Nashville – Luv Cooks

The BEST Christmas Minion Waffle You’ve Ever Seen

Soo, things got a BIT crazy at the Luv Cooks studios the other day.

And by studios, I am referring to my once-clean kitchen that became covered in powdered sugar, blue sparkle icing, and the occasional mini chocolate chip.

Messy in the absolute BEST way.

My precious friend Ashley Reale of Share Love Everywhere has an incredible daughter, Lottie. And by incredible, I mean this chick is already starting her own business at the AGE OF SIX.

That’s right, she is six years old and selling artwork and rings and all of the amazing things she makes. In fact, I think she technically started her business this past Spring. So, she’s a total girl boss. And Lottie is also a HUGE fan of the color blue, waffles, and YouTube.

So of course we had to have her (and her brother Wyatt) on the Luv Cooks YouTube channel to make their version of the ultimate Christmas waffle. This video is nothing short of brilliant and will make your HOLIDAY DAY I promise!!

Since Lottie is obviously a waffle topping connoisseur (and Wyatt’s enthusiasm for Star Wars and powdered sugar knows NO bounds) I had to throw in an awesome waffle recipe to this post. Also, in case you were wondering, our Christmas Minion Waffle included:

Chocolate Chips
Organic gummy bears (because they are healthy)
Blue sprinkles
Strawberries
M&M’s
Twix
Sparkle blue icing
One Minion marshmallow (plus many more)
Pre-flavored powdered sugar (by Wyatt)
Purple, orange and green whipped cream
Market Pantry whipped cream
More gummy bears, chocolate chips, Minion marshmallows, rainbow sprinkles
Triple/double/quadruple layers of toppings
More chocolate, more rainbow and blue sprinkles, AND more toppings!

Some of the best pancakes I have ever had were from Aretha Frankenstein’s boxed mix. That is right, a BOXED mix. So I am assuming that this link to her waffle recipe via Canella Vita will be a number 1 hit with everyone you want to make a waffle for now or in the holiday future. And, of course, don’t forget the rainbow sprinkles.

LOVE Y’ALL!! Christmas is almost heeeeeere!!

3 Tips for Hosting Your BEST Holiday Party!

It’s Christmas, it’s Christmas, it’s CHRISTMAS!

Well, it’s not literally December 25, but I am feeling the Christmas vibes 100%! Like the twinkle I saw in the Prius whose interior was strung with multicolored Christmas lights, or the inflatable Santa in my neighbor’s yard grilling overstuffed hot dogs and hamburgers, I am ready to do some holiday cooking! And who better to cook for than a gathering of your besties for a holiday party?!

I’ll be the first to admit that whenever someone busts out the Christmas music and a plate of cinnamon rolls I am already in the Christmas spirit. But my precious friends Annika and Emily are the party planning MASTERS- every event I have ever been to that they hosted was not only beautiful and organized, it was also intentional- I mean, I left feeling like I was chosen to be a part of something really special!

Annika (above) is one of the most compassionate and loving entrepreneurs I know. Her Married and Bright bralettes and undies are handmade by Annika herself (I have actually visited her fantabulous basement studio) and her work could not be cuter and more empowering.

Emily Winkleman is also uber creative (she works at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center, the home of the coolest, and most beautiful, ballets and theater shows in Nashville) and is the QUEEN of planning ahead and literally blesses my life with the way she organizes events for not only us to hang out, but also everyone around her to feel connected and special. You also may catch her modeling for Annika if you check out Annika’s site

Both Annika and Emily have a gift for making parties happen, so this week on YouTube I asked them to share with us their top three tips for throwing a fabulous holiday get-together. I can almost guarantee that not only are you going to laugh your Christmas socks off, you are also going to learn some SUPER fantastic tips on ways to save money and your sanity during party season!

So, to sum it all up, make sure your party involves:

Skinny-Pop-3-Ways-017 — This dark chocolate coconut popcorn on the blog would be perfect to share with your party guests!

Something to DO!

