Shrimp Gumbo Casserole

This Mardi Gras take a page from our latest book (page 44 to be exact) and celebrate with this gumbo inspired casserole! The Creole-spiced shrimp filling and satisfying biscuit topping will have your guests partying in the streets in no time!

Shrimp Gumbo Casserole

Serves 8

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 onion, chopped

½ green bell pepper, chopped

3 celery rib with leaves, chopped

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 (28-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon salt

1 ¼ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon dried thyme

2 bay leaves

1 pound fresh okra, sliced

1 pound shrimp (31/35), peeled and deveined

2 teaspoons gumbo file

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

2 teaspoons sugar

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

5 1/2 tablespoons cold unsalted butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

1. Preheat the oven to 450°F.
2. In a large saucepan set over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil, then add the onion, green pepper, celery, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 6 minutes until soft.  Add the tomatoes, tomato sauce, 1 tablespoon of the salt, pepper, chili powder, thyme, and bay leaves. Cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes. Add okra, shrimp and the gumbo file and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until the shrimp turn pink.
3. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, sugar, baking soda, and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt.  Using a fork, cut in the butter until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. Stir in the buttermilk until the mixture just comes together. Knead until a soft dough forms.
4. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough until it is 1/2 inch thick.  Using a 2 1/2 inch round cutter, stamp out 12 biscuits.
5. Pour the hot gumbo into a 9 x 13 inch casserole dish. Arrange the biscuits on top of the gumbo. Bake until the biscuits are golden brown, about 20 minutes.

Merry Mushroom Bread Pudding

My dish addiction is no secret. We have discussed it here on the blog many times before. So it should come as no surprise that I have an impressive selection of vintage casserole dishes—from Pyrex to Fire King, and a whole lot of everything in between. One of my favorites happens to be a Corning Ware dish with the “Merry Mushroom” pattern on it. The orange, yellow, and brown color palette screams 70’s, and I love it! The dish keeps me inspired and I am constantly creating new mushroom recipes to proudly serve up in this dish. Trust me, nothing perks up a buffet table like a “Merry Mushroom” painted casserole pan!

Since I just learned that September was National Mushroom Month, I jumped at the chance to make something in this dish! Unfortunately I didn’t find out about this until the next to the last day of the month, so I had to act fast! I picked up my trusty Make-A -Meal cookbook from The Cassserole Queens (maybe you have heard of it?) and immediately turned to the Merry Mushroom bread pudding—one of the finest mushroom masterpieces around! The combination of portobello and button mushrooms makes it especially earthy and super comforting.

Shall we?

Yummy ingredients: Milk, rustic bread, portobello mushrooms, vegetable oil,  button mushrooms, garlic,  fresh parsley,  fresh rosemary, salt, freshly ground black pepper, eggs, and Gruyère cheese.

First take your bread and cube it into 2-inch pieces. Any rustic bread will do, but I used Ciabatta and I liked it a lotta! 🙂 Pour 2 cups of milk over the bread and refrigerate for 30 minutes – stirring occasionally. 

Meanwhile, using a spoon, remove the brown gills from the undersides of the portobellos and remove the stems; discard the gills and stems, slice mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the portobello and button mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their juices.

Stir in the garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk, the eggs, and the egg white.

Spoon 2 cups of the bread mixture from the fridge into the prepared casserole dish.

Top with the mushroom mixture.

Sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheese.

Top with the remaining bread mixture and the remaining ⅔ cup cheese. Pour the egg mixture over top.

Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Gorgeous and delicious! Happy National Mushroom Month (or in this case – day!) Better late than never, right?

Merry Mushroom Bread Pudding.

