So Long 2011! Hello 2012

So I just read an article a few days ago about some hot foods in 2012. I figured I would share them with you today so you could get a leg up on the other foodies around town. I read the article on Nutrition Unplugged website. Don't let the name fool you. It isn't about healthy food or anything. While I am prepping, chopping, and baking for a few friends that are coming over tonight I wanted to talk about a few of the highlights on the list. 

Outside the Kitchen: Boston!

Cheddar Jalapeno Bagel.Cheeseburger.latte.cucumber mule.mushroom pizza

Greetings from Boston,Massachusetts! Toby and I spent two days of our vacation in our favorite hotel, The Omni Parker House. This hotel is amazing. It is one of the most historic buildings in Boston. It was still decorated for Christmas and was so beautiful. Plus it is near some of the best restaurants in Boston. I'm salavating. 

The Nest's Recipe Swap: Mungo's Salad

Greetings from my couch. I am starting to get familiar with sleeping late and sitting on my couch for endless hours in my pajamas. God I love vacation. 

Check out my Guest Post for Melting Snowman Cookies!!

Hi Everyone!

Just a reminder, I had the privilege to write a guest bog for the amazing blog Oh Shine On. These are my new favorite holiday treat, The Melting Snowman cookies! If you have the week off spend some time to make them with someone you love! And don't forget to check out some of Katie's amazing posts on Oh Shine On!

Here is the direct link to the recipe on her page

A Very Merry Foodie Christmas!!

The day after Christmas. wow. It is now the day after Christmas and I am sitting on my couch in PJ's and I have no desire to move from my current state. Except to maybe get some more food. Now, while I am cozy and sitting let me tell you a bit about my Christmas day. 

Feast of Seven Fishes( Kind Of): Coconut Shrimp

First off, "Merry Christmas Readers"! I hope you all had amazing holidays with your families and got everything you wanted this year! Today I want to talk about my Christmas Eve Celebration with my family and the yummy coconut shrimp I made. Traditionally my family eats lots of fish on Christmas Eve. This year we got "creative" with the seven fishes. We had coconut shrimp,crab cakes, and sushi. That's right. Can you picture a bunch of Italian people eating sushi on Christmas Eve? Classic. I think it makes things a little different. Plus who eats salted cod or eel anyway? Here is the recipe for coconut shrimp that I used from Paula Deen. I usually use panko, but I realized I had no breadcrumbs at home! There is no way I was going to the supermarket with it being so close to Christmas and all so I drove to my sisters and stole whatever breadcrumbs she had on hand. Regular breadcrumbs it is. I served these little morsels of goodness with an orange marmalade sauce Yum.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Marmalade

Ingredients

·2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

·2 cups bread crumbs

·Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

·2 cups all-purpose flour

·4 large eggs, beaten

·24 large shrimp, peeled and deveined

·Vegetable oil, for frying

Dipping Sauce:

·1/2 cup of orange marmalade

·1-2 tsp of dark rumDirections

In a large bowl, combine coconut and bread crumbs and season with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs, and bread crumb mixture into 3 separate bowls. Dredge the shrimp in flour and shake off excess. Next, dip the shrimp thoroughly in the egg and rub against the side of the bowl to lightly remove excess. Finally, coat the shrimp thoroughly with the bread crumb mixture. Lay out the shrimp so they do not touch on a parchment-lined baking sheet or platter until ready to fry. In a large Dutch oven, heat several inches of oil to 350 degrees F. Fry the shrimp in batches until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch. Be careful not to overcrowd shrimp in the oil while frying. Drain on paper towels.

For the Dipping Sauce: heat the marmalade in a small saucepan over low heat. Thin with rum as desired.

Chicken Alfredo Stuffed Shells

How have I not made these before? I love chicken alfredo. What a fun new twist! My husband Toby told me at 3pm on Monday that he had a pot luck at work the next day. Right....Ok.  It didn't help that the amazing people in his department were already bringing pulled,pork,enchilladas,chilli, desserts. I had zero ideas. So I took to the internet to see what I could bring. Then I hit the mother load. Chicken Alfredo Stufed Shells. The original recipe did not have broccolli or bacon in them, but I figured it couldn't hurt. These would even be great with artichokes and spinach too.