Crown Roast of Pork with Sausage Stuffing

If you've been following our posts this week, you know that we are celebrating our millionth hit.  In order to celebrate this awesome-crazy-holy cow how did we get here-when can we quit our day jobs milestone for us, I thought I'd make something really special. Sorry Caitlin, divert your vegetarian eyes.

 

Per our text convo: 

Jaisa:  I am making a very grand dish for this week - crown roast of pork with sausage and cherry stuffing. 

Caitlin: That sounds very grand but like a vegetarian nightmare.  It wasn't enough to use one kind of meat? 

Touche. 

It was nice that my blogging fell on Easter weekend, because I don't know if I could justify cooking this for two people otherwise...but holiday + milestone = I can cook anything I want.  My mom makes this every Christmas and I just always thought it was so grand and impressive.  I can still picture her walking it over to the dinner table and watching my dad's face light up.  I never dared to make it... UNTIL NOW... bom bom bommmmmm. 

I bought this at our usual grocery store, but if yours doesn't typically carry this cut, you can call and order it ahead of time.  

After removing those ridiculous looking gold hats, I rubbed the pork down lots of olive oil.  After doing that, I generously rubbed the outside with garlic powder, sea salt, and fresh cracked black pepper.

So since I cooked it for an hour first without the stuffing, I cooked it with a glass bowl so it wouldn't collapse on itself.  This was a good idea, because it was super easy to add the stuffing in later.

Here is a shot of the stuffing before adding it to the pork.  THIS IS THE BEST STUFFING EVER.  It has dried cherries, sausage, and is made with lots of butter and chicken stock.  I'll post the full recipe later this week.

So, after cooking the pork in a 350 degree oven for an hour, I took the glass bowl out and stuffed the top of the roast with lots of stuffing.  I put it back in the oven for another 45 minutes and the pork came out BEAUTIFUL.  Check out this shot below: 

This just came out so great.  The pork was unbelievably tender and perfectly moist and was so perfectly paired with the tart cherries in the stuffing.  MY OH MY.  This was top five things I have ever made.  I should know, because I've been eating it all day.  I actually stopped halfway through this post to make myself a stuffing and pork sando.  Lord help me.

Thank you to all of our awesome readers.  This one's for you.

Crown Roast of Pork with Sausage Stuffing 
6 lbs Crown Roast of Pork
Olive Oil
Garlic Powder
Sea or Kosher Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
Sausage Cherry Stuffing

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.  Rub pork with olive oil and generously sprinkle with garlic, sea or kosher salt, and lots of fresh cracked pepper.  Place a bowl in between the bones and cook for 1 hour. Remove pork from oven and remove the bowl.  Stuff the inside with lots of stuffing and place back in the oven for another 30-45 minutes or until pork's internal temp reaches 140.  Rest for 5-10 minutes. Slice pork and serve with heaping spoonful of stuffing and cry tears of joy.

Stay hungry!

Sausage Cherry Stuffing

I just love this recipe.  It's so easy, you can make it in one pot, and it tastes like pure homey heaven.  I paired this with the crown roast of pork recipe I made to celebrate Hardly Housewives' millionth hit and man oh man ...it was just so darn good. 

So this is controversial, but I like to use baguette for my stuffing recipe.  It soaks up the chicken stock and all of the flavorful drippings from the sausage, and crisps up beautifully in the oven. Baguette. Boom.  After cubing it up, just toast it in the oven for 15-20 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Just to dry it out a bit. 

The key to adding onion and celery to your stuffing is to chop it up fine...you do NOT want chunks of onion or celery in your stuffing.  Trust me on this.  If you don't like stuffing it's probably because of unruly chunks of celery. No spanks.

Next, brown up your Italian sausage.  I used to use Jimmy Dean sausage but then my Uncle Mike yelled at me so I use Italian now.  He was right.

After removing the sausage, you'll be left with all of the beautiful brown flavorful bits.  If you even THINK about disregarding these, then just forget it.  Power off your computer and go give yourself a long pep talk in a nearby mirror.  Because it's a crime to let flavor like this go.

In order to lift them off the bottom, crank the heat to high, add chicken stock (you could also use wine) bring to a simmer and scrape the bottom of the pan.  I pour the drippings into the sausage bowl, and then move on to the onion and celery.

Add a stick of unsalted butter.  Yes a stick.  So sue me.

Add your onions and celery and gently saute over medium heat until they become soft and translucent...about 5 minutes or so.

Add a quarter of a teaspoon of each dried sage and dried thyme.  I would have used fresh, but I forgot to buy them.  I always have dried herbs on hand and quite frankly, this worked great.  I also add a generous amount of freshly ground pepper.