Serves 6

Cooking spray

3 cups whole milk

8 cups rustic bread, cut into 2-inch cubes (I used Ciabatta)

2 (4-ounce) portobello mushrooms

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

6 cups quartered button mushrooms (about 12 ounces)

2 garlic clove, minced

½ cup chopped fresh parsley

2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 large eggs

1 large egg white

1 cup shredded Gruyère cheese (4 ounces)

1.  Preheat the oven to 375°F. Spray a 9 × 13-inch casserole dish with cooking spray.

2.  In a medium bowl, combine 2 cups of the milk and the bread. Cover and chill for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3.  Meanwhile, using a spoon, remove the brown gills from the undersides of the portobellos and remove the stems; discard the gills and stems, slice mushrooms. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the portobello and button mushrooms and sauté for 4 minutes, until the mushrooms start to release their juices. Stir in the garlic, parsley, rosemary, salt, and pepper, and cook for 1 minute.

4.  In a medium bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 cup of milk, the eggs, and the egg white. Spoon 2 cups of the bread mixture into the prepared casserole dish. Top with the mushroom mixture and sprinkle with ⅓ cup of the cheese. Top with the remaining bread mixture and the remaining ⅔ cup cheese. Pour the egg mixture over top. Bake for 45 minutes, or until set. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

For the Love of Ramekins: Pot de Crème

Have I ever told y’all about my deep affection for ramekins? If not, you’re about to find out.

Ahh ramekins…the oh-so-versatile dish that is a must in any kitchen. Perfect for individual sized meals and desserts, ramekins also have a number of other uses. In fact, ramekins help you organize recipe ingredients so that you‘re ready to go once the oven is fired up (professional chefs refer to this practice as mise en place). You can also use them for condiments at the dinner table like dipping sauces, toppings, or fresh sea salt or cracked black pepper. (Yes, I am in love!) I am constantly finding ways to use them since my friends and family tease me about the sheer amount of ramekins that I own. I admit, it may be excessive, but you never know when a gal might just want to whip up some Pot de Creme! Am I right?!

Which brings me to this tasty post. Pot de Creme is one of those crazy simple recipes with an end result that feels so indulgent. It takes less than 10 minutes to whip up, and requires only 5 simple ingredients. The only potential drawback you could possibly find is that it takes time to set in the refrigerator (about 2 hours). But I don’t even find that to be a negative, since I love things that you can prepare before hand. You can’t be a “hostess with the mostess” when you’re all stressed out. I like having more time with my company to do the things I want, like enjoy a glass of wine!

So let me show you how easy this really is!

5 simple ingredients: Milk, Vanilla Bean, Egg, Sugar & Dark Chocolate.

Cut the bean lengthwise and scrap out the good stuff!

Pure heaven!

Add milk and vanilla bean to a saucepot and scald. To do this heat over med-high heat and remove pot from heat right before milk comes to a boil or reaches 180F.

Place the remaining ingredients in a blender.

Pour milk into a blender along with the sugar, chips, and egg. Blend for 1 minute.

Pour into 6 ramekins and chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator or until set.

Garnish with favorite toppings. We used our caramel sauce, berries and powdered sugar – but we have even more suggestions in the recipe below!

Voila!

Pot de Crème

3/4 cups milk

1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped lengthwise

2 tablespoons sugar

1 cup chocolate chips

1 egg

6 (3-4 ounce) ramekins

Garnish suggestions: powdered sugar, caramel sauce, berries, mini marshmallows, chocolate covered espresso beans, cocoa powder, shaved chocolate.

Method:

1. Add milk and vanilla bean to a saucepot and scald. To do this heat over med-high heat and remove pot from heat right before milk comes to a boil or reaches 180F.

2. Pour milk into a blender along with the sugar, chips, and egg. Blend for 1 minute and pour into ramekins, chill for 2 hours in the refrigerator or until set. Garnish with favorite toppings.

Friday Night Lights Meets The Super Bowl: How Frito Pie Went Pro!

In Texas there are some things that just naturally go together. Queso and margaritas. Luckenbach and Wille. Basements and the Alamo. George Strait and all his exes.

