Tag Archives: Recipe

Two Holiday-ish Cocktails

I have two new cocktails to share today, and I must confess that neither recipe is completely original to us. Saturday was our annual Cocktails & Carols party, and we had two signature drinks for our guests: the first was a Sage Ginger Sparkler and the second was a Jingle Julep. 

Sage Ginger Sparkler | Hannah & Husband

I found the first idea on Pinterest and, in turn, I found a beautiful blog: Local Milk. The blogger behind Local Milk is a photographer in Chattanooga, Tennessee named Beth and her writing is absolutely beautiful. I’d especially recommend reading what she has to say about the herbs in this sage ginger cocktail…

“…we can think of it as a tincture, as a potent medicine that lends itself to mindful savoring & promotes strength, prosperity, and cleansing…”

Sage Ginger Simple Syrup

12 torn, small sage leaves
1 inch ginger, minced
1 cup water
1 cup sugar

Bring all the ingredients to a boil over low heat stirring frequently.
Allow to boil until sugar is dissolved.
Turn off burner and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Store in the refrigerator.

for the Sage Ginger Sparkler

sage ginger simple syrup
crystallized ginger
chilled prosecco
sage leaf

We dipped the rim in simple syrup and crystallized ginger.
Add one teaspoon of the sage ginger simple  syrup to your glass.
Top off with chilled prosecco.
Garnish with a small sage leaf.

Jingle Julep | Hannah & Husband

The second cocktail was a Jingle Julep. The base of the recipe was found via HGTV Gardens’ twitter, but we mixed it up quite a bit. Here’s our take…

Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup

2 cups water
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups fresh cranberries
1 bunch rosemary (6-10 sprigs)

Bring all the ingredients to a boil over low heat stirring frequently.
Allow to boil until sugar is dissolved.
Turn off burner and let rest for at least 30 minutes.
Store in the refrigerator.

Ice

We put cranberries & rosemary leaves in these large ice cube trays. Top off the ingredients with boiling water and put in the freezer immediately. Boiling helps the water stay as clear as possible.

Jingle Julep

mint
Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup
bourbon
ginger ale

Muddle mint with a bit of simple syrup in the bottom of your rocks glass.
Add your ice cube and one Tablespoon of Cranberry Rosemary Simple Syrup.
Pour one ounce bourbon.
Top off with ginger ale.

 

 

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving Snack Recipe

I have a slight obsession with Charlie Brown so it is basically a given that my favorite Thanksgiving pick is A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. So this weekend, I decided to make A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving snack. Not being a fan of jelly beans, I used mini M&Ms for color. Enjoy!

Charlie Brown Thanksgiving snack, holiday, Hannah and Husband

 

Ingredients:

1 bag plain popcorn
1/2 bag pretzel sticks
1 cup mini M&Ms
1 1/3 cup white chocolate chips
1 Tbsp shortening

Steps:

Pop your popcorn. Then, by handfuls, put your popcorn in a larger bowl. The first time I did this, I forgot about all the un-popped kernels that may be in the bottom of the bag so my testers had to look out for seeds lest they lose a filling.

Next, mix in your pretzels and mini M&Ms.

Melt your white chocolate. You can do this over stove in a double-boiler or in the microwave in 30 second intervals. If you’re on the stovetop, you can put the shortening in right away. If you’re in the microwave, I like to wait about a minute and then add the shortening so it’s easier to mix.

Pour the white chocolate over the mixture and stir together immediately. Work quickly to make sure that the chocolate gets mixed in before it starts to harden.

Pour your mixture onto parchment paper to set up. Ours rested over night in the kitchen. The next morning, you can break it apart to serve!

 

 

 

Old-Fashioned Sugar Cookie Recipe from Woo-Woo

Woo-Woo's Sugar Cookie Recipe | Hannah & Husband

When I was little, baking with Woo-Woo (my grandmother) was one of my very favorite activities. Last year around this time, I shared the story of winning 1st place at the church baking competition with her pumpkin pie on my personal blog. This year, as we get closer to the season of family and houseguests, I wanted to tell you about her sugar cookies.

