Caramel Apple Pie Bars

It's fall! It's fall, it's fall, it's fall!! And okay, it's about 100 degrees here today, and we probably won't have fall like temperatures until late November, but I'm still celebrating with all the apples and all the pumpkins.

Last weekend we went to Apple Hill, which is a really cool area full of orchards and vineyards. And a ton of people in October. We went to a couple of the more out of the way places (much more our speed and much less crowded), and I stocked up on apples.

And stared at some delicious looking caramel apples--my problem with caramel apples is I can never eat an entire one and I normally manage to get it all over myself while eating it... So I skipped the caramel apple and decided to turn some of my apples into a dessert.

A caramel apple crumble pie bar dessert. An apple pie bar dessert with caramel? A caramel apple tart? With crumbles? Haha! This recipe is a mash up of apple pie, caramel apples, and a pie bar. And it's topped with a delicious crunchy crumble and drizzled with more caramel sauce--in other words, it's unholy deliciousness!

It is a couple of steps--but I think it's totally worth it in the end! I put the steps in the recipe in the order I did them and when the caramel apple crumble bars came out the oven I had to resist eating them right then and there! These bars would be perfect with vanilla ice cream, but they're also good all by themselves!

Caramel Apple Pie Bars Recipe
author: Happy Food Happy Home
makes 16-20 2x2 inch bar pieces

Crust
1 pie crust

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. Line a 9" x 13" rimmed baking sheet or casserole pan with parchment paper. 
3. On a floured surface, roll out the pie crust into a 9" x 13" rectangle. Carefully transfer the dough rectangle to the baking sheet. 
4. Prick the dough all over with a fork. 
5. Bake the dough for 10 minutes until the edges are firm, but the dough has not yet turned golden. 
6. Remove from the oven and set aside. 

Caramel Sauce
*makes more sauce than you'll need for the bars. It's really nothing to complain about ;)

1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons light corn syrup
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of kosher salt

1. In a medium sauce pan, add the sugar and corn syrup. 
2. Bring to a boil over high heat swirling occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes.  
3. Remove the sugar from the heat and carefully add the butter. The mixture will bubble! Be careful! Stir until the butter has melted. 
4. Still off the heat, add the heavy cream and vanilla. It will bubble again! Be careful!
5. Put the mixture back on the stove over medium high heat.  Stir the mixture until it all comes together.
6. Cook for 2-3 minutes more until it becomes a delicious caramel color! Remove from heat and pour into a heat proof glass jar. 
7. Set caramel sauce aside. 

Crumbles

3/4 cup of all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

3 tablespoons brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1. In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, salt, cinnamon, brown sugar, and baking powder. 
2. Drizzle with the melted butter and mix together to form small crumbles. 
3. Set aside. 

Apples

3-4 medium apples

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

squeeze of lemon juice (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon corn starch

1. Peel the apples. Quarter them and cut out the cores.  Evenly slice the apples to about 1/4 inch thickness. 
2. Toss the apple slices with the cinnamon, lemon juice, and corn starch. 

To Assemble and Bake

1 par-baked pie crust
apple slices
1/4-1/2 cup caramel sauce
crumbles
plus more caramel sauce for topping

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. 
2. On top of the pie crust (still on the parchment lined cookie sheet) lay the apples in rows, overlapping each piece 3/4 of the way.
3. Drizzle the apples with a light layer of caramel sauce. 
4. Evenly spread the crumbles over the top of the caramel drizzled apples.
5. Bake the bars at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes until the apples are soft and the tops of the crumbles are golden brown. 
6. Allow the caramel apple crumble bars to cool for about 30 minutes before drizzling with more caramel sauce and slicing. (I used a pizza cutter to slice between my rows of apples, then cut each row into four pieces.)

The bars will keep for about a week in an airtight container in the refrigerator, but it's best to eat them the day of so the crumble stays crunchy!

Enjoy your caramel apple pie bars with ice cream, apple cider, or just all by themselves. Pack some up and go on a picnic to an apple orchard near you! Yay fall! 

Cheeseburger Soup

I think I first heard the words "Cheeseburger Soup" on an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I loved watching that show and seeing all the cool places they found to feature. It really made me want to seek out and try new restaurants around me!  And cheeseburger soup?? Who can say no to that?

I'm not really sure what the recipe was on the show, or even what restaurant they were talking about. But I couldn't stop thinking about cheeseburger soup. This soup recipe has become one of our favorites; I love it because it's easy to throw together and I almost always have everything on hand. Dustin loves it because it's cheesy and meaty and absolutely delicious.