But the most popular of all is football and Frito Pie. Seriously, try going to a concession stand anywhere in the state, and I will bet you the house (thank God I rent) that it is on the menu. Watch us make it with our friends, the Beer Chicks, below. We use Sandy’s tried and true Texas style chili recipe (and we put it in a bowl…oh how classy!) for a more sophisticated twist, but feel free to serve straight out of the bag like they do at small town football games–we won’t judge!

Chili Frito Pie Recipe:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 pounds beef chuck, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground black pepper
3/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Queen’s chili dump (recipe below)
8 ounces tomato sauce
14 ounces beef broth
6 dashes of Tabasco
3/4 cups beer (Beer Chicks used Session Black Lager)
1 large bag Fritos
3 cups sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated

1.Heat oil in a large heavy bottom pot over medium high heat. Add beef in batches and brown on all sides, season with salt and pepper. Once all the beef is browned, add the spice dump to the beef and cook for 4-5 minutes more. Stir to make sure all the beef is fully coated in the spice dump. Pour in the tomato sauce, beef broth, Tabasco, and beer. Bring to a simmer, cover and continue to cook for 1 1/2 hours or until beef is fork tender. Stir once in a while to prevent chili from burning on the bottom.
2.When ready to serve, fill the bottom of a bowl with Fritos and top with a hearty helping of beef chili. Sprinkle the top with shredded cheese and enjoy!

Serves: 6

Queen’s Chili Dump Recipe:

1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 teaspoons white pepper
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon granules
4 teaspoons beef bouillon granules
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
2 tablespoons ground cumin
3/4 cups chili powder

1.Mix all ingredients together. Store in an airtight container for up to 2 months.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Saturday night is for the Popper-azzi!

Did you know that Saturday (1/19) is National Popcorn Day? What a great excuse to pick out a good movie and make a big bowl of hot, salty popcorn—the old school way. And really, nothing makes me happier than special holidays like these to fuel my obsession with dishes. (As I have mentioned before, I do have a slight problem with collecting dishes). My boyfriend, Tim, thought I was crazy to purchase this 5-piece popcorn set, but look who’s laughing now? Wait until I make him watch The Notebook.

Anyway, you have to admit the dishes are adorable. And they’re perfect for what I am about to make! I’ve got three, yes, count ‘em, three popcorn recipes to choose from. Enough options to please everyone in the family, so let’s get popping!

1) Rooster Ranch Popcorn. I call it Rooster Ranch, because we are using Sriracha. Not sure what Sriracha is? Well, you’d better make a grocery store run right now and make a purchase! Sriracha, also known as “Rooster Sauce” for the rooster on the bottle’s label, is a Thai chili sauce that’s fantastically sweet and spicy. I am in love. So much, in fact, that I may have to marry it. (Sorry Tim, you snooze, you lose buddy.)

2) Popcorn with Truffle Oil, Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper. Truffle oil. Wow. Enough said.

3) Caramel, Chocolate and Salty Peanut Popcorn. Salty, sweet goodness.

First, we pop the popcorn. I have to be honest, I typically don’t eat popcorn unless I am out at the movies or a carnival. The latter event being the more likely to happen, as I have always wanted to run away with the circus! So it will come as no surprise that I have never popped popcorn from kernels. Plus, it seems pretty old school right? The closest I have ever  gotten to that process was shaking up some Jiffy Pop. That was fun, but making it from scratch is even better! I don’t have a special formula—I literally just followed the directions on the back of the bag.

All you need is kernels, oil and pot (or popper). I just used my lovely 3-quart dutch oven, and I picked peanut oil because it does well over high heat.

Cover the bottom of the pan with 1/8-inch 0f peanut oil.  Drop 3 kernels of popcorn in and heat with medium heat until they pop!

Pop, pop, pop!

Add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan. It should only be one kernel deep.

Begin shaking the pan until the kernels start to pop. My instructions earlier didn’t mention anything about covering the pan, but trust me, a lid is necessary. Otherwise the random popping of the kernels could put an eye out. “You’ll shoot your eye out, you’ll shoot your eye out, kid!” Okay, this is no laughing matter, although you would be set for ‘Talk Like A Pirate Day’, my other favorite (but random) holiday.