Something to EAT! (umm, you can totally check out ALL the holiday cookie posts or the recipe above for some inspiration)

Something to COMPETE! And yes, we will accept bids for our new show “Yankee Swap”:)

And from Emily:

Buy your decor after the holidays, and don’t buy anything with words so you can reuse your decorations!
Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Five Below is your BESTIE!
Utilize Doodle and plan ahead! And do not be shy about planning ahead! Feel free to be your bold, organized self!
Create a varied playlist and definitely don’t shy away from playing 90’s Christmas tunes (ahem, Mariah anyone?)!

Salted Caramel Apple Almond Bars & My Fave Cookie Swap Recipes

LOVES!!

Ahhh, it’s finally that time of the year. Time for warm snuggles while watching holiday movies, white snow, knit hats and most importantly…HOLIDAY BAKING.

That’s why during the month of December we are ALL about some holiday baking recipes. From gluten free coconut flour bread (the most delicious I’ve ever had) to some FAB holiday appetizer inspiration, get ready for a month full of holiday surprises!

I also want to give y’all the chance to subscribe to the Luv Cooks YouTube channel. This is the BEST source for all of the fun holiday tips and tricks, plus pumpkin spice reviews, what to do with leftovers- lots of foodie life hacks!

And since we’ve also been highlighting parties and party tips on YouTube I thought I’d share my three favorite recipes to bring to a cookie swap party. These recipes are awesome because you can make them up to days in advance, the steps are simple, and they allow for easy customization to your personality in the kitchen.

Salted Caramel Apple Almond Bars: I love this recipe for so many reasons! It’s healthy (full of great fats from the coconut chips and chia seeds), gluten-free, doesn’t require and oven, and gets topped with drizzled caramel and chunky salt. Need we say more?!

Dark Chocolate Christmas Sugar Cookies: This recipe makes sooo many tasty cookies! I love to make this one in a myriad of ways. You can substitute whole wheat pastry flour for all purpose flour, sprinkle the cookies with cayenne before baking for a spicy flair, or dunk them in a simple glaze (1 cup powdered sugar + 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons almond milk) and top with more chocolate. Gorgeous!

Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies: The ingredient that makes these cookies extra special is browning the butter. It’s not a hard step, and takes the flavor notch up a TON! Plus, these cookies taste better if you let the dough sit in the fridge for 24 hours. And the smell of these baking- heavenly!!

And of course, we can’t leave out the pups!! Here is a link to the almond butter dog treats I made!

To top it all off, a cookie swap party is simple. Simply bake enough cookies for everyone at the party to share, along with a printed copy of the recipe. You can even allow each guest to share why they chose their cookie recipe. Then, here’s the fun part- provide pretty bags, ribbon, candy canes, etc. and allow each guest to package their favorite cookies to go. I’ve even been to some parties where you vote on your favorite cookie, and the winner gets a prize!

The cookie swap party is one of my favorite holiday celebration ideas. One- well, you get to eat all the cookies your heart desires- but two, because you get to know your friends even better, and maybe even connect with someone you don’t know. Someone’s favorite cookie recipe says a lot about them: where they are from, what flavors they like, why this cookie in particular is so special. I love getting to know the heart of someone through food!

Happy holiday baking!! XOXO- Callie

Cauliflower Recipe Shenanigans with Sarah Patton of Creative Souls Tribe

Lovelies!

Have I got a treat for you. This week’s post is SUPER SPECIAL because it features the incredible, hilarious, most joyful human being I know, Sarah Patton!! Sarah is the founder of Creative Souls Tribe, a tribe of women that exists as “a community that inspires, equips and challenges women to live above mediocrity.”

From social events to weekly encouraging blog posts to their first ever conference November 11, Creative Souls is a welcome respite for women who want to be the very best version of themselves AND value community over competition. Seriously, just check out their values on their About page for a healthy dose of inspiration!

I love this SO MUCH!

In honor of our recent LC focus on cauliflower, this week Sarah and I take on my crazy internet list of cauliflower recipes. Warning: be prepared to laugh uncontrollably over **cauliflower buns.**

AND for those recipes Sarah and I gave a 100% thumbs up to, here are those links below!!