 Woo-Woo baked a few dozen sugar cookies for every holiday. They were huge cookies that were bunny shapes and Christmas tree shapes and snowmen shapes–all with a layer of pale pastel buttercream frosting. I used to think the recipes was her mothers. Then, when I finally got her to show me the recipe, she pulled out a newspaper clipping  that I believe she got from my Aunt Judy. It read: “Mom’s Soft Sugar Cookies”–so it was someone’s mom just not her’s! Regardless, each year when Fall arrives, I feel the urge to bake these cookies. They take a little time, so it’s worth it to make a couple batches at once and share with friends just like she did.

Woo-Woo's Sugar Cookie Recipe | Hannah & Husband

Cookie Ingredients:

3 1⁄4 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. soda
1⁄2 tsp. salt
1⁄2 cup soft butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg unbeaten
1 1⁄2 tsp. vanilla
1⁄2 cup thick sour cream

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-4

Woo-Woo's Sugar Cookie Recipe | Hannah & Husband

Sift together flour, soda, and salt.

Combine butter, sugar, egg, and vanilla.

Beat together and add sour cream and flour mixture gradually.

Wrap up the dough in plastic and stick it in the fridge for about an hour.

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-8

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-10

Preheat over to 375°F.

Roll out on a floured board until 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. (These stay pretty thick. The trick is to make sure that they’re all around the same size so that they cook evenly.)

Sprinkle with sugar, roll in lightly.

Cut into shapes and place on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown.

Cool completely.

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-11

Buttercream Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
1/8 tsp. salt
1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
2 egg yolks or 1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
2 Tbsp. milk

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-12

Cream butter until soft and add salt.

Gradually add part of sugar to the butter.

Blend in egg and vanilla.

Add remaining sugar alternately with milk until it is of spreading consistency.

Add food coloring. I have recently fallen in love with Wilton Gel Coloring. Start with an 1⁄8 tsp. because it adds a lot of bold color very quickly.

Ice your cookies.

grandmas-sugar-cookies-hannahandhusband-13

Click here to print the recipe, and please let us know if you bake any for the holidays!

 

 

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza

A few nights ago, my friend Cindy suggested we come over for a pizza night. Immediately my mind went to a laid back evening complete with plastic checkered table cloths and arcade games. However, when we got there she’d laid out a full antipasti spread fit for an Italian family much larger than our group of 4. (I’m both happy and ashamed to report this did not stop us from cleaning our plates.) Then, she prepared two pizzas: one a more traditional fare with tomato sauce and buffalo mozzerella, the other the sweet and savory pizza I want to share with you today. I added a few additions to the recipe Cindy used (no arugula or prosciutto were on the original rendition), but rest assured any variation will be absolutely delicious!

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza | Secrets of a Belle

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza

Ingredients:

Pizza Dough (We love Ree Drummond’s crust recipe.)

Trader Joe’s Fig Butter

Figs

Goat Cheese

Red Onion

Prosciutto

Arugula

Sweet & Savory Fig Pizza | Secrets of a Belle

We like to spread the dough out on our pizza stone, which is best when started in a cold oven and warmed up with the preheating process. Leave it in for 8-10 minutes–just until it loses that doughy look. However, if you don’t have a stone, you can skip this step.

Preheat your oven to 500°F

Spread a thin layer of fig butter on the dough and then dress your pizza with figs, goat cheese, red onion, and prosciutto.

Cook until your crust gets crispy.

Finish by throwing on a bit of arugula before serving. I think the peppery green is a nice complement to the sweet pizza. Although, my mother in law would pick it off and ask why I put “weeds” on her pizza.

 

Hello, Gorgeous!

If you’re a new reader, “Hello, Gorgeous!” posts are a round-up of beautiful, random links that are making me smile this week. Enjoy!

