Bourbon Balls for Mother's Day

I am getting into this bad habit of posting things way after they happen. I am going to blame it on the warm weather, summertime mind set, lackadaisical attitude with which I approach my free time now, and my inability to go inside until it is way too dark to be outside. Isn't that what summer is all about anyway? Grilling out, eating watermelon until juice drips off your chin, showing off farmers' tans with pride, and camping outside so you can (attempt) to count all the stars in the night sky. That is at least how I choose to spend my summers. Regardless, however, I apologize for my absence and promise that this post will make up for my dropping the ball (get it?! Dropping the ball... Bourbon balls... I have jokes today.)

As you know, I love to give homemade presents, and since I really am not much of a crafter, I tend to make presents in the kitchen. Quick breads, someone's favorite meal, jams and preserves, and in this case, chocolates! As you all know I work at the Woodford Reserve Distillery and thus decided to make some of the recipes that I have internalized for my mom for Mother's Day which, of course, features our namesake libation. This bourbon ball recipe, however, has some slight variations made due to my ill-equipped kitchen.

Woodford's own pecan bourbon balls... with my own special twist.

Pecan Bourbon Balls

1 cup chopped pecans

Woodford Reserve bourbon, or bourbon of choice

1 stick butter, softened

2 cups powdered sugar

2 tsp vanilla

2 TB bourbon

24 oz. semisweet chocolate, melted with 1 TB shortening

Toasted pecan halves

Cover the chopped pecans with bourbon and let sit overnight. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, set aside. Cream the butter, vanilla, bourbon, and sugar until fluffy but stiff, adding additional sugar if necessary or until the mixture is pliable, like soft Play-Do. Fold in bourbon soaked nuts. Roll the dough into balls, refrigerating the dough slightly if it is too soft to do so. Dip in melted, slightly cooled, chocolate to cover; top with toasted pecan half. Allow to harden at room temperature.

This is the best way to say Happy Mother's Day if you ask me.

Homemade vanilla: vodka, two vanilla beans, split but not scraped, and 2 weeks of steeping.

I might have spiked the chocolate a bit too... the more the merrier right?!

What homemade goodies do you like to gift?

It's Getting Squirrelly Around Here

Happy Valentine's Day all!

For those of you who are keeping track, this is our 50th post together! Can you believe it? Me neither - seems appropriate that it fell on Valentine's Day. I hope you all are having a sweet Tuesday!

Valentine's Day in particular is turning out to be a little squirrelly this year. As you may or may not know, I am a proud Alpha Gamma Delta sorority sister, and our mascot is the squirrel. Why? I am not sure, but rumor has it that we, as a sorority of women, look towards and prepare for our futures. Whatever the reason, look at all the wonderful Valentine's Day presents I received this year from my parents and grandparents - how they find these things I have no idea, but I am so grateful!

Yep - squirrel EVERYTHING! Cookies, grocery pads, dark chocolates, and a grey squirrel bookend.

How. Cute. Are. THESE?! Mommaw made these for me and my fellow AGD sisters for Valentine's Day, how  precious!! You can tell she spent a TON of time on these, but they were so well received - she certainly earned the "best grandma EVER" award. Really though, she does.

Excellent advice from a squirrel: Plan Ahead, Stay Active, Go Out on a Limb, and It's OK to be a Little Nuts. 

Things that are Pains in the Butt at the Time...

... but are totally worth it in the end include:

1. Flossing
2. An extra 30 minutes of studying before an exam
3. Singing Happy Birthday the loudest at every party
4. Laundry
5. Rereading a 21 paper one more time before printing it out
6. Washing your face before heading to bed

aaaaand.... boning a chicken.

Why is it that necessary life skills, such as learning how to drive without taking out mailboxes and little old ladies with walkers, or getting yourself up to go to work and class on time, no longer include how to properly prepare a chicken for roasting? I mean there are a million ways and counting to prepare chicken, but a good old roasted chicken is almost impossible to beat. The epitome of comfort food, a classic at its finest if prepared with care, you just can't go wrong. But yet, I got the hair-brained notion that boning a chicken and then stuffing it would be a great idea for something different for dinner last night, and by golly, bone a chicken I did. Armed with a few last minute refreshers watching YouTube videos, and my handful of experiences in the past, I dug in with my ultra sharp boning knife and (finally!) came out on top. Talk about a victory in the making.

I stuffed my now boneless bird with a cornbread stuffing, dotted with toasted walnuts, Craisins, rosemary, and fresh lemon zest. This was a play off our traditional Thanksgiving Day dressing, and goes to show that knowing a few base techniques will take you anywhere you need to go. My chicken turned out moist, succulent, complete with crispy skin and no finicky bones to mess with. And the best part? Finally eating the bane of my existence for a whole 34 minutes.

I pair my perfectly prepared poultry with roasted garlic mashed potatoes, braised kale greens, and rosemary gravy. Good thing my dad was feeling better (for the first times in days, poor guy has been sick with the flu for a good week now) because he himself said he would have been sorry to miss this dinner. I only aim to please - and to remind a chicken or two who is boss.

I had some melted chocolate left over from making biscotti the other day and, not having the heart to throw it out (as that seems like a sin to me) I allowed it to harden again until I thought of something creative to do with it. When life gives you melted chocolate, dip something healthy in it and call it dessert.

Dark chocolate dipped orange and clementine segments, topped with toasted almonds.

A Different Kind of Birthday Cake

It was my sorority sister's birthday a week or so ago, right before finals (so unfortunately she spent it studying for an Accounting final, poor baby) but I am not about to let her work through her birthday and let it go un-celebrated. I invited her over for dinner, along with the rest of my Alpha Gamma Delta family. We enjoyed Chicken and Biscuits, a spinach, orange, and pomegranate salad, and Peanut Butter Brownie Pie. I assured my family that all of these dishes had brain food in preparation for finals (vegetables, lean protein, pomegranate, walnuts, and dark chocolate.) Everyone seemed thankful for the study break, and my little loved the non-traditional birthday cake.

Brownie pie with peanut butter frosting, soon to be topped with  chopped Reese's