Recipe: Apricot & Pear Tart

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1/2 cup raw almonds
• 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon pure almond extract
• 1 cup all-purpose flour, spooned and leveled
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 2 pears (such as Bosc or Bartlett)—peeled, quartered, and cored
• 1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 cup apricot preserves

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 350° F. Butter a 9-inch removable-bottom fluted tart pan.
2. In a food processor, process the almonds and ½ cup of the sugar until finely ground. Add the butter, egg, and almond extract and process until smooth. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt and pulse a few times just to combine (the dough will be soft).
3. Spread the dough in the bottom of the prepared pan.
4. In a small bowl, toss the pears and apricots with the lemon juice and the remaining tablespoon of sugar. Arrange the pears in the dough. Scatter the apricots over the dough, pressing them in gently.
5. Bake until the pears are tender and the center is firm, 50 to 55 minutes (cover the edges with foil if they brown too quickly).
6. In a small bowl, combine the preserves and 1 tablespoon water. Brush over the warm tart. Let cool in the pan before unmolding.

Serves 8



{photo & recipe courtesy of Real Simple}

Recipe: Caramelized Onion & Herb Stuffing

Caramelized Onion and Herb Stuffing

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Ingredients:

• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for the baking dish and foil
• 1 large loaf Italian bread (about 1 pound), cut into 3⁄4-inch pieces (about 16 cups)
• 6 medium onions, halved and thinly sliced
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375° F. Butter a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Divide the bread between 2 rimmed baking sheets and bake until dry and crisp, 10 to 12 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ teaspoon pepper. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until deep golden brown, about 1 hour. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, 2 to 4 minutes; transfer to a large bowl and let cool for 10 minutes.
3. Add the bread, broth, eggs, chives, thyme, and ½ teaspoon salt to the onions and toss to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish. Cover with buttered foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake until browned, 20 to 30 minutes more. 

Serves 8





{Recipe courtesy of Real Simple}

Recipe: Baked Spinach & Gruyere

Absolutely love a cheese & spinach dish!  This particular recipe is listed as a side dish on Real Simple, but if you're like my boyfriend's family, make this first and serve it as an appetizer with bagel chips.  We usually make a version of this every Sunday the family gets together and always end up fighting over it.  Super delicious.  Enjoy!

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus more for the dish
• 6 shallots, thinly sliced
• kosher salt and black pepper
• 6 large eggs
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 4 10-ounce boxes frozen leaf spinach, thawed
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 cups grated Gruyere
• 1 cup dry white wine

Directions

1. Heat oven to 400° F. Coat a shallow 2 1/2- to 3-quart baking dish with oil; set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, cream, milk, nutmeg, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper.
4. Squeeze the spinach to remove excess liquid. Stir the spinach, shallots, Gruyère, and Parmesan into the egg mixture. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
5. Bake until bubbling and the top is golden brown, 45 to 55 minutes.

Serves 8

{Recipe by Kate Merker via Real Simple}

Frighteningly Delicious Halloween Recipes

Since it's Halloween, food can be fun this time of year.  We can add olives to dishes as eyeballs, or serve spaghetti noodles as brains.  It's definitely a chance to be creative with food and mix different flavor profiles to find out what works best together.  Add a couple of spooky labels to the food with descriptions like "Frankenstein's Last Victim's Intestines" and "Spicy Maggots", and you've got yourself a Halloween buffet table worth sharing with your fellow ghouls & goblins.  Here are a few delicious recipes easy to impress your blood-sucking friends.

Halloween-Themed Blue Cheese Crackers

 Blood-Red Hot Chocolate & Sweet Bones

 Ooey-Gooey Eyeballs

 Cute Jack-o-lantern Quesadillas

 Orange & Black Salmon Rolls

Squash Soup served in Mini Pumpkins

Vampire Blood Tomato Soup & 

Muenster Sammies

To prepare for your Halloween party, here is a checklist from Real Simple to ensure you have a spectacularly spooky night.

Myth vs. Fact: The Beauty Edition

Separating facts from myths can sometimes be an easy thing to do, especially when the question is whether or not it takes seven years for your stomach to digest bubblegum or figuring out if JFK really said he was a jelly doughnut to the Germans.  When it comes to beauty rituals however, I find myself getting a bit confused.  

Do I or don't I use hot water to wash my face?  Do I need a cleanser?  And a primer?  And then the moisturizer and then a finishing product when it's all said and done?  It doesn't help that there is a vast array of products constantly being developed, changing the myths into facts or vice versa.  Lucky for us, Real Simple Magazine has put on their debunking hats and configured a list of myths and their truths.  Here's my quick synopsis of the article, including my own thoughts.

Myth: Expensive beauty products = Better ingredients

RS Experts: Use what works for you.

Me: I completely agree with Real Simple's experts.  I can't tell you how many times I've gone to the department store and purchased expensive moisturizers, cleansers, mascaras, etc.  Was it worth it?  Well, it varied.  My moisturizer is my lifesaver.  I need it.  I love it.  And I don't mind spending the bucks to buy it because I feel the difference.  However, I have completely quit buying expensive mascara, eyeshadows, face wash and rouge.  I used to think, because I had sensitive skin, I had to get a certain department store brand for everything, but then I realized, the $4 eyeshadow from Target worked just as well and my eyes didn't look puffy or irritated despite the product being cheaper.  So, always figure out what works best for you, regardless of price.

Myth: "You have to suffer for beauty"

RS Experts: Yes & No, depending on why you're suffering.

Me: Totally agree.  If you're injecting Botox into your face, that needle is going to hurt.  Face lifts, liposuction, breast augmentations - those things are supposed to hurt because they are considered major surgery.  But if your face wash is burning layers of your skin off, or those fabulous heels [you bought at a discount and love even more because of that] are causing your feet to swell and blister because they're too tight, then no, you should not be suffering for beauty.

Myth: "Less is more when it comes to your makeup and hair."

RS Experts: Agreed.

Me: Yes & No.  I've tried doing the natural look with makeup using only powder and mascara, and it did not work.  Instead, it took the normal amount of products but in different shades.  However, if I'm going out for a night on the town, I will get "all dolled up" by adding eyeliner, a bolder shade of lipstick and an extra coat of mascara.  With my hair, I stray from the Dolly Parton look and try to keep things simple.  In fact, I don't use any products on my hair despite owning texture creams, mousse, hairspray, heat protectorates and de-frizzers. 

No matter what, use beauty products to enhance your best features, regardless of brand or price and suffer only when absolutely necessary.

Happy Monday, Lovelies!

{Image by Kat MacLeod via Real Simple.  For the full article, click here}

Do you know when to wash your clothes?

I thought I did, but the last two issues of Real Simple I received in the mail, both had articles titled "Do You Wash Your Clothes Too Often" and the overwhelming answer for me, was yes.  Yes, I do and I am not afraid to admit it.  Apparently, I way over wash them too.

For instance, skirts.  I thought 2 wears more than qualified as dirty but according to Real Simple, you can wear skirts 4 -5 times before chucking them in the washer.  Sweatshirts I washed every 2 -3 wears, depending on whether or not I was just lounging around in them after work during winter, but Real Simple says every 6 - 7 wears.  It's a good thing they agreed with me on swimsuits (after every wear), or I would have assumed the good people at Real Simple were a smelly bunch.

How do you fare with Real Simple?


Photos courtesy of Real Simple