Mud House Year

Pinterest Wednesday

Kiss PiesThis is one of those recipes that looks like such a good idea but it is much better in theory than in reality.  I was so excited to find it on Pinterest because I had leftover pie crusts in the freezer from Thanksgiving and I thought this would be a perfect way to use them AND make some goodies for Christmas Eve.   These little pies were easy - just two main ingredients!  They were fun to make and really cute...before I baked them.
After they were baked, they didn't look as cute and I'm afraid they tasted like pie crust, just pie crust.
I really wanted these to be wonderful.  I even tried a second batch using more sugar...
and some crushed peppermint.
I even tried different flavors of kisses
but, alas,  they just tasted too pie crusty.

If you are a fan of pie crusts you might really like these.  You can find the recipe at Picky Palate.   I'm giving these only 2/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas.  They were easy and fun to make but, as my daughter said, "Mom, they are not that great."
 

A Special Day

Our family is fortunate to have two special birthdays right in the middle of December! It's fun that they are close to Christmas, but not too close.  Today is my nephew, Theo's birthday.  Happy Birthday Theo!
Looks as though Theo and Santa are getting along just fine!
 

And Then There is the Beaten Path

In my two previous "Favorite Nashville Things" posts I highlighted some of the lesser-known diversions I discovered in Nashville.  However, there are many, many well-known attractions that should not be missed.  I am listing some of them here with links to find out more. This is by no means a comprehensive list,  just a collection of a few things I have enjoyed.  

 

Downtown Nashville - This is where it's all happening.  Perhaps best known for the strip of Broadway between 5th Avenue and the river where the honky-tonks and boot shops abound.   

Tootsies, for example,  is the much storied bar where country music legends partied before and after performances at the Ryman Auditorium (the original Grand Ole Opry).  It is just one of many venues where the music never seems to stop. The shopping is a bit touristy but, what the heck,  I bought this for a special little someone who will be spending Christmas at the Mud House: So much to do and see in downtown and you can find out all about it here.

 

Country Music Hall of Fame - Located in downtown Nashville click here for their website.

 

The Grand Ole Opry - No longer located in the famed Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville, but still the venue for all of the country music greats.  Click here for more information.

 

Belle Meade Plantation - This may be my favorite place in Nashville.  A truly beautiful old home with a remarkable history.  It is well worth a tour to learn the history of the house and grounds.   I especially enjoyed the authentic furnishings and lovely old carriages in the carriage house.  However, the highlight of my entire visit was learning about this man, Bob Green.                                                                                                                               
For more information about Belle Meade Plantation and all who lived there, click here.    As a bonus, the tour includes a wine tasting from the Belle Meade Winery.  Read more about the winery here.

 

Loveless Cafe -  This cafe has been serving authentic and delicious southern food since 1951.  It is famous for their biscuits and peach jam.  It is well worth the short and scenic trip down Tennessee Highway 100.   More information here.        
                           
 

 

                                                                          The Civil War in Tennessee

                                           
Although this trip focused on the fun and frivolous (and the food), no visit to the southern United States is complete without acknowledging the somber subject of the American Civil War.  There are many historic sites in and around Nashville where battles were fought and many, many lives were lost. I visited the battleground of the 1864 Battle of Franklin and was struck by the solemnity and tragedy of the lives lost and families devastated.  It is haunting to walk the land and to enter the buildings and homes that still stand.  On my next visit, I plan to spend more time visiting these sites and to learn more about the history of Tennessee.  Here are some helpful links:

http://www.bonps.org/tour/tour.htm

http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/franklin.html 

I have absolutely loved my time in Nashville and I hope you have enjoyed hearing about my stay. Thank you for joining me on my brief trip away from the Mud House! I am on my way back and I am looking forward to spending Christmas in our little adobe house with all those I love. 