Cauliflower Kedgeree by Fresh Planet Flavor **hint, it involves British Indian food**

Chocolate Cauliflower Cake with Salted Cinnamon Caramel Icing by Veggie Desserts

Also check out our Luv Cooks Cauliflower brownies

Cauliflower protein bread by Chocolate Chili Mango

Bacon Burger Cauliflower Rice Casserole by Beauty and the Foodie

Cheesy Cauliflower Breadsticks by Jo Cooks

For more on Creative Souls tribe, and Sarah, you can check them out on their site here and their Instagram account @creativesoulstribe !

Happy weekend everyone!

Low Sugar Banana Blueberry Mini Baby Smash Cakes

You guys!!!

I could not be more excited about this post! Not only is it almost the weekend, it’s also the day I have the opportunity to share a recipe in PERSON, on the cooking stage with the Nashville Home Show!

As y’all know, once I get to talking and/or thinking about food, you can’t really get me to be quiet, so the fact that they have openly invited me to share my love of all things baked goods is the highlight of my week!

And as I was thinking about what to share, I immediately knew what recipe it would be. Y’all- in the history of Luv Cooks, this recipe is the most searched for, most sought after, most “I just came from Pinterest to check this out” one we’ve ever posted. And it all started with the original recipe here, with an incredibly cute baby named Pace, his birthday, and my friend (his precious momma’s) desire to feed him a special cake that wasn’t full of sugar. In fact, he hadn’t eaten processed sugar up until that point. Amazing, right?

Precious Pace eating cake! — The original baking inspiration, Pace Russell!

Baby-Smash-Cake-with-Blueberries- — And the original cake! Here is the original, full cake recipe post:)

And as you know, with every (first) birthday comes the opportunity to smash one’s cake into one’s mouth however one feels is appropriate.

Well, I knew that I had to share this recipe again, but maybe adjust it slightly to a more adult crowd. Because, let’s be real- its amazing for the birthday boy or girl to have a yummy, healthy cake- but what about everyone standing around watching them eat it?!

That’s why I took the original recipe (by Fit Mama Real Food) and adjusted it with some seasonal fall spices, and baked it into individual mini smash cakes. So we can all, if we choose, smash the cakes right into our faces, just like the little ones! Don’t mind if I do…

Low Sugar Banana Blueberry Smash Cakes with Vanilla Whipped Cream (Originally inspired by Fit Mama Real Food)

You can also click here for the original, tiered cake post!

This recipe is full of whole grains, healthy fats, and has NO refined sugar or sweeteners of any kind! It’s also egg-free and simple to prepare and make ahead; you can even top the cakes with whipped cream a day ahead and store them in the fridge. Feel free to try out other mix-in’s besides berries for your adult guests- I think chopped cherries, dried fruit, or chocolate chips would work great in this mini cake as well!

Yield: 16 mini cakes

What You Will Need for the cake:

2 scant cups mashed banana, or 4 large, ripe bananas
1/2 cup natural applesauce
3 tbsp coconut oil (melted), plus more for greasing cake pans
3 teaspoons vanilla extract
3/4 cups white whole wheat flour
3/4 cup oat flour (just grind rolled oats in a blender, then measure)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
6 ounces fresh blueberries

What You Will Do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin tin with cupcake liners.
In a large bowl, stir together mashed banana, applesauce, coconut oil, and vanilla extract until well combined.
Whisk together flours, spices, baking soda and salt until combined.
Gently stir flour mixture into banana mixture until just combined. Avoid over mixing as that can make the batter tough.
Stir blueberries into batter.
Distribute batter by scant 1/4 cups into muffin tin. Reserve remaining batter for next batch of cakes.
Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a toothpick or sharp knife inserted into the cakes comes out clean.
Allow to cool completely at room temperature to set. Top with fresh whipped vanilla cream!

For the vanilla whipped cream:

What You Will Need:

4 ounces organic heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
Additional fresh blueberries for topping (or melted peanut butter/chocolate/almond butter)

Once cooled, top the mini cakes with a dollop of whipped cream and fresh blueberries. I also ate them with melted peanut butter drizzled on top, and it was DIVINE!

Back to School Snack Ideas with Share Love Everywhere

Lovelies!

So today’s post is bit of a departure from our typical, intro-the-food then a recipe style. Don’t get me wrong, there will be recipes, but even more importantly, there will be LOVE SHARED.