I use three kinds of cheese in the soup for extra flavor and cheesy punch. The spices and tomatoes keep this from feeling too much like fondue. And I use ground turkey for the meat because no one can tell the difference! It's also a lean meat that keeps the soup from getting to heavy.

I love serving this soup with pretzel rolls--it's like a hamburger on a pretzel bun! Cheeseburger soup is a delicious soup recipe that I love making. It's easy, filling, and a fast dinner to throw together.

Cheeseburger Soup

author: Happy Food Happy Home

Serves 2-4

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 garlic clove, minced

1 jalapeno, minced

1 pound ground turkey

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1 (14 ounce) can diced tomatoes

2 cups chicken broth

salt and pepper

1 teaspoon oregano

½ teaspoon ground mustard

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup shredded Colby Jack cheese (shredded from a block, not pre-shredded!*)

1 ½ teaspoons corn starch

¼ cup (1/2 block) cream cheese

2 slices American cheese

1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in the bottom of your favorite soup pot.
2. Add the onion to the pot and cook until softened, approx 5 minutes. 
3. Add the jalapeno and the garlic to the onions and cook for 1 minute.
4. Add ground turkey and season with salt and pepper.  Cook until browned, about 10 minutes.
5. Add in the chili powder and paprika, and toast with the ground turkey for 30 seconds. 
6. Add the chicken broth, tomatoes, oregano, ground mustard, and bay leaf.  Allow soup to come to a simmer.
7. Cut cream cheese into small chunks and stir into the soup.
8. Meanwhile, shred the Colby Jack cheese and toss with the corn starch.
9. Add the shredded cheese and corn starch mixture to the pot.  Stir until the cheese has melted and incorporated into the soup. 
10. Add the American cheese slices and stir until melted. 
11. Ladle in to bowls and serve with yummy crusty bread or pretzel crackers. 

*Because pre-shredded cheese has a non-caking agent added to it, it often doesn't melt into the soup correctly.

You should definitely give cheeseburger soup a try. I bet it will become a favorite meal in your house, especially if you love soup and cheese!

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Quadruple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Sometimes when I get home from teaching, I need a cookie. Or 5..sometimes 5 cookies. And last week was one of the 5 cookies kind of weeks. Luckily, by the time I nibbled on the batter making these cookies, I only had two instead of five. A

Double chocolate chip cookies are some of my favorites, and I've been known to order them from anywhere. Subway anyone? And so I set out to recreate the soft chewy centers of my favorite double chocolate chip cookies.  But I also had to raise the bar a little a lot.

So for these cookies, I added three different kinds of chocolate chips--dark chocolate, semisweet chocolate, and white chocolate. The different chocolate chips add different flavors and textures through the cookies. And I added a hit of espresso powder to the batter to make the coco powder flavor really shine.

Vanilla, butter, salt, coco powder, and three kinds of chocolate chips make these quadruple chocolate chocolate chip cookies the perfect afternoon snack after a stressful day. Add a tall, cold glass of milk, and my day was suddenly looking up. It's amazing what quadruple chocolate chocolate chip cookies can do!

Quadruple Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Author: Happy Food Happy Home

Yields approx. 20 cookies

1 ¼ sticks butter (10 tablespoons), softened 

1 cup sugar

1 egg

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

½ teaspoon espresso powder

1 cup flour

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons coco powder

¾ teaspoons baking soda

½ teaspoon kosher salt

¾ cup dark chocolate chips

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

¾ cup white chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.
2. Cream butter and sugar together in the bowl of a stand mixer. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
3. Add the egg. Mix until just combined. Scrape down sides.
4. Mix in vanilla and espresso powder. Scrape down sides.
5. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, coco powder, baking soda, and salt.
6. Add half of the dry ingredients to the stand mixer and mix until just combined. Scrape down sides.
7. Add remaining dry ingredients and all of the chocolate chips. Mix until combined.
8. Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to scoop cookies onto lined baking sheet.
9. Bake cookies for 9-10 minutes until the edges are set but the middles are still soft. The cookies should have a few cracks running across their tops. 
10. Let the cookies cool for 5 minutes on the cookie sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Sometimes cookies can make everything better. And I love those times--your problems aren't too big when cookies can fix them. Cookies are my go-to 'had a bad day' food; do you have a comfort food you make during a bad day? If you don't I would highly recommend trying these quadruple chocolate chip cookies!