I have tried very hard to reign in the fact that I am a Disney fanatic for the purposes of this blog. But this little short had me at hello, and I just couldn’t resist sharing. I’ve been thinking a lot lately about the modern feminist movement and the tension that still seems to exist over ‘having it all,’ the definition of beauty, etc. etc. I’ll probably write about that at some point when my thoughts are a bit more organized.

In the meantime, I *love* the message of this video. I love how Disney is redefining & evolving a franchise so near and dear to my own heart, and helping little girls put value on things that really matter: bravery, loyalty, family, kindness… Enjoy!

 

myplate-first-lady-favs

This week in honor of MyPlate’s 2nd anniversary, the First Lady shared some of her favorite recipes on Pinterest! I’ve printed off a few to try and you should too!

I'd love to know who did this painting I found on Pinterest. Any ideas?

I’d love to know who did this painting I found on Pinterest. Any ideas?

:// Update on the paining above: A reader with a keen eye let me know that the above painting is actually a card from Black Olive Studio’s Hothouse collection! Isn’t that lovely? //:

Scientists in Great Britain have actually proven that a bit of bubbly really can boost your brain power. (Read all about on Forbes.com) You’re welcome, America!

illustration by Golden Cosmos for the NYTimes Book Review

illustration by Golden Cosmos for the NYTimes Book Review 

Looking for some summer reading ideas? I really enjoyed reading “What I Read That Summer” in the New York Times Book Review last Sunday. It’s a collection of short essays by famous authors about literary memories, and it is really beautiful.

Finally, were you sucked into Arrested Development’s Season 4 on Netflix for the past couple of weeks? Check out these 2 clips…

 

*Happy Sunday!*

 

 

Chicken Salad: A New Twist on the Southern Classic

Husband and I don’t go to restaurants too often. So at the beginning of the week, I sometimes make grilled chicken that we can use for fajitas, quesadillas, and salads. This paired with the fact that we eat a lot of salads, helps us eat healthy without a huge time investment on busy weeknights.

Chicken Salad | Secrets of a Belle

Last week, I got a bit hooked on a simple salad of spinach, green apple, & pecorino with a splash of sherry vinegar and olive oil. So, using that as a stepping stone, I decided to try a little twist on the Southern classic: chicken salad. Perfect for picnics, Sunday suppers, and busy week nights.

Chicken Salad | Secrets of a Belle

Ingredients:

2 cubed grilled chicken breasts

1/2 cup celery

1/2 roasted red pepper

1/2 green apple

Dressing:

1 heaping Tblsp minced green onion

1 Tblsp minced basil

3 Tblsp mayo

1 Tblsp sherry vinegar

Chicken Salad | Secrets of a Belle

Mix together all the ingredients and then serve on the bread of your choice. I think it’s best when dressed with spinach, a slice of tomato, and a little bit of pecorino romano cheese.

Bon appetit! 

 

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Huzzah! Strawberry season is here! Every year, I look forward to The Market in Maryville getting the first shipments of strawberries in from South Carolina, and last week it finally happened. Over the past 5 days, I have eaten more strawberry shortcake than most Americans will eat all year long. No regrets. So today, I thought I’d share with you one of my very favorite recipes: strawberry jam.

strawberry jam

Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:

2 lbs strawberries (it’s usually 2 containers)
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 of a peeled green apple (a natural pectin… i.e. the stuff that helps it turn to jelly)
1 tsp orange rind
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Instructions:

  1. Top & hull the strawberries.
  2. Use a food processor to chop berries into smaller pieces or just squish them up with your hands.
  3. Throw the green apple into the food processor as well or finely chop.
  4. Stir in sugar, orange rind, & cinnamon.
  5. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, bring the entire mixture to a boil.
  6. Turn down and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour, stirring every 5-10 minutes.*
  7. Once your jam reaches the consistency you desire, place in jars and let cool completely. Once it’s completely cool, store it in the fridge.

*For the first 20 minutes or so, you’ll need to remove the foam that accumulates on the top. The foam is really just a result of the boiling jam. It won’t really affect the taste, but it will prevent your jam from reaching the right consistency.