Cover and continue to shake the pan until popping has completed.

Tah dah! How fun was that?

Now onto dressing up your popcorn! I have given you three options to choose from! Do one, or do all three. Just know that the  Rooster Ranch and Parmesan, Truffle Oil and Cracked Black Pepper are best served immediately while still warm!

Here is what you will need for Rooster Ranch:

Popcorn, Sriracha, dry buttermilk , dried parsley, dill weed, onion powder, onion flakes, garlic salt, salt, pepper, and dried basil. (See recipe below) I am making my own dried ranch mix, but you can always use a package of Hidden Valley Ranch if you prefer. I don’t judge.

Take all dry ingredients and mix together in a bowl. For best results, place in blender or food processor, blend until smooth. Start with a tablespoon of mix and approximately 2 tablespoons of Sriracha, taste and add more to preference.

Mix together and garnish with extra dill and Sriracha! Cock-a-doodle-do!

If spicy is not your thing, then we can head over to savory and indulgent! Popcorn with Truffle Oil, Parmesan and Cracked Black Pepper, anyone?

Popcorn, parmesan cheese, black pepper, black truffle oil, and salt!

Using a microplane, grate parmesan to taste. Add freshly ground pepper and salt.Truffle oil is extremely strong, so start off with just mixing in a teaspoon at a time until desired taste is achieved.

Mix and garnish with shaved parmesan!

Oooh, la, la. Your popcorn is so fancy!

Caramel, Chocolate and Salty Peanut Popcorn. Since I had some leftover caramel sauce from the Elvis post, I decided that I had to make a salty sweet concoction too!

Caramel sauce, popcorn, salted peanuts, salt, dark chocolate chips!

Heat and drizzle caramel sauce, add peanuts and melted dark chocolate. Top with salt.

Pour into large mixing bowl and mix well.

Dig In!

Which popcorn reigns supreme? You decide, or let us know your favorite way to dress up your popcorn! (Although there is nothing wrong with eating it plain!)

Caramel Sauce

Dry Ranch Dressing Mix:

1/2 cup dry buttermilk
1 tablespoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried onion flakes

1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper

Combine all ingredients in a food processor or blender and blend until smooth. Store in an airtight container. To make ranch salad dressing combine  a tablespoon of dry mix with a cup of mayonnaise, or Greek yogurt, and a cup of milk.

Are you hungry tonight? Try one of these Elvis inspired dishes: one is made for the King, while the other is better suited for we Queens!

Elvis Shrine at SicolaMartin Offices in Austin, TX.

Love is All Around, and so is Elvis!

Let’s face it, we all have a little Elvis in our lives. Whether it’s your leisure suit or just your grandmother’s table cloth….everybody owns a little gold lamé, right? And I mean seriously, who hasn’t used the line “Why thank you, uh thank you very much” at some point in their life? I know I have, possibly to the point of nauseum. I am sorry for that.

Then there are those who emulate his style, and there are those who know all of his music. Maybe you learned to dance by gyrating in front of the TV, or perhaps you have a natural snarl? Some folks like to collect, and some are still addicted to the hair tonic.

And then there are those like me. I apparently got Elvis’ love of southern food, and hefty appetite for all things fried. Today is the King’s birthday and he would have been 78. So while some will drink a Blue Hawaiian and play a ukulele in his honor – I have decided to eat like the King! Fried Peanut Butter & Banana Sandwiches anyone? I hope so, because I will need an army to stop me from eating an entire loaf of fried sandwiches and washing it all down with caramel sauce!

With that caveat, I invited over some friends and prepared two versions of this meal. One lighter version (The Skinny Elvis PB&B) to save my waistline, and one heftier version (The “Later Years” Elvis PB&B) to treat as a dessert and to share!

Let’s get started on the Skinny version, shall we? Start by gathering your ingredients.