Ham and Leek Scalloped Potatoes

Winter has hit Indiana hard these past couple of weeks.  What started out as a very mild winter has taken an abrupt turn--there's about a foot of snow on the ground right now. And all the cold snowy weather has me craving comfort foods again; right when I thought it was safe to start eating salads.

Because I was craving warm and creamy deliciousness, I pulled some of my leftover Christmas ham out of the freezer and started dreaming about how to combine it with potatoes and cheese and warmth. Scalloped potatoes came to mind-maybe because we had eaten them with the ham in the first place.

So I combined leftover ham, and scalloped potatoes and threw a leek in too for added depth of flavor and a vegetable in this 'casserole'. Add in Gruyere cheese for a salty cheese hit, Colby Jack for creamy, melty, stringy cheese, and layer it all together topped with cream and chicken broth. And this comfort food ham and leek scalloped potatoes really hit the spot--the warm and creamy deliciousness spot!

Though the scalloped potatoes may look a little intense--there are lots of layers--the most time consuming part is making sure everything is sliced and shredded. Assembling is super easy, cover the scalloped potatoes with foil, and put in a rather hot oven until the cream has thickened, the potatoes have softened, and the cheese has melted. In other words, until the ham and leek scalloped potatoes are ready to go in your belly!

Ham and Leek Scalloped Potatoes
author: Happy Food Happy Home
serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 

1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 medium leek, diced
1 large garlic clove, minced
3 teaspoons fresh herbs--I used rosemary and sage
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese
3/4 cup shredded  Colby Jack cheese
1 cup diced ham
1/4 cup chicken broth

1. Slice the potatoes as thinly as you can. I used the smallest setting on my mandolin. Place the potatoes in a large bowl and cover with water to keep them from browning.
2. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add the leek to the hot oil and cook until it has softened, about 5 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, mince the garlic and herbs.
5. Add the minced garlic and herbs to the pan and cook for 1 minute more.
6. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Grease an 8x8 baking dish.
7. Drain the water off of the potatoes.
8. Add the leek-garlic-herb mixture, the whipping cream, and the salt to the potatoes. Toss to coat.
9. In the greased baking dish, place 1/3 of the potatoes in an overlapping even layer. Drizzle some of the cream from the bottom of the bowl over the potatoes.
10. Add ½ of the ham and 1/3 of the shredded cheese in an even layer on top of the potatoes.
11. Gently pour half of the chicken broth over the layer.
12. Add another layer of 1/3 of the potatoes. Drizzle with cream mixture.
13. Top with remaining ham and 1/3 of the cheese.
14. Add another layer with the remaining potatoes. Pour remaining cream on top.
15. Gently pour the rest of the chicken broth over the layer.
16. Top with the remaining cheese.
17. Cover the baking dish with aluminum foil.
18. Bake for 45-55 minutes until the potatoes are soft and the cream has thickened.
19. In the last 10 minutes of cooking time remove the foil to make the cheese on top brown and delicious. 

adapted from Pinch of Yum

The Ham and Leek Scalloped Potatoes will be a perfect way to use up any leftover Easter ham you have. It is also perfect to make any time you are craving a warm and creamy dinner. My only hope is by Easter I'll be eating this because it's delicious, and not because it is still freezing outside... Is it spring in your part of the world yet? I promise to only be a little jealous! 

Rosemary Brined and Roasted Pork Loin

Do you have a plan for Valentine's Day dinner? Yeah, I don't either! Especially because I made this delicious pork roast already and don't have another one to cook. But I'd recommend you run to the store, buy a pork roast, and make this for your special someone for Valentine's Day.

This pork roast is savory, juicy, and delicious. Brining is the way to go with pork--it's like giving the roast a delicious salty bath, and it is the easiest way to make sure your pork is flavorful and juicy. I love the lemon and rosemary additions to the brine. They add so much subtle flavor to the final roast. Rosemary pretty much makes me happy in anything!

Roasting the pork surrounded by carrots and potatoes and onions and yum makes this a delicious, easy one pan meal. And if you make the brine the night before, put the roast in the pot in the morning, and then roast when you get home, it's a 1 hour fridge to table meal.

The potatoes are creamy, the carrots sweet and a little charred, and the onions almost caramelize on the sheet pan.  The pork gets crispy on top and stays super juicy. And the rosemary ties everything together without being overpowering.

