What’s New on Pinterest: Pumpkin Lovin'

Squash ideas of other flavors – it’s time for Pumpkin Lovin', and we’ve carved out a Pinterest board with pumpkin recipes for every meal. Breakfast calls for pumpkin French toast casserole or maple-glazed pumpkin Poptarts. At lunchtime, cozy up to a selection of pumpkin soups, and for dinner, fork into pumpkin, spinach and walnut spaghetti or penne pasta with mild Italian sausage in a creamy pumpkin-sage sauce. Dessert? Slice into no-bake pumpkin cheesecake, take a bite out of pumpkin spice truffles or cut the calories with low-fat pumpkin mousse pie.

What's New on Pinterest: Praise the Lord for Pasta!

Is there a lean-on-me pantry staple that segues from picnic to potluck to tailgate more successfully than pasta? Hallelujah for Pastas to be Praised, a year-round mealtime savior. Show off summer’s fresh veggies in pasta with corn, zucchini and tomatoes or play up shrimp with tomatoes and spinach in a garlic butter sauce. Ever-flexible pasta salads please dill pickle lovers, BLT cravers and Caesar salad hailers alike. And then there’s the lasagna noodle, planking in Tricia Yearwood’s cowboy lasagna with pepperoni and green chili and chicken pasta or folding around family pleasing, easy-to-serve cheese rollups. Yep. We’re praising pasta. Can we get an amen out there in Pinterestland?

What’s New on Pinterest

Brie Our Guest, Brie our guest, put our cheese to the test. Beauty and the Beast? No. Beautiful, drool-worthy ways to use Brie. Try a very versatile and simple berry Brie pizza for brunch, supper or dessert. Handheld ham and cheese pies are picnic, pool or outdoor concert ready. Mini steak sandwiches with Brie, caramelized onions and fig jam; blueberry, Brie and lemon curd grilled cheeses; and turkey apple Brie panini all ooze goodness. Classic strawberry or blueberry baked Brie, baked Brie topped with wine-soaked blackberries, grilled Brie-stuffed figs with honey or roasted garlic and Brie pull-apart bread are fast entertainers. Winning our vote for the Brie-siest, easiest summer dish ever –- spaghetti with Brie, tomato and basil.

What’s New on Pinterest

Cuisine from Around the World is a veritable passport on a plate. Venture north for Canadian poutine, south for Aussie party pies and Brazilian brigadeiro (chocolate truffles), east to Chinese cha siu bao (BBQ pork buns) then westward, ho, for an In-N-Out copycat burger. Ireland? Baileys Irish Cream pound cake. Greece? Easy chicken gyro and tzatziki sauce. India? Crock-Pot Indian lentils. Get the picture? Not a bad idea -- snapshots for a vacation victuals photo album before these culinary landmarks disappear. 

#Foodgram

Be your own seasonally driven chef, aided and abetted by Garnish & Gather. Pick a chef-created recipe from their weekly repertoire, and G & G gathers the ingredients, includes the 30-minutes-‘til-done recipe with cooking techniques and packages all for pick up at one of many designated Atlanta pick-up points or throw in some extra dough for home delivery. Garner a glimpse of their photos, and you’ll say, “Sign me up!”

What's New on Pinterest

Super Bowl Sensations pits healthy against hedonistic in a game-day snack table showdown. Our Pinterest picks meet in the middle to appease both factions. Toss out the double-dipping conundrum by layering dips in individual cups. Turn food into mini-footballs by adding "laces" using white chocolate on chocolate-dipped strawberries or chives on deviled eggs. Mix up Game Day Pep Corn. Perhaps the ultimate edible centerpiece is a pan-sized football field turfed with guac anchored by opposing queso and salsa end zones, all flanked by adoring tortilla chip fans. 

