseeded and finely sliced
2 tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 small bunch of fresh cilantro

Slash the chicken’s legs a few times right down to the bone. Get a baking sheet slightly bigger than the chicken, then add all of the marinade ingredients and mix together well. Put on a pair of clean rubber gloves, then really massage those flavors over and inside the chicken so it’s smeared everywhere. Don’t be shy! Ideally marinate overnight in the fridge.

Preheat the oven to 400°F and organize the oven rack so the baking sheet can sit right at the bottom, the chicken can sit directly above it, right on the rack, and the potatoes can go at the top. Halve any larger potatoes, then parboil them in a large pan of salted boiling water with a whole lemon for about 15 to 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are cooked through. Drain the potatoes then let them steam dry. Stab the lemon a few times with a sharp knife and put it right into the chicken’s cavity. Move the chicken to a plate.

Roughly chop the onions and add to the baking sheet along with the cinnamon stick, cloves, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce, then whisk in the flour. Pour in the stock or water, then place this right at the bottom of the oven. Place the chicken straight on to the bars of the middle shelf, above the baking sheet. Cook for 1 hour 20 minutes.

Put another sturdy baking sheet over a medium heat and add the olive oil, a knob of butter, the mustard and cumin seeds, garam masala and turmeric – work quickly because if the fat gets too hot the mustard seeds will pop everywhere. Halve a bulb of garlic and add it straight to the pan, with the sliced chile and chopped tomatoes. Add your drained potatoes to the tray, mix everything together, then season well. Finely slice and scatter in the cilantro stalks, and keep the leaves in a bowl of water for later. After the chicken has been in for 40 minutes, put the potatoes in.

Once the chicken is cooked, move it to a board and carefully peel off the dark charred bits to reveal perfect chicken underneath. Pass the gravy through a coarse sieve into a pan, whisking any sticky goodness from the pan as you go. Bring to the boil and either cook and thicken or thin down with water to your preference. Put it into a serving bowl and drizzle over a little yogurt. Get your potatoes out of the oven and put them into a serving bowl, then serve the chicken on a board next to the sizzling roasties and hot gravy. Sprinkle the reserved cilantro leaves over everything and serve with any condiments you like. Life doesn’t get much better.

SERVES 4-6

 

 

Blogging for Fishes {Giveaway Now Closed}

 

 

First, we want to thank everyone for the wonderful response we had on this post.  We have the best readers!  My heart was warmed as I read your comments, and as I saw how many of you purchased cookbooks for the Fish family.  Not to mention all the people who posted links on facebook and pinterest!  Experiences like this remind me of how many good people there are in the world.  Thank you!

The Winner of the "Blogging for Fishes" Cookbook is:

#53 Jennifer (There is a prayer in my heart for your step daughter).

Please email us at contact@thesisterscafe.com with your address, and we'll send you your new cookbook first thing Monday morning!

Today I write for you in the role of a mother more than that of a food blogger. I know that my effort to help this sweet family is really as a blogger.  I have not even met any of them.  But my mother's heart aches for them, and the mother in me wants to fight for them!  Ali at Lemon Poppy contacted The Sisters Cafe and asked us to join forces with 40+ bloggers to create a cookbook of our very favorite recipes in an effort to help mitigate the huge costs incurred by the treatment of two of the Fish daughters.  They have a rare gene dysfunction called Leaky SCID (Severe Combined Immune Deficiency).  Here is their story in their own words:

I know that there are many in the world who need help and the Fishes are not the only ones fighting uphill battles.   But my family and myself are healthy and strong, and we want to join forces with the world to help as many as we can!

"Blogging for Fishes" is not just a throw-away charity cookbook either.  It really is a good cookbook.  It is jam packed with tried and true favorite recipes of bloggers, as well as several of the Fish family favorites.  Each recipe is accompanied by a beautiful picture, and the pages are coated so that you can actually use this cookbook in the kitchen and not worry about little spills wrecking it.  The cookbook is available in printed form or as an ebook.  You can purchase it HERE.

You can also visit the family blog HERE to donate in other ways.

We are offering one of the "Blogging for Fishes" printed cookbooks as a giveaway.  Normally we share a recipe from the cookbook we are highlighting, but I didn't want to detract from the story of this family.  Just know that the recipes really are wonderful! Leave a comment to be entered, and we will announce the winner this weekend.