Ok.  Here we go.  Add the sausage back into the pot.

And then add the baguette croutons and your chicken stock.  Add about 1 cup at a time stir, mix, and then keep adding more stock.  I added a total of about 5 cups.  This is where you have to "work" the stock into the stuffing.  I usually get in there with my hands, breaking down the big chunks of bread as I go.

After the bread has soaked up all of the stock and it's nice and moist, add a handful (about 1/4 cup) of dried cherries.  You can certainly add more, but I like just a hint.

This is what you want it to look like.

I mean, I could have eaten it like this.  Who am I kidding?  I totally did.  Like a bowl worth.

I cooked this in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, until the top was golden, golden brown.

The key is to add as much stock as absolute possible without it becoming soupy...this way your stuffing will basically be a sausage bread pudding...not a dry stuffing mess. 

Drool to the face.  Sausage stuffing to the face.  I need a treadmill to the face.

Sausage Cherry Stuffing Recipe 
1 French Baguette
1 Lb Mild Italian Sausage
1 Cup of Finely Diced Yellow Onion
1 Cup of Finely Diced Celery
1 Stick of Unsalted Butter
1/4 Tsp of Dried Thyme
1/4 Tsp of Dried Sage
1/4 Tsp of Fresh Cracked Black Pepper
5 Cups of Low Sodium Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup of Dried Cherries

Cube and toast baguette.  Brown sausage from pan and remove.  Deglaze the pan with a 1/4 cup of chicken stock and scrape the bottom.  Pour drippings into the bowl with sausage.  In same pan, add butter and melt over medium heat.  Add celery, onion, thyme, sage and pepper and saute until veggies are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add baguette and sausage to pan.  Pour stock and work stock in with your hands until stuffing is absolutely saturated - 1 cup at a time up to 5 cups.  Add cherries at the end and then bake in greased pan for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, or until stuffing is golden brown.

Stay hungry!

A Polar Bear Stocking for Baby Will

A few years ago, I made Jesse a felt Basset Hound stocking.  I've been saying all month that I'd get around to making Baby Will his own stocking and I finally did:

If you're comparing this side by side to my Basset Hound stocking, I guess you could say I'm a one trick pony when it comes to stockings.  Blue background?  Check.  Felt animal with a red bow?  Check.  Oops.  Similarities aside, I love this little guy.

The actual stocking is a teal corduroy fabric and the polar bear & snowflake are felt.  I drew a polar bear shape onto some paper and used it to cut out the felt.  Unlike the Basset stocking, I sewed this together using the machine for the stocking, which was traced from my stocking, cut out, and then sewn inside-out.  I sewed the bear together and then attached to the stocking by hand.

As for actually stuffing this stocking, here's what we've got so far.  Some necessities (like outlet covers and bibs) paired with some fun stuff to enjoy, too.  If anybody has suggestions on some little items for a  9 month old (how did that happen?) to have fun with, please let me know!

Happy Christmas Eve Eve!

Aunt Deb & Uncle Mike's Italian Christmas Cookies

This time during the year I frantically check the mail (multiple times a day) in hopes I'll find a little care package filled with delicious homemade goodies from my Aunt Deb & Uncle Mike.  It finally came, filled to the brim with an amazing assortment of Italian cookies... and they were more delicious than ever.  

I'm not even just saying that.  I think they sprinkled a little magic Rudolph dust in them or something.  These were soooo delish.  Some are sweet, some are chocolatey, some are more like lightly sweetened biscuits you have with coffee.  I love them ALL...they just make Christmas for me. They also send a batch of homemade Chex Mix, but I totally forgot to photograph it.  Mainly because I ate it too fast.

It's so special that they take the time to make these and send them to their loved ones.  You know these must take FOREVER to make, so I make sure I shove them in my mouth take my time when enjoying them. 

Thanks guys for another delicious batch.  Stay hungry! 

Foodie Stocking Stuffers

Ah...tis the season for stocking stuffers.  Have you guys ever been to Crate & Barrel and spent 30 minutes alone just staring and playing with all of the little kitchen utensils?  No?  Just me?  Cool.

Well anyway, I thought it would be a good idea to feature some of the cool little tools they have because they just happen to make amazing foodie stocking stuffers.  Check it.


1. Hot Chocolate Molinillo Frother.  I love this little tool.  It froths up milk or hot chocolate and is would just looks so cute in my kitchen drawer.

