Easy Holiday Dinner Tips with Hormel

Orange Glazed Ham

WOW.

Umm- are you guys busy these days? I mean- is your holiday season flying by like Santa on a jet ski? Yep, #sameboat. I actually just had to practice some deep breathing a bit ago to calm down about ALL that awaits me on my to-do list between now and December 25.

But you know what? There is HOPE. That’s right, there is a beacon of light that lies across that sea of gift wrap on your living room floor. It’s going to simplify your life, take one MAJOR requirement off of your shopping-bag laden shoulders, and allow you to breeze through the most pressure-filled of Christmas feats- the holiday dinner.

Ham Dinner

That’s right. The once-a-year celebration that involves your family, your friends, and those relatives that you haven’t seen in years but somehow arrive at your doorstep hungry and ready for ALL the egg nog. The people that you truly love and want to feel special around your table. The people you text on the daily. That dinner. The solution? Hormel is here to save the day- and help you feed everyone on your gift list with no host-stress. Pun intended:)

This season I had the chance to partner with Hormel for these easy holiday dinner tips to utilize all I’ve gleaned from my work as a food and prop stylist to create a holiday menu that is both easy to do and will formally establish you as the Holiday Hosting Queen or King. These dishes make simple, fresh tweaks to Hormel foods that are sure to please your fave people. It’s a menu that includes:

  • Orange and Rosemary Glazed Hormel Cure 81 HamThis ham is already cooked, and our glaze only has two ingredients! All we have to do is glaze and bake.
  • Golden broccoli and cheddar rice cupsPerfect for portioning out your buffet- especially when your relatives really love the sides; as in, ahem, maybe don’t leave much for those people behind them in line.
  • Fresh Sautéed Asparagus with Lemon ZestFresh trimmed asparagus + butter+ lemon zest. Voila!
  • Salted Maple Butter Sweet PotatoesUtilizing ready-to-go, mashed potatoes takes the boiling and the pulverizing out of the equation for you. Save that bicep strength for unwrapping presents later!
  • Sautéed Apples with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and Candied Pecans: Sweet apples with creamy ice cream and candied pecans. Yessss pleeeassee!

To see the WHOLE menu and all of the how-to tips, click here: Hormel Holiday Ham Dinner Hacks!

Oh AND surprise!! The Hormel team also took some sweet behind-the-scenes photos I thought you guys would dig.

Let the film roll begin!

Sharing my love of ham with the camera!
Sharing my love of ham with the camera!
Broccoli Cheddar Rice Cups
Our broccoli-cheddar beauties baking up in the oven.
Our Cherrywood Cure 81 ham and glaze ingredients awaiting their glorious debut.
Our Cherrywood Cure 81 ham and glaze ingredients awaiting their debut.
Warm cinnamon apples with vanilla ice cream melting into the fruit, topped with candied pecans for our dessert. Yummmmmmm.
Warm cinnamon apples, vanilla ice cream and candied pecans for dessert.
Fresh sautéed asparagus with butter and lemon zest deliciousness.
Fresh sautéed asparagus with butter and lemon zest deliciousness.
Sweet, caramelized glazed ham in all it's glory.
Sweet, caramelized glazed ham in all it’s glory.

You guys, my amazing readers and watchers- I couldn’t be more thrilled to share this video, and this season, with you. You and my friends and family- you guys are the ones that make holiday food special for me. And the fact that Hormel has made an effort to make this easy for all of us- well, I’d say that’s Luv Cooks style: having a blast, cooking delicious food, and making the people around us feel special.

So, from my kitchen to yours, may your table be full of the food, sparkle  and loving warmth of a hope-filled season. I can’t imagine anything more delicious.

Easy Dairy-Free Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

As a food stylist, you work hard all day to make the absolute best version of the food you are shooting come to life. There are times you end up on your hands and knees, using tweezers to remove stray thyme springs, spraying cilantro leaves with water, lifting pots to boil water; it’s that kind of physical and emotional investment.

