Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

    I am completely obsessed with this recipe! Acorn squash has to be my favorite of all squashes! I had an old friend from high school over for dinner last night and decided to try something new! The original recipe called for mushrooms, but Frankie is not a fan. I decided to use eggplant in my recipe instead! Ok, so I started drinking wine before I finished cooking and I forgot to add an egg to the stuffing but I loved it the way it was without it so I left it without the egg in the recipe hahahaha. You are going to absolutely love this recipe!

Sausage Stuffed Acorn Squash

Ingredients:

- 2 large acorn squash

- 2 tablespoons of melted butter

- 2 teaspoons of minced garlic

- 1/2 teaspoon of ground sage, divided

- 3 large Italian sausage links, cases removed

- 1/2 of a large onion, chopped

- 1 cup of cubed eggplant

- 1/2 cup of celery, chopped

- 1 granny smith apple, peeled, cored, and chopped

- 1 cup of panko bread crumbs

- 1/ 2 cup of fresh grated parmesan

- salt and pepper to taste

    Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the very ends off of the squash, careful not to hit the seeds. Then, cut them in half and scoop out the seeds inside. Place them in a casserole dish or on a cookie sheet with the middle side up.  Mix together the melted butter, minced garlic, and 1/4 teaspoon of ground sage. Season the squash with salt and pepper. Then brush on the butter mixture evenly. Roast the squash in the oven for about an hour, or until it is fork tender. Meanwhile, brown the sausage in a skillet, once cooked, remove the meat but keep the rendered fat. Add the eggplant to the pan with a pinch of salt. Let cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally and then add the onion, celery, and the rest of the ground sage. Cook until the onions start to soften and then add the garlic, apple, and some salt and pepper. Cook for another 2 minutes until the apples start to soften. Add the panko bread crumbs and the parmesan. Stuff each baked squash half with the stuffing and top with a little bit more parmesan. Bake for another 20 minutes and then enjoy!

Coconut Cookie Bars

    I found this recipe months ago after my visit to Massachusetts. My plan was to make it for my family while they were visiting for the wedding be cause my Uncle Phil loves coconut! Well, to my disappointment, he was unable to make the trip. That's ok, it didn't stop me from making it for him anyways! With a shortbread cookie bottom and a chewy coconut top, it's everything a coconut lover is searching for in a dessert! I bet it would be great with some melted chocolate drizzled on top!

 Coconut Cookie Bars

Ingredients:

  For the shortbread layer:

- 1 cup of butter, room temperature

- 1/2 cup of confectioners sugar

- 2 cups of flour

- 1/2 teaspoon of salt

  For the coconut layer:

- 2 cups of shredded coconut

- 1 (14 ounce) can of sweetened condensed milk

- 1 large egg

- 1 teaspoon of coconut extract

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray and set aside. In a bowl, mix together the butter, sugar, flour, and salt until the mixture resembles wet sand. Press this mixture into the bottom of prepared baking dish and make in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. While it is baking, mix together the coconut, sweetened condensed milk, egg, and extract. Once the bottom layer comes out of the oven, pour the coconut mixture over the top and gently spread evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until golden brown. Slice and enjoy!

Fresh Cucumber Salad

    Talk about a crazy weekend! My little brother was supposed to get married on Friday but Hurricane Matthew had other plans. Stephen was called away to serve in the National Guard. We were very fortunate that the storm stayed off of the coast Thursday night and we remained out of harms way. There are still thousands without power that need your prayers. On the slightly brighter side, we had a lot of family time while bunkered down for the storm. My dad smoked a couple of pork butts and a huge brisket in the smoker over night. Saturday we had a cookout and the weather was perfect. I made my famous corn casserole and it was a hit. I tried this new cucumber salad recipe too! It is the perfect side dish for a bbq on a hot day!

Fresh Cucumber Salad

Ingredients:

- 3 large cucumbers, cored and sliced

- 1 medium white onion, sliced

- 1/2 cup of sour cream

- 1/4 cup of mayo

- 3 tablespoons of white vinegar

- 2 large tablespoons of chopped fresh dill

- 1 teaspoon of sugar

- salt and pepper to taste

    In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayo, vinegar, dill, sugar, salt, and pepper. Once combined, toss the cucumbers and onions in the mixture. Chill until ready to serve.

Family Time!!!!!