You see, you have to meet my beautiful friend Ashley Reale of Love Everywhere. She has a gift for sharing love with people- “even perfect strangers,” like it says on Love Everywhere’s bio page. In fact, she has started a now worldwide movement to share handwritten notes of encouragement in the cleverest of places for people to find.

In fact, ALL of the photos on this post are from her Instagram account. Her amazing ambassadors take them and share the love!** You can follow her on IG here

She is a total entrepreneur and, to my LOVE, foodie!! As we say, people who love to eat are clearly the best people.

And because of our joint love of loving people WITH food, I recruited her to share with us (in the spirit of September and all things back to school) some of her best, most kid friendly, back to school snacks. And she does NOT disappoint!

Ashley’s snack recipes!

Cheesy Naan pizza

What you will need:

1 naan flatbread (she buys hers from Trader Joes)
1/2 to 1 cup shredded cheese (or vegan cheese, if you prefer)
Veggies your kids would like (spinach, corn, red peppers, etc.)

What You Will Do:

Preheat oven to 400.
Sprinkle veggies of choice over naan. Cover with shredded cheese (in Ashley’s world, the more cheese, the better!)
For a crispier naan, bake directly on oven rack for 10 minutes. For softer naan, place on baking sheet coated in cooking spray. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until cheese is fully melted.
Allow to cool for a few minutes, slice and enjoy!

Kid-Friendly Tortilla Chips and Salsa

What You Will Need:

1 bag, organic frozen sweet corn, thawed
1 to 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 cup diced, fresh pineapple
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
Organic corn chips, for serving

What You Will Do:

Stir together all ingredients in a medium sized bowl, season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve with corn chips and enjoy!

Fresh Fruit or Veggie Kabobs (This is an AWESOME recipe to get kids involved in the assembly process!!)

What You Will Need:

Various fresh veggies, chopped or halved (cherry tomatoes, cucumber, bell pepper, broccoli, etc.)
Various fresh fruit, if desired (like watermelon or pineapple)
Wooden or metal skewers
Salad dressing for dipping (ranch, balsamic, or even melted cheese)

What You Will Do:

Get creative! Style your fruits and veggies however you like- you could do all one color on one skewer (orange veggies, for instance) then all red fruit on another. Simply slide the halves on the skewer and dive in!

**And, if you guys are interested in becoming a Love Everywhere ambassador, just email Ashley at shareloveeverywhere@gmail.com.**

Sunday Morning Pancakes + Wise Butter for your Labor Day

You guyyyysssss!!!

Ahhhhhh I couldn’t be more excited about this post!!

And here’s why.

For all of 2017, I have been struggling to come up with the ideal pancake recipe to share with you. You can ask my husband Jake- it has been a tear-ridden, frustration station, park-your-ego-at-the-door process. I started out strong in January, on a mission- to find a pancake that was whole grain (because, let’s be real, white flour pancakes don’t begin to satisfy my morning hunger), natural, and delicious. From coconut flour to almond flour to literally grinding whole flaxseed myself in an attempt to create some kind of binder, about two months ago, I reached my end.

I was tired of the emotional disappointment, the gloopy, unappealing mess of a batter bowl and the even more disappointing flat, mealy cakes I was producing (that also eerily tasted like boiled eggs?) Needless to say, I was done.

Then, dawn breaks forth- LITERALLY- at the Made South festival in Franklin, Tennessee. There I met two of the kindest, most fantastic foodie ladies in Nashville. I just happened to walk by Sam’s Sunday Morning Pancake Mix booth and noticed that she had silver dollar-sized samples. Let’s just say I downed the first batch and wanted more. Then she told me a bit about the pancakes- that the whole grans mix was the result of her own frustrating process to create a healthy pancake! Her final recipe features a plethora of amazing ingredients, 9 whole grains to be exact. From organic wheat berries to milo, spelt berries, oat groats and barley berries- she did it! I seriously wanted to hand her a golden trophy in the shape of a maple syrup bottle.

