Happy National Pi Day!!!

Tags

2013, berry, celebrate, cobbler, dessert, pi day, pie, Southern

National Pi Day is a celebration of the Greek letter  “π”, which represents the constant ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter — which is approximately 3.14159.

You know you remember this from algebra, right?

Ha…

Truth is, I don’t either.

What I do remember is that I love PIE! Apple, peach, pecan, pumpkin, chocolate, coconut, berry, lemon, lime, custard… You name it, I like it… And I bet you do it. So to celebrate National Pi Day, why don’t you whip up a delicious pie. If you use this recipe, it won’t take much time at all.

A Berry Medley Pie

• 3 cups mixed berries, fresh or frozen then thawed
• 2 pre-made pie crusts
• 2 tbsp corn starch
• 3/4 cup white sugar

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small sauce pot, combine the berries, cornstarch, and sugar until well combined.

In a 9 inch glass pie plate, lay out the first pie crust evenly. Pour the warmed berries into the crust. Top the crust as you would desire, using the lattice pattern or laying the second crust over the berries, being sure to cut in some air holes in pretty pattern. Using strips of foil, cover the pie crust edges so they don’t burn. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 15 minutes. Allow to cool before cutting. Enjoy!

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Baked Brie with Mushrooms and Onions

Tags

appetizer, baked, brie, celebrate, food, holiday, mushrooms, new years, onions

I love brie. The umami flavor is one of my favorites. Combined with the mushrooms, onions, garlic and wine, this cheese appetizer is divine. I love that it does not include puff pastry or the like. With this recipe, the flavors shine through, unencumbered by extra breading.

Baked Brie with Mushrooms and Onions

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 onion, finely diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced
• 1 tsp thyme
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1/4 cup white wine
• 1 small wheel of brie
• 1 baguette, sliced

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Heat the oil in a pan. Saute onions until clear and starting to brown. Add mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper. Saute until mushrooms are tender. Add wine and deglaze the pan. Cook until most of the juices are reduced. In a small oven safe dish, place the wheel of brie. Top with the mushrooms mixture. Bake for approx 10 minutes, until cheese is melted. Serve with slices of baguette.

Fruit Pizza with Sugar Cookie Crust

Tags

celebrate, cookies, dessert, fruit, parties, pizza, sugar

Later this month I am going to FoodBlogSouth 2013. I am so EXCITED!!!! I can’t wait to meet new people, learn new blogging techniques, and find new awesome recipes/flavor combinations. Are you going too?

One of the best things about meeting new people is being introduced to their family recipes. Over Christmas I met Kelsey B. She and her sisters brought a beautiful fruit pizza to our family Christmas dinner. It was such a hit that it nearly disappeared off the platter. The presentation was gorgeous. The bright, colorful fruit was so inviting and refreshing after a heavy Southern meal. It would be perfect for baby showers, wedding showers, work events, family reunions, etc.

Fruit Pizza with Sugar Cookie Crust

• 1 package of refridgerated sugar cookie dough
• 1 package cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup strawberry jelly (lump free for easy spreading)
• Seasonal fruit (strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, kiwi, etc)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a greased cookie sheet, spread out the cookie dough evenly. Bake about 14 minutes or until cookies are done. Cool completely. Spread the cream cheese evenly over the cookie crust. Spoon and gently spread jelly over cream cheese. Top with fruit (do not use bananas, apples, or pears as they brown over time). Refrigerate for storage.

Bacon Week Part 1: Bacon! Bacon! Bacon!

Tags

bacon, celebrate, cured meat, list, pork, Southern, week

Bacon \ˈbā-kən\ the back and sides of the hog, salted and dried or smoked, usually sliced thin and fried for food.

Ladies and Gentlemen! The rest of the week on AnnaShortcakes will be devoted to bacon recipes. Bacon is one of the few foods that improve nearly every recipe it is added to. Vegetables, salads, desserts, main dishes, appetizers. Can you think of anything that isn’t improved by bacon?!?

We will kick off the week by reviewing all the previously posted bacon recipes.

Brie, Basil, Bacon and Blue Grilled Cheese

Bacon Cheddar Scallion Breakfast Tart with Grits Crust

Bacon Brussels Sprouts

Grilled Romaine with Blue Cheese-Bacon Vinaigrette

Bacon and Mushroom Risotto

Sage Biscuit Sandwiches with Fried Eggs and Sugar Cured Bacon

Bacon and Blue Cheeseburger

You pretty much can’t get away from bacon or whiskey in the South. Put a doughnut in it and you’d be good to go. ~ Hillary Scott

Merry Christmas!

Tags

celebrate, Christmas, family, holiday, Southern

From My Family to Yours,

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Year!

And thank you for such a wonderful year full of delicious food and wonderful friendships…

 

One Year for Annashortcakes!!!

