Potatoes Savoyarde: A Classic Gratin (for 2)

This Christmas was just me and the hubby so I looked up dinner for 2 recipes. He asked for scalloped potatoes and so I made this one extra special. I found some smoked gruyere at Sprouts and topped it with crushed ritz crackers. Knowing he would want leftovers, I doubled the recipe. I'm so happy that we still have potatoes from our garden. It turned out great and was a nice side for the ham steak (with a pineapple, maple, dijon mustard and brown sugar glaze); we also had creamed peas with pearl onions and fresh corn (cut off the cob). The hubby doesn't eat sweets during the day, so we'll dig into the cherry pie and Christmas Glühwein  later tonight.

https://www.thespruce.com/potatoes-savoyarde-classic-gratin-913448

Blueberry Ginger Kombucha

It only took me 6 months to overcome my fear of making Kombucha. Initially, I got a scoby from a generous neighbor, but kept putting off creating the final product. I even made a few new batches before finally knuckling down and following through. The hubby's body has been wanting Kombucha for a while now and so I decided it was time to stop paying $4/bottle at the store. I'm so happy I found this as the first recipe on Pinterest. The hubby loves blueberry and ginger combined with the probiotic value of Kombucha is a winner! I loved the flavor. So excited to keep this ball rolling. Currently the recipe only makes 1 gallon, and in this elevation, it takes about 2 weeks to get the perfect flavor. I think the hubby will probably drink all of this in less than a week, so I'll probably make 2-3 gallons in the future. I used passion fruit black tea for that extra berry flavor and in the next batch, I used mango black tea. Really excited for another recipe to try. Kombucha really is the miracle cure for intestinal health.

The finished product is in the quart jars and the new batch is in the gallon jar.

Here's the recipe that I followed for: 

http://fithappyfree.com/blueberry-ginger-kombucha/

Cabbage Rolls with Pomegranate Reduction (AIP)

We've been overdoing the sugars and fats, so we're trying to get back on the healthy path. Since we have an abundance of sausage, I'm now always looking for healthier dishes particular to pork. This recipe suggests lamb but German Sausage worked just as well. Also, I didn't want to mess with cutting up pomegranate, so I left out the seed in the stuffing and used pomegranate juice for the reduction. It tasted very asian with the ginger and cabbage. The sauce was a "sweet and sour" flavor that we absolutely loved. I would definitely make this one again for guests.

http://www.beyondthebite4life.com/2014/11/paleo-stuffed-cabbage-with-pomegranate-reduction-aip-friendly.html

Salsa Verde Enchiladas with Venison

A friend of ours traded pork for venison, so I perused Pinterest for guidance. I found this super delicious and simple version. I modified it a bit by cooking the venison and onions together and adding the spices all in one pot. I used pork broth to dip the tortillas in, sprayed the pan with olive oil, layered the meat, used green chili (canned earlier this year from our garden), sour cream and shredded cheese inside each tortilla and topped with green chili, rotel and shredded cheese. It tasted lighter/healthier than a typical beef enchilada recipe. Definitely a keeper. :)

https://www.nevadafoodies.com/salsa-verde-enchiladas-with-venison/

Fruit and Spice Rounds (Christmas Cookie Countdown 2017 #14)

Unfortunately, this is my last one of the season. Life decided that I needed to go back to school and study hard for the rest of the year. I am cataloging the rest and will get back to them when I have more free time. I really liked the flavor of these cookies, but I ran out of time to ice them. I ended up using them as breakfast cookies. I used the food processor to chop the walnuts, dates and raisins so that when you're eating them, they are well blended. I also didn't roll them out; I made them like drop cookies. I want to make them again, properly, according to the directions so that they are more visually appealing. I don't typically like raisins in my cookies, but this one has just the right combination.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/fruit--n--spice-rounds?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown12122017&_mid=187203&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Red Velvet White Chip Cookie (Cookie Countdown 2017 #13)

This one is by far my favorite for ease and flavor. As far as red velvet, I think using dark chocolate cocoa and the suggested "2 drops" of red food coloring didn't give enough red tint to the dough. I'm okay with that anyway. They are absolutely amazing chocolate cookies! I may not get to share this one. :)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/red-velvet-white-chip-cookies?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown12102017&_mid=186568&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Whipped Shortbread Cookie (Christmas Countdown 2017 #12)

I was relieved to have a quick easy cookie to make. I read the reviews and the only complaint people had was that the nonpareils didn't stick to the cookie. I ended up making dough balls then pressing them into a small bowl of nonpareils and it worked beautifully. The other important part about this particular cookie is to make sure you keep the dough balls small so that the cookie is bite size. Not an "amazing" cookie, but definitely one you could have with hot chocolate or coffee. :)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/whipped-shortbread?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown1292017&_mid=185562&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Strawberry Linzer Cookies (Christmas Countdown 2017 #11)