 

The best thing about strawberry jam is that it will make your house smell like the perfect Spring evening. It’s equally as yummy on toast as it is on shortbread, and while I’d suggest canning it, I can almost guarantee your batch won’t last that long. So turn on some Nat King Cole, curl up on the couch with your honey, and enjoy the natural aphrodisiac of Strawberry Jam. You can thank me later.

Is making jam just not enough for you? Consider heading to Dayton, Tennessee this weekend for the annual Strawberry Festival. Just looking for a new dessert? Might I recommend Alton Brown’s shortcake recipe? It is delish!

Super Happy, Fun Times with the Slaughters

Tennessee Roadtrip

Do you ever have one of those weeks that makes you look back and say, “Wait… what just happened?” We’ve basically had that kind of week. So, just for fun, let’s play a little catch-up.

Last week, I got in a wreck. (I’m totally fine–no worries!)

New Rides

The next day, Husband found me a new bike. It’s a Hollywood Cruiser that I have affectionately named Betsy Schwinn.

The day after that, we bought our very first new car: a Volkswagen Jetta SportWagen TDI. I now have a car that is not only gorgeous and comfortable but will hold large canvases, groceries, and my dog all at the same time. I am in love!

On Friday, we drove to Nashville to see Tower of Power live at the War Memorial Auditorium. ToP is Husband’s favorite band, and he has been trying to see them in person for about 15 years. They did not disappoint. We danced our way, along with Bestie and lots of middle-agers with hair reaching to Jesus, through an incredible show! If you aren’t familiar with them, here’s a little taste…

On Saturday, we drove south to Chattanooga where we heard some gorgeous music performed by the best high schoolers in the state–the stop was a carry over from  Husband’s band directing days. Then, we spent the rest of our day eating ourselves silly at St. John’s and the Stone Fort Inn’s Terra Mae. (We just love staying at the Stone Fort Inn. If you’re in the area, it is so charming!)

We wrapped up the weekend with a day of antiquing and (you guessed it) more eating with a show at the Tivoli. BILL COSBY! Can you believe it?! He was amazing. He was perfect. He was everything I wanted him to be, and I now find myself even more obsessed than I was before. I just adore him so much.

Finally, on Tuesday, we got invited to see a great show at The Bijou: Chris Thile with Brad Mehldau. It did not disappoint.

So that’s the gist. In between there were lots of other things but really, we are out of time and I could use a nap. So instead, please allow me to gift you the recipe for my latest drink of choice.

This Week's Sparkly Sensation

Pour yourself a glass of prosecco. (Cupcake is my personal favorite.)

Then, simply throw in a slice of lemon and a sprig of lavender from your garden. Trust me. It’s Springtime perfection!

Regular posting will commence again this weekend, with some BIG news coming next week. xoxo*

Snapshot of a Weekend

Gathering Recipes from Southern Living this weekend.

{picture from my instagram feed}

The weekend was absolutely lovely! The weather down South is finally warming up a bit. We spent hours in the sunshine playing games along the river bank and eating absolutely offensive amounts of amazing food! And, as happens every year around this time, I’ve come home with a pile of recipes. There’s just something about sunshine that makes me want to open the windows, let sunshine stream in the kitchen, and try some new recipes. One in particular that I’ve got my eye on is this Strawberries and Cream  Cake from the latest Southern Living. FYI: I’ll also be sharing a couple new recipes here on the blog later this week!

What about you?
Any new recipes your longing to try?
Anything I should add to my list?

A Sick Day Calls for a Hot Toddy

Today, I took a sick day (as did many in America if you watch NBC News). Tomorrow, we will be back to your normally scheduled programming. In the meantime, how about a little hot toddy? Sure to cure all your coughs, fever, aches, & pains.

Just what the Dr. ordered: A Hot Toddy | Secrets of a Belle

How to Make a Hot Toddy

1. Boil water, and make yourself a cup of tea.

2. To that add: a squeeze of lemon, a bit of honey, and a shot of bourbon.