Ginger Cookies and "When Life Gives You Kids" Cookbook Giveaway

 

I love these soft and chewy ginger cookies.  I grew up with the crispy kind, and I do like those, too.  But there is something heavenly about a soft, chewy cookie... and ginger snaps are no exception!  This recipe is very similar to another one I make, but it uses butter instead of shortening which makes me entirely too happy!  And I don't know why I never thought of making gingerbread men with ginger cookie dough.  Let's be honest, does anyone really like true gingerbread?  Ginger cookies are so cute!  And so fun!  This recipe is part of the newest Lemon Poppy cookbook: "When Life Gives You Kids...  A Collection of Recipes for Life's Greatest Adventure!"  And it is jam packed with great recipes and ideas for kids of all ages.  My two year old is a big fan of Ali's and goes through her recipe book saying, "That look good!"  or "Mmmmm..." as he looks at each picture.  (If you want to see a preview of some of the recipes in the book, check out THIS post).  So if my little guy is any indication, these books should be a hit!  And a great gift for all the mothers in your life.  Visit www.lemonpoppycake.com to pick up one of these gems.

For the giveaway, leave a comment telling us what your favorite recipe for kids has been.  The winner will announced on Monday.  Good Luck!

Ginger Cookies
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source:  "When Life Gives You Kids" by Lemon Poppy

3/4 cups butter, softened
1 cup sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
2 1/4 cups flour
2 teaspoons ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon cloves
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sugar (for rolling cookie dough)

To make cookies: Cream butter and sugar.  Add egg and molasses and mix again.  In a separate bowl combine flour, ginger cinnamon, cloves, soda and salt.  Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined.  Roll dough into 1 inch balls and then roll in sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 8 minutes.  These cookies will be soft and delicious.

To make a Gingerbread Man: Chill dough for at least one hour.  Roll out on a floured surface about 1/4 inch thick, and cut with cookie cutters.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12-15 minutes (the longer you bake, the crispier the cookies will be).  Decorate cookies with frosting, candy, sprinkles and licorice.  In order for the gingerbread men to run away here is what you need to do.  Lay the decorated gingerbread people on a cookie sheet and place in the oven (with the oven turned off).  All the kids must go outside and read the Gingerbread Man story.  One adult must stay in the kitchen to watch for ay escaping gingerbread people.  Once the story is over check the oven...

Turtles are one of my favorite Christmas candies!  I say Christmas, because my mom always always made them at Christmas.  I think we all looked forward to them all year long.  So what can I say?  When I saw this Turtle Bars recipe, I couldn't resist.  I love that it has ingredients that you usually have on hand... and it is really really easy... and fantastic to boot.  Perfect combination, right?!  Thank you cute Ali for this little gem!

So here is a tip for this recipe: cut the bars while they are still a little warm, but then wait until they are completely cooled to eat and they will stay together better.  When they are warm, they crumble a little. Hope you enjoy!

Turtle Bars

Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: "When Life Gives You a Chocolate Craving..." by Lemon Poppy

2 1/4 cups flour
2 1/4 cups oats (original recipe calls for quick oats, but I like regular oats because they are chewier to me)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup butter, softened to room temperature
1 12 oz. bottle of caramel topping
2 cups chocolate chips
2 cups pecans, coarsely chopped

In a medium bowl combine flour, oats, brown sugar, salt and soda.  Add softened butter and stir until it makes crumbs.  Press three quarters of the crumbss in the bottom of a large cookie sheet (12 x 17 x 1 or 10 x 15 x 1).  Bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes.  Remove from oven and pour caramel evenly over crust.  Sprinkle with chocolate chips, pecans and remaining crumbs.  Return to oven and bake 15 minutes.  Cut while still warm (I thought they cut best slightly cooled, but still a little warm -- not hot).

Chicken Niko and Cookbooks to Giveaway

I am excited to share with you a sweet Southern Cookbook that has been such a treat to use.  'Second Helpings with Johnnie Gabriel' including a forward written by her cousin Paula Deen.  Good cooking runs in that family!  With a loyal following at her restaurant Gabriel's in Marietta, Georgia, Johnnie knows the secrets of good food!  This is her second cookbook, thus the title 'Second Helpings'.  It is a  fitting name, because you will definitely want more of her recipes after trying this dish!

We would like to offer 3 of our readers their own copy of this beautiful book, 'Second Helpings'.  Just leave a comment on this post by Friday at Midnight EST and the lucky winners will be announced on Saturday along with one more recipe from the book, Raspberry Cream Cheese Coffeecake.  Seriously delicious!  This is what we are serving for Fathers Day breakfast this year!

