🍸FIGITINI🍸
If you’re looking for the perfect holiday drink, this fig martini is it! With a hint of sweetness and a whole lot of holiday cheer, this recipe makes two delicious martinis. And here’s the best part: you can batch up to six martinis in a 750ml liquor bottle ahead of time. Just pour your drinks into the empty liquor bottle, pop it in the freezer, and you’re ready to serve whenever the festivities begin. Cheers to making spirits bright! 🍸✨
INGREDIENTS (for two martinis):
4 oz gin
2 oz Cointreau
2 heaping tbsp fig preserves
1 oz lime juice
Splash of maple syrup (1/2 oz)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Chill your glasses as you’re preparing your drinks, and then when ready to serve, pour your martini into your frosty glasses! Combine all ingredients into your shaker and shake away (for about 15 seconds). Optional: garnish with a fresh fig and a sprig of rosemary. And of course, enjoy! #holiday #martini
Babs’ Lebanese Rice
So simple, and so delicious!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup long grain rice (not instant)
2 cups hot chicken broth
handful of angel hair or other long pasta
2 tbs butter
pine nuts (optional)
Saute rice and pasta until golden brown in butter. Add warm chicken broth and bring to boil. Cover. Lower heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork.
Candy Garden for #halloween
These old-school cocktail meatballs never disappoint. They bring back a touch of nostalgia — of simpler times and simpler recipes that everyone loves! One of the best parts of this recipe for me is that they can sit on the buffet or counter in the crockpot, and everyone can just help themselves. This year, I am taking it back to simpler times—even when it comes to appetizers! Enjoy. They are so easy and so yummy!
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup grape jelly
3/4 cup chili sauce
1 (24 oz) package of frozen meatballs
INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine grape jelly and chili sauce in the bottom of the slow cooker. Whisk until somewhat smooth. Pour in the frozen meatballs. Use a spoon to coat the meatballs in the sauce. Cover the slow cooker and cook on HIGH for 2 hours or on LOW for 4 hours. When meatballs are heated through, turn the slow cooker to warm. Serve and enjoy!..
PANTY HOSE PUMPKINS 🎃 For the spookiest pumpkins in town!!
Have you ever made Panty Hose Pumpkins?
Pick up some fishnet panty hose at your local discount store. You will be amazed with the different patterns you find!
Snip the legs off of the panty hose.
Start at the top of the pumpkin and pull the hose over the pumpkin. You can tie a knot on the bottom of the pumpkin to secure the tights.
Choose your favorite color spray paint and spray away. Do one light coat all over the pumpkin. Don't forget near the base. I used black, orange, and white - I even tried sage. They all looked great and the orange on white even make the pumpkin looked etched!
Spooky pumpkins complete after about 10 minutes of drying time. Take the hose off of the pumpkin and display with pride.
I have been making this cheeseball for over 40 years. It is a mainstay in my cookbook Celebrate with Babs. At Christmastime, instead of rolling the cheeseball in pecans, I roll the cheeseball in pomegranate seeds. I add a simple Rolo and a bow! The effect is show-stopping and always makes a splash on the Christmas appetizer spread...
2 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded white cheddar cheese
1 tbsp finely chopped pimentos
1 tbsp finely chopped green pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped yellow onion
½ chopped pecans (optional)
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
Dash of cayenne pepper
Dash of salt
Seeds from 1-2 pomegranates
1 Rolo and Bow for ornament topper
Crackers to serve
In the bowl of a stand mixer (you can use a hand mixer, food processor or do this by hand) fitted with the paddle attachment, cream together cream cheese and cheddar cheese until well blended. Add pimentos, green pepper, onion, pecans, (optional) Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, cayenne, and salt until well combined.
Wrap the ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for about one hour or until chilled. Once chilled, shape it into a ball. Roll the ball in pomegranate seeds until well covered. Top cheeseball with Rolo and bow. Serve with crackers. Enjoy! #merrychristmas #christmas
I recently moved my eldest Grandchild into her first apartment. Moving into your first apartment is such a right of passage. Do you remember moving into your first apartment? I was so honored she asked for my help. Not only did she want Mr. Babs and I to help her move in but she also wanted all my advice on what she needed to stock her first apartment.