I love food styling- and it’s super rewarding- but sometimes this feeling is also accompanied by a vow that you don’t want to see, or taste, or smell the ——- (pot roast, pot pie, slow cooker chicken casserole, etc.) for a while. Because frankly, you’ve worked with it for so many hours, bent over it with tweezers, and the dish made your hair greasy because you had to fry the chicken with metal pins in order for it to look good. Your back hurts… and you’re just tired.

Butter you up because you’re toast.

Stick a fork in you, you’re done.

I could go on, but you get the picture.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt on a Granite

I don’t normally crave what I have been working on after I make for a shoot. Except for…well, minutes later when I am starving. I love to eat, and Luv Cooks is special to me, and you are special to me because you read these posts (thank you, thank you, thank you….) And you know what else is really special? Besides Julie Andrews? Five-minute strawberry yogurt.

On my way back from making prop returns this afternoon, the late-summer heat was getting to my psyche. New bangs plastered to my forehead and dying of thirst (well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration), the air conditioner in my hybrid car was about as cold as dog breath and all I could think about was how I was sweating through my pants.

It was at that moment that I direly, passionately, wished I had some leftover strawberry yogurt in my freezer.

Too bad the hubs and I had already eaten it. Quickly after it was shot. Hopes=dashed.

But, I will say, this dire feeling gave way to an extra motivation to share this recipe with you. In the dire straits of early September in the South, when the vice grip of humid heat refuses to let go and make way for cooler breezes- everybody, I do mean evvrryybodddy, needs to eat something frozen. And refreshing. It does wonders for your mood; and ensuing hair styles.

So this Labor Day, bust out your food processor, whip up some fro-yo, and celebrate the end of summer, strawberries, and the sweet relief of an easy dessert. Cheers!

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Easy Five Minute Frozen Yogurt (recipe altered to be dairy-free by Just a Taste. Her site and recipes are so pretty and inspiring!)

This recipe is super simple and requires very little prep aside from squeezing fresh lemon juice. A tip for easy lemon squeezing- just roll you lemon around on your countertop before you slice it in half. The liquid comes out easier that way!

What You Will Need

  • 4 cups frozen strawberries
  • 3 tablespoons honey (I like orange blossom honey for this)
  • 1/2 cup dairy-free yogurt
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

What You Will Do

1. Add the frozen strawberries, honey, yogurt, and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor.

2. Process until the mixture becomes creamy, which should take about 5 minutes.

3. Serve the frozen yogurt immediately or, if you can wait this long, you can transfer it to an airtight container and store it in the freezer for about a month.

 

 

Celebrating Well and Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

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For readers of The LovingKind, you are, I am sure, well aware of how amazing Mattye is. She is a creative, a dreamer, a designer, a card-making extroidinare, and the BEST baker of gingerbread cookies I have ever met.
She’s also incredible at love. You know, the kind of care that decorates said gingerbread cookies for a certain friends’ post wedding party with a royal icing dress and accompanying bow-tie clad gingerbread man. The kind of hutzpah that feels so strongly about leadership that she is willing to step out of her comfort zone and give her talents on behalf of countless people through creative ministry. The kind of joy that squeals in delight over a candle and/or tray that she knows will make a friend’s new home just perfect for her. That kind of love.
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And this week, the week of the day of love, I am so excited for y’all to hear from Mattye on how we can best celebrate those special moments with the ones we love- marshmallows and all. Take it away Mattye!
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I love to celebrate. From big life moments to everyday ones, I believe celebrating is one of our greatest opportunities to enjoy life and make it meaningful.

I looked up the word “celebrate,” and Merriam-Webster had a couple definitions such as, “to do something special or enjoyable for an important event, occasion, holiday, etc.” and “to praise (someone or something): to say that (someone or something) is great or important.”

But, perhaps my favorite definition was this one: “to mark by festivities or other deviation from routine.”

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

It’s the “deviation from routine” that makes celebrations so enjoyable and special. When we take a moment to change our routine and say “you are special,” “this moment is important,” or “I’m grateful,” our environment changes and people are happy. As a believer in celebration, and I want to keep finding ways to be a better celebrator! In fact, one of my 2015 goals is to celebrate well (#33).