*For extra entries,either become a Sisters Cafe follower AND/OR blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway and leave us the link:)

Chicken Niko

submitted by Melanie from 'Second Helpings' with Johnnie Gabriel cookbook

6 Boneless chicken breast halves
1 cup flour
2 Tb Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp dried oregano, divided
1/2 cup milk
2 Tb olive oil
6 slices deli ham, cut into bite-size pieces
2 zucchini, sliced
8 mushrooms, sliced
1 onion chopped
1 tsp basil
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes
1/2 cup butter (I used 1/4 cup)
8 oz mozzarella cheese, shredded

Place the chicken breasts between plastic wrap and pound slightly with a meat tenderizer.  On a plate, mix the flour, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper, parsley, garlic powder, and 1 teaspoon of the oregano.

Pour the milk into a small bowl and dip the breasts first in the milk and then in the flour.  Set aside.

Heat a large saute pan on medium-high heat and add the olive oil.  Saute each breast until a nice golden brown color.  Place in a 13x9 inch baking pan that has been sprayed with nonstick spray.  Top with ham.

Saute zucchini, mushrooms and onions in the pan drippings.  Add the basil, garlic, the remaining oregano, sun-dried tomatoes, and butter.  Heat and pour over chicken.

Top with the mozzarella cheese.  Bake at 350  for 20-30 minutes until the cheese is melted.

Blueberry Syrup, a Giveaway and a winner!

Delicious Blueberry Syrup from Gathering of Friends Volume 3...recipe below:)

First of all, I wanted to tell our Utah readers that we will be sharing a recipe on KUTV channel 2 Fresh Living show at noon on Wednesday! We are excited and a little nervous! I am so happy to be going to Utah this week for BYU Women's Conference and to visit my family and friends! I can't wait:) I have been so busy getting my family all set to be Mom-less for a few days. I tell you it is a lot of work to leave 5 boys:)

Now for the winner of last weeks giveaway of volume #2 is...

"Steve O" who said...

"I love making dinner for my family. It has always been a way that I express my love for them. But, with three little ones and another one on the way I am always on the hunt for ways to make it easier for me and more memorable for us all.
Thank so much for your blog. I use it often and it alone makes my life easier!!"

Steve-o please email me at melandboys@gmail.com so I can get your new cookbook mailed to you!
This is the final week of 'The Gathering Friends' Cookbook giveaways and I am excited to announce that for the 'grand finale' we are offering the full set---all 3 of the beautiful cookbooks to one of our readers!


To enter just leave us a comment on this post. For additional entries 1) Become a Sisters Cafe follower 2) Blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway and leave us the link in the comments.

Also this is the last week of the Gatorade Sports Mom giveaway at Melandboys. Be sure to enter here for a chance to win $100 to Dicks Sporting Goods!

And I posted some of my favorite books here and would love to hear what your favorites are--I am on the lookout for some good summer reads!

**Don't forget the Buy 3 get one free deal going on now at The Gathering of Friends website. Perfect for the upcoming Mothers Day, wedding gifts, birthdays etc. Trust me any woman would love these gorgeous books. Even if they don't love to cook these books just look beautiful as part of a home's decor:)

Now for the delicious Bleuberry Syrup pictured above. Mmmm this was so yummy! The only note for this recipe that I would add is...you could adjust the sugar depending upon how sweet or tart your blueberries are. I used some wild blueberries that were very sweet and I think I should have cut down the sugar a little. Although I have to say my boys loved it sweet! We served it on homemade waffles with whipped cream and strawberries. Oh yeah!!

Blueberry Syrup

submitted by Melanie from The Gathering of Friends

2 cups sugar

4 Tbsp corn starch

2 cups water

2 cups fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp butter

In a heavy pot, combine sugar, corn starch and water. Cook about 5 minutes or until thickened. Stir in blueberries. Simmer for 10 minutes or until blueberries burst. Add the butter and stir until melted. Serve warm. Keeps in the refrigerator for up to 30 days!

Chicken Cordon Bleu, a Winner and another Giveaway

**First off the Winner of The Gathering of Friends Volume 1 is: YUMMY MUMMY who said: I would host a Mom's Dinner Gathering! I love my friends and I think they are Lovely Moms! It would be a way for me to showcase my cooking and it would give them a nice night out - a break! My hope is it would turn into a monthly gathering rotating homes! All Moms need a Girls Night Out! Here's to Moms, cooking and gatherings! :)

Sounds like a great idea! Please email me at melandboys@gmail.com and we will get the volume 1 out to you!!