My Favorite Day

One year ago today I was in Pasadena, CA, welcoming our first grandbaby, a boy.  He has brought such joy to all of us over this past year.  Watching my beautiful daughter become a loving and competent mother has been one of the finest experiences of my life.  I am also so grateful for our caring and involved son-in-law.  Our grandson is a very lucky little boy to have two such wonderful parents.  Our grandson just met Santa for the first time and he gave the whole experience some serious consideration.  I love the expression on his face and the body language!   We are so blessed this year to spend our second Christmas with this little guy.  It's funny how a baby brings magic back to Christmas. He is such a gift to all of us.  Happy Birthday to our sweet one-year-old grandbaby boy!    

Happy Holidays to all of you!

A Few of My Favorite Nashville Things - Part II

                                                                        Bang Candy Company Bang Candy Company specializes in artisan marshmallows, half-dipped in chocolate.  It's located in the old Marathon Car Factory building. Flavors include chocolate chile, rose cardamon, orange ginger cinnamon, espresso, and toasted coconut.  These are such yummy treats!  I am using them for favors on Christmas Eve.  Sarah was very helpful with my order!  For more information, check out their website.

 

                                                                         Vanderbilt UniversityOne must venture beyond the hustle and bustle of West End and 21st Avenues to appreciate the beauty of the Vanderbilt Campus. In fact, I hardly knew it was there.  Once I entered it's tree-lined perimeter, I discovered it is what I always imagined a southern university would be - all red bricks, green leafiness and white columns...oh, and magnolias, of course.  It's also an excellent institution of higher learning.   It's a lovely place to walk and contemplate - you'll feel smarter just being there!

 

                                                              Food Trucks
Alluring and elusive and so, so worth it.  See my post here.  Nashville has a bountiful bevy of food trucks.  I think my favorite, so far, is Smoke Et Al. 

  I ordered the smoked pork belly tacos and fried okra. Yummy doesn't begin to describe it - so good!

 

                                                            Hillsboro Village This is a funky four block area along 21st Avenue, just south of the Vanderbilt campus.  Davis Cookware is there along with other quaint shops and restaurants.  During my visit, several pop-up stores opened for the holidays including Cake Vintage, where I did a little Christmas shopping. You will also find the legendary Pancake Pantry in Hillsboro Village, but be prepared to wait in a line that winds down the sidewalk if you decide to eat there.  Also, McDougal's is just around the corner.

 

And, a final tip-of-the-hat to the original...           GiGi's!  Gigi's Cupcakes are just so photogenic I had to include one more picture!

I'm saying goodbye to Nashville tomorrow.  I will write one more Nashville post before I go.  

 

 

Pinterest Wednesday (This one's for Conner)

Quinoa Mac & Cheese
This will be the last Pinterst Wednesday from Nashville and I'm finally a little more comfortable cooking in my kitchenette.   I decided to try another reasonably healthy recipe to counterbalance all the pralines and pork bellies!  I adapted this recipe for Quinoa Mac & Cheese from Around the Table:  Loving Food in RI & Beyond. Serving Size: 4

Ingredients

• 1  cup quinoa (measured before cooking), cooked per package directions
• 2 tsp butter, divided
• 1/2 cup chicken broth. divided
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup chopped broccoli (you can use any vegtables you want or leave vegies out completely)
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• good dash of ground pepper
• dash of nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1 large eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 3/4 cup grated cheddar cheese, more for sprinkling
• Toppings - more cheese, sprinkle of nutmeg (optional- salsa, hot sauce, sour cream, scallions)

Preheat oven to 350 F.
Coat 8x8 inch dish (or 4 individual ramekins) with cooking spray or butter.
Saute mushrooms and broccoli separately  - each in 1 tsp butter and 1/4 cup broth. Combine salt, spices, egg, milk, and cheese in large bowl and mix well. Add cooked quinoa, mushrooms, broccoli and any remaining liquid from cooked vegetables.  Mix well. Transfer to prepared baking dish.  Top with cheese and sprinkle with nutmeg.
Cook 25-30 minutes until bubbly and cheese is melted.  My Nashville friend who is a diehard mac & cheese purist really liked this dish.  I was shocked!  She actually ate two huge portions.  I thought it was pretty good and I will definitely make it again.  It isn't mac & cheese but it is so much healthier!