This got me wondering, what keeps us from celebrating well? I think the answer is that we often overlook chances to celebrate because we are intimidated, assuming we have to create an over-the-top expression for it to be a celebration. Additionally, as is so easy to do, we simply get so caught in our everyday flow, that we just don’t take the time to think about celebrating, much less to actually do it.

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

So, as Valentine’s Day, my favorite holiday, approaches, I wanted to share some thoughts with you to help make celebrating feel doable. And of course, Callie and I collaborated to share a fun, Valentine treat with you to inspire you in your own celebration of love this year! I hope the ideas I’m going to share will help you view celebrating in a new way, and make you realize that YOU can be a great celebrator!

There are so many ways to make moments, days, and people extra-special, and here are some that I practice, and want to continue doing more and more!

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1. Mark your calendar

The first step to celebrating well is to know what you want to celebrate. Marking your calendar for birthdays, holidays, and special occasions, is a great way to say “this is important,” which lays the foundation for making a heartfelt celebration happen. In the midst of your planning, don’t forget to leave room for spontaneous and everyday celebrations along the way! This could be anything from sending a note to a friend to say “I’m celebrating our friendship,” to baking cookies to celebrate that it’s Friday!

2. Dress for the occasion

As you can see in the photos in this post, I embrace this idea wholeheartedly in my Valentine-heart sweater and love-red pants! Whether you’re putting on your favorite dress for a date with your husband, wearing your favorite team’s colors, or covering yourself in hearts for Valentine’s Day, a great way to celebrate is to dress for the moment! Show people that you are excited and grateful through a celebratory ensemble.

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

3. Give a card

If you spend a few moments in the TLK Shop, you’ll see how much I adore greeting cards! Whether creating them or giving them, cards are one of my absolute favorite ways to celebrate what matters. A card is a simple, yet extremely thoughtful way to celebrate the moments and people you love! Whether it be a note to say, “I’m thinking of you,” a “Happy Birthday” card, or a “Congratulations” for a special milestone or accomplishment, handwritten cards are like mini celebrations in an envelope!

The Loving Kind treats

4. Make treats to enjoy and give

Just like the strawberry marshmallows we’re sharing with you today, a special treat is a tasty way to celebrate life! I love our strawberry marshmallows because they reflect the color of the holiday, and by dipping them in chocolate and sprinkles they feel whimsical, special and handmade. If you’re unsure about giving the homemade marshmallows a go, you can buy marshmallows and just do the chocolate and sprinkle dipping by hand! Last year for the launch of The LovingKind,which was on Valentine’s Day, I created goody bags to give out to friends with a tag introducing The LovingKind and with a handwritten note. This treat not only celebrated the holiday, but also an exciting launch! I had so much fun giving them and seeing people “deviate from routine” and enjoy a moment of celebration with their treat!

The Loving Kind cards

5. Gather people

There is nothing like the energy of people gathered together for a celebration. From my wedding reception, the biggest celebration of my life, to our low-key Christmas cookie swap we hosted this year, when gathered with others, there is a special feeling in the air of “this matters.” If you want to gather with others and plan an elaborate menu, gorgeous decorations, and a guest list two miles long, go for it—it sounds amazing! But just remember, it’s the heart behind the celebration that matters most. So, be confident that with the right heart, you can have just as meaningful moments with people around a pot of your favorite homemade soup as at an event trimmed, decked, and covered with all the fixin’s you can dream up!

6. Decorate

This is the area I am working on and hope to keep getting better at because I love when I enter people’s homes and can feel the spirit of celebration. If your entire home feels like too much, just pick one room or just go for the front door! One of my friends, Blaine Taylor, always has something on her front door celebrating the current season, and it makes me so happy every time I pass her home! Putting festive items around you and others just makes the space feel special and it’s a reminder to celebrate.