What's New on Pinterest

Your average Joe pomegranate holds 600 arils (seeds), rosy gems bursting with tart juice, vitamins, antioxidants, health benefits and a pop of tart juice to wake up winter recipes. Pick some Pomegranate Pleasures off our Pinterest board, beginning with a cutting and aril removal tutorial and progressing to a protein-packed pomegranate berry smoothie, five-ingredient pear and pomegranate salsa, sweet and savory baked brie, superfood salad with pan-seared salmon, pomegranate-glazed shrimp and so many more. We'll never take pomegranates for granted again. 

Season’s Gr-Eatings from Our Kitchens to Yours

Restaurants are our specialty. We adore wining and dining at some of the best restaurants in our city and beyond -- and keeping our readers in the know. Don’t write us off though when it comes to dabbling in the kitchen. We have our own stash of recipes and traditions that sing holiday-time to us, and we’re happy to share. Eat, drink and be merry, from our kitchen (and bar) to yours.

Alex: Turtle cookies will bring anyone out of his or her shell to obtain several before the cookie tray’s empty. It’s hard to give these up at a cookie exchange.

Turtle Cookies

(Makes about 30)

Cookie

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick butter (1/2 cup), softened

2/3 cup sugar

1 large egg, separated, plus 1 additional egg white

2 tbsp. milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 cup pecans, finely chopped

Caramel Filling

14 soft caramel candies (like Kraft Traditional Caramels)

3 tbsp. heavy cream

Chocolate Drizzle (optional)

2 oz. semi-sweet chocolate

1 tsp. shortening

Prepare the Cookies: 

Combine flour, cocoa and salt; set aside. With electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add egg yolk, milk and vanilla; mix until incorporated. Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture until just combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Whisk egg whites in a bowl until frothy. Place chopped pecans in another bowl. Roll chilled dough into 1-inch balls, dip in egg whites and then roll in pecans. Place balls about 2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using a 1/2 teaspoon measuring spoon, make an indentation in the center of each dough ball. Bake until set, about 12 minutes.

Caramel Filling

Microwave caramels and cream together in a small bowl, stirring occasionally, until smooth, about 1 to 2 minutes.

Once cookies are removed from the oven, gently re-press the indentations. Fill each indentation with about 1/2 teaspoon of the caramel mixture. Cool on the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

Chocolate Drizzle

Place chocolate and shortening in a small zip-top plastic bag. Set bag in a bowl of warm water to soften. Gently knead the chocolate with your fingers until melted and smooth, placing back in the warm water for a minute or two as needed. Snip a very small hole in the corner of the plastic bag. Drizzle chocolate over the cooled Turtle Cookies.

Amy: These cheese potatoes remind me of my grandma and Christmastime. They are the perfect side dish with a HoneyBaked ham.

Grandma’s Easy Cheese Potatoes

2 lbs. frozen potatoes (Ore-Ida diced hash brown potatoes work best)
1 standard can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
1 standard can Campbell’s Cheese soup
1 pint sour cream

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Mix all ingredients together in pan. Bake for 1 hour. Take foil off and cook 1 more hour.

Brandon: Chocolate peanut butter no-bake cookies are my favorite cookies ever! They’re 
fast and easy for a quick fix and downright delectable.

Chocolate Peanut Butter No-Bake Cookies
2 cups sugar
4 tbsp. cocoa
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup milk
1 cup peanut butter
1 tbsp. vanilla
3 cups oatmeal
Waxed paper 

In a heavy saucepan, bring the sugar, cocoa, butter and milk to a boil. Let boil for 1 minute then add peanut butter, vanilla and oatmeal. Drop mixture by teaspoonful onto a sheet of waxed paper. Let set until cooled and hardened. (Recipe from Food Network)

Emily: After we open presents on Christmas morning, my family heads to Waffle House for breakfast. We always bring the staff a box of homemade cookies. This recipe is from my great-grandmother and is always a hit with our favorite Wa-Ho waiters.