I'm giving it 4/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas because it's good and healthy, but it's not mac & cheese.
   

Next week I will be back in the Mud House kitchen getting ready for Christmas!

 

A Few of My Favorite Things - Part I

                                                  

I am so fortunate to have spent almost three wonderful weeks in Nashville!  As my visit comes to an end, I am thinking about a few of my favorite Nashville things.  Some I have already told you about, but I am including them again because I love them so much!

 

                                                             Vicki Sawyer                                                    
                                                    

First of all,  there is Vicky Sawyer and her amazing birds (and other animals).  If you haven't yet, please check out her website - so wonderful!

 

                                                                                     Davis Cookware "Well, Ma'am you can't sell from an empty cart."  Mr. Davis replied when I commented on how much there was to see in his store.  

Davis Cookware has been in Hillsboro Village for 43 years.  It is stuffed to the rafters with everything you could ever need for your kitchen.  It also carries over 50 types of coffee beans and I don't know how many types of loose tea.  They also sharpen knives and bill themselves as, "Home Of the Knife Whisperer."  Designed and staged - definitely not.  Original, charming, whimsical, complete, and reliable - yes.    If I lived in Nashville, this would be my "go-to" place for everything kitchen related and for the wisdom, history, and lore of Hillsboro Village. 

 

                                        Olive and Sinclair Chocolate Company 

Voted America's Best Chocolate by Southern Living Magazine, Olive and Sinclair make small batch, slow roasted, and stone ground chocolate right here in Nashville.  These lovely bars are already packed and ready for the trip home to the Mud House where they will find themselves snuggled into a few lucky stockings on Christmas Eve.  Here is their website:  Olive and Sinclair.  

 

                                                                  Midtown Wine and Spirits
I love little bottles of anything.  I think little bottles of liquor are especially enticing, for obvious reasons.  I  also love how their shapes exactly mimic much larger bottles.  My first few days in Nashville I popped into a couple of grocery stores looking for a bottle of wine.  I found beer, but no wine.  I soon learned that Tennessee liquor laws vary by county and are complicated - wet counties, dry counties and everything in-between.  You can read more about it here, if you are interested.  Anyway, I discovered that in Nashville, liquor and wine are sold only in liquor stores.  Beer may be purchased in grocery stores.  Midtown Wine and Spirits not only has an amazing selection of everything you can imagine containing alcohol, they also have a wonderful selection of mini-bottles.  I bought some for a few of the adult stockings I will be stuffing. For more info please click here. 

 

                                                             Pralines by LeonNo visit to this part of the world is complete without sampling some pralines and Leon's is the place to try them.  Pralines by Leon is located in downtown Nashville on 2nd Avenue.  It has been in it's current location since 1994 but its history can be traced back to 1888 when Leon's Greek grandfather Constantine moved to New Orleans and began making candy.   You can read much more about Pralines by Leon and the other wonderful candy they make by checking out their website.  You can also order on-line.  If you are in Nashville it is absolutely worth a visit.

 

 ... Stay tuned for Part II of a Few of my Favorite Things...

 

 

Food Trucks, Finally!

The very thing that makes food trucks so charming also makes them somewhat elusive.  They are trucks, or they are pulled by trucks, and they move around, a lot.  I've been hearing about Nashville food trucks for some time now, especially the Grilled Cheeserie, which happens to be my Nashville friend's absolute favorite! Everyday I've checked the Grilled Cheeserie's website for their location. Everyday, they've been far away. However, on Thursdays, food trucks gather in Centennial Park, the Grilled Cheeserie among them!
Yay!
I patiently waited in line then ordered the "B & B of Tennessee".  It was a tough decision because my friend seriously recommends the "Pimento Mac & Cheese," which is an actual grilled mac and cheese sandwich. I also ordered the tomato soup and the tater-tots because I wanted to try the "tot sauce."
I usually find tater-tots disappointing but these were crispy and hot, with a touch of spice.  The tot sauce was a blend of ketchup and "something smokey."  It tastes almost like cocktail sauce with smokey undertones - very nice.
The" B&B of Tennessee" is Sweetwater Valley Buttermilk Cheddar, Benton's bacon, house-made caramelized onion, and apple jam on multigrain bread.  It was simply delicious.  The bread was perfectly grilled with a caramelized crust.  I think my favorite, though, was the tomato soup.  It was warm and steamy and offered a little something extra - tarragon I think. 

