....is Cold Brewed Coffee

This is a wonderful way to brew a strong cup of coffee with regular coffee, no ground espresso required. The amount of coffee to water can be adjusted, I've tried it with different amounts of coffee and settled on a ratio after a little trial and error. It's a delicious way to make an Iced Latte or with a little Ice Cream, a Coffee Float.

....is Banana Oat Nutella Cookies

The first Furlough Bakery treat. 

Until the end of September I am on Furlough every Friday, because of federal budget cuts all DOD employees have to take one non-paid day off a week for 11 weeks. It sounds like a great summer plan until that first paycheck comes in 20% shy of normal. It's unfortunate really but I've found a good way to fill the time....baking, lots of baking. (I've been talking about a Furlough Bake Sale too, maybe make back a little of my missing income.)

But onto the recipe, I have a lovely partner in crime, MMcK has become my new baking buddy and brought this recipe (and a few aging Banana's) over to make cookies on our first Furlough Friday. They're a bread-like cookie and super moist, but the Nutella is the best part, a chocolatey swirl of goodness. And we had a little extra batter, maybe only enough for 2-3 cookies, so I put it in a ramekin and into the oven with the last batch of cookies. It came out like a Pizzookie & Banana Bread Hybrid.

....is a Cajun Pizza

I recently purchased Real Cajun: Rustic Home Cooking from Donald Link's Louisiana as a gift for CPB, he's been eying it for some time now. Even before we went to Donald Link's new restaurant Peche. We were in New Orleans, and sat at the Oyster Bar & met him without even knowing it!

I'm so very glad I got this book though, CPB's used it to make four things in about three weeks (Donnies Spice Mix, Braised Sausage with Chiles & Sunday-Night Fried Chicken and he made the Fried Chicken into a wonderful Sandwich). And I have been the lucky benefactor of all the deliciousness. The pie crust intimidated him, so I helped out a little more with this recipe. The Pie-Crust-Crust on this  Pizza has a nice crunch to it and it held up well even with the wetter layers of Tomato & Cheese filling. But can you really go wrong with any Bacon topped Pizza?

....is the s'morownie!

I dreamed this up at the start of the summer and it turned my oven into a sweet campfire memory. The base of the s'morownie is made the same as the Peppermint Patty Brownies, from there it's a layer of marshmallow fluff and another of crushed graham crackers. If you have any extra graham cracker crumbs left, press the brownie into them right before serving.

....is Bacon, Onion & Cheese Tortilla Cup

While I was looking for an idea for this week's post it was the leftover ingredients in my fridge that served as the inspiration. Bacon (from a Cheddar Bacon Pizza I made over the weekend), half an Onion (leftover from Salsa Rosa) & a partial bag of Parmesan. The crispy shell of the baked tortilla worked as the perfect container for the delicious filling, and the ingredient options are near endless. These self contained savory breakfast treats are a great way to use up the odds and ends in your fridge! What would you choose for the filling?

....is Parmesan Stuffed Artichokes

From Food Network's Alex Guarnaschelli 

An architecture school friend introduced me to stuffed artichokes, I had no idea I was missing out on something so wonderful. In her family they are a Thanksgiving tradition. They are a little more effort for an everyday meal but they are wonderful. Considering this is a vegetable it is a truly rich and filling addition to any meal (or a complete meal on a random wednesday when the artichokes in the grocery look perfectly ripe). 

....is Rosemary & Garlic Bread

A good loaf of bread has any number of uses. 

Here's my favorite basic dough recipe, it's incredibly easy. There's a lot of waiting time, but the effort involved is minimal. I've made a wheat version & used it for thanksgiving rolls too. I used it on one of my first breakfast hub posts: Mascarpone French Toast & Mixed Berry Syrup.

My newest favorite is mixing in Rosemary & Garlic

....is Greek(ish) Salads

I love summer, hands down my favorite season. The long days, the sunshine, the beach... 

But spending time in the kitchen over the stove or with the oven heating up my slightly under-ventilated apartment, does not add to my favorite season. 

My solution: salads!

....is a Simple Red Sauce

Maybe twice a year a get the Real Simple edition filled mostly with recipes. It's like getting a mini-cookbook, each page turned makes me drool just a little. This recipe for a quick red sauce makes an easy dinner and plenty of leftovers for the week. And I think the flavors in the sauce gets better each day.

....is Bacon, Onion & Cheese Tortilla Cup, for Breakfast

My bacon, onion & cheese tortilla cup is on the Breakfast Hub this morning!

Happy Cooking!

....is Champagngria

Last weekend I was working on a Save the Date for a friend's wedding (side note: I'm a little in love with what we put together, I'll post it here after she sends it out). Anyway, we decided to make a morning of it and came up with a recipe that combine the best part of mimosa's with our happy hour drink of choice, sangria. And Champagngria was created! (Don't worry, we edited and spell checked the Save the Date again later to make sure the bubbles didn't go to our heads as we were working.)

....is Champagngria, for Breakfast

Another post up at the Breakfast Hub! I hope you enjoy this lovely addition to Brunch.

Happy Sipping!