The Cafe is Closed but the Porch Light is On

 Missy Tippens

Well, today is our last day of new posts at the Cafe. But we hope you'll enjoy our archived blog to look back, remember, and find your favorite recipes that have been shared for the last decade.

Thank you to all past regular bloggers and guest bloggers, to all who interacted with us, and to all our readers. You've been such a blessing!

Please keep in touch at the main Seekerville blog (which is for writers and readers) and on social media.

Don't be a stranger!

With love from Missy, Ruthy, Mindy, Jan and Cate

Favorite Friday Reboot

Missy Tippens

I'm sorry to be posting late! The holiday and a root canal threw off my internal calendar! Back in the day, I used to do Favorite Friday posts. In those, I often shared some of my favorite things and newly discovered favorites. I thought I'd re-post one of those today. Enjoy!

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Missy Tippens, here. And I have a new favorite salad to share. Let me say, first, that it takes a little longer to prepare than Ruthy's cabbage salad (which I've eaten twice this week already!). But I love my new favorite. And it's still pretty quick...

Missy's Wilted Spinach Salad

Ahead of time, boil some eggs to keep on hand for when you want this salad. Store in fridge.

Ingredients for 2 large meal size servings:

Baby spinach leaves (I buy pre-washed to make life easy)

Mushrooms (about half a container)

1 shallot

4 slices bacon

2 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

2 Tbs. Red Wine Vinegar

1 Tbs. sugar

2 Boiled eggs

(Wheat thins are optional to snack on while cooking and got included in the photo by accident!! LOL)

Fry bacon on medium heat.

While bacon is cooking, chop the mushrooms and shallot.

Remove cooked bacon to absorbent paper towels and and SAVE THE DRIPPINGS (a nice way to say grease). (For Kav and other vegetarians, just skip the bacon and heat some olive oil in the pan.)

Add scallion to the skillet and cook until translucent. Add a pinch of Kosher salt (optional, but something I feel the need to add to any vegetables I'm cooking!)

Add the vinegars, whisking constantly.

Lower temp a little and add the sugar, whisking constantly. (Be careful of how hot it is. The second time I made this, the sugar hardened and I made a very strange candy!) :) Cook a couple of minutes until reduced.

Meanwhile put however much spinach you want into a serving bowl and add the mushrooms.

Pour hot dressing over the spinach and toss immediately to slightly wilt the greens.

Top with crumbled bacon and chopped eggs. Toss.

Serve and enjoy!

The Future of Our Wonderful Cafe Blog

 Missy Tippens

The Yankee-Belle Cafe was started as an extension of the Seekerville Blog for writers back in 2011 when we developed a website laid out like a downtown. We decided to have virtual shops in our Village. Ruthy and I decided to pair up to open a place to chat and share recipes from New York and Georgia, and we later added bloggers from around the country to add more local flavor. The Cafe has been going strong all these years! It has been so much fun to share recipes and lifestyle posts and to chat with y'all.

We here at the Cafe have been thinking off and on for a while now about when we might decide to close the doors at our blog. I recently retired from the main Seekerville blog and had been thinking it might be time to retire here as well. Once we started discussing my retirement, we decided that because all of us have our time pulled in many directions, maybe it was time to end our wonderful adventure here at the Cafe. Though a difficult decision, we plan to close at the end of January.

BUT... we are not going to be removing all our posts. They will remain here as an archive. Especially since some of us (me included!) have told our children that anytime they want one of Mom's recipes, they can come here to find it. :)

We appreciate all of you, our wonderful readers who have been with us over the years--almost a decade! What's amazing is that when we look at our stats, we see several thousand visitors a month. We've had almost a million views!!

Over the next couple of weeks, I would love to hear from you in the comments if you feel comfortable. I'd love to learn more about those who have been with us every week but have never commented.

You have kept us going all these years! That and the fun we've had. I have to say that you have probably helped keep my family fed much better than if I hadn't had someone out there reading what I've been cooking lately. LOL So my family thanks you, too!  :)

We look forward to spending the next weeks with you and chatting. And of course, all the other ladies will still be on the Seekerville blog. And I'll still be writing and will be on social media. So please look me up there. I may even share an occasional recipe!

After more than 10 years of pursuing her dream of publication, Missy Tippens, a pastor’s wife and mom of three from near Atlanta, Georgia, made her first sale to Harlequin Love Inspired in 2007. Her books have since been nominated for the Booksellers Best, Holt Medallion, American Christian Fiction Writers Carol Award, Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, Maggie Award, Beacon Contest, RT Reviewer’s Choice Award, and the Romance Writers of America RITA^® Award. Missy also writes devotionals for several publications from Guideposts. Visit Missy at www.missytippens.com, https://twitter.com/MissyTippens and http://www.facebook.com/missy.tippens.readers.

A New Kitchen Gadget

 Missy Tippens

Well, I've gone a little crazy and ordered a new kitchen gadget. :) Bagel makers/shapers!