Tea Time Tassies

1 3 oz. package cream cheese

1½ lb. butter

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

1 dash salt

1 cup nuts (pecans, chopped)

Blend cream cheese, 1 stick of butter (½ cup) and 1 cup flour over low heat. Put in refrigerator for 1 hour*. Preheat oven to 325ºF. Pinch off balls of pastry and spread with fingers into small muffin tins. Beat 1 lb. soft butter, brown sugar, vanilla, egg and salt; add nuts. Spoon mixture into pastry shells. Bake about 25 minutes or until light brown.

Erin: December means layers and bulky sweaters. Thus, there’s no better time to indulge yourself. Ditch the diet, have a few too many pieces of Texas sheet cake and promise yourself you’ll exercise that gym membership in the new year.

Texas Sheet Cake 

Serve with a scoop of ice cream. Serves 12. Easy and freezable.

Cake

2 sticks (1 cup) margarine

1 cup water

4 tbsp. cocoa

2 cups sugar

2 cups flour

1/2 tsp. salt

2 eggs

3/4 cup sour cream

1 tsp. baking soda

Preheat oven to 375ºF. Bring margarine, water and cocoa to a boil. Remove from heat and add sugar, flour and salt. Beat in eggs, sour cream and soda. Mix very thoroughly in a mixer. Pour into greased and floured 10”x15” jelly roll pan. Bake for 20 minutes or until sides of cake pull away from pan.

Icing

1 stick butter (1/2 cup)

4 tbsp. cocoa

4 tbsp. milk

1 lb. confectioners’ sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

While cake is baking, put all ingredients in heavy saucepan. Over medium-low heat, allow butter to melt, stirring ingredients together with wire whisk. Do not allow to boil. Keep warm over low heat until cake is baked. Pour icing over cake immediately after removing from oven.

Gretchen: Spinach balls roll some festive greenery onto a holiday table. A yummy epiphany led me to set each ball on a slice of tomato and provolone cheese before baking, and I’ve never looked back.

Spinach Balls

10 oz. package chopped frozen spinach, thawed and drained

2 cup herb-seasoned dry bread stuffing, finely crushed

1⁄2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

2 tsp. garlic powder

1⁄2 tsp. black pepper, ground

1 tsp. Italian seasoning

1⁄2 cup butter, melted

3 eggs, beaten

Optional: tomato slices and provolone cheese slices

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Shape into walnut-sized balls and place on a baking sheet. (Note, at this point you can set each ball on top of a base slice of tomato and a middle slice of provolone. Be sure to use nonstick spray on the baking sheet.) Bake for 20 minutes, or until heated through and browned. (Inspired by AllRecipes.)

Mandy: This is a new family favorite since we are always looking for delicious ways to use up bananas that are getting too ripe. It's sweet but still feels wholesome enough for a holiday breakfast.

Banana Gingerbread Muffins
(adapted from a Chiquita Bananas recipe)
1 tbsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. very finely ground fresh pepper
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup white whole wheat flour
1 tsp. ground flax seed
3/4 tsp. baking soda
2 egg whites
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup sugar
3 very ripe bananas, peeled and mashed
1/4 cup molasses

Preheat oven to 350º F. Spray a muffin tin with nonstick baking spray or insert paper muffin liners. Add spices and salt to a bowl with baking soda and flour and set aside. Beat egg whites in a large bowl until frothy. Add in sugar and oil and beat a little more. Stir in mashed bananas and molasses and beat for 1 minute more. Add in dry ingredients and stir until combined. Spoon into muffin tin and bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.

Melissa: I have never made my friend Gretchen’s Awesome, Amazing, Addictive Sugar Cookies, but I have inhaled many. I’m claiming this recipe as my holiday favorite and hear Santa is partial to them, too.

Gretchen’s Awesome, Amazing, Addictive Sugar Cookies
Cookie Dough
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup butter
1 egg
3 tbsp. whipping cream
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. of lemon extract or other flavored extract
3 cups of all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt

Combine sugar, butter, egg, whipping cream, vanilla and lemon extract. Beat with mixer until light and fluffy. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder and salt and gradually mix into the bowl of wet ingredients until a firm dough forms. Cover and chill in the fridge for at least 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

On floured surface, roll out dough and cut out desired shapes with cookie cutters. Place about 2” apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 10 minutes, until edges are a light golden brown.