Combine peanut butter with honey and peanut granola. I recently got hooked on KIND brand Whole Grain Peanut Clusters, and thought they would add a nice touch of texture to this dish. Throw in some cinnamon and mix well!

Cut your bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Or, you could also mashup the bananas and incorporate them into the peanut butter mixture as well. I personally just prefer the slice. Don’t ask. It is a texture thing!

Remove crusts from the bread.

Assemble sandwiches by spreading the peanut butter mixture along the bottom of 4 pieces of bread, then add four banana slices (towards the center) of the bread.

Top with the remaining bread slices, press down and secure edges by crimping with a fork.

To keep this version healthy, I prepared my grill with cooking spray. If you aren’t too concerned with calories, a little butter here would be a nice touch. I mean, when isn’t butter a nice touch?

Once browned and the center of your sandwich is hot, it is time to plate. Garnish with more Kind Peanut Clusters and drizzle with a little more honey. Aww, yea.

Now dig in and enjoy without the guilt!

Healthy is awesome, but every once in a while you can’t help but indulge. On to the King’s preferred way…fried! (Hey, at least I left off the bacon, but I did add caramel didn’t I? Ooops!) Speaking of which, make your caramel sauce first! If you have never made caramel from scratch, you will ask yourself why you waited so long. In five easy steps, you will have created a sinfully delicious sauce. Not only is it the perfect topper for this sandwich, but it is also great for ice cream, and for dipping fruit and chocolate in!

First, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add light brown sugar and granulated sugar, stir until dissolved. Add honey and bring to a boil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice (watch carefully to avoid scorching). Remove the pot from the heat and swirl in the cream until it is fully incorporated. Be very careful when adding the cream, because the mixture will bubble up. Viola! Now you have caramel. (You can think me later!)

Now it is sandwich time!

Mix together creamy peanut butter, honey and cinnamon until incorporated and smooth.

We use white bread for this version, and not just any white bread,  but Texas Toast. A little thick slice of heaven! Remove crusts and chop bananas into 1/4 inch slices.

Spread peanut butter mixture on 4 slices of the bread and add 4 banana slices towards the center. As you can see, I am getting very excited! Place tops to sandwiches, press down and secure edges by crimping with a fork.

Prep your wet/dry ingredients. Mix together milk and eggs in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix together flour and sugar. Dip each sandwich quickly into your well beaten milk and egg mixture and then into your mixed flour and sugar. Coat thoroughly.

Prepare to fry, Elvis fans! Since we were doing PB & Bananas I chose to fry in peanut oil. Nice, huh? Ideally it would be best to have a deep fryer, but I won’t allow myself  to have one for reasons already mentioned, so I used a deep large pan. (And yes, I made a mess!) Once golden brown, drain on a bed of paper towels.

Plate and sprinkle well with powdered sugar. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Dig in!

The Skinny Elvis PB &B

Serves 4

• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons honey, plus more for garnish
• ½ cup KIND Peanut Butter Whole Grain Clusters, plus more for garnish
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 2 ripe bananas
• 8 slices wheat bread
• cooking spray

In a small bowl mix together the peanut butter, honey, peanut clusters and cinnamon. Slice the bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove crusts from bread. Spread the peanut butter mixture on 4 slices of bread and cover with 4 banana slices, placed towards the center. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread. Press down on bread, then use fork to secure edges. Prepare griddle with cooking spray on medium-high heat. Grill the sandwiches on the griddle (or large frying pan) until each side is golden brown and center is hot.

For plating, cut the sandwiches in half and sprinkle with additional peanut clusters and drizzle with more honey.