It comes with a set of six. They're silicone, so you can do the boil and then bake method if you'd like. Or just bake them.

I really wanted to make bagels out of the Weight Watcher's two ingredient dough recipe (it uses self-rising flour and fat-free plain Greek yogurt), but I didn't get a chance to make it before this post. Still wanted to share the cool tool with you! Hopefully I'll be able to share before long.

Here's a recipe that's made of the same ingredients I thought I'd share today from the Recipe Girl Blog. The recipe mentions using a thick yogurt. My absolute favorite is Fage.

If you make them, please let me know! 

www.missytippens.com

Chocolate-Butterscotch Holiday Treats

 with Missy Tippens

Thought I'd re-share a post from 2016! It's great to make for gifts. One of my favorites. Enjoy again!

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Missy's Chocolate-Butterscotch Treats

I started with Mindy's recipe for Chocolate Peanut Bliss: click here. But I doctored it up, mainly to make it stretch further.

1 pack vanilla almond bark

1 pack chocolate almond bark

1 pack (4 oz) Baker's German Sweet Baking Bar (I'm convinced this is the secret ingredient making it so yummy)

1 bag semi-sweet chips (12 oz)

1 bag butterscotch chips (12 oz I think)

32 oz. dry roasted peanuts

½ of a large bag Chow mein noodles

Chop the chocolate bark and bar. This was taking me forever, so I just started digging the tip of the knife into the chocolate to break it up in chunks.

Toss all the chocolate and chips into the Crock Pot. I turned it on high to start the warming but then turned it down to low.

While the chocolate melted (stirring occasionally), I gathered the other ingredients along with my silicone baking sheets and parchment paper.

When the chocolate was melted (don't over-cook it!), I used a whisk to smooth it out (some of the chips didn't want to melt really well).

Once smooth, stir in the nuts and noodles. Then spoon onto the paper/silicone mats and let sit until hardened. This step took a couple of hours, so be sure to leave time--especially if you're planning to pack them up as a gift.

These are definitely something kids can help make. I guarantee everyone will love them!

Merry Christmas y'all! I hope you enjoy the time with friends and family. And also remember the Reason for this season. 


www.missytippens.com

Easy S'More Dip Revisited

Missy Tippens

I hope you all had a blessed Thanksgiving!! With all the outdoor gatherings people might be having this holiday to keep socially distant, it made me think of s'mores. I thought I'd share a repeat from my post from 2014. It's quick and easy to throw together for a party. Enjoy again! (Also, very fun to see my book cover from 2014). :)

Easy S'More Dip


Missy, here. My daughter saw this recipe on Pinterest and excitedly texted me a photo. The original recipe came from the Five Heart Home website. My daughter made it and took photos so I could share with you! She made a small version in my small iron skillet (the one I use for cornbread).

Ingredients:

Chocolate chips--a mix of semi-sweet and milk (or whatever you prefer)

Large marshmallows cut in half

Graham Crackers

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Cover the bottom of your skillet with the chocolate chips. (She sprayed the pan with Pam first.)

Cover with the halved marshmallows.

Bake at 450 degrees for 5-7 minutes or until marshmallows are toasty brown.

Gorgeous!

Dip your graham crackers and enjoy! (Careful. It's VERY hot as my nearly-burned bottom lip will tell you.) :)

A quick, easy dish to share. No need for the campfire (like from my book, The Guy Next Door!). :)

www.missytippens.com

Cranberry Time!

 Missy Tippens

Thanksgiving always makes me think of cranberries. I love them (well-sweetened, of course)! And I just discovered a new product last week that I wanted to share.

I found these wonderful breads from a company called Ozery Bakery. It's in the U.S. and Canada. The ones I bought and have enjoyed are the Cranberry Orange Morning Rounds and the Cranberry Orange Snacking Rounds.

The morning rounds are the size of a small (but puffy) pita bread. The snack rounds are mini-sized. I usually eat two or three for a meal.

Both toast beautifully. They puff up and fill with steam, so you have to be careful when you cut into them. But they're toasted on the outside and so soft on the inside.

I split them in half (like a bagel) and then spread cream cheese on them. They taste like a cross between a soft bagel and a tender English muffin.

You can see the beautiful cranberries inside! I just love these. They are now going to be added regularly to our grocery list.

Have y'all had these before? I found these at Sprouts, but my husband has also found them for me at Publix (I believe in the bakery area).

www.missytippens.com

Misfits and Miscellaneous

 Missy Tippens

I recently found out that Misfits Market deliveries were finally available at our house. They sell fruits and vegetables that are rejected by grocery stores based on appearance (not quality), and offer them for reduced prices. I'd heard about it from Katie, Jan's daughter-in-law, and had wanted to try it. So I messaged Katie on Facebook and asked for a referral code, hoping to get her some credit. :)

We've had two shipments now, and I thought I'd share. Mostly because I love colorful photos of fruits and vegetables! haha I also have a new(ish) kitchen tool to share at the end.