Ok, so at first I was excited when I saw this one and determined that I was going to do it right. I went to Michaels and bought an actual Christmas Linzer cookie cutter. Then I started on the recipe. Clearly, I need a LOT more practice with linzer cookies. I don't think it would have been so bad if I didn't have to add the egg white and almond topping. They ended up a messy, but yummy version. Oh well. At least I'm prepared to keep trying in the future. I actually find them easier and more enjoyable to make than decorating sugar cookies. :)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/raspberry-linzer-cookies?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown1282017&_mid=185329&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Saltine Toffee Bark (Christmas Cookie Countdown 2017 #10)

Not sure how this is a cookie, but, I've always wanted to try this one. The hubby, who LOVES toffee, thought it was amazing. Personally, a little bit goes a LONG way. It definintely is toffee. I wish I had seen the alternate instructions which state to use brown sugar instead of white. I think it would have been a beautiful brown toffee color. Nonetheless, it was a great bark to add a variety plate of cookies. :)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/saltine-toffee-bark?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown1272017&_mid=186228&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Santa Sugar Cookies (Christmas Cookie Countdown 2017 #9)

Sugar cookies are my least favorite because of all the time-consuming decorating. But....I will say, these were fairly easy--mostly piping and sprinkles. I loved using the heart-shaped cookie cutter; I could also see how these would make cute clowns for a birthday party. One thing to note is the size of the ingredient list. I try to always make a habit of reading other people's reviews and this time I'm glad I did. The recipe was supposed to make 48 but I definitely don't have time to decorate that many! lol Twenty-four was just fine. :)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/santa-sugar-cookies?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown1262017&_mid=185937&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Cherry Kiss Cookie (Christmas Cookie Countdown 2017 #8)

I love maraschino cherries and in a cookie? Even better. I followed the directions, but I think I would like to add chopped pecans in the dough and use maraschino cherries instead of hershey's kisses next time instead. These would be perfect for Valentine's day too. :)

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/cherry-kiss-cookies?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown1242017&_mid=185455&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Cuban Style Slow Roasted Pork

Picnic Roast can be fattier than a shoulder roast so I've been trying to find ways to cook it that make it irresistible. I typed "Picnic Roast" on Pinterest and came across this Cuban Pork recipe. Wowser! This is probably one of the best marinades I've ever tried. I wish I had the time to follow all the steps to the letter (i.e. marinade time, oven time to get it cooked and charred), but I settled for the good ole crockpot instead and it turned out great! I served with some rice and salad (with homemade Blue Cheese dressing). Definitely ruined my diet this weekend; I couldn't stop eating it! I think it was also extra good since it was from one of our farm raised hogs. :)

http://www.lordbyronskitchen.com/cuban-style-slow-roasted-marinated-pork/

Holiday Cornflake Wreaths (Christmas Cookie Countdown 2017 #7)

Day #7 of my cookie countdown to Christmas. I jazzed this one up a little and have a couple of tricks to help it come out looking great. 1. I added green food coloring to the marshmallows and butter. 2. I used regular cornflakes instead of frosted 3. I only used a couple of red hots (no sprinkles). 4. I had turned the oven on for something else, so when they were cooling off too fast and the red hots weren't sticking, I popped them in the oven for 1 minute and "perfecto"! 5. I then put them in the freezer to set up faster. If you don't like red hots, I think M&Ms would work great. It only makes 16 (and I had to get a little creative since I only have (1) 12 muffin tin; so you might need to double the recipe if you want more than that.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/holiday-cornflake-cookies?_cmp=CookieCountdown

Pinwheel Cookies (Christmas Cookie Countdown 2017 #6)

This one was easy to make, but took several steps (as in 2-3 days). I think next time I will freeze them then cut so that I get rounder shapes. My cookies definitely don't look like the picture. I will say though, I like the filling. It tasted like a liquid version of Terry's Orange. And once they were cooked, it was hard to stop eating them. *A word of caution, please use a good metal cookie spatula and take them immediately off the cookie sheet or they will get sticky and harden.*

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/pinwheel-cookies?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown1212017&_mid=185255&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b

Snowman Treats (Christmas Cookie Countdown 2017 #5)

#5 is a cute one. Again, I recommend making the night before and let it set overnight. The hardest part is strategically placing the mini chocolate chips. It's hard to pick them up and then not obliterating the white.  I ended up using almond bark as the dipper.

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/snowman-treats?_cmp=CookieCountdown&_ebid=CookieCountdown11302017&_mid=185079&ehid=dfef5f62f666e299097ce5854fb7aea035676b6b