Bloody Mary Rimming Salt

A bloody mary with pickles and olives on top of the drink.

Ingredients ½ cup fine sea salt 1 tsp granulated garlic 1 tsp smoked paprika 1 tsp celery salt 1 tsp lemon pepper 1 tsp black pepper ¼ tsp dry ginger Directions Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and package in a four-ounce container. Tie a small bottle of vodka to the container for gift…

Read More

Bloody Mary Rimming Salt

Bloody Mary with celery, olives, and garnish.

When Sylvia asked me to do a food demonstration for the Holiday Open House at Green Door Gourmet on Nov. 18th I was so excited. I knew exactly what I wanted to do – sets of seasoned salts to give as gifts. I made these for the first-time last year and they were a hit – especially in my house…

Read More

Blue Cheese and Basil Cheesecake

A plate of food with bread and tomatoes on it.

Ingredients 4 oz cream cheese 4 oz ricotta cheese 3 oz blue cheese 2 eggs Juice of one lemon 1 Tbsp sugar (more to taste, if you want this a little sweeter) ½ tsp salt 1 tsp coarse ground black pepper ¼ cup toasted almonds (I toast them in the microwave for a minute or…

Read More

Blue Cheese Stuffed Bacon Wrapped Dates

A plate of food with meat and lettuce on it.

Ingredients 4 oz package of blue cheese 8 oz package whole dates 16 oz package of bacon * Cut bacon in half and then long ways if it is big enough. I wrapped 2 to 4 dates using one slice of bacon. Optional: fresh grated black pepper Directions To cook immediately preheat oven to 375…

Read More

Blueberry Ginger Pie

A piece of pie sitting on top of a plate.

Ingredients Crust 2 cups flour 1 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 stick cold butter, ( ½ cup) cut in small pieces ¼ cup half & half (Substitute two pre-made piecrusts from the grocery store if time is an issue. Reserve one crust to crumble over the top of the pie.) Filling 4 cups fresh…

Read More

Blueberry Pie

A pie with blueberries and cheese on top.

Perfect Blueberry Pie Ingredients 2 cups flour 1 Tbsp sugar 1 tsp salt 1 stick (1/2 cup) cold butter, cut in small pieces ¼ cup half & half or milk 4 cups fresh blueberries, well rinsed 1/3 cup white sugar 1/3 cup light brown sugar Juice of one lemon ¼ tsp nutmeg 3 Tbsp cornstarch…

Read More

Blueberry, Buttermilk, and Lemon Loaf

A loaf of blueberry bread on a wooden board.

Ingredients 6 Tbsp melted butter 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 tsp vanilla 1 1emon, zested ½ cup buttermilk 1 ½ cups flour (plus 2 Tbsp to coat blueberries) 1 tsp salt 1 tsp baking powder ¼ tsp baking soda 1 cup blueberries Directions Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray an 8 x 13 loaf…

Read More

BLV Pasta

A plate of pasta with asparagus and lemon.

Ingredients 12 oz fusilli pasta (or your favorite kind) 6 oz Mascarpone cheese, substitute cream cheese with a little milk to thin 2 Tbsp vodka 1 lemon, zested and juiced ¼ tsp red pepper flakes ¾ generous cup basil leaves, sliced thinly 1 Tbsp butter Salt to taste Optional: fresh grate Parmesan to serve Directions…

Read More

Bourbon and Brown Sugar Carrots

A pan filled with carrots and other vegetables.

Ingredients 1 ½ lbs carrots, peeled and sliced in ½ inch rounds 3 Tbsp butter, divided 1/3 cup bourbon 1/3 cup brown sugar ½ tsp salt or more – it really brings out the taste Pepper Optional: 2 Tbsp chopped chives Directions Melt 2 Tbsp butter in a skillet over medium high heat. Add carrots…

Read More

Bourbon Balls

A plate of nuts and chocolate balls on top of a table.

Bourbon Balls Can you possibly believe that Christmas is a week away? I hope you will have some special times to celebrate with friends and family and also to treat yourself to a bit of “comfort and joy.” I’m doing that right now – watching a Christmas movie and nibbling a Bourbon Ball, my favorite…

Read More