I also passed Wendy’s booth for Wise Butter. Not only did she have the cutest mini crackers I’ve ever seen (still, to this day I have no idea where she got those tiny toasts!), she also had a super tasty selection of her homemade flavored butters ready for us to try. Caramel peach BUTTER?! Lightly sweet, rich, with a hint of peach. But the chipotle, ohhh the chipotle. Spicy, warm on your tongue- brilliant on any food imaginable.

Needless to say, I pretty much stalked Sam and Wendy (as I have a tendency to do when I find a food product I love), invited them over to my house to take some photos, and well, here we are.

So without further ado, and just in time for your (hopefully) more relaxed Labor Day weekends, I asked Samantha (from Sunday Morning Pancakes) and Wendy (from Wise Butter) to share some of the best ways to make your pancake batter and butter shine. Plus, just hop on over to their sites to find how and where you can purchase their products!

From the pancake lady herself:

Here are two recipes that I love this time of year. They aren’t sweet, but they are damn tasty. You could bill it as something to do on a nice long weekend or because red peppers are in season right now in Tennessee. Also, neither of them have to be canned. You can pare down the recipe size and safely keep them in the fridge for probably a month!

Red Pepper Jelly

What You Will Need:

1 ½ lbs chopped red bell peppers (6 cups)
2 tsp dried hot red pepper flakes
3 Tbsp pectin
3 ¼ c. sugar
1 c. white wine vinegar
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
¾ tsp kosher or sea salt

What You Will Do:

Pulse bell peppers with red pepper flakes in a food processor until finely minced. Whisk together pectin and ¼ c sugar in a small bowl.
Stir together pepper mixture, vinegar, butter, salt, and remaining 3 cups sugar in a heavy pot.
Bring to a rolling boil over high heat, and continue to boil, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Gradually add pectin mixture, whisking constantly. Return jelly to a vigorous boil, stirring constantly, and boil another 1-2 minutes. It will thicken only slightly. Remove from heat.
Pour hot jam into sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 5 – ½ pints.

Sweet Onion Jam

What You Will Need:

4 cups sweet onions, chopped
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Tbsp sugar
¾ cup honey
2 tsp cinnamon (Sam prefers Chinese five spice)
½ tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp black pepper

What You Will Do:

Melt butter over medium heat in a large sauté pan. Add onions and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in sugar, salt and ¼ cup water. Cook over low heat until the onions caramelize, about 8 minutes. To get the best results, resist the urge to stir. These steps can also be done in a slow cooker.
Transfer onions to a blender or food processor. Add honey and cinnamon or five spice. Puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Pour into sterilized jars and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Makes 4 – 1/2 pints.

Sam’s ultimate pancake mix recipe: Blueberry Blonde Ale Waffles

What You Will Need:

4 Tbsp unsalted butter
3/4 cup whole milk
1 cup ale style beer
1 tsp vanilla
2-3 eggs, preferably large eggs
2 1/2 cups Sunday Morning Pancake Mix
Muddy Pond Sorghum Mill, for topping**

What You Will Do:

Melt butter in a saucepan.
Add milk and beer and heat until just warm.
Take off the heat and whisk with vanilla and eggs.
Scoop two and a half cups SMPM into a large bowl and mix in wet ingredients until just combined.
Let sit for about five minutes and voila! Make sure to grease the waffle iron and you’ll be all set.

**Sam also suggests anything from the Nashville Jam Company to top the pancakes. You can find Sam on Instagram @smpancakemix

And Wendy! She is an all around butter expert, and here are her best pairings with her Wise Butter flavors:

Chipotle: baked sweet potatoes, grilled corn, mac and cheese
Roasted Garlic Basil: grilled cheese, grilled salmon, shrimp, or steak, and roasted carrots or zucchini
Lemon Rosemary: roasted potatoes, any kind of seafood, asparagus or green beans
Salted Caramel Peach: I’m actually finished with this flavor for this summer! My sweet offering right now is Dark Wildflower Honey

You can pair my sweet flavors with anything you are having for breakfast or as a base for buttercream icing. Stirred into oatmeal is my favorite!

You can check out Wendy @wisebutter on Instagram and she will be featured on an episode of Tennessee Crossroads on NPT this week!

