Bacon Turkey Wrap

We are cleaning out the deep freeze, and trying to use the meat that has been in there forever.  I found a turkey leftover from when they were on sale, and we roasted it, despite the sacrifice of heating up the kitchen during a Texas August.

We've been getting creative with the leftovers, and these simple Bacon Turkey Wraps came out so delicious, I just had to share.  The wraps are served hot, so they taste like a cross between a regular wrap and a quesadilla.  Add any fresh veggies (bell pepper, spinach, etc.) to this that you have on hand.  I didn't, so I plated this with celery sticks to balance it.

Bacon Turkey Wrap

1/2 c. cooked diced turkey
2 slices thin bacon
1 whole wheat sandwich wrap
1/4 c. shredded cheddar
Mayonnaise or Miracle Whip, to taste
Salt, to taste
Cracked black pepper, to taste

Cook the bacon until crispy.  Heat the turkey through.  Heat the wrap, either directly on a burner, using tongs, or in a dry skillet.  Spread the mayo on the wrap, then sprinkle salt and pepper over it.  Add the bacon, turkey and cheese, roll up and enjoy. 

Suitcase Cake

A family that we are friends with just had the father retire from American Airlines.  I volunteered to do the cake for the retirement party.  I wanted to do something special, and I've seen a lot of designs for suitcase cakes.  It sounded perfect, since he was in the travel industry.

The cake went over really well.  Several people commented that it was some of the best frosting they'd ever had. (see recipe below)

I decide to do my suitcase cake with sugar cookies for travel stickers.  I frosted them with different colors of royal icing, and used chocolate to write names of places I know he's gone.

The cake iteslf is a basic chocolate, frosted with a triple batch of my favorite chocolate buttercream.  The handle and straps are rolled fondant.

Chocolate Buttercream Frosting

1/2 c. solid vegetable shortening
1/2 c. butter, softened
1 tsp. clear vanilla extract
4 c. sifted confectioners' sugar (approximately 1 lb.)
½ c. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. milk  

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.  Beat with an electric mixer until well combined.

A Day for Horses

We spent the day in Southeast Texas, visiting Jake's mom and while the grapes and peaches weren't ready yet we did visit the horses, 7 and one burro.

 Allie

 Smoky

 Casper

Crack 

 Crash

 Lilbit

 Push and Smoky

Sonny

Cheese Straws

June was a crazy month, with three cooking classes out at the University, a tea party, and a couple of food-related articles.  I know I owe you guys follow-up on all of it (and I'll try to get to that over the next couple of weeks), but today I wanted to get in the kitchen and cook some old-fashioned comfort food.

Unfortunately, there wasn't much in the fridge, so I decided to make some cheese straws.  I didn't have any cheddar on hand, so I did the cheese straws with Parmasean.  The dough came out a bit dry, so I added a little water.  I like my cheese straws with a bit of a kick.  If you don't, you could alway omit either the cayane or the white pepper, or both.

Parm Cheese Straws

2 c. parmesan cheese, freshly grated  
1 1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. sea salt
1 tsp. white pepper
1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/2 cup butter, softenend
2 tbsp. very cold water
in a large bowl, combine all ingredients, working the butter into the rest of the ingredients with the tips of your fingers or a pastry cutter.  If necessary, add a litte more cold water.  When the dough can be gathered together into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and referigerate for half an hour or more.

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  Remove dough from referigerator, and roll out to form a 1/4-inch thick rectangle. Cut the dough into 1 1/2" x 3" pieces and place 1" apart on a baking stone (or a baking sheet lined with parchment paper).  Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until  browned.

 Note:  If you want to make "fancy" cheese straws, skip referigerating the dough, and press it through a cookie press into strip "cookies" instead.

A Day for Rainbows

Jake and I went out to the Botanical Gardens in Fort Worth on Monday.  It was a beautiful day, but it is already so hot out (despite being only May), so we made our way down into the rose garden to take pictures by the fountains, with their cooling spray.  It was a day for rainbows, which we captured in these photos.