Sweet Tater Dog Treats

What is it with Mother Nature that she hands us 5 gorgeous, sunny days in a row ~ all the while I'm working. Then we get high winds and rain to ruin weekend plans??

With the winds nearly blowing the doors off the hinges, I shifted gears, deciding to bake up a special treat for the great love of my life: Bad Dog.  Have you ever given your puppy sweet potatoes? Mine goes absolutely ga-ga over them! And, that is the basis of this very simple recipe.

Kickin back... watchin' Animal Planet. (And waiting for the cookies to be done!)

Sweet Tater Dog Treats for Puppy
Bake 2 large sweet potatoes, or yams, remove the peelings and cool. (You can save time by nuking them, but they don't taste as good.)

1. Grab a great, big bowl.
2. Toss in the baked sweet taters.
3. Add 4 eggs.
4. 1/2 cup applesauce.
5. 2 1/2 cups of flour. (You may need a little less if you are baking at lower altitudes.)

Shmoosh this mess altogether. Roll the dough quite thin ~ about 1/4 inch. Grab your favorite cookie cutter and have at it! Bake @ 350 (F) until the edges of the cookies begin to turn brown. About 45 minutes. :)

Enjoy!

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The Avocado App

* The Avocado App: Were you thinking this was a gadget for your iPhone? Nah. I was just trying to get you to read my post. :)

What are YOU wearing to the Easter Parade?

Last year, the biggest hit at my Easter Dinner was the ultra-easy appetizer vs. the ham and side dishes that I slaved over for hours and hours and hours. (Isn't that always the case?) Green Eggs and Ham recipes abound but this one is absolutely to die for.

Tips to Make it Totally Tasty:
Pah-leeeze! No creepy, toxic green food colorings, por favor. And, let's skip the frozen spinach while we're at it. Too yucky. Plus, it's lost all of it's nutritional content. (Which is a Godsend, if you ask me. I hate that stuff.)

Thoroughly mix in the Avocado and your Deviled Eggs will look greener.

√ This deviled egg recipe calls for fresh avocado.
√ And the lighter [than bacon] flavor of crumbled, crispy-cooked prosciutto.

Green Eggs & Ham Recipe:

1. Boil a dozen eggs. Yes, it seems like a lot but you haven't tried this recipe ~ yet.
2. Crisp-cook about a half dozen slices of prosciutto and crumble. Use it as the garnish. Chopped tops of chives, or green onions are a great second garnish.
3. Slice the eggs in half, smoosh up the yolks, stir in a full, fresh avocado and light mayonnaise. (I like to add a little lemon pepper and some brown mustard to spice things up a bit.)
4. Then borrow the coolest deviled egg platter you can find...

And, voila! Your guests will be so delighted they'll be back at your dinner table every single Easter from here on out. { Uh. Oh. }

* Leave it to our beloved Doctor Seuss to inspire kids to eat Deviled Eggs. This recipe adapted from a bunch of different recipes found on the web. Those geese were posted on my timeline on Facebook and I thought they were so delightful I had to share. Happy Easter!

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Lobster Bisque

Make it pretty: Dollops of sour cream, 

snips of green onion tops 

+ a drizzle of cocktail sauce.

This is the easiest dinner to cook for a special night! Soup, wine and crusty artisan bread for dipping.

Speaking of dipping... finish the meal with a gigantic bowl of strawberries and packaged chocolate fondue.

Lobster Bisque Recipe

1. Steam: As much lobster as you can afford. I used about 1 pound. Shred it into bite size bits.
2. Simmer: 1 cup chicken broth and 1/4 cup finely diced yellow onion.

In a separate pan:

1. Melt 2 tbsp. butter. Stir in 2 tbsp flour.
2. Add 2 cups milk, bring to boil (I use 1 cup half and half + 1 cup 2% milk ~ which is why it tastes so yummy. You could go completely nuts and use heavy cream!)

Stir In: Chicken broth, onions, plus:

• 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
• 4 tbsp. Cocktail Sauce
• Sea salt and pepper, to taste

* This decadent mess can simmer or crockpot for however long you want.
** I add the lobster about 20 minutes before serving so it has a fresher flavor.