Here is my top list of “must-haves” for any first apartment:
Strainer
Mixing Bowls
Sheet Pans
Vegetable Peeler
Pots and Pans
Dishes
Glassware
Silverware
Oven Mitts
Storage Containers
Wood Cutting Boards
Spatula
Whisk
Chef’s Knife
Toaster
Vacuum
Fire Blanket
SPINACH ARTICHOKE PULL APART BREAD 🏈
INGREDIENTS
4 ounces of cream cheese very well softened
1/4 cup sour cream
¼ (scant) cup mayo
1 garlic cloves finely minced
¾ cups finely shredded mozzarella cheese, divided
⅓ cup finely shredded parmesan cheese
½ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp ground pepper
7.5 ounces of canned artichoke hearts packed in water - drained and quartered
4 ounces of frozen spinach thawed and squeezed to release as much water as possible
2 (13.8-oz.) tubes of Pillsbury Classic Pizza Crust
1 large egg and 1 tbsp water to make egg wash
Preheat oven to 400°. Combine all the dip ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer and mix on high until well combined. On a parchment lined large baking sheet, roll out one pizza crust. Using a paring knife, cut dough into the shape of a football, about 14"-by-10". Spread spinach-artichoke mixture on top, leaving an 1/8" to 1/4" border. Place the second crust on top (you can carefully flip the footballs over on the parchment to cut the top outline of the football). Trim edges into shape of bottom crust and pinch edges together.Using a paring knife, cut 8 rectangular pieces on each side of football and twist. In a small bowl, beat egg and water until blended. Brush dough with egg wash. Bake football until golden brown, about 17 minutes. Let cool completely. With sour cream in a plastic bag with tip cut off, pipe one line down center of football. Pipe 8 stitches across top of main lace. Pipe 2 U-shapes on narrower outer edges of football. Serve warm.
✨Sugar Cookie Countertop Cake ✨
This Sugar Cookie Countertop Cake is the perfect cross between a sugar cookie and a cake. Why choose between two favorites when you can have both? This Sugar Cookie Countertop Cake is soft, buttery, and the perfect sweet treat for the holidays. It’s an all-in-one countertop sheet cake. The buttercream frosting has the perfect amount of sweetness, too! I do love a sugar cookie, but this cake is so much easier! Just leave it on the counter and watch it disappear.
This countertop cake is famous in my family every holiday season, and I think it will likely be famous in your family this year. Don’t forget the sprinkles!
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 ¼ cups sugar
4 large eggs (one egg separated)
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp fresh lemon juice
FROSTING:
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 tsp salt
4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
3-4 tsp heavy cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10” pan with baking spray.
To the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat one room-temperature egg white until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
Switch to the paddle attachment on the stand mixer and cream together the butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla (there is no need to clean the bowl).
Turn the mixer off, add the flour, baking soda, and salt, turn the mixer on, and mix until the dough formNext add in your egg white (that you set aside) to the batter and fold in.
Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan. Bake at 350° F for 11-13 minutes, until very lightly golden and almost set in the middle. Lean towards undercooking, as it will continue to cook when cooling. Remove from the oven and let cool for about 1 hour.
While the cake is cooling, add the frosting ingredients to the bowl of the stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and whip together for about 1 min
Random Act of Kindness Report: place a little note on someone’s windshield. It will make their day. I promise. #TikTokforGood #TikTok_Partner
Chicken Shawarma in a Loaf Pan
Many of you asked for my easy Chicken Shawarma recipe when I recently did “Make One Take One” for a friend. Well…you asked for it - you got it. Easy Make-at-Home Chicken Skawarma! This easy chicken shawarma is moist, flavorful, and requires little hands-on work. The loaf pan method mimics the layered shawarma you’d find at a restaurant. Serve with rice, pita, or tabbouleh, or enjoy it alone. For best results, marinate the chicken for at least an hour or overnight if you have time.
INGREDIENTS
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tbsp. olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. cumin
2 tsp. coriander
1 tbsp. smoked paprika
1 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black pepper
INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all ingredients in a resealable bag. Seal and massage until the chicken is evenly coated.
Refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or overnight. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Let the chicken sit at room temperature while the oven heats. Line a loaf pan with parchment paper for easy removal. Transfer the marinated chicken to the pan. Lay chicken flat and as evenly as possible. Bake for 30 minutes. Broil on low for 10-12 minutes, until the chicken reaches 165°F. Let the chicken rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Drain any juices back into the pan, then slice the chicken thinly. Serve with rice, pita, or your favorite sides. I like to serve with cucumber, tomato, Kalamata olives, red onion, tzatzik and hummus.
RICE
1 cup long grain rice (not instant)
2 cups hot chicken broth
1 handful of angel hair or other long pasta
2 tbs butter
pine nuts (optional)
Saute rice and pasta until golden brown in butter. Add warm chicken broth and bring to boil. Cover. Lower heat to simmer for 20-25 minutes until all water is absorbed. Fluff with fork.
#TikTokforGood #TikTok_Partner
l'm so excited to give you all a sneak peek of our new home, The Basket House. The home was built in the 1830s, and in 1850, it became a Basket Shop where baskets were woven and sold. We completely fell in love with this home for its rich history and all the charm packed into this 1,500-square-foot cottage. We are preserving as much of the house as possible, and where we can't, we are trying to use period-appropriate reclaimed materials. What do you think think? A big thank you for all of your help picking the color!! We went with option B which was SW-Canal Street. How do you like it? #homerenovation