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Friends, I hope today you’ve found new ideas, and the heart of your inner celebrator has been encouraged or rekindled. In 2015, I hope you find yourself celebrating more and enjoying this precious life you’ve been given. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

 

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

What you will need for the marshmallows:
  • 1/2 to 1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar
  • 1 cup cold filtered water, divided
  • 2 tablespoons plus 2 1/2 teaspoons unflavored gelatin
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1/2 cup light corn syrup
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 large egg whites
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
For the strawberry swirl:
  • 1 pint fresh strawberries, halved and tops removed
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
What You Will Do:

1. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9×13-inch baking pan well with cooking spray. Scoop about ¼ to ½ cup confectioners’ sugar into the pan and toss the sugar around to coat the top and sides of the pan, discarding extra sugar.

2. In a large bowl, pour ½ cup cold water over the gelatin. Let it sit for a few minutes to soften.

3. Put halved strawberries and sugar into a blender to sit while you prepare the marshmallows.

4. In a heavy saucepan, cook the granulated sugar, corn syrup, remaining ½ cup water, and salt over low heat. Stir the mixture with a wooden spoon until all of the sugar is dissolved. Increase heat to medium, and bring the mixture to a boil. Cook without stirring the mixture reaches 240 degrees on a candy thermometer. Remove pan from heat, and pour sugar mixture over gelatin mixture (don’t worry if you now have a gelatin dome- just keep blending), stirring until dissolved.

5. Beat mixture with a mixer on high speed until fluffy and tripled in size, about seven to ten minutes. Once it gets so sticky that your beaters aren’t really working anymore- stop there!

6. In the bowl of a separate stand mixer, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Beat in vanilla and almond extract.

7. Add egg white mixture gently into the sugar mixture with your wooden spoon until combined and still fluffy.

8. Pour the mixture into prepared pan, using an oiled spatula (or spoon) to spread the mixture evenly.

9. Make the strawberry puree: Blend the strawberries in blender until smooth.

10. Use a wooden spoon to dallop 3/4 cup strawberry puree in center, then corners of pan. Using a toothpick, make a pretty swirl pattern, gently combining the strawberry puree with the marshmallows.

11. Chill in the fridge for a few hours and up to a day. I found it helpful to spray a piece of plastic wrap with cooking spray, then stretch it over the top of the marshmallows.

12. To remove the marshmallows, run a knife around the edges of the pan. Cut marshmallows in to a grid of your desired size. Use a spatula or knife to remove. Enjoy!*

Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

 *As you can see, Mattye and I fully embraced the celebratory nature of Valentine’s Day treats with a fun white and dark chocolate dipping station! All you need is some melted chocolate and festive sprinkles. We melted a Divine ginger chocolate bar and white baking chocolate. Once dipped, sprinkle the mallows to your heart’s content! This is the one case where double-dipping is officially allowed! :)Let the taste-testing begin!

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Cheers to homemade treats!
Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows
The true focus of our laughter…
Strawberry Swirl Marshmallows

As you can see, these mallows are officially endorsed by Mattye and I:)Happy Valentine’s Day luvs!

Gluten Free Toasted Pecan and Coconut Caramel Brownies

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People who bake know that there are certain things you just do. One, you use flour- sifting it with baking powder for cakes, sprinkling generous amounts of it on a board before kneading dough,  stirring fluffy white batches in for cookies. Second, you use an oven; prepping it until it is blazingly hot and then lovingly pushing your doughy creation into the heat box.

However, baking in the South is a bit of a different story. One, it’s ALMOST SUMMER and no one south of the Mason Dixon line should turn on their ovens. This general rule applies from the months of June until at October. The high outdoor temperature combined with additional indoor blasts of heat equals hair frizziness, a higher likelihood of swear-word-slippage and all-around moodiness.

But the second rule- always using flour- I thought was inescapable. What good cook makes biscuits without White Lily? I can’t bring a banana bread made with millet to a bridesmaids brunch! Where I grew up, it’s about like going to Publix without your makeup on and running into your former high school guidance counselor- nightmare! In so many ways in my life, it’s hard to escape that good ol’ Southern upbringing.

Recently, though, my pride hit the fan when I realized my stomach wasn’t bouncing back from a (let’s say, ahem, “international stomach incident”) like I had in the past. After doing some research, I realized that gluten can be a culprit in stomach uneasiness. And Lord a livin’, how this move from wheat has changed my life!