Tags

anniversary, blogging, celebrate, food, one year

It’s hard to believe but here we are! ONE YEAR! When I started this, I had no idea how rewarding blogging would be. I have made new friends, learned new culinary skills, and explored different ingredients. I am so glad to be here, at this milestone, looking forward with great excitement to the next year.

Thank you so much to all the viewers-

My family- So many of them have passed on my link to their friends. Thank you!

My Friends- For telling me about the fantastic foods you have eaten, tried in your own kitchen, or flavor combos that have inspired you. My friend David was the one who inspired the Salad with Salt-Roasted Beets, Pecans, and Blue Cheese, an amazing flavor combination and a dish I could never tire of.

The blogging community- Such a kind, supportive place where you can learn how to make new things (I want to try this Jewelry Cork Board), where you can meet fantastic new people (Greg and Katherine, Rosemary, Karen, Celia, Ashley, and Cecilia, to name a few), travel to new parts of the world (like the country of Georgia), and see beautiful things every day (like these gorgeous flower photos by Portraits of Wildflowers). Suffice it to say that the blogging world is phenomenal! You all have taught me so much and opened my eyes to a whole new world!

And those who just stumbled across Annashortcakes by accident. I wouldn’t be here without you!

To celebrate, I thought I would recognize some milestones of the blog.

Post with the Most Views~ Calico Beans~ October 17, 2011 with 615 views

Post with the Least Views~ Raspberry Cheesecake~ November 22, 2011 with only 1 view 😦

Post with the Most Comments~ Brie, Basil, Bacon, and Blue Grilled Cheese~ June 4, 2012 with 14 comments

Busiest Day at the Blog and It’s Post ~ Roast Beef with Mushroom Gravy~   June 16, 2012 with 176 Views

Commenter with the Most Comments ~ Greg at Rufus’ Food and Spirits Guide~ 160 Comments

The First Recipe Post~ Enchilada Verde with Mexican Rice

My Favorite Post ~ Caramelized Onion and Mushroom Brie Grilled Cheese~ April 7, 2012

Total Number of Views~ 9,607

(Not the 10,000 I had hoped for but pretty dang close!)

Total Number of Subscribers~ 89

Total Number of Posts~ 241

Total Number of Comments~ 795

I am so happy to have reached this milestone with your love and support. Thank you for all that you have done to help me reach this point. Stay tuned for more adventures in food, flavor, and technique as I continue to explore this great foodie world!

Bangers and Mash

Tags

bangers, celebrate, English, food, London, mash, Olympics

Tonight is the opening ceremony of the London Summer Olympics. I am so excited to watch it, though I suspect it will be hard for the Brits to top the beating of Fou drums for the countdown to the opening of the Beijing Games. As with every other occasion in my life, I chose to celebrate with food! (I know, you are SO surprised *eye roll*) Typical bangers and mash didn’t feel very summery and I have no source for beef sausages. Instead, I have pushed it beer marinaded brats with smashed new potatoes.

Beer Marinaded Brats AKA “Bangers”

• 1 can beer
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon chili powder
• 1 tablespoon prepared mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
• 8 uncooked bratwurst links
• 1 large onion, thinly sliced

In a small bowl, combine the first six ingredients. Pour 1-3/4 cups into a large resealable plastic bag; add bratwurst. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight. Cover and refrigerate remaining marinade. Add onion to remaining marinade; toss to coat. Place on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 in. square). Fold foil around onion mixture and seal tightly. Drain and discard marinade from bratwurst. Grill bratwurst and onion, covered, over medium heat or broil 4 in. from the heat for 15-20 minutes or until meat is no longer pink and onion is tender, turning frequently. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.

Smashed New Potatoes with Garlic and Chives AKA “Mash”

• 1-2 pounds new potatoes or Yukon Golds
• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
• Salt
• 1 minced garlic clove
• 1-2 tablespoons minced chives or green onion greens

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Put the potatoes in a medium oven-proof pot (with a cover) and add about 1 tablespoon of the butter, cut into pieces. Cover and bake in the oven for 20 minutes. Take the potatoes out and mix them so they’re coated with butter. Sprinkle the potatoes with salt. Return to the oven, cover, and cook for another 45 minutes to an hour, depending on how large the potatoes are. To test for doneness, poke a potato with a fork. If the fork penetrates easily, they’re done. When the potatoes are nice and soft, remove the pot from the oven and, using a potato masher, crush each potato. Don’t pound them into oblivion, just crush them. Toss with the garlic and remaining butter. Add more salt to taste. Sprinkle chives on the potatoes to serve.

The recipe origins:

Bangers- http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Brats-in-Beer Mash-http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/smashed_new_potatoes_with_garlic_and_chives/