pairing fruits with meats …

September 8, 2011

I was first introduced to pairing fruits with meats when I was a little girl by my French grandfather.  He would always eat turkey with fresh applesauce.   So, as long as I can remember, our family has had fresh applesauce along with our Thanksgiving turkey.
I love to pair meat with fruit!  It really helps to bring out the flavor of the meat, and it really tastes nice together.
If you are new to the idea, here are a few combinations to get you started…
{Pairing fruits with Meat}
click on links for recipes
Pork is also great with apples- grilled, baked, or sauce.
Prosciutto wrapped Canteloupe (This really is amazing!  I used to eat this all the time in France)
Ham Sliced Pear and Swiss Sandwich
Well, I hope this gets the ideas flowing for you!!
So, tell me, what is your favorite way to pair your meat with fruit??

be stuffed …

September 7, 2011

i know it’s only september, but really thanksgiving will be here before you know it.  the months just tend to fly by these days. (seriously, how is summer already over?)

anyhow, i wanted to share with you a fun thanksgiving table setting i put together using the new be stuffed release from lifestyle crafts.

i was able to incorporate (my favorite kind of paper) vintage book pages, with simple brown craft paper card stock, as well as turquoise.

i used dies from the release to cut out a mayflower boat (that doubled as a name place setting filled with corn nuts), a pilgrim hat (perfect for holding little colored pencils for the kiddos)

i used the place setting kit die to make a fun little collar for my sparking juice.

to finish off the place setting i made a menu with the place setting die kit, and embellished the setting with a few feathers from the feather headband die, a turkey leg, and a turkey.

this fun new release made it simple to create this fun thanksgiving table setting.  i just rolled them out using my epic six machine with the dies.

i am excited to use these on my thanksgiving table this year!  be sure to check out the lifestyle crafts blog for more thanksgiving inspiration.

{photos by me: caroline drake}

*also, exciting news for my readers!  lifestyle crafts is offering you 20% off your entire order from their website!  just type in the code ARMELLE at checkout!  

bbq chicken pizza …

I love interesting flavor combinations on pizza!  Barbecue chicken pizza is a favorite of mine, I especially love mine topped with fresh cilantro.
I like to use gouda cheese on my BBQ chicken pizza.  It really melts perfectly, and the flavor is top notch!  And, if you are a grill master, you can even cook these on your grill outside to avoid making your kitchen any hotter.
{BBQ Chicken Pizza}
adapted from this recipe
Dough (you can buy your favorite store bought dough, or I like to make it on honey whole wheat crust, recipe here.)
2 Whole Chicken Breasts
1/2 cup of your favorite barbecue sauce (my favorite is sweet baby rays)
2 cups shredded Gouda cheese
1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion
1/3 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Salt chicken breasts on both sides, then place in an ovenproof dish. Pour BBQ sauce over the breasts and turn them over to coat. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until chicken is done. Remove from oven and cut into a fine dice. Set aside.
Increase your oven temperature to 500 degrees *
Roll out your pizza dough, poke small holes in dough with fork.  (If you are not using a pizza stone, I like to  put the dough in the oven for about 3-5 minutes to cook it slightly)
Spread a thin layer of BBQ sauce over the pizza dough.  Top with the cheese, then chicken, and onion slices.
Bake in the oven for about 15 minutes or until dough has brown and cheese is bubbling.
Remove from oven and sprinkle with fresh cilantro and serve.
*You can also cook pizza on your outdoor grill, see this article on how to do it!
Enjoy!