Holiday Bacon Cheese Straws

December5

Presenting! Store-bought puff pastry dough… the Alice in Wonderland of the bread world! Small or big… and everything in between, just like Alice!

Holiday Bacon Cheese Straws Mama's High Strung

Want a little nibble for your tea party? Make these Bacon Cheese Straws just 3 or 4 inches in size. Want something impressive to go across a salad plate? Twist and stretch these until they’re almost a foot long!

Best part: only three ingredients!

It’s very forgiving and can easily be twisted and shaped. Of course, it’s the Parmesan cheese and bacon that gives these straws their amazing flavor, but you are the one who creates the enchantment.

I added a little “hook” on the end to make them look like candy canes… something deliciously festive.

Big or small…who needs a pill to do either when you’ve got these on your plate? Alice would agree!

clarified butter, also known as drawn butter, is unsalted butter that has had the milk solids and water removed from it… so all that is left is the golden yellow butter fat.
 

Homemade Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake

November15

Homemade chocolate cake makes me swoon. Homemade chocolate cake with cherries… well, that’s a whole other rodeo.

Homemade Chocolate Cherry Bundt Cake-Mama's High Strung

 

Make this tempting Chocolate Cherry Cake in a Bundt pan so that when you cut into it at the table… voilà! Beautiful cherries will come spilling out. The cherry pie filling (please, don’t judge) keeps the cake moist.

Oh, and this cake has a secret ingredient: I used freshly brewed coffee to really punch-up the dark chocolate taste.

This is really an easy cake to pull together. Melting the chocolate is probably the most difficult part of this “dump” cake recipe.

So make this recipe tomorrow after you buy the ingredients today… and then saddle-up for the rodeo.

 

If you’re obsessed with Cherry Pie Filling like me, you’ll love these recipes:

Cherry Pie Ice Cream 

Cherry Pie with Vodka Crust

Zucchini and Feta Fritters with Red Pepper Dip

September1

Now that school has started, I’m back to trying to make Meatless Monday a weekly ritual.Zucchini and Feta Fritters- Mama's High Strung

I found a delicious recipe that not only answers that call, but is also easy to make a day or two in advance and even freeze for the future (when School Year Reality hits hard).

Zucchini and Feta Fritters with Roasted Red Pepper Dip are perfect for this time of year because zucchini is so plentiful. Make sure you really WRING OUT the zucchini after shredding it because the fritters will not hold together… major disappointment.

Summer may be over (according to the school-year calendar), but we can still hold on to some of the delicious flavors of the season with these Zucchini and Feta Fritters!

What Are Hatch Chiles?

August27

Rosemary asks: Why all the hoopla surrounding Hatch Chiles?What Are Hatch Chiles?  Mama's High Strung

Like anything in the food world that has a limited run, many people are drawn to the exclusivity and somewhat snobbish appeal of being part of a coveted gastro experience: think black French Périgord truffles or Copper River salmon.

But you’ve asked what are Hatch Chiles and why all the hoopla. One of the most unique qualities of these meaty peppers is that you can find them with varying heat levels… from mild to extremely hot. You really can’t say that about most chile peppers, can you?

Hatch Chiles are grown only in southern New Mexico’s fertile Mesilla Valley, where the soil is rich in nitrogen and minerals. Sun soaked days and cool desert nights help these chiles develop their intense earthy flavor. They are extremely rich in Vitamin C.

What Are Hatch Chiles? Melissa's Hatch Chile CookbookHatch, New Mexico, is the epicenter for these chiles, which come into season in August and September. If you find yourself in this part of the world at this time of year, you’ll find chiles being roasted 24/7, Hatch Chile contests, and even a parade (which will be held this weekend! August 30th to be exact!)

Roasting Hatch Chiles brings out their vibrant, hearty flavor. After roasting, the chiles are peeled… that’s when the excitement begins: what type of enchantment can I (and you!) create? This year I bought Melissa’s Hatch Chile Cookbook to find even more wonderful ideas!

Growing up in West Texas, I can remember my parents making an annual pilgrimage to New Mexico to buy huge bags of the chiles (25 lbs. or more!), which they would then roast, freeze and use the rest of the year. Maybe that’s why I’m so partial to Hatch Chiles… so many wonderful childhood memories of family, food and fun.

Sooo… get a move on. If you hurry, you can still make the parade!

« Older Entries

Hi…
I’m Christina Chavez

I was a TV journalist for many years, but with a house full of kids I decided to come off the road, go to culinary school and follow my passion for cooking. Mama’s High Strung is all about food… everything from creative recipe ideas to some really cool kitchen gadgets and cooking tips. I live in Chicago, but I love to travel and write about my food discoveries! You can reach me by email: mamashighstrung@gmail.com