Cherry Turnovers

I made these turnovers sometime during the throes of winter.  You know, the winter that never ended.

The winter that dumped snow on us in April.

The winter that made me so thankful for SPRING!

Yeah, then. Turnovers just seemed like the right thing to do on a cold, dark night after supper.

My kids loved them.  Did I even need to tell you that.

I got the idea from the cherry turnovers my mom used to make for me and my brother.  Back in the day.

We loved them then.  Probably didn't need to tell you that either.

They're ridiculously easy and totally delicious.  Not really even a recipe.  But it is a bite of my childhood.  And now my adulthood.  And my children's childhood.

I love generational blessings.  And yes, I consider even cherry turnovers a generational blessing.

Cherry Turnovers

2 8 oz. packages Crescent rolls
21 oz. can cherry pie filling
1 cup powdered sugar
2 T milk
1 tsp vanilla (or almond extract is delish too!)

Unroll the crescent rolls and divide them into the triangles.  Lay on a sheet tray and evenly divide the pie filling on the widest part of the triangle.  Fold the smaller end of the triangle over on top of the pie filling.  Bake in a 375 degree oven for 17-18 minutes until puffed and golden.

Whisk together the powdered sugar, milk and vanilla extract.  Drizzle on top of the hot turnovers.  Serve immediately.

Spinach & Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

I've made this casserole twice recently and people have asked me for the recipe both times!

I absolutely love egg dishes with cheese and veggies.  Not all breakfast casseroles have to have meat in them, you know.  So I put spinach & artichokes in this one!  It's like spinach-artichoke dip baked into a breakfast casserole.

Even men love this one.

Spinach & Artichoke Breakfast Casserole

2 T butter
1 onion, chopped very small
12 eggs
1/4 cup flour
16 oz. container small-curd cottage cheese
15 oz. can artichokes hearts packed in water, drained and chopped
10-12 oz. frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 lb. shredded Swiss Cheese
1/2 tsp garlic powder

Saute the onion and butter in a skillet for about 10 minutes, until pretty soft.  Set aside to cool to room temperature.

Beat the eggs together with the flour and cottage cheese in a large bowl.  Stir in the remaining ingredients and the cooled onions.  Pour into a greased 9x13 baking dish and bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes, until just set.  Serve immediately or at room temperature.

Snickerdoodles

I made these for my brother because a couple of years ago, after knowing my brother for all 30-ish years of my life, he announced that Snickerdoodles are his favorite cookie.

It was one of the most random things I had ever heard him say.

Snickerdoodles?  I mean, whose favorite cookie is that, anyway?

My brother's.  Apparently.

This was news to me.  But good news, since I like Snickerdoodles.  They're fun to say and super yummy to eat.

So I made these for a family gathering at my aunt's house.  I took a plate piled high of Snickerdoodles.  I waved them under my brother's nose and then sat them on the dessert table.

Nearly immediately, the plate of freshly baked cookies were totally demolished.  My brother got approximately one cookie + a stray crumb out of the entire mound of cookies I took.  That's all that was left.

You can't dawdle in our family.  If you want something, you'd better grab it.

Otherwise it's gone.

But, of the one cookie + stray crumb he got to sample, my brother said these were the best Snickerdoodles he'd ever had and that I should blog the recipe.

That's a high compliment.  And that's why I'm blogging this recipe.

Snickerdoodles
2 sticks butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
2 3/4 cups flour
2 tsp cream of tartar
1 tsp baking soda
Heaping 1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup sugar
1 T cinnamon

Cream together the butter and sugar for several minutes in a mixer until creamy and totally combined.  Add the eggs and combine.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir (mixer on low) until just combined.  Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to make sure everything is combined.

Combine the cinnamon & sugar in a bowl.  Use a cookie scoop to make cookie dough balls and roll in the cinnamon/sugar mixture.  Place on a baking sheet (I line mine with parchment paper) and bake in a 350 degree oven for 6-8 minutes.  Do not overbake!

Creamy Spring Vegetable Soup

I know I've told you about the Greentree Tea Room.  It's a wonderful Lexington gem.

