Stuffed Steak with Prosciutto & Spinach with Warm Cherry Tomato Salad

New Years Eve can get pretty crazy. The roads especially. My husband & I prefer a nice quiet evening at home where we enjoy our family & some good food as we bring in the new year. Happy New Year! Stay safe if you go out!

Warm Cherry Tomato Salad:

2 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 pints cherry tomatoes
6 green onions, sliced on angle
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Salt
Pepper
1/2 cup chopped parsley

Heat a medium skillet over medium high heat. Add oil & garlic & cook about 2 minutes until garlic is browned. Add tomatoes & green onions & cook until skins begin to burst. Add vinegar & remove from heat. Add salt, pepper, & parsley. Toss & serve.

Stuffed Steak with Prosciutto & Spinach:

1 (10-oz) package chopped frozen spinach
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 small red bell pepper, 1/4 chopped, 1/4 cut into thin strips, for garnish
2 oz prosciutto (about 3 to 4 slices), cut into ribbons
salt
Black pepper
1/4 cup Italian bread crumbs
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
2 lbs eye round roast, strings cut off
Re-sealable plastic bag

Defrost spinach in microwave. Wrap in clean kitchen towel and wring chopped spinach dry.
Place a large skillet on the stove over medium high heat. Add 2 tbsp olive oil to hot skillet. Add garlic to oil. Add onion & red pepper, cook 1 minute. Lower heat to medium. Add the prosciutto & the spinach. Season with salt and pepper. Add bread crumbs & cheese to spinach. Turn off heat. Let stuffing cool.
To create the cavity for the stuffing, use a long sharp knife (like a boning knife), & cut a 1 to 2-inch hole through the center of the roast making a lengthwise slit. Turn the meat around & cut another slit in the same spot so that your knife completes the cavity. Insert a wooden spoon into the cavity to make sure the hole is even and goes all the way through.
Put the cooled filling in a re-sealable plastic bag and snip a hole in the corner of the bag. Pipe the filling into the cavity. You may need to push it along with your fingers to make sure that it goes all the way through.
Preheat nonstick skillet over high heat. Cut the roast into 6 even slices, being careful to keep the stuffing in each slice. Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to the pan. Season the steaks with salt & pepper & sear in hot, nonstick skillet, 2 minutes on first side. Flip the steaks & sear for an additional 2 minutes then lower the heat to medium-high and cook until done (about 3 to 4 more minutes). Garnish with thinly sliced red pepper.

Merry Christmas

I hope that everyone had a great Christmas! We enjoyed a much deserved break to just have fun with our family. Ash was spoiled rotten & I think it'll take a few days for him to overcome the overload. Ha! We were pleasantly surprised with a white Christmas in Texas. It was really beautiful. Just another great, great day!

Apple Cinnamon Puffs

1 can crescent rolls
1 tbsp butter, melted
1 apple cut into slices
Cinnamon sugar

Lay out the crescent roll. Brush with a little bit of butter. Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of crescent roll. Place an apple slice on top, then sprinkle with with more cinnamon sugar. Roll it up & put on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Hot cocoa

Don't get me wrong, I am a sucker for the Swiss Miss box & those teeny tiny marshmallows, but I love homemade hot cocoa so much more. It's just a little better to me.

2 cups half & half
2 cups milk
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Cook all ingredients in a heavy saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally. Cook until thoroughly heated & serve. Garnish however you prefer! Whipped cream with cinnamon & sugar. Marshmallows. Candy canes. Yum! They all sound great!

3000 views

We just coasted right past 3000 views! Thank you all again for your continued support! I've been sick all week with the plague, but I'm trying to get something up before the weekend is over.

Rum Balls

I've heard of rum balls before but I've never tried them before. Mine were more like rum logs but they taste great just the same.

1 (5 oz) can evaporated milk
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup brandy
1 (16 oz) package vanilla wafers, crushed very fine
2 cups finely chopped walnuts
1 cup confectioners' sugar for rolling

In the microwave or in a metal bowl over a pan of simmering water, melt evaporated milk and chocolate chips, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in the crushed vanilla wafers and brandy until well blended. Roll the dough into small balls and roll the balls in chopped walnuts, then in confectioners' sugar. Store covered in the refrigerator.

Add it to the pile

So most of you know by now that I'm a little on the crazy side with what I put on my plate daily. I'm not sure why I do it to myself either. I think, "I'm so tired!" Then before I know it I'm scrubbing floors with vinegar to get them super clean. Or I'm baking 3 different kinds of cakes when I just said I was on a diet.
Anywho, I'm apparently on this "Martha Stewart" mission so go big or go home right? I started making jewelry the other day. Yep, I've lost it. Somehow I have time, energy & patience. I don't know what's wrong with me, but I really love it! I hope you all like the pieces I've done so far.

Easy Mozzarella Sticks

I love mozzarella sticks but don't always care for the breading on it. This is a great variation!

Canola oil
Wonton wrappers
String cheese

Lay out the wonton wrapper and place the string cheese close to one of the corners. Bring corners over the tops of cheese & roll it up so that it's completely covered. Seal with just a little water. Fry it in the oil until the wonton wrapper is golden brown.

Fondue date night or eating competition?

Chris and I decided to go out for fondue for dinner tonight as a date night. Between the economy & Ash being born, Chris & I don't go out to eat as often as we once did.
We sat down at our table & ordered everything for our meal. The salad of course is delicious. When is Caesar salad not good? Then the cheese fondue came, we chose the Cheddar one. There was a problem though. Chris was done with his salad already giving him the opportunity to get more of this delicious cheese. I'd swear I turned into a vacuum for that salad while my eyes kept following every forkful he got. I finally got to the cheese too & found myself rushing through it to be sure that he did not get more than me. Ugh. I'm so ashamed. Chris knew what he was getting into when he married though.
I should know better by now that I don't share food well. If I made it yes, but foods I don't get often no. I remember once visiting a friend in NJ after being gone for a while. Her father had gone out and bought 2lbs of butter cookies for all of us. We can't get them in TX so all I could think was "mine".  As we sat at the table & everyone was grabbing cookies I really had to practice self control not to snatch up the box & run for it. Her father must have known somehow as he put his hand on my arm & said, "It's ok. We can go get more tomorrow."  Chris was there to witness this & it sure wasn't the 1st time something like this had happened.
I stand up, loud and proud...My name is Nikki & I'm addicted to food! Gah, it's Christmas cookie season where I give out cookies & treats for presents. I've tried to take over it so that I'm better about sharing it instead of stuffing cookies in my pockets to horde as many as I can. God help me, she's still going to make some. I should just apologize now to the poor people that will be shorted this year on their gifts.

Jingle Juice

Have a cup of cheer! This will be great to serve at holiday parties.

Jingle Juice:

5 cups orange juice
1 cup vodka
1/3 cup triple sec
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup maraschino cherry juice
Garnishes: fruit flavored candy cane sticks

Stir together orange juice & next 4 ingredients; serve over ice & garnish if desired.

Chicken Caesar Wrap

This is so simple it's ridiculous. It makes a great lunch to take to work or just a simple light dinner.

Chicken Caesar Wrap:

Rotisserie chicken
Tortillas of any kind you like
Romaine lettuce, shredded
Baby carrots
Light Caesar dressing

Simply cut up the rotisserie chicken and put into a tortilla with romaine lettuce & baby carrots. Add tomatoes if you like. Then just drizzle on the dressing and viola....a tasty wrap! Easy peasy!