For this week we have The Gathering of Friends Volume 2 to Giveaway! This volume, while just as beautiful and inspiring as the others, is set up a little different. Here is the description: The Gathering of Friends Volume Two, was created to cultivate the idea of “food as a love language,” empowering the reader with simple ideas to enhance mealtime. Five weeks of creative menu planning complete with shopping lists. Additional chapters feature effortless dishes, savory appetizers, garden fresh salads, hearty soups from the kitchen, and enchanting desserts: make this cookbook a splendid addition to every home.


I found this volume to be so helpful in making family dinners a lot easier! I am a HUGE believer in the importance of Family Dinner (You can read This week I would like to share one of our favorite recipes from Volume 2...

Chicken Cordon Bleu. I most recently made these when we had guests join us for dinner. It was a perfect main dish---so delicious and beautiful too! My favorite part was the wonderful cream cheese sauce it bakes in. Yum!! I also loved that the dish could be prepared ahead of time and go straight into the oven from the fridge. If you do that just be sure to plan an extra 15-20 minutes of baking time. You will love this recipe--it is delicious!!

Chicken Cordon Bleu
Submitted by Melanie ~ The Sisters Cafe
From the Gathering of Friends vol 2

3 whole chicken breasts, bonesless, skinless

1 lb thinly sliced ham

16oz swiss cheese (I used 8oz sliced package-just cut the slices in half)

8oz cream cheese (I used low fat)

2 1/2 cup hot water (I used chicken broth instead)

3 Tbsp granulated chicken bouillon (if using broth omit this)

1/2 cup white cooking wine

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

1/2 cup butter ( I cut this down by a couple tablespoons)

3 cups seasoned dry bread crumbs

toothpicks

Preheat oven to 350. Slice each chicken breast in half, cutting down the middle. Divide each half cutting through diagonally from side to side into three very thin pieces. Between two sheets of wax paper (or inside one gallon sized ziploc bag) tenderize the pieces on both sides using a meat mallet. Cut the swiss cheese into 1/2" x 2" cubes. Lay the chicken flat, place a slice of ham on the chicken and a cheese cube. Roll up chicken with ham and cheese, pierce with a toothpick through the middle to hold its shape. Place each chicken roll side by side in a 9 x 13" pan. If there is excess cheese, cut into cubes and place in the pan between the rolls of chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over the chicken. In blender combine cream cheese, water, bouillon and cooking wine, puree. Pour the sauce over the chicken rolls. Toss bread crumbs in melted butter and spread over chicken and sauce Cover with aluminum foil. Bake for 45-55 minutes. Makes 18 cordon Blue Rolls.

Fried Tomato Sandwiches and a Giveaway!

This week we would like to highlight a recipe from The Gathering of Friends volume 1 and offer one of you a copy of your own. I received this beautiful book as a Christmas gift from a dear friend several years ago. I spent the holidays going thru it page by page and dreaming of all the gatherings I would host that coming year. It even inspired one of my New Years Resolutions that year:)

I LOVE how this book includes 16 different gathering ideas, complete with a unique theme, coordinating recipes, table setting ideas, shopping list, and even a page for notes. This book is full of inspiration and directions to make entertaining easy and fun! I have since gifted this volume many times for birthdays, Mothers Day and Weddings and it has always been recieved with rave reviews!

To enter this weeks giveaway answer this question...

What gathering would you love to plan and why?  

For additional entries you can become a Sisters Cafe follower or blog about this giveaway on your own site. Just leave a link to your post in the comments section. Don't forget that buy 3 get one free special is going on now at the Gathering of Friends Website here. Perfect for gifts!

The recipe I am sharing with you today is from Chapter 14 'A Garden Brunch'. These little sandwiches are divine! Your guests will be asking for the recipe for sure!

PS My weekly menu is now at the top of Melandboys in the tabs!

Fried Tomato Sandwiches

1/4 cup butter

3 ripe tomatoes, sliced

5 oz cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar

salt and pepper

1 baguette cut in 1/4 " slices (20 slices)

Melt butter in frying pan. Place sliced tomatoes in pan and sprinkle with 1/2 of the sugar, salt and pepper. Fry for 4-5 minutes, flip and sprinkle with remaining sugar, salt and pepper.

