The Pack Place — well dressed kitchen: recipes

I can't say exactly WHAT made Heartcease Higgin's house my favorite place in the world... It could have been her bathroom: pearly pink bathtub, frilly curtains with eyelet trim, magical oil-filled melting balls in translucent shades of red and blue, soaps in happy shapes of birds and seashells; the scent of lilac... Maybe it was her kitchen: sun streaming through lace curtains; caramel cooking on the stove; dining table squeezed next to a mirrored folding door that concealed a washer, dryer and countless art supplies; the scent of slightly burned pie crust in the oven...

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Something about this cool, crisp weather makes me hungry! Shannon was kind enough to text me this easy recipe- perfect to combat the chill in the air. It's in the oven now, and it smells childhood... like home... like the end of October. Hope you enjoy it, too! Easy Vegetable Beef Stew Ingredients -Roast (eye of round or rump), trimmed and cubed -1 can mild or original Rotel -1 bag frozen seasoning blend (we used Pictsweet) -1 can Lima beans plus liquid -1 can corn plus liquid -1 can sliced carrots plus liquid - Golden Potatoes (quartered) -1 clove garlic -1 can stewed tomatoes -1 small can tomato sauce -1 box chicken broth Season meat with salt and pepper and brown in olive oil. Add frozen seasoning blend and garlic. Sauté. Add all canned vegetables (and their liquid) to pot. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and place in 275 degree oven for 4 to 6 hours. Serve with dinner rolls (slathered in butter). Yum!

Did I mention that Shannon is a great baker? She's the best... So, I'm more than pleased to say she actually got the recipe for these Salted Oatmeal Cookies from me... Of course I didn't actually come up with the recipe, but I was the first to discover them here- and they are pretty darn awesome (I won the neighborhood cookie contest with these babies). 

But then Shannon can't let me bask in the glory of my delicious find, can she? No, she has to take something good to the next level. And she certainly succeeded with these! Salted Oatmeal Cookies with homemade marshmallow fluff filling (thank you, Catherine, for sharing that awesome recipe!). Really? Yes, really!

Good luck with not eating all of these in one sitting.

Salted Oatmeal Cookies

slightly adapted from this.

Supplies

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

3/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

14 tbsp unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 cups quick-cooking oatmeal

1 tsp vanilla

Sea salt

1/4 cup pecans, chopped (optional)

Directions

Marshmallow Frosting / Filling

Directions

Enjoy!

Shannon is an amazing baker. Really. At every family function she is the go-to-girl for dessert. So when she said these carrot cupcakes were scrumptious, I didn't doubt it for a second (well maybe a second- there are actual carrots in there, afterall). Turns out, she was right. To die for. Amazing. DELISH... Try these for a birthday or even better- for Easter! The Bunny will be thrilled with this new take on his old fave. Carrot Cupcakes 2 eggs 1 cup sugar (I split in 1/2--1/2 brown, 1/2 white) 3/4 cup vegetable oil 1 tsp vanilla 1 cup fresh, finely grated carrots OR 1 can of carrots puréed (she has done it both ways and claims both are good... Fresh is best but if in a rush, canned is perfectly acceptable) 1 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1 cup plus 2 tbsp cake flour Preheat oven to 350. Mix together the wet ingredients and sugars. When incorporated, add dry ingredients. Mix (with stand or hand mixer) until combined. Pour into lined cupcake trays and bake for 20 minutes (or until toothpick comes out clean). While cupcakes are baking, make frosting. Cream Cheese Frosting 1 stick butter (softened) 1-8 oz bar cream cheese (softened) 16 oz powdered sugar 2 tsp vanilla Whip softened cream cheese with butter. Add vanilla and powdered sugar. Allow cupcakes to cool, then ice and ENJOY!!! And here is the delicious little birthday boy, who turned one today and ate these amazing cupcakes for breakfast! I just love a birthday breakfast. XOXO, Sarah

So the picture doesn’t do it justice… you’ll have to trust me on this… Delish! Backstory: I try to meet my hubby downtown once a week to eat lunch. We usually go to a little Greek restaurant called Athena. It’s buffet style (I know! All you can eat Greek food!?!), and they serve the yummiest, creamiest, most delicious chicken dish on Mondays… only Mondays! Imagine my dismay when I went back on a Tuesday, only to discover I was a day late! I couldn’t disguise my disappointment (brat) and the owner (who might be my favorite person on the planet) heard sensed my sob story sorrow. No sooner had I filled my plate with hummus and salad, did he arrive at my table with a steaming bowl of jasmine rice covered in cream sauce, tender chicken, fresh dill, sweet peas & tender carrots. Heaven! And now he insists on it every time I come in! This recipe pays homage to my favorite dish at my favorite Greek restaurant. The original is made with heavy cream and I’ve made it that way plenty of times, but most recently I substituted evaporated milk for the heavy cream and you really don’t notice a difference (but your waistline will! It saves you a ton of fat & calories!)… Light(er) Creamy Greek Chicken Ingredients 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (partially frozen then sliced super thin) 1 can evaporated milk (I actually used 1/2 can full fat and 1/2 can reduced fat) 1 tbsp fresh dill plus more to taste 3 – 4 garlic cloves (minced) Salt, pepper and red pepper flakes 1/2 cup to 3/4 cup frozen peas 1 tbsp butter (I used Light I Can’t Believe it’s not Butter) 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil optional- splash of lemon juice optional- carrots, sliced Directions Heat butter and oil in a cast iron skillet over medium heat until butter is melted and covers the entire pan. Add dill and garlic, stirring to spread. Add thinly sliced chicken. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, stirring to avoid burning. Add evaporated milk. Stir. Heat until milk bubbles, then reduce to simmer. Add salt, pepper and red pepper flakes to taste. Add frozen peas and allow to cook through. Add a splash of lemon juice and more dill to taste. Serve over jasmine rice, seasoned with a little butter, salt, pepper and dill. *TIP: It’s much easier to cut chicken when it is partially frozen, so if you buy fresh, stick it in the freezer 15 minutes before you cook. It will firm up and make thin-slicing so much simpler!