Short Ribs, Red Cabbage with Applewood Smoked Bacon, Pumpkin Parmesan Biscuits, and Sage-Butter Mashed Potatoes....Redemption Dinner

Very occasionally I make a dinner so terrible I can almost hear Chef Ramsey screaming in my ear.  The other morning I got up for work and thought I'd assemble a stew in the slow cooker but found myself to be missing all of my favourite ingredients, wine, wine and wine.  I did what I could with what I had, but wasn't  surprised when my teenager went out to eat after tasting my hideous ensemble.  And though I came home and made some yummy omelettes for dinner I still felt the need to redeem myself with tonight's very special dinner.

Slow Cooker Be Damned Short Ribs (Because I've already put my short rib recipe on here, I won't retype it).
Sage Butter Mashed Potatoes:  Peel and halve 4 large russet potatoes and boil in a pot with a little salt until tender, drain, and then mash with 1 cup of milk, salt and pepper to taste.  Melt 3 tbsp. of butter in a small skillet over medium heat and cook until golden brown and add 8-10 sage leaves and cook 30 more seconds.  Pour over the potatoes.
Pumpkin-Parmesan Biscuits :  2 cups of flour, 1 tbsp. baking powder, 1 tbsp. sugar, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. nutmeg, 2 tbsp. 1/2 butter, 1/2 canned pure pumpkin, 1/4 heavy cream. 
Preheat oven to 400, cut out biscuits and put on a greased baking sheet.  Top with a brush of melted butter and a sprinkle of Parmesan.  Bake for about 20 minutes.
Finally...

Applewood Bacon With Red Cabbage And Onion:  Cut up a red cabbage and some red onion and put aside.  Saute up some cut bacon and the onion until almost cooked.  Add cabbage, a little sweetener or  sugar, about 1 tsp. and salt and pepper to doll up the flavour.

Simple, yummy, and fully redeemed!  XO

Left Over Croissants Made Into Bacon and Eggy Breakfast Sandwiches!

For a few days I watched a gorgeous little package of butter croissants wait eagerly for my family to devour them and enjoy for breakfast.  Each day I asked the kids, "Would you like a toasted croissant for breakfast?"  And each day they would reply "no thanks mom."  Of course I think I was projecting my own croissant desires on them and didn't eat a crumb because I would then eat the entire thing.  To allow these beautiful croissants go to waste would have been a crime so I eagerly searched the internet for a way to use up croissants in a recipe.  Of course there were sandwich ideas, and strata ideas...but then I came across such a unique way of using up croissants I couldn't wait to make them - and guess what?  They're DELISH not to mention hubby approved.

Tear up 8 croissants into little bits and put aside.  Then mix together 1/4 cup chopped onion 3/4 cup of flour, 1 tbsp. baking powder with 3 tbsp. of white wine (I used red today), 1 cup of milk, 1/2 cup of half and half, 8 eggs, two cups of cheddar cheese (or whatever other cheese you'd like) and a cup of real bacon bits.  Don't forget to add a little salt, pepper, and garlic too.  Mix with the croissants and once blended  pop the batter into lightly greased muffin tins and bake for about 25 minutes.  Check periodically and touch the top to make sure that they are done.  Oh, I think you will love these!  What an absolutely COOL way to use up croissants (any other bread would probably do too).