Put baguette slices on cookie sheet and broil till golden. Spread with softened cream cheese and return to oven till cream cheese bubbles. Spread toamotes over open faced toast. Enjoy!

Gathering of Friends Cookbook Winner

The lucky winner of the 1st Gathering Of Friends cookbook giveaway is PAM who said:

"I would like to host a gathering of friends for several widowed ladies who are older and alone as a spring celebration of friends. I'd love the book - they all look wonderful." We think your little gathering sounds wonderful and this cookbook will definitely help you out! We will give another copy of the beautiful Gathering of Friends cookbook next week and share another fabulous recipe on Monday! You can also order one here --don't forget to pair up with someone for the Buy 3, Get 1 Free offer. Hope your weekend is nice! Love, The Sisters

Wild Berry Salad and Giveaway

I have happy news to share...remember the beautiful 'Gathering Of Friends' Cookbooks that I absolutely LOVE and have told you about before? Volume 1 here, and Volume 2 here. Well, I am excited to tell you about the brand new Volume 3 that is available now!

I love that The Gathering of Friends cookbooks were "created to introduce food as a love language, enhancing traditions, fortifying relationships and celebrating life."

Once again, this newest volume was obviously made with lots of love. It is full of gorgeous pictures, enticing recipes and lots of inspiring ideas to create beautiful gatherings for those you love. I would highly recommend this book for yourself and anyone else who enjoys creating beautiful meals for their family. This cookbook would make a perfect wedding gift, birthday gift, or Mother's Day present.

Right now on the Gathering of Friends website there is a special running-- Buy 3, get 1 free--it is the perfect opportunity to partner up with a friend or sister, you can both get one for yourself, one for a gift and save a little money while you are at it:) This is a cookbook that you will treasure!

Would you like to win a copy?

We are going to offer a month of 'Gathering of Friends' Cookbook GIVEAWAYS! I am going to share a recipe and offer a giveaway every Monday and announce the winners every Saturday! To enter go the website here check out volume 3 and tell me what gathering you would like to create. For a second entry become a follower of The Sisters Cafe. Good luck!
**This giveaway is now CLOSED. Thank you for all your comments! The winner will be announced on Saturday, April 9th.**

I made this salad last weekend and it was FANTASTIC! I did not have any *pomegranate vinegar, so I used 1/4 cup pomegranate juice and 1/2 cup white wine vinegar instead with great results! This salad was unique and very pretty. We loved it!


Wild Berry Salad
Submitted by Melanie ~  The Sisters Cafe
Recipe from The Gathering Of Friends Volume 3

•3 heads, hearts of romaine lettuce
•12 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
•1 c. pomegranates
•1-1/2 c. black berries, rinsed
•3/4 c. pistachios

Clean and tear hearts of romaine lettuce into bite size pieces and place in serving bowl. Add berries, pomegranates, pistachios and feta cheese. Finish with Pomegranate Salad Dressing, toss and serve.


Pomegranate Salad Dressing
•1-1/2 c. oil
•3/4 c. pomegranate vinegar (*see note above)
•1-1/4 c. sugar
•1/2 c. water
•1/2 tsp. coarse black pepper
•1/2 tsp. kosher salt
•2 tbsp. dried chives
•2 tsp. Dijon mustard

Combine all ingredients in a blender and mix well. Chill. Pour over salad just before serving.

New Orleans Egg Scramble and Cookbook Winners

I am happy to announce the winners of the "My Southern Food" cookbooks:

1. Meggan Hayes:
I live in Alaska so anything with fresh halibut, or shrimp, or king crab legs. I also run a small b&b so a new cookbook would be fabulous!

2. Mary Ann who said:
I served my mission in Tennessee, (see? I totally need this cookbook!) and I fell in love with grits, and biscuits and gravy. My husband and I lived in Iowa for 5 years, and my favorite from there is definitely sweet corn. We did our internship in Kansas City, and found the best ribs in the world. We now live in Utah, and what else could I say for here, but, FRY SAUCE!

3.Suzy who said:
I'm from Utah, but my husband is from Louisiana and loves it when I (try to) make Southern food! I'd love to surprise him with New Orlean's scrambled eggs.

Please email me at melandboys@gmail.com so I can get your new cookbooks out to you!! Thank you to everyone who entered! I am happy to announce that we have more cookbook giveaways planned for you during the next 6 weeks:) Stayed tuned! We love all of you and appreciate you stopping by the Sisters Cafe!