Not only is the Grilled Cheeserie my friend's favorite food truck, it is a favorite of all of Nashville!

However, to mix things up a bit, my friend ordered from Yayos OMG which offers original Mexican gourmet food by Chef B "Yayo" Jimenez.
We sampled the Albondigas soup.
It was full of fresh vegetables, mini meatballs, and noodles in a nice tomato base.  Fresh cilantro is added at the last minute.  We also tried the Legend tacos which offers brisket, chorizo, and chicharron.
Very tasty!  I requested the hot sauce which was flavorful with a nice kick of crushed pepper.  

If you visit Nashville I highly recommend the food truck scene.  It's a bit of an adventure to find them but that's part of the fun.  Most trucks post their locations on twitter and many have websites that list their weekly schedules.  On Thursdays, many trucks gather in Centennial Park on West End Avenue, behind the train.

Pinterest Wednesday

Now, I know y'all are thinking that I am living in a hotel and eating nothing but fried chicken and cupcakes.   And, I know y'all are probably worried about how many seats I will need on the airplane ride home.  So, to put your minds at ease (and because cooking in my little kitchenette has its own set of challenges) I have selected a delicious caprese salad for this week's Pinterest Wednesday.
This recipe comes to use from The Party Dress and it is pretty self-explanatory.  I splurged and bought heirloom tomatoes, a little basil plant, and some really good mozzarella at Whole Foods.
I also bought some olive oil and balsamic vinegar and decided to make a balsamic reduction on my portable induction cook-top.
I combined some vinegar and some sugar, which fortunately I found next to the mini-coffee pot in my room because I didn't buy any.   I know, resourceful. 
I simmered the vinegar and sugar for about five minutes and then allowed it to come to room temperature. 
It was thick and syrupy and delicious.

I sliced the tomatoes and sprinkled them generously with sea salt.  Then I assembled the caprese salads with the cheese and basil.  Lastly, I drizzled them with olive oil and the balsamic reduction and gave them another sprinkle of salt.  These are so pretty and I think the color makes them especially nice for the holidays.

These salads are easy, beautiful, delicious, reasonably healthy, and not fried or frosted.  Aaaand, you can make them in a hotel kitchenette!  I think we have a winner.  This one gets 5/5 Prickly Pear Margaritas.
    

No worries, I'll be back to my Nashville food adventure tomorrow.  I think we may stake out some food trucks!!  Stay tuned!

Cupcakes, Seriously.

Ok, so we all know cupcakes have been around for a while, and, believe me, no one knows that better than I do.  I've sampled them from Pasadena to Portland, Maine and I can say with no hesitation that I've found the best.  You know you are in trouble when you keep the cupcake daily menu next to your bed and the last thing you do at night is check the next day's baking schedule.  Seriously.
Gigi's Cupcakes can now be found around the country (unfortunately not near the Mud House) but the original, the very first one, opened in Nashville in 2008 and it is two blocks away from my hotel. 
I love Gigi's story as much as I love her cupcakes and you can read about it here.  It's tough to pick my favorite, but I think it might be the Caramel Turtle Cupcake pictured at the top of this post.  But, they are all absolutely delicious...Gigi also makes yummy mini-cheesecakes.  The pumpkin cheesecake is at the bottom left above.

If you would like to find out more about Gigi's cupcakes check out her website, gigiscupcakesusa.com/home.