In the box:

Spread out on the counter for a better look:

In the box:

Spread on the counter to admire it and take photos for the blog. haha

I also bought some extras--blueberries and sage.

I'm hoping this will encourage more fruit and vegetable eating in our house, and more creative recipes.

As for the miscellaneous, my "new" kitchen tool...

I LOVE my kitchen shears. But one of my pairs finally broke after using them for maybe a decade. One of the problems I always had with them was getting them clean after cutting meats. So when I went to shop for a new pair, and they offered some that come apart, I was sold! Plus, I went for a two-pack this time and have been very glad of it.

You just open them wide, and lift the blades apart.

Tada! So easy to wash in the dishwasher after cutting chicken. I'm loving these!

www.missytippens.com

Rescuing Produce that is Almost Ready for the Trash Bin

Missy Tippens

How many of you have got some wilted produce in your fridge that's on it's last legs? I went to prepare lunch the other day and decided to pull together a meal using floppy, wilted kale, and chopped cabbage that was over a week old. Plus, I had a container of leftover spaghetti noodles. So all that together solved my lunch dilemma. Veggie pasta!

I've made this type thing a million times. But I think this is the first time I used these two vegetables. Cabbage with pasta?? You bet!

I chopped a clove of garlic and heated in the skillet with olive oil. Then I added the kale (I ripped the leaves off the ribs and discarded them) and the chopped cabbage.

After looking at it, I realized I needed something a little saucier, so I added a can of diced tomatoes (the ones with garlic and oregano).

Then I added the noodles to heat and served with parmesan.

Here's where I'm getting real with you... At first, I got out my pasta bowl. Then I looked at that storage container the noodles had been in and weighed my options. I decided why not just eat in that used storage container to save dirtying a dish?! (Shhh, don't tell anyone.) :)

Pasta with kale and cabbage was a little different, but I liked it! I'd make it again if given the same ingredients. And the droopy kale ended up tasting just fine after it was cooked. A win! Plus, I saved a dirty bowl. A double win!

www.missytippens.com

Black Bean and Sweet Potato Tacos

 Missy Tippens

I just had another amazing vegetarian dish this week: black bean and sweet potato tacos. They were SO GOOD! I'm already craving the tacos again. Will be making this often!

This was a dish from Dinnerly food delivery service, so I don't feel I can share the exact recipe. However, I wanted to just tell you the ingredients so you can come up with your own version.

I first peeled and cut up a sweet potato. I was limited on time so cut it pretty small. Then I tossed the potato with olive oil, taco seasoning (powder) and some salt and pepper. I roasted the potatoes at 400 degrees until they started to get tender. Then to the sweet potatoes I added a little bit of water (about 1/4 cup), a can of rinsed and drained black beans, and some chopped garlic. I roasted it a bit longer until the potatoes were ready to eat.

Serve on taco shells (soft corn tortillas is what I used) with guacamole and grated cheese! My husband added salsa to his. Like I said, these were amazing. And so simple! A one-pan dish. Or wait, it was actually two pans because I used a skillet to warm my tortillas. But that's still very easy cleanup!

www.missytippens.com

Mushroom Stroganoff (Vegetarian)

 Missy Tippens

Happy Friday! I wanted to share a new recipe that I tried recently with y'all today. I thought it would be great for meatless Mondays for our family. And vegetarians who love mushrooms would enjoy this, too!

The recipe is from a website that I love, Skinny Taste (click here for the recipe). I subscribe to their newsletter and received a link to this yummy, healthy recipe. And yes, I'm old school. I still print recipes!

We could not find crimini mushrooms, so I just used extra shiitake. I also used more mushrooms than was listed in the recipe (I used the whole containers), and it was great that way.

The recipe called for light sour cream, which I used. But I think I may just use plain Greek yogurt next time. If you're not limiting fat, you may even want to use regular sour cream. I ended up wishing this was creamier.

Another thing to consider... check the ounces on your bag of noodles! Our bag (I used whole wheat noodles) was 12 ounces. Since the recipe calls for 8 ounces, I did pull some of the cooked noodles out before adding to the sauce. But my math was wrong! (Don't ask.) LOL So I used too many noodles, which is why I think I felt it was missing the creaminess. So adding the correct amount of noodles next time might improve that.

I also thought the recipe was missing some seasoning. And I had even used chicken broth! So I'd suggest, if you're not a vegetarian, considering using beef broth. And maybe adding additional seasonings. I ended up adding more salt (Maldon as a finishing salt on the plate) and some Penzey's Sunny Paris.

Just realized I forgot to take a photo of the finished product! It was good, and I'll make it again with these adjustments. I know some of you may not like mushrooms, so I anticipate some negative comments. hahaha But for those who love them like I do, I suggest trying this as a healthy alternative to beef stroganoff.

www.missytippens.com