When cookies have cooled completely, ice the cookies with Royal Icing (recipe below) and decorate as desired. Allow to dry completely, before stacking (approximately 8 hours).

Royal Icing

1 lb. confectioners’ sugar
3 tbsp. meringue powder
4 tbsp. warm water
Food coloring

In a small bowl, mix meringue powder with warm water. Let set for 15 minutes.

In a large bowl mix confectioners’ sugar and meringue mixture to desired consistency. If you prefer a thinner icing, add water 1/2 tsp. at a time. Divide icing in small bowls and stir in food coloring for desired colors.

After icing the cookies, keep cookies flat/untouched to air dry. Icing will take approximately 8 hours to harden for stacking.

Tuan: Holidays mean family time. Sometimes that’s all the more reason to have a drink in hand. Cheers!

Family Time Cocktail

1 lowball glass

2-3 whiskey stones, chilled

3 oz. Woodford Reserve bourbon

Place 2-3 chilled whiskey stones into lowball glass. Pour 3 ounces of Woodford Reserve bourbon into glass. Find a relaxing chair by the Christmas tree and a roaring fireplace. Drink, relax, repeat.

Audrey: My mom and I have been making Gooey Dessert Bars together since I was very young. Anyone who’s notorious for eating cookie dough before baking will find these hard to resist. For a festive spin, swap red and green M&M’S for the chocolate chips.

Gooey Dessert Bars

1 18.5-oz. box yellow cake mix

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 stick (½ cup) butter or margarine, softened

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

2 tsp. vanilla extract

1 6-oz. package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350ºF. In the large bowl of an electric mixer, combine cake mix, brown sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla. Mix on medium speed until well-blended. Pour into a greased 9”x13” baking pan. Sprinkle chocolate chips on top. Bake for 30 minutes. Do not over bake. Gooey is the goal, even though bars may not appear to be done. Cool and cut into bars.


Nicole: This apple cheese casserole is all kinds of unhealthy and delicious. All good recipes start out with lots of butter and cheese!

Apple Cheese Casserole

2 sticks of butter 

1 lb of Velveeta 

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

2 cans of Comstock apple pie filling

Grease a Pyrex dish and spread the apple pie filling on the bottom.  Mix together the (softened) butter and the rest of the ingredients and spread on top.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 for 20 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 10 minutes more or until top has browned.  Let cool and enjoy!  

What's New on Pinterest

Pour it on! We're Coo-coo for Cocoa on this week's Pinterest board, and our cup overflows. Pick your passion -- paleo, non-dairy peppermint, copycat Starbucks salted caramel hot chocolate or cayenne-spiced Mexican cocoa -- to name a few. Double up on the cocoa factor with chewables of no-bake dark chocolate truffles, thin mints or flourless chocolate almond cookies. And, before you swear off chocolate for Lent 2015, we've pinned 16 sinful hot chocolate recipes you have to try!

What's New on Pinterest

Seeing spirits? What in the Dickens? You must be reading our Seasonal Spirits Pinterest board. Cranberry and rosemary white Christmas sangria, apple cider Moscow mules, a winter sun cocktail, hot cocktails and mulled wine -- these strong spirits from the past and present are destined to become your signature sippers during the holiday social season and well into the future. Of course, if your name is Ebenezer, it's a whole different story.

What's New on Pinterest

Look out cupcakes, you're about to be upstaged by The Perfect Pie. Pumpkin chocolate chip cookie pie, purple sweet potato pie, apple bacon pie, and even a skinny pumpkin pie. Round and fab or a rectangular slab, double crust or topless, cold, hot or a main dish in a pot, there's a slice or two waiting for you on our Pinterest board!  