* Also I have partnered with Gatorade for a $100 Dicks Sporting Goods Giveaway on my Melandboys blog. Enter to win here.

Now for the delicious recipe--I forgot to take a picture--we were too excited to eat it! I will make it again soon though and add one then!

 

New Orleans Egg Scramble

submitted by Melanie ~ The Sisters Cafe

from 'My Southern Food' by Devon O'Day, pg 45

10 Eggs

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper

½ cup chopped chives

½ cup milk

2 TB butter

4-oz cream cheese (½ standard package)

In a medium bowl wisk together the eggs, salt, pepper, chives, and milk. Melt the butter in a heated skillet and then add the egg mixture. Scramble until the eggs are almost completely firm, and then equally distribute the cubed cream cheese and integrate into the eggs. When the cream cheese is warm, just beginning to melt, and the eggs are firm, serve immediately. Makes 4-5 servings.

Luscious Lemon Bites and a Lemon Poppy Giveaway!

These lemon bites are indeed luscious!  They remind me of a crumbly, lemon shortbread cookie.  I imagine them stacked neatly on a dainty dish and served with afternoon tea.  Mmmmm....So here are the tips I would offer with these cookies: 1. They worked out better for me when I used room temperature butter.  If you are softening the butter using the microwave, be very careful not to let it melt.  Also, avoid overhandling the dough.  It is necessary to press the dough into balls since it is kind of crumbly, but if the butter melts from your hands or you use even slightly melted butter, the cookies may turn out flat.  2.  Take them out of the oven when the edges are slightly golden brown and then allow to fully cool before handling.  They break more when they are hot.  They were done in 13 minutes in my oven.  3.  As with all cookies, show restraint and don't eat the whole batch in one sitting. (Do as I say, not as I do)

How many of us have had a lemon of a day, a month or even a year?  Hands down every single one of us, right?  These cookies came from a truly wonderful little cookbook: "When Life Gives You Lemons." Ali Eisenach from lemonpoppycake.com is responsible for this fabulous creation.  The premise of lemon poppy is to put life into perspective and have a good attitude... while enjoying good food!  When life gives you lemons, why not make Lemon Poppy Cake?  Or Luscious Lemon Bites?  Or any of the other yummy looking lemon recipes found in her little cookbook? She now has two other books: When Life  Gives Your Friends and When Life Gives You a Chocolate Craving.  All three are packed with 20 pages of tried and true recipes with mouthwatering pictures.  They are printed on high quality paper with UV coating, too (which means spills wipe off, they don't soak into the pages - a major plus if you're messy in the kitchen like me!).  You can pick them up at Tai Pan or you can order them on www.lemonpoppycake.com for $8.99 each.  A perfect Valentine's Day gift for the cook in your life!

So now for the giveaway...

Lemon Poppy is offering all three cookbooks to the lucky winner.  To enter, leave a comment giving Ali ideas for future books.  Fill in the blank: "When Life Gives You _________."  For a second entry, "Like" Lemon Poppy on facebook and then leave a second comment saying you did it.  ("Like" The Sisters Cafe if you haven't already, too!)  As always, the winner will be chosen randomly.  A winner will be announced on Wednesday, January 19th.  Good Luck!

Luscious Lemon Bites
Submitted by Mindy ~ The Sisters Cafe
Recipe Source: www.lemonpoppycake.com

2 cups of butter, softened
2/3 cup powered sugar
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 1/2 cups cornstarch

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Beat butter until creamy.  Add powdered sugar and mix until light and fluffy. Add lemon zest and vanilla.  Beat well.  Add flour and cornstarch and mix until well combined.  Roll dough into one inch balls.  Bake 15 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet until bottom edges of cookies are light brown.  Cool and frost with lemon glaze.

Creamy Lemon Glaze
4 Tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 1/2 cups powdered sugar

Combine butter, lemon zest, juice, and powdered sugar.  Stir until well combined.  Place cookies on wax paper.  Cool.  Drizzle glaze over the tops.

Tate's Cookies and Cookbook Giveaway

Mmmm I have been very excited to share this fun giveaway with you from the famous Southampton bakery Tate's Bake Shop! My family and I were delighted to receive the above package of cookies to try and let me tell you --they were FANTASTIC! I am usually a thick and chewy cookie fan, so I was a bit skeptical of these skinny little ones. But all it took was one bite and I was hooked. Tate's cookies are thin, crisp, and buttery with just a hint of caramel flavor. These cookies are seriously good. And I am not the only one who thinks so. Everyday with Rachael Ray magazine, in a 50-brand taste-test, voted Tate's #1—the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in America. Tate's has also been featured in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, as well as in the Washington Post, New York Post, and InStyle. Pretty impressive, huh?!