The “Later Years”  Elvis PB&B

Serves 4

For Sandwich:

• 8 slices white bread, we like Texas Toast (if you are gonna go, might as well go big!)
• 1 cup creamy peanut butter
• 4 tablespoons honey
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 large eggs
• Peanut oil for frying
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
•  ½ cup granulated sugar

For Caramel Sauce:

• 2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed light brown sugar
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 3/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup heavy cream

First make the caramel sauce. In a large pot set over medium-high heat melt the butter then add the brown sugar, granulated sugar and honey. Bring to a boil, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring once or twice (watch carefully to avoid scorching). Remove the pot from the heat and swirl in the cream until it is fully incorporated. Be very careful when adding the cream because the mixture will bubble up. Set aside.

Preheat peanut oil in home deep fryer (ideal method) to 350 degrees. Otherwise a large, deep fry pan will work. Prep sandwiches. In a small bowl mix together the peanut butter, honey and cinnamon. Slice the bananas into 1/4-inch thick slices. Remove crusts from bread. Spread the peanut butter mixture on 4 slices of bread and cover with 4 banana slices, placed towards the center. Top with the remaining 4 slices of bread. Press down on bread, then use fork to secure edges. Mix together milk and eggs in a shallow dish. In a separate shallow dish, mix together flour and sugar. Dip each sandwich quickly into your well beaten milk and egg mixture and then into your mixed flour and sugar. Coat thoroughly.

Drop your sandwich into your home deep fryer or pan and fry until golden brown. Drain on a bed of paper towels and then sprinkle well with powdered sugar. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Any leftover sauce can be stored in the fridge and re-heated for use on ice cream, or for dipping fresh fruit! Yum.

Inside the Queen’s Studio with Tara Miko Grayless

The Queens periodically interview someone we find interesting and inspiring. In this installment, we are excited to introduce you to Tara Miko Grayless. Sandy and I love meeting fellow entrepreneurs and hearing the personal stories on what motivates them to pursue certain career paths.  It was while we were out promoting our book that we met Tara Miko Grayless, owner of Happy Hemp!  Initially it may have been the name of the product that grabbed our attention, but we were equally intrigued by Tara’s story. After 10 years in the fashion industry, the stressful demands of the job were taking a toll on both Tara’s physical and mental well-being.   She was suffering from insomnia, indigestion and was generally feeling blue. After embarking on mission to put her health first, she was introduced to the benefits of hemp seeds. The passion she demonstrated over her product was infectious, and after months of being out on tour, it didn’t take much to convince us to give Happy Hemp a try!  Life on the go was simply not allowing us to make healthy eating decisions, so this was a perfect solution to balance out the airport junk and last minute grab-and go meals that consumed our diet! Just two tablespoons a day is all it took, and it truly did help with our general sense of well-being. Tara provides tons of inspiration and tasty ways to incorporate hemp seeds into your diet through her website and blog and we encourage you to check it out at:  www.happy-hemp.com and http://happyhemp.wordpress.com

 The queens are proud supporters of Happy Hemp and we hope that you get inspired by her story as well.  Enjoy!

The Queens and Tara

Tell us a little about yourself and why you started your business.

After 10 years in the fashion industry, I came to a place where I did not like where my life was headed. Instead of continuing down that same path, I chose to create a passion project. Happy Hemp was born from me starting over and living a life that I choose to live, was proud of, and ultimately creates happiness for myself and others.

Happy Hemp is enlightening thousands of people to hemp seed, an ancient superfood with life-altering benefits. Often touted as “the most nutritionally complete food source in the world,” hemp seeds are vegan and gluten-free, and boast nature’s highest botanical source of essential fatty acid (more than flax or any other nut or seed oil), a perfect 3:1 ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6  essential fatty acids.

Happy Hemp should be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet either as a satisfying snack on its own, a topping for yogurt or cereal, or incorporated into a healthy recipe.

Behold the power of Hemp Seeds!

What is your “recipe” for success?

I am not afraid to hear the word ‘NO.’ One of my greatest strengths is my persistence, and being a successful business owner means to love your company and believe in your company when NO one else does.

If your personality could be described as any casserole, what would it be?

I would say I am a quiche. You take common ingredients like eggs, ham and cheese and come up with a unique combination.

 If someone wrote a book about you, what would the title be?