 

2. Collapsible Funnel.  I've been needing a funnel lately and this one is perfect.  Since it's collapsible, you won't have any issues storing it in your drawer.  Perfect for jamming, canning, or for adding fresh lemon juice to your water bottles, etc.



3. Egg Timer.  I received this as a wedding gift from my Sister in Law Holly and use it all the time.  Everyone loves a perfectly cooked egg and this tool makes it fool proof. 



4. Dual Citrus Squeezer.  There is nothing like fresh squeezed juice, but it is SUCH a pain in the butt to juice lemon and  limes by hand.  Hello dual citrus squeezer.



5. Avocado Slicer.  I totally saved the best for last.  This tool does it all, it slices the skin, and then pits AND slices perfectly even avocado slices.  Ta Daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa.




 Stay hungry!

Christmas Cookie Swap Ideas

I LOVE the idea of doing a Christmas Cookie Swap.  Mostly because it's an excuse for friends to get together and drink catch up and celebrate the season with some booze homemade goodies.  Plus, who has the ability to make multiple kinds of homemade Christmas cookies from scratch, besides a super hero or my Aunt Deb?  AUNT DEB AND UNCLE MIKE I'D BETTER STILL BE ON THE MAILING LIST FOR THE COOKIES THIS YEAR.  No pressure.  But seriously, I'D BETTER BE.

Here are some yummy Hardly Housewives tried and true recipes to inspire your cookie swap this year.  And if you don't have a cookie swap, start one! Nothing says Christmas like spiked eggnog, cookies, and friends.  Sorry.  I haven't had a drink in 3 weeks and I'm starting to twitch. C'mon now.  This is the high calorie, judgment free zone....right?

Anyway, here are the cookies.

1.  Super Simple Cinnamon Roll Cookies.  These are SO simple to make and are one of my absolutely favorites.  They remind me of my Nonnie Connie and they always appear in my Aunt Deb's cookie box each year.




2. Rudolph Nose Cookies.  These are tradition in my family.  They are labor intensive, but very special oh and frickin' delicious.  Homemade fudge frosting anyone?




3.  Five Layer Bars - an oldie but a goodie, these are another one of my favorites. Each layer of sweetness is another layer of lurve.




4. Lauren's Peanut Butter Stuffed Cookies.  I don't really know what else I need to say about these.  There is peanut butter...INSIDE a chocolate cookie.  You're welcome.




5. Oreo Truffles.  Yeah.  These are pretty amazing.  My cousin (in law) Lesley introduced me to these a couple of years ago and I just couldn't stop eating the little mo'fo's.  I'm pretty sure the entire source of my 5 lbs Christmas weight gain was pure Oreo truffle.



We'd love to hear about some of the cookies you're planning on making this year.  My goal is to make three cookies I've never made before by the time Christmas rolls around.  I love making homemade treats as gifts and I have LOTS of people I need to make treats for this year.

Stay hungry!

Mint Oreo Truffles

So we went to see Lincoln last Friday night and I fell asleep during the movie.  It's things like this that must make my parents cringe when they think about sending me to Bates.  "Lincoln was boring." Nice use of a liberal arts education. I am the worst.

On the way home from the movie, I somehow remembered to stop at the grocery store because I needed to make some sweet treats for a holiday gathering with my in-laws the next day.  Still half-groggy, I went with Jesse's suggestion to use Mint Oreos instead of regular ones for Jaisa's Oreo truffles even though I think Mint Oreos look like some sort of toothpaste-based April Fools prank and that they must be the only food on the planet more processed than regular Oreos.

(If you've ever actually tried Mint Oreos, you know I was totally wrong.  They are killer delicious and they made for an amazing twist on regular Oreo truffles.)

Per Jaisa's instructions, I blended them up with a package of cream cheese.  We maaaaaaay have snacked on a few beforehand, so the Oreo to cream cheese ratio was slightly off.  Fear not.  Everything worked out in the end.  It's cream cheese and cookies, after all.  How bad could things get?

I don't own a double boiler, so I just used a glass bowl perched over some boiling water in saucepan to melt the chips.  I also forgot to buy white chocolate chips in my Lincoln-induced stupor, so these truffles are coated in semi-sweet melted chocolate chips only.  Again, do not worry.  Everything ends up just fine.

See?  Delicious.  There is a definite mint flavor in there that is a nice twist on regular Oreo truffles.  You could also add a dash of mint extract (or, even better, peppermint extract) to Jaisa's recipe - the mint taste makes these feel festive and Christmas-ready.  Enjoy and stay hungry!

Rudolph Nose Cookies

I grew up with these adorable (and ridic tasty) cookies my entire life during Christmastime.  My Mom always went above and beyond to try and think of creative and fun treats for each holiday and this was no exception.  Our family (of two) decided to make these this year and it was so much fun.  