Not only did I enjoy the cookies but I have loved their cookbook written by Tate's founder Kathleen King with a forward by one of my favorites Ina Garten. This cookbook is full of classic, crowd-pleasing American desserts, all made with good fresh ingredients. According to Kathleen, “All the recipes in this book should take less time to make than it would to go to a store to buy a commercially prepared baked good,” so they're perfect for busy women during the holiday season!


Would you like to have packages of these amazing cookies and cookbook pictured above delivered to your door?
We would like to offer one of you just that! If you would like to enter this giveaway please leave a comment on this post. For a second entry become a fan of Tate's Facebook page here . Good luck! We will announce the winner (using random.org) on Wednesday morning.

Also Tate's Bakeshop is offering 15% off for Sisters Cafe readers from now until December 31, 2010 on all tatesbakeshop.com orders.
Just enter the code 'cookie' at checkout.


PS
Now two week "Menu Mondays" here
and an incredibly easy and cute DIY holiday pillow here.

The Gathering of Friends Volume 2 Cookbook Giveaway

Happy New Year!

As promised, we would like to introduce you to the second volume of

The Gathering Of Friends Cookbook

by Michelle Huxtable

Like the first book, I immediatly fell in love with this enchanting cookbook. It is a beautiful book, full of stunning pictures and brimming with promising recipes.

Not only is it a delight to look at, but it will be a great help with my New Years resolution to plan my weekly meals in advance.

It has 5 weeks of planned dinners, including weekly shopping lists to make it easy for you!

Then on top of that it contains 5 additional chapters of recipes, including Effortless Dishes, Savory Beginnings, Wholesome Soups, Garden Fresh Salads, and Enchanting Desserts. This volume has 3 times the recipes of volume one. I think you would all love it!

Once again we would love to give two of you a copy of your own.

Just leave us a comment sharing one of your New Years Resolutions this year.

The winners will be chosen using random.org on Friday January 8 (once my children are off to school!)

Good luck and Happy New Year to you, our wonderful readers!

For a sampling of the recipes go here

The Gathering of Friends Giveaway

I would like to introduce you all to one of my favorite cookbooks...The Gathering of Friends by Michelle Huxtable and Alyse Christensen. I was delighted to receive this from a dear friend last Christmas. It was one of my favorite gifts. The pictures throughout the book are beautiful, the entertaining ideas brilliant, and the recipes are 'tried and true'. I spent the holidays going through each page and dreaming about all of the gatherings I would host in 2009. In fact I was so inspired by this book , that it became part of my New Years Resolutions last year (see here).

As I have written about before, I firmly believe in the power and beauty of creating and sharing a nourishing meal with those you love. So you can see why I was immediatly pulled in by the preface of this book...

"To women everywhere who are part of this grand sisterhood, who derive great pleasure from hearth and home, there is something wonderful about carefully preparing and sharing a meal with another. Food is a love language. The Gathering of Friends will empower the reader with ideas of how to open your home to entertain ...to strengthen family bonds and encourage new friendships"




Volume 1 is full of 16 Gathering ideas, such as 'A Chrsitmas Celebration', 'Garden Brunch', and 'An Evening Gathering'. It comes complete with wonderful menus, stunning pictures of the table dressings, the recipes, and even includes the shopping list. It makes entertaining easy!

I would highly recommend this book as a perfect Christmas gift! You can order them directly at The Gathering of Friends website, click here. Right now they are running a Christmas special of buy 3 get one free. I have already ordered some for gifts and have volume 2 on the way for myself! I can't wait to receive it! I hear that it is set up a little differently with 5 weeks of meal planning with shopping lists at the end of each week. We will post about it and host a Volume 2 giveaway January for a Happy New year. But for now...

I am happy to announce that Sisters Cafe has partnered with with 'The Gathering of Friends' and will giveaway TWO volume 1 cookbooks...one from them and one from us! You will LOVE this book!

To enter visit the Gathering of Friends website (click) and tell me which recipe sounds good to you!

We will pick the winners on Wednesday using Random.org.

Merry Christmas everyone!