Lexington has lots of gems, you know.  But this post is about Greentree.  And its amazing soups.

See, when you go to Greentree, they serve one menu for the entire month.  It changes every month.  And every month is equally unique and delicious.

They always start you out with a bowl of soup.  I've had about six of their soups (meaning I've eaten there six different months of the year) and I've loved every single one of them.

The second course is a scone served with some type of fruit curd (April was blueberry curd…there are no words) and Fayette Cream.

You'll just have to make your own reservation at Greentree to find out what Fayette Cream is.

So the last time I had the pleasure of lunching at the Greentree, they sat this bowl of creamy spring vegetable soup in front of me.

It. Was. Divine.

So I came home and tried to make it.  It went pretty well, I'd say.  My family actually loved it.  They've never actually been to the Greentree (my husband wouldn't set foot in the place…totally a girl spot…and my kids are entirely too young.  I go there to get away from my children).  So my family has never had the real thing, but they did love my copycat version.

I was happy with it.  And I'm already planning when I can return to the tea room.  May's a new month with a new menu!  Fortunately, every menu has Fayette Cream on it.

Creamy Spring Vegetable Soup
Copycat recipe from the Greentree Tea Room

3 T butter
1 onion, chopped
3 carrots, small-diced
3 T flour
1/2 cup rice
6 cups chicken stock
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 cup hari coverts, chopped into bite-sized pieces (tiny green beans; I used Trader Joe's from the freezer)
1 cup corn kernels (I used frozen)
1 cup petite peas (I used frozen)
1 cup heavy cream

Saute the onions and carrots in the butter in a medium pot over medium heat for about 10-12 minutes, until tender.  Sprinkle in the flour and rice and stir around for about a minute.  Add the stock, salt, pepper and turmeric and bring to a boil.

Reduce to a simmer and cook for about 25-30 minutes, until the rice is tender.  Add the hari coverts, corn and peas and simmer for another 10 minutes.

Remove from the heat and add cream.  Stir well and serve immediately.

Creamy Spinach & Orzo

I made this the other night as a side dish with some salmon...it was awesome.

I just love orzo, and I had some spinach I needed to use.

The creamy combo was just delicious!

Creamy Spinach & Orzo

1 T butter
1 onion, chopped fine
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 T flour
1 cup milk
5 oz. package spinach, chopped
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 lemon, juiced
2 cups cooked orzo (about 1 cup uncooked)
3/4 cup romano cheese (or parmesan)

Saute the onion in the butter for about 10 minutes, until soft. Add the garlic and cook another minute.  Stir in the flour.  Add the milk and spinach and cook for about 5 minutes.  Add the remaining ingredients and stir to combine.  Serve immediately.

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Poppyseed Dressing

Spring is here.  My peonies have come out of the ground.  I was so happy to see them!  I can't wait until they bloom.

I carried white peonies down the aisle.  My bridesmaids carried pink peonies down the aisle.  Our groomsmen wore the nearly-opened buds of pink peonies on their tuxes.

Do I even need to tell you that it was beautiful.

And so it's only fitting that we have an entire row of pink peonies in our front yard.  I think we have 11 right now, which is perfect because our 11th anniversary is approaching.  I may need to add more this year.

I may cover my entire yard with them.

Anyway.  On to this fruit salad.  It was very fresh and springy and I ate an entire bowl of it for dinner because I was uninterested in the actual meal I had prepared for my family.

Should I blame my strange behavior on pregnancy?  Hormones?  Maybe I was tired?  Maybe I had done laundry that day.  I could keep going with my list of excuses but it doesn't really matter.

Who knows. Who cares.  This fruit salad was delicious and a big hit.  Will make it again.  You should too.

Fruit Salad with Yogurt Poppyseed Dressing

8 cups cut-up fruit (I used a combo of oranges, bananas, strawberries, apples & grapes)
1 cup vanilla Greek yogurt (I used fat-free)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup honey
1 T sugar
1 T poppyseeds
Juice of 1/2 lemon

Toss the fruit together in a bowl.  Whisk together the remaining ingredients and pour over the fruit about 20 minutes before serving.