Grits Casserole

Hey there everyone-

This recipe comes with a backstory. Though not a native, I grew up mostly in the Bible-Belt-South, where grits are quite an easy commodity to come by. While I didn't eat too much southern food, being raised by transplanted northerners, I've been eating grits for as long as I can remember. I usually just whip up a serving and add enough cheddar cheese to make it orange- I like 'em cheesy! I didn't realize exactly the extent to which grits were a regional food until I moved clear across the country to the Pacific Northwest, where grits are not an easy thing to find.

I'd been hankering for some grits casserole, a strong southern standby, but couldn't find grits anywhere. I was even considering ordering some online!! But through a huge stroke of luck, the BF's mom sent me over a bag of grits she found (Thank You!!!), and I was in business. I kept it simple this time, just some straight up cheesy grits casserole, though you can take it a lot of different ways- add in some veggies or some fried up bacon or sausage- YUM!

The arsenal: I always use these ingredients as a base- though personally I can do without the Worcestershire- make them how you like it!

Boil your grits until thickened...

Then stir in your combined milk and eggs, and butter. Then stir in the cheese!

Pour grits into a greased 2qt baking dish, and bake 35-40 minutes, then let stand 10 minutes.

Grits Casserole
(note: feel free to add-in whatever you like- some sauteed veggies, some fried up sausage or bacon- go wild!)
-4 cups water
-1 cup grits
-1/2 teaspoon (and more to taste) salt
-1/2 cup milk
-3 tablespoons butter
-2 eggs, lightly beaten
-2+ cups cheddar cheese (I like mine reaaalllllyyy cheesy)
-just a sprinkle of cayenne and paprika
(optional: add in some crisped bacon or sausage- mix in before pouring into the baking dish)
Bring water to a boil. Stir in grits, boil 5-7 (or more) minutes, until thickened.
Stir in the milk, butter, and eggs (it's a good idea to mix these together beforehand- helps prevent the eggs scrambling!).
Stir in your cheese- as much as you dare. Season.
Pour into a greased 2 quart baking dish.
Bake at 350 F for 35-40 minutes, let stand 10 minutes before serving.

The finished grits casserole- nice and cheesy and slightly browned- enjoy!

Savor it!
love, rue

Roasted Chickpeas

Hello again!

Ok, I have to admit that this recipe has been sitting in the files for a long time, and I only just got around to actually trying it out- about time! This is a super simple and healthy snack that you can season however you like- my kind of thing! On to the pics and recipe:

Drain and rinse your chickpeas, then pat dry with a towel.

Then in a small pot, add your oil and spices together.

And stir together over medium heat until you form a paste like this. Toss in your chickpeas to evenly coat.

Then dump your chickpeas onto a foil lined baking sheet, and turn every 10 minutes during baking.

Here are the finished chickpeas just out of the oven- seasoned and crispy.

Roasted Chickpeas
-1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, drained, rinsed, and patted dry
-1 tablespoon olive oil
-2-3 teaspoons of spices of your choosing- this can go a lot of different directions!
Heat olive oil and spices in a small pot, stirring until a past forms. Toss in the chickpeas and toss to coat evenly.
Pour chickpeas out onto a foil-lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400 F for 30-40 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes, until browned.

All done! These are a perfect snack or appetizer, and feel free to take them any direction you choose!

Savor it!
love, rue

Chewy Coconut Macaroons

Hey everyone!

I know I've posted about macaroons in the past (always the coconut kind, not the French kind), but these have a different recipe and you can whip them up in a matter of minutes, so what's not to love? These are chewy and sweet and delicious. Let's get to it!

Here's your short and sweet arsenal- 5 ingredients with the optional vanilla!

Add all the dry ingredients (everything except the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla) together and mix well.

Pour over the sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla if using, and stir together well.

You'll end up with a thick coconut heavy mixture that's pretty easy to shape into balls and bake.

Here are some of the macaroons fresh out of the oven- just starting to brown on top!

Chewy Coconut Macaroons
(note: I did not do this, but if you're feeling chocolate, melt some chocolate chips in the microwave and dip the tops or bottoms of the macaroons for an extra decadent treat)
-2/3 cup flour
-5 1/3 (average package size) flaked or shredded coconut (sweetened)
-1/4 teaspoon salt
-1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
-1-2 teaspoons vanilla (optional)
Mix together dry ingredients, then mix in the sweetened condensed milk and vanilla if using. It may be easiest to use your hands at this point- the mixture gets pretty thick.
Drop by rounded tablespoons onto cookie sheets lined with parchment paper or foil (I recommend parchment if you have the option).
Bake at 350 F for 12-15 minutes, until starting to brown on the tops.

The finished macaroons! Chewy and sweet with the barest of crunches on the top- these are great!

Savor it!
love, rue

Peanut Butter Popcorn

Hello loves!

I've been making this recipe for a few years now. I got the idea somewhere on the internet, but I can't remember where- it's super, super simple, quick, easy, and perfect for a party or just snackin' around. A chewier, peanut butter version of caramel corn, if you will- that's the closest comparison I can make! Let me show you...

Pop up your popcorn- I used 1/2 cup of kernels and my air popper.

Put your honey and sugar in a pot on med-low heat, stir until melted and uniform.

Take off of the heat, add the peanut butter and vanilla, and whisk until uniform.

Here's your topping, all ready to go- the more liquidy it is at this point, the easier it will be to toss with the popcorn.

Peanut Butter Popcorn
-1/2 cup popcorn kernels, popped
-1/2 cup honey
-1/3 cup sugar
-1/2 cup peanut butter
-1/2 teaspoon vanilla
Put popped popcorn in a large bowl with room for tossing (you can definitely use less or more popcorn, depending on your tastes).
Put honey and sugar in a pot on low-medium heat and stir until melted completely and uniform.
Take off the heat and add peanut butter and vanilla. Stir well until combined and uniform.
Pour peanut butter mixture over popcorn and toss well.
Store in an airtight container- this popcorn isn't supposed to be crispy at all, but it will be no good if it gets completely humidified, so make sure it's airtight!

Your finished popcorn- chewy and peanut buttery. Snack away, just make sure to store in an airtight container when you're not eating it!

Savor it!
love, rue

Simple Blueberry Sauce

Hey again everyone!

This recipe is extremely versatile. It takes just minutes to make and you can use it to top anything (think muffins, pancakes, waffles, cake), to fill a pie, anything you like.
For this recipe we're essentially making it so that you can buy up a bunch of blueberries when they are on sale at the store (as was with this situation), and keep them to use over time, instead of having to rush to try to eat them all fresh.

Other notes: you can do this with all kinds of berries, feel free to change what you use as a sweetener, and feel free to add other flavors to this- some vanilla at the end, a cinnamon stick in there as you cook it- get creative!

Start out with some awesome fresh blueberries- take advantage when things are in season!

All the ingredients at the beginning- doesn't look to appetizing, huh? Well it will transform...

...into this! This gorgeous vibrant sauce that goes great on everything!

Simple Blueberry Sauce
-blueberries
-water
-brown sugar
I used about 1 1/2 to 2 containers of blueberries, 1/4 cup of water, and 2-3 tablespoons of brown sugar. These amounts are all very flexible- just do it to your taste. Put it all in a pot on the stove on medium-low heat, and cook until it progresses from mashed up blueberries to a thickened vibrantly blue-purple sauce that just screams blueberry. This will take 10 or so minutes. Stir as you go along.

The sauce on top of a plain cupcake- delish!

Savor it!
love, rue