Rosemary Brined and Roasted Pork Loin with Potatoes and Carrots

Author: Happy Food Happy Home

Serves 2-4

Brine

2 cups water

½ cup kosher salt

¼ cup packed brown sugar

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon peppercorns

1 teaspoon fennel seeds

1 sprig fresh rosemary

1 lemon, cut in half

½ onion, roughly chopped

1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed

1 2 pound pork roast

Potatoes and Carrots

1 ½ pounds baby red potatoes

4 medium carrots

½ large onion, cut into quarters

2 garlic cloves, peeled

1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Olive oil, to coat

Rosemary Rub

1 teaspoon chopped rosemary

½ teaspoon black pepper

¼ teaspoon kosher salt

Prepare Brine

1. Combine 2 cups of water, salt, sugar, bay leaf, peppercorns, fennel seeds, and rosemary in a large pot.*
2. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until sugar and salt have dissolved. Remove from heat.
3. Add in the lemon, onion, and garlic.
4. Using a measuring cup, fill with 2 cups of ice cubes.  Then add cold water and fill in around the ice.
5. Add the water/ice to the pot. Stir to combine and cool.**
6. Add the pork loin roast to the brine.
7. Brine for 8-10 hours. Flip the roast over halfway through the time.

Prepare Vegetables

1. Peel the carrots and cut into large chunks. Place in a large mixing bowl.
2. Wash the potatoes and put in the bowl.
3. Add the rosemary, salt, pepper, and olive oil to the bowl. Stir to combine.
4. Add the onion and the garlic cloves.  Stir once, trying not to break apart the onion.

Cook

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
2. Remove the roast from brine scraping off anything that sticks to it.
3. Place the roast fat side up in the center of a parchment paper covered rimmed sheet pan.
4. Mix together the rosemary, pepper, and salt and sprinkle over the roast.
5. Dump the vegetables around the roast. Spread them out in an even layer.
6. Cook the roast for about 20 minutes per pound until in the internal temperature is 145 degrees.
7. Remove the roast from the oven and allow to rest for 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

*large enough to fit your roast

**you can store the brine like this in the refrigerator for 24 hours

What are your plans for Valentine's Day?  After one evening a few years ago when we waited 90 minutes for a table, Dustin and I decided to stay home on Valentine's Day. Romantic evening at home it is!

Grilled Mexican Flank Steak Tacos with Grilled Corn

I love tacos.  And now that grilling season is in full swing I couldn't resist making steak tacos with everything on the grill.  Grilled flank steak, grilled corn, tortillas heated on the grill.  It's the perfect dinner to make when you just don't want to turn on the stove or the oven.

The flank steak is soaked in a chili powder, lime, and spice infused marinade that sinks through the steak making it flavorful, delicious, and tender.  All of the spices--cumin, oregano, paprika, cinnamon--are the perfect seasoning for flavorful tacos.  I think the next time I make ground beef tacos I'm going to use the same spice mixture!

Summer vegetables are making me so happy right now.  I'm not sure if I could possibly eat more corn--is every day too often?  I love grilling corn because it's super fast, and I can normally just throw it on as I grill whatever else I'm grilling.  It's also really nice because I don't shuck it before hand;  after it's cooked I peel it all off, shucks, silk, and all.  I'm going to do a post just about grilling corn--check for it later this week.

Grilled Mexican flank steak, grilled corn, pico de gallo, creama, and shredded cheese--everything combined together makes these tacos the perfect bite of summer.  Fresh veggies, grilled steak, and tortillas warmed on the grill.  Summer food just might be the best food.

Grilled Mexican Flank Steak Tacos with Grilled Corn
author:  Happy Food Happy Home
serves 4 (can be adjusted to serve as necessary)

2 pound flank steak

Marinade

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon dried oregano

¼ teaspoon paprika

3 dashes cinnamon

¼ teaspoon black pepper

1 clove garlic, grated

½ teaspoon lime zest (about ½ a lime)