What's New on Pinterest: Thanksgiving Favorites

Gratitude is an attitude. One of our writers is thankful for this week's Thanksgiving Favorites board because she's planning her whole menu from it. You'll see her cruising the grocery aisles, iPad in hand, gathering ingredients for fall corn pudding with white cheddar and thyme, farro pilaf with wild mushrooms, spiced roasted root vegetables with apples and walnuts, Brussels sprout salad with avocado and pumpkin seeds, cranberry chutney and pumpkin crisp. The hubs will thrill over a bird to grill, and that will keep both bird and grillmaster out of kitchen congestion. 

What's New on Pinterest

It's Getting Chili out there, reminding us that it's time to fall back into hearty food mode and pull out the stockpots and Crock-Pots. Chili generates its own kind of aromatherapy as spices simmer in slow cooker Mexican chicken chili, Tuscan-style chili, smoky pumpkin beer chili, bread bowl chili and even kid-approved chili for your little human "beans." This could be our chili-est recipe board yet!

What’s New on Pinterest: Cooking with Coffee

 

For days when one cup of joe in the morning doesn’t cut it, check out our Cooking with Coffee Pinterest board to incorporate coffee into your favorite recipes or spice up your daily cup with something unexpected. Try an iced coffee smoothie on a warm-weather day or spike your mug with tequila for a Mexican-inspired taste. From weekday mocha oatmeal to Sunday brunch Nutella rolls with a coffee glaze, we’ve got you covered in the caffeine department.  

 

What's New on Pinterest: Tempting Teas

We've had enough of this dreary winter weather, so we took to Pinterest to find some new ways to stay warm. Cozy up to our Tempting Teas board for some hot ideas that will knock the chill right out of the wind chill factor. Sip up or think outside the cup to dish, dessert and snack ideas. Stir-fired noodles with green tea, flatbread pizza with matcha, chai-brined pork tenderloin with spiced apple chutney and moonshine sweet tea cupcakes are but a few of our teasers for letting the tea out of the bag.

What's New on Pinterest: RA Sushi Platter

Let's be honest, hunger pangs can make football watching (and any other activity) not-so-super. We've racked up football-themed recipes and Super Bowl Snackers to prepare for the big day. Weather vegan appetizers are on the menu or chowing down on beer-candied bacon is the plan, grubbing on game day is a must!

Turkey Day Alternatives Gobble Up Pinterest

Between work potlucks and "friends-giving" celebrations, you might be short on time to prepare your own Thanksgiving feast for Thursday. Have no fear, though, MLA is here! We're serving up delicious alternatives for traditional turkey day on our Terrific Turkeys Pinterest board that are both easy and delicious. No need to fry the whole bird; try turkey enchiladas, hash and more. Plus, the bird makes the best leftover meals for days of satisfaction. It's a win-win situation, so gobble it up! 

Gobble Up Thanksgiving Traditions on Pinterest

With the holidays approaching, aprons are out and recipes adorn kitchen counter tops around the country. Whether this if your first Thanksgiving on your own, or you've been preparing delicious feasts for years, it's never too early or too late to start new traditions. Our Thanksgiving Traditions Pinterest board is stuffed with classic dishes, as well as some not-so-traditional items to add to your turkey day festivities. Your company is sure to gobble them up!

What's New on Pinterest: We've Gone Nuts!

Feeling a little nutty? So are we - and our Pinterest board proves it! Pins of nutty proportions come one after another, with recipes and links that follow. Southern pralines, pistachio-crusted cod and fried almonds are some of our favorites to satisfy salty, sweet or savory cravings. Browse through our board and whip up one (or two, or ten..). It's the tastiest way to go nuts!  

Peachy Pinterest Picks

It's been a long wait, but everything is peachy on Pinterest these days and we couldn't be happier. Peaches are hitting the stands at markets and produce departments across the region, and we've been filling our bags with these sweet Southern treats. We've pinned some perfect peach ideas for you to try with your fresh batch: Georgia peach pound cake, grilled peaches, peach margaritas, peach ice cream, peach mango pops and cornbread shortcake with ham and fresh peach salsa. Power to the peaches!