Failing to Give Up.

What dish from your childhood brings you the most comfort and why?

Grilled cheese and tomato soup. No matter where I am in the world, this simple dish brings me comfort when I am far away.

Family is in town unexpectedly and coming over for dinner. Quick – what is your go to meal?

When I have an unexpected guest, my go to meal is lasagna, a large salad and garlic bread. And don’t forget beautiful full glasses of red wine. For dessert? Two scoops of laughter.

Tell us about a cooking disaster that you’ve had.

OMG… which one? I am the queen of getting distracted in the kitchen, a professional food burner.

What unique characteristic do you bring to the hemp seed?

Most people are surprised by the way I look. There is a preconceived image of what a hemp seed salesgirl is supposed to look like. Some customers who would have walked past are intrigued to stop, chat and learn about how great Happy Hemp is as a food source.

Tara Miko Grayless

What has been the most interesting dish you have ever tasted with hemp?

Ice cream! Yum. It’s nice to be eating such a rich and tasty dish, knowing that it’s still good for you in some ways.

Let us in on your favorite hemp pairings and how often do you work hemp into an “everyday” dish?
My blog keeps me testing and tasting new dishes weekly. I am personally a fan of simple and easy dishes. I love a fresh fruit smoothie to start my day.

Happy Hemp Takeout Noodles - Yum!

Happy Hemp Sesame Sauce with Kale

Casserole Queens Cookbook Tour Schedule – Yay! (UPDATED)

Check out our updated book tour schedule!

Some exciting stuff coming up next week: our Aug 23 appearance on The Today Show and our Aug 25 book release party at BookPeople.

We’ll be keeping this schedule up-to-date as more stops are confirmed. Stay tuned. If we’re stopping in your town, please come see us!

Fun with Jingles!

Ready to have some fun with jingles? We are!

The other day our dear friend Laura Graf sent us a note saying she was feeling creative (and possibly a little bored!) and wanted to write us a jingle. She came up with three very unique ideas, but we need your help in deciding which one to choose. We will be collecting votes all this week and next, and will close the polls on July 8^th. The winning jingle will get placed on our website, and who knows – maybe we will even make a video!

To learn more about our little songstress, check out Laura at http://www.reverbnation.com/lauragraf

Jingle #1 (Performed to the tune of “Love for Sale”)

Jingle #2  (Performed to the tune of “Put Your Head on my Shoulder” )

Jingle #3 (Performed to the tune of “I Love Rock-n-Roll”)

Our first cookbook reviews are in!

“I love the Casserole Queens—from their savory lasagna to their caramel bread pudding, this book is full of one-dish recipes that will rock your house!”
—Bobby Flay

“This charming cookbook has hints and tips galore for America’s favorite dishes—King Ranch Chicken, Tamale Pie, and Hash Brown Casserole—as well as fabulous casserole innovations like Red Snapper Veracruz, Rockin’ Tomatoes Rockefeller, and Granola Oatmeal Bake. The darling Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock, like modern home ec teachers, instruct with wit and charm (even sharing an apron pattern right off the bat). So get this cookbook, keep it on hand in the kitchen, and never be stumped again for what to bring to a get-together or have for a family meal.”
—Martha Hall Foose, author of Screen Doors and Sweet Tea and A Southerly Course

“Crystal and Sandy are such a delight and their recipes offer something for everyone! This book is such a fun read I felt like I was sitting in on a chat with friends.”
—Christy Jordan, author of Southern Plate

“In The Casserole Queens Cookbook, Crystal Cook and Sandy Pollock have taken all the culinary triumph, sartorial splendor, and inimitable style of the mid-century and compiled a book of remarkably delicious recipes fit for today’s dinner tables. So tie on the red-cherry apron, spark up the pilot on the Chambers, and prepare to have more fun than you’ve ever had with a 9-by-13-inch baking dish—these queens reign supreme!”
—Matt Lee and Ted Lee, authors of The Lee Bros. Simple Fresh Southern