1 teaspoon honey

1 teaspoon kosher salt

4-6 corn tortillas

Toppings

2 ears of corn

pico de gallo

sour cream or Mexican Creama

shredded cheese or cojito

cilantro for topping

1. Whisk together the marinade ingredients in a glass measuring cup.
2. In a large Ziploc bag combine the flank steak and the marinade.  Securely close the bag and use your hands to rub the steak in the marinade. 
3. Place the sealed bag in the fridge for 8-24 hours.  Rotate and rub the bag every few hours (whenever you think about it).
4. Heat grill to medium high heat. 
5. Trim off any dangling shucks and silks from the corn, but keep most of the shucks on.  Place on the grill and cook for 15 minutes.  Rotate the corn every 5 minutes.  Remove from grill and let cool before shucking.
6. Using tongs remove the steak from the ziplock bag.  Place on the grill and cook for approximately 7 minutes per side--until a thermometer reads 130-135 (for medium rare). 
7. Remove steak from grill and let rest for 10 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. 
8. Turn grill off and throw tortillas onto the grill.  Allow to warm on the grill--flipping over after about 1 minute. Remove when warm.
9. Shuck the corn and use a sharp knife to slice the kernels from the cob. 
10. Slice the flank steak in thin slices making sure to go against the grain of the meat--your slices should be short meat fibers through the slices, not long meat fibers with the slices. 
11. Gather together the tortillas, steak, corn, pico de gallo, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro.  Assemble the tacos with whatever makes you happy.  

I love tacos--especially ones filled with summer flavors. The grilled corn and flank steak really make these tacos.  What are your favorite summer flavors?  Grilling anything amazing lately?

Spring Berry Brownie Sundaes

Summer camp has been kicking my butt.  We're three weeks in, and I still feel like I'm running everywhere in order to make sure everyone is having a great time.  Luckily that's mostly what I have to worry about-- everyone having fun.  Not a bad job to have.

When I get home in the afternoon I'm normally hungry and tired.  So I love having an afternoon snack.  It's a bit of an indulgence in the middle of my day--a little treat between lunch and dinner.  Most days I convince myself that some fruit or cheese would be a good snack.  But some days I just need somethings chocolate.

I love brownies, especially ones with a crispy top and a gooey middle.  They're just the perfect little chocolaty bite that I crave.  These brownies are delicious, and I dare I say easy.  Chocolate, a touch of espresso powder, and vanilla make a rich complex brownie that doesn't seem too far away from a traditional brownie.  Brownies don't really need to be messed with, do they?

And to make everything even more indulgent and delicious (who can so no to that?)  I topped the brownies with ice cream and my Spring Berry Syrup.  It's like the ultimate brownie sundae served in a jar! It's cute--dare I say twee--and the spring berry brownie sundae is the perfect ending to a hot day at camp.

Spring Berry Brownie Sundaes

author: Happy Food Happy Home

makes 8-10 brownie sundaes

Brownies

3 ounces  70 percent dark chocolate, coarsely chopped

1 stick unsalted butter

¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon espresso powder

½ teaspoon kosher salt (or ¼ teaspoon table salt)

2/3 cup all purpose flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Butter an 8x8 baking pan.
3. Set a large glass mixing bowl over a pot of boiling water. 
4. Add the chocolate and the butter to the bowl and stir until almost melted.
5. Remove the bowl from the heat and stir until the mixture is smooth.
6. Whisk in the sugar.
7. Whisk in the eggs one at a time.
8. Whisk in the vanilla and the espresso powder. 
9. Add the flour and salt and stir until just combined.
10. Pour the brownies into the prepared pan.
11. Bake the brownies for 25-35 minutes until the top is crisp, the edges are set, and the middle is slightly gooey. 
12. Allow brownies to cool for about 5 minutes before cutting and assembling the sundaes.

To Assemble Sundaes:

Spring Berry Syrup

Vanilla Ice Cream

Strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries for topping

1. I cut the brownies into about 1 inch squares to fit in the pint size mason jar. 
2. Start with 1 layer of brownies, then top with a spoonful of syrup.
3. Add more brownies, ice cream, and a big spoon of spring berry syrup on top. 
4. Top with berries if desired.
5. Devour promptly. 

Notes:  Brownies adapted from Smitten Kitchen

I love these spring berry brownie sundaes.  I might have eaten them for about a week in a row.  They would also be perfect for a cookout--everyone can make their own!  Do you have a favorite afternoon snack?  Is it practical or more indulgent?

Chili and Lime Beer Can Chicken

I love cooking whole chickens.  They're flavorful, juicy, and normally we have leftovers to use it other things.  I love cooking a whole chicken on the grill.  It's like the roast chicken for the summer!  No hot oven, no hot house, and the clean-up is quick and easy.

Putting a beer can in the chicken was a little silly the first time; but then I tasted it.  The beer provides a subtle flavor to the chicken, as well as keeping the chicken super moist and juicy.

I veered a little away from my normal beer can chicken recipe to make this one with chili powder and lime.  The chicken itself isn't spicy, but the skin is spicy and smokey and limey and delicious!  The rub and the beer permeate the chicken and make a delicious savory flavorful chicken.