Fourth of July Fried Avocado Tacos with Red Jalapeno Slaw

Fourth of July: one of the best food holidays of the year. A time where we get to celebrate not only the beauty of our country, but the beauty of the food it produces (#california). I consider it one of the best times of the year to celebrate our beloved avocado in all it’s forms.

Like, serving your friends guacamole with pimento and queso fresco to dip salty tortilla chips into. Or chocolate avocado cupcakes with chocolate peanut avocado “buttercream” for dessert. But this week’s recipe is, to me, the ultimate way to enjoy a fresh avocado: fried.

And, I must give credit where credit is due- to our very own Mas Tacos in Nashville, who serves as the original inspiration for this recipe with their fried avocado tacos. Biting into the crispy, salty breading as your teeth sink into the soft, creamy avocado center is the height of deliciousness (well, next to their fried tilapia or chicken skillet tacos), as is really everything on the Mas Tacos menu.

But back to you, and me, and frying avocados. The primary method in cooking these avocado pieces well involves organization, moving quickly, and taking care to use ripe avocados. Too soft, and your avocados will fall apart a bit as they fry. Too firm, and you don’t want to eat them. How do you ensure their ripeness? Use your thumb and forefinger to gently squeeze the top and bottom of the avocado at the stem. If it gives in to gentle pressure, it should be good to go. Squeezing the outer flesh of the fruit isn’t a good indicator- sometimes the inside is bruised and may give a false sense of ripeness.

AND for more tips on keeping your sliced avocado fruit fresh, check out this video!

In review of these video and blog post tips:

To keep your slices fresh:

Dunk whole avocado halves in lemon water (a few tablespoons lemon juice stirred into a bowl of water).
Use Fruit Fresh (a fruit preservative you can find in the canning section of grocery stores).
Use a vacuum sealer!! I don’t personally own one of these but I think they are super awesome.

To fry these tacos with ease:

Be organized. Assemble all of your ingredients ahead of time, and make sure your breading bowls are ready to go once the oil is heated.
Move quickly. Watch the avocado slices as they fry; too long, and they will turn an unappealing dark, dark brown. Once they look golden and crisp, flip those slices!
Choose ripe avocados. Take some extra time to make sure your avocados are just right to fry (See tips above)!

Alright my loves!! Here’s to a Fourth of July weekend full of yummy food, fabulous friends, and feeding the ones you love.

Fried Avocado Tacos with Red Jalapeno Slaw (You can also check out the full post for Birmingham magazine here)

These easy summer tacos are a perfect way to highlight avocado’s creamy richness. You can even fry the avocado pieces ahead of time and gently warm in the oven at about 250 degrees before serving guests.

What You Will Need

3 ripe avocados, sliced
1 egg
¼ cup unsweetened almond milk
½ cup whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon cumin
½ teaspoon chili powder
½ teaspoon paprika
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 cup whole grain, seeded bread crumbs, coarsely ground
4 cups canola oil
8 corn or flour tortillas, warmed
Red jalapeno slaw, for topping
Cilantro leaves, for topping

What You Will Do

Pour oil into large Dutch oven. Line a large plate with paper towels. Heat oil on medium until oil temperature reaches 350 degrees.
While the oil is heating, whisk egg and almond milk together and place in a shallow bowl.
Whisk flour, cumin, chili powder, paprika and coarse kosher salt and place in shallow bowl.
Pour breadcrumbs into another bowl.
Dip avocado slices, working in batches of two to three slices at a time, first in the flour mixture, then egg/milk mixture, then bread crumbs.
Carefully lower breaded slices into hot oil, and fry for about one minute, or until sides are nice and golden brown.
Set to drain on paper towel lined plate and top with additional salt to taste. Serve in warmed corn tortillas topped with red jalapeno slaw.

Red Jalapeno Slaw

This slaw is as simple as slicing up some cabbage then whipping together a quick dressing. Save half of the dressing as dip for the tacos!

What You Will Need

¼ cup olive oil mayonnaise
1 teaspoon lime juice
1 teaspoon cumin together
¼ teaspoon agave
1 cup green cabbage, shredded
1 cup purple cabbage, shredded
2 red jalapenos, sliced

What You Will Do

Combine mayonnaise, lime juice, cumin, and agave.
Toss half of dressing with cabbage and sliced jalapenos; use other half as a dip for tacos.