When Charlie suggested doing these cookies together, I wasn't totally sure I wanted to.  The last time I baked with him, this happened:



I'm glad I gave him a second chance because these came out just perfect.  I am smiling thinking of him reading this...because I'm actually the hazard in the kitchen.  I baked him a cake a couple weeks ago for his birthday and it was a DEEEESAAASSSSTTTERRR.  We're still finding butter and flour in the oddest of places.

These took us about 2 hours to make, start to finish.  There are lots of little tasks (cutting marshmallows, cutting cherries in half, etc) so this is definitely a twofer bake job.  Which I actually love, because it's fun to bake together, especially around the holidays.

Don't these look JUST like Rudolph Noses?

These are pillowy soft and the icing is almost fudge like.  I've already eaten THREE today.  Good gracious get these suckers out of here. 

Rudolph Noses Recipe: 

Cookies:

1.5 Cups All Purpose Flour 

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda 

1/2 Tsp Salt

2/3 Cup Light Brown Sugar 

1/2 Cup Shortening

1 egg

1/4 Cup Maraschino Cherry Juice

2 T Half & Half (or Milk)

4 Oz Unsweetened Chocolate, Melted

1/4 Cup Chopped Maraschino Cherries

18 Jumbo Marshmallows - cut in half

Icing: 

6 Tbs of Butter 

3 Cups Powdered Sugar

1/4 Cup of Unsweetened Cocoa 

1/4 Cup of Half & Half 

2 Tsp of Vanilla 

18 Maraschino Cherries, Sliced in Half 

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream together brown sugar, shortening, and egg until fulling incorporated.  In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, and salt.  Slowly add dry ingredients to wet ingredients.  Add cherry juice, half and half, melted chocolate, and chopped cherries.  Cut marshmallows in half and set aside.  Drop rounded tablespoon of mixture onto two ungreased cookie sheets. You want to make 36 cookies total.  Bake for 12-15 minutes.  These are cake-like cookies, so a good way to check is to insert a toothpick into one of the cookies.  If it comes out clean, they are done.  Immediately after taking cookies out of the oven, press a marshmallow half (sticky side down) into the center of each cookie.  The heat from the cookie will help adhere the marshmallow.  Let these cool.  To prepare the icing, get a heavy/good quality pan and melt the butter over low-medium heat.  Add the rest of the ingredients (except cherries) and stir over the stove top until everything is nice and smooth and begins to thicken (about 5-7 minutes).  Pour icing into a glass bowl and let it cool for 10 minutes or so.  You want to begin icing while it's still warm but not hot, otherwise it won't stay on the marshmallow.  With a frosting knife or back of a spoon, ice each marshmallow, careful to not let any white show through.  Top with a cherry half to complete Rudolph's nose.  If the icing begins to crystallize too much, you can heat it in the microwave for 10-15 minutes.  We did this about 2-3 times during the process, FYI.

Stay hungry!

Holiday Roundup: Fabulous Christmas Treats

No Christmas would be complete without a sugar high that gives you heart palpitations. Oh Christmas, how I love thee. 

Here are a few of Hardly Housewives' favorite Christmas treats.  Any of these would be perfect to bring to a cookie swap, to your office to spread some cheer, or to thank your children's teachers for being extra patient this year.  

1.  Five Layer Bars.  My Uncle Mike and Aunt Deb send a box of cookies every year and inside the little treasure chest you'll find these babies.  They are usually the first to go.  Because I eat them all.

2. Dark Chocolate Chili Truffles. These are delish and a little different, so if you're looking to shake things up a bit, this will do the job. 

3. Oreo Truffles.  Thank you cousin Lesley for introducing these and my favorite drink, Minnesota Bootlegs, into my life. If there aren't a surplus of these when I come to visit this Christmas you are in big trouble. 

4.  Saltine Candy Bark.  This link will bring you to a post written by Caitlin and photographed by me.  We just like to confuse you.  Caitlin's friend's mother-in-law first introduced this to her, and my Aunt Martha first introduced this to me.  You know a recipe is great when neither of us can spend the holidays without it. 

5.  Salted Caramel Blueberry Bark.  I don't think I'm going to make this, this year.  I can't keep my hands off of it.  I put it in the freezer thinking it would deter me from eating it all in one sitting.  Instead, I just munched on frozen solid chocolate all week. 

I'll be sharing one of my families very special, traditional holiday treats soon, but in the meantime let us know what some of your favorite holiday treats are and stay hungry!