And by grilling the chicken inside a pan you can cook the potatoes right underneath the chicken.  Cooking the potatoes in the chicken drippings creates a golden crispy mouthwatering crust on the potatoes.  Dustin and I both eat them out of the pan before we even get to the table.

Chili and Lime Beer Can Chicken

author:  Happy Food Happy Home

adapted from the Deen Brothers

serves 4

½ cup mayonnaise

1 lime, zested (about 2 teaspoons)

juice of 1 lime

2 teaspoons chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 4-5 pound whole chicken

1 12 ounce can of beer

Chili Roasted Potatoes

3-4 large potatoes

1 tablespoon olive oil

½ teaspoon chili powder

salt and pepper

1 medium disposable roasting pan

1. Combine the mayonnaise, lime zest, lime juice, and spices in a large mixing bowl to form a paste.
2. Rinse your chicken, check for any pin feathers, and pat dry.
3. Place the chicken in the  mixing bowl with the mayonnaise paste and gently smother the chicken in the mixture.  Make sure to get inside the chicken as well.
4. Dice the potatoes into medium cubes.  Toss the potatoes with the olive oil, ½ teaspoon chili powder, and salt and pepper to taste.
5. Heat your grill to medium high heat--about 375 degrees. 
6. Open your can of beer and drink a few sips (or pour it out) to keep the beer from overflowing.
7. Carefully insert the can into the bottom of the chicken, keeping the beer and the chicken upright.  
8. Place the disposable pan on the grill.  Stand the chicken in the roasting pan.
9. Place the potatoes around the chicken in the roasting pan. 
10. Close the grill and cook the chicken for 35-45 minutes.  Stir the potatoes once or twice.  Test for done-ness with a digital thermometer--the thigh meat should be at least 180 degrees.
11. Carefully remove the chicken from the grill.  The beer and the can are very hot.  Allow the chicken to rest for 10 minutes.  
12. Gently remove the beer can from the bottom of the chicken.  Carve and serve!

The chili and lime beer can chicken is a really great recipe to make for your family.  You could also roast two at one time, and it would be perfect for a smaller cookout!

Have you ever made a beer can chicken?  What is your favorite way to cook chicken on the grill?

Spring Berry Syrup

I swear for the last month every time I have gone to the grocery store I have bought a package of berries.  Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, and blackberries.  I have celebrated spring by eating my weight in berries.

Because of the plethora of berries in my fridge and a desire for waffles on Monday morning I had to make a delicious spring berry syrup.  I used strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries in my syrup, but you can totally change up the berries based on what you have and what you want your syrup to taste like.

The berry syrup is infinitely changeable too!  More berries, different berries, throw in some lime zest--whatever you want.  You can also cook down the syrup to reach a more jam-like consistency, which is what I  did with about half of my syrup. I have awesome plans for the jam--mixed into yogurt for breakfast, on top of more waffles, and of course ICE CREAM!

Vanilla ice cream topped with spring berry syrup is about the best thing I've eaten lately; when I've taken a break from shoving handfuls of berries in my mouth.  The spring berry flavors pop and tang when mixed with the creamy vanilla ice cream.

Spring Berry Syrup

author: Happy Food Happy Home

yields about 2 cups of berry syrup

4 cups mixed berries (2 cups strawberries, 1 cup blueberries, 1 cup raspberries)

¼-½ cup sugar

¼ cup water

1-2 tablespoons lemon juice (from half a lemon)

1. Stem the strawberries, and chop the strawberries down to roughly the size of the raspberries.
2. Combine the strawberry pieces, raspberries, blueberries, ¼ cup sugar, water, and lemon juice in a medium sized saucepan.
3. Cover the saucepan and heat over medium high heat until the water has started to boil.
4. Remove lid and allow the syrup to simmer for 25-35 minutes.  The berries will burst, the mixture will get liquidy, and then start to cook down.  
5. Taste your sauce.  If it is a little tart add extra sugar to taste.  Stir the extra sugar into the syrup and allow to dissolve. 
6. If your syrup is too thick add some extra water, and if it is too thin allow to simmer until it is the consistency you are looking for. 

I can't stop thinking of other uses for the spring berry syrup: I want to use it as the base for Italian Sodas, I have a delicious brownie sundae in the works, and straight off a spoon mixed in with more ice cream. 

Have you been buying berries buy the cart-ful?  What is your favorite way to use berries?