NEW Luv Cooks video + Edelweiss Fudge Pie

My friends!

Fall is (somewhat) in the air!

Ok, so for some of you this may be a slight stretch- including those of us that ahem, may live below the Mason Dixon line. The highs are still in the 90’s, but hope springs eternal with 60 degree lows once the sun sets. We’ll take what we can get.

There is something about cooler temperatures that makes me crave warm chocolate. This is not a new phenomenon-note ALL of my previous chocolate dessert posts-but a less-humid climate opens up all kinds of possibilities for the Southern sweet tooth. Turn on the oven and blast fudge-y batter at high heat? Why yes, I DO have the mental capacity to consider that idea. Gently simmer coconut milk on the stove and whisk in dark cocoa powder, sugar, vanilla, and a pinch of salt? Yes, I’ll take that warm beverage, thank you very much.

So, today’s post is a fantastic combination of oh-so-easy Southern dessert, fudge brownie-esque goodness, and the perfect vehicle for fresh whipped cream. It takes only a few ingredients and you are on your way to fudge pie glory.

Also, side note- which you will see in the video- the possible reason why this fudge pie is called Edelweiss Fudge Pie is because in the 70’s Methodists took to singing the The Benediction (one of my favorite songs) to the tune of Edelweiss (from the Sound of Music, one of my favorite movies as child).

For your viewing pleasure:

My theory is that so many Methodists were having pot luck dinners on Sundays that the fudge pie served after the Benediction (at the end of service) became known as Edelweiss Fudge Pie. Just my theory, but I think it’s a good one.

Alright y’all. Time to get out there, enjoy the fresh air, and bake up a pie to share with the people you love. Who knows, maybe it will inspire a round of “The Hills are alive…” karaoke.

Edelweiss Fudge Pie from The Nashville Cookbook

With only six ingredients, this is one of the easiest Southern desserts to whip up. It’s, excuse the pun, “easy as pie!”

What you will need

1/2 cup (or 1 stick) butter
2 ounces sweet german chocolate, coarsely chopped
3 farm fresh local eggs
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon quality vanilla extract
freshly whipped cream, for topping, if desired

What you will do

1. Preheat oven to 325 and grease a 9-inch pie pan.

2. Melt butter and chocolate in a small saucepan over low heat. Allow to cool.

3. Beat eggs in a stand mixer on medium speed until foamy (this should take a few minutes). Beat sugar in gradually, on low speed, until well combined.

4. Add flour slowly to mixer, stirring continually on low speed, and using a rubber spatula to wipe down sides occasionally to make sure it is evenly distributed in the batter. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and stir until combined.

5. Add cooled chocolate mixture slowly to batter, stirring continually, until evenly distributed.

6. Pour into lightly greased pie pan. Bake for 30-35 minutes (checking at about the 28 minute mark for doneness; toothpick inserted in should come out clean).

7. Let pie cool for about an hour and top with whipped cream. Enjoy!

Slim Jim Chili + Summertime Joy

Today’s post is short and sweet. Think lean ground beef, lots of veggies, and flashbacks to my seventh-grade self in hot rollers.

The video below is maybe the most fun I’ve ever had making chili. For me, chili brings back great memories- warm fall nights, the smell of cumin wafting from a slow cooker, football tailgating, salty Frito’s- but the most hilarious of all involves the hunting camp, staking out turkeys, and ensuing get-togethers with freshly caught wild game at the center of the chili pot.

And now, living in Nashville, I had the joy of NOT trampling through the woods, avoiding ticks and carefully tiptoeing around leaves in my 1990 Timberlands. Instead, I took a leisurely trip to the farmer’s market in my flip-flops to purchase Walnut Hills dry-aged lean ground beef and Smiley Farms produce.

So, check out this version of “dieter’s chili” from The Nashville Cookbook. For me, chili=happy place, and I am wishing you a bowl full of beefy joy today.

I also dare you to find the Randy “Macho Man” savage cutaway in the mix.

Luv y’all! Happy summertime!