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Y’all- I feel so much better, my head feels clearer, and there is an all-around feel-good to my eating that I haven’t had for a long while. But it doesn’t change the fact that I still loooove sweets, and you know, brownies. So here is my attempt at baking a gluten-free recipe from the wonderful, beautiful, inspiring blog The Little White Kitchen. Because you can take the gluten out of the girl, but you can’t take the biscuits out of her psyche. Or the brownies.**

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**I’m still working on standing tall when buying gluten-free rice crackers in the aisle at Fresh Market.  If anyone out there has any additional confidence builders, please share.

Toasted Pecan and Coconut Gluten-Free Brownies (from The Little White Kitchen )

What You Need

One batch of brownie dough (recipe below)

One batch of caramel sauce (recipe below)

One batch of pecan coconut topping (recipe to follow)

What You Will Do

STEP A: Make the caramel sauce. Recipe is below:

Caramel Sauce

What You Need

  • 3/4 cup sugar
  • 2 tbsp. corn syrup
  • 1 1/2 tsp water
  • 3 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream
  • pinch salt

What You Will Do

1. Put the sugar, corn syrup and water in a small saucepan. Cook the sugar mixture over medium heat without stirring. With a pastry brush and some water, rinse off any sugar crystals that may form on the sides of the pan.

2. Gently swirl the pot as the sugar melts, but don’t stir (that could crystallize the sugar again). Just keep on swirling it, especially if one side of the pan starts to melt more quickly than the other.

3. Once the caramel reaches a medium amber colour, remove it from the heat and stir in the butter. Whisk in the cream and salt.

4. Set the caramel aside until the first layer of brownie batter has been baked. Keep at room temperature.

STEP B: Bake the brownies.

What You Will Need

  • 10 tbsp. unsalted butter
  • 1 1/4 cups sugar
  • 3/4 cup + 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 2 large cold eggs
  • 1/2 cup gluten-free flour blend (I used Bob’s Red Mill)

What You Will Do

1. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

2. Line an 8-inch square pan with parchment paper or spray thoroughly with cooking spray.

3. Combine butter, sugar, cocoa and salt in a medium bowl. Microwave on high for 1 minute and 30 seconds. Whisk until smooth and well-combined (It won’t be completely smooth here, but that’s ok).

4. Whisk in the vanilla, then whisk the eggs one at a time, stirring well until each egg is combined.

5. When the batter looks thick, shiny and well-blended, switch to a wooden spoon, add the flour, and stir until you cannot see anymore flour. Beat vigorously for 40 strokes more with your spoon.

6. Spread half of the brownie batter into the prepared pan and bake for 10 minutes.

7. Remove the pan from the oven and pour the caramel sauce carefully over the baked batter. Spoon the remaining batter onto the caramel and spread it out as evenly as you can with a spatula, making sure to leave lots of undisturbed caramel. Bake the brownies for another 18 minutes, then take them out to let cool (you can insert a knife or toothpick here to make sure they are done; there should be no crumbs left on your utensil).

STEP C: Make the Pecan Coconut topping.

What You Will Need

  • 1/4 cup butter
  • 1 cup shredded sweetened coconut
  • 2/3 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

What You Will Do

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter.

2. Add the remaining ingredients and stir until combined.

STEP D: Top yo’ brownies.

What You Will Do

1. Spread the coconut topping evenly over the baked brownies.

2. Set your oven to broil and make sure the rack is about 6 inches from the top of the oven.

3. Return the brownie pan to the oven and broil the topping until it starts to bubble and turns a nice golden brown. Make sure to keep an eye on it. Mine took a few minutes; I just kept on opening the oven door to make sure it didn’t burn. Once the tops of the pecans turn dark brown pull them out, they can burn before you know it!

4. Once they are ready, cool your brownies on a baking rack and then slice.

ENJOY YOUR GLUTEN-FREE DELICIOUSNESS! Also, these brownies will cut more easily if you can wait on them to cool, then leave them in the fridge for a bit (due to the incredible levels of carmel inside). #yumm