Recently, my friend over at Mrs. Southern Belle tagged me for the Kreativ Blogger Award! I was so touched and honored – I love it when bloggers can cross genres and recognize all sorts of creativity and inspiration. Thanks Mrs. Southern Belle!!!

Here are the award rules: List 7 things you love, and then pass on to 7 bloggers that you love. Be sure to tag them to let them know that they won!

1. . . . finding creative inspiration in my friends and my everyday life.
2. . . . cooking and baking with organic ingredients.
3. . . . learning something new every single day.
4. . . . my incredibly supportive husband, who says he loves every dish I make.
5. . . . my mom and my grandmother, who taught me how to bake.
6. . . . my dad who makes the best chocolate chip cookies of all time.
7. . . . my brothers, who have always been there for me when I needed someone to lick the cream cheese icing off of the beaters.

Vintage Victuals is proud to be participating in Share Our Strength’s Great American Bake Sale!

The City of Jefferson hosts a HUGE Egg Hunt that day hosting kids from all over Northeast Georgia. We will be set up right next to the festivities. (Heaven forbid any child go without a sugar high on Easter weekend, right?)

Proceeds from the Great American Bake Sale go directly to grants for organizations that feed hungry children in after-school and summer programs, when they may not be able to get three square meals a day. We are working in connection with the Jackson County Boys and Girls Club to ensure that the money raised in our community will go to our neighbors in need.

So, local readers, please email jeffersonbakesale@gmail.com if you would like to participate in this great event! And check out our team’s website here for more of the nitty gritties!

And far-away readers, never fear because you can participate, too! Please consider donating to our group on our team’s website or think about hosting your own bake sale! Click on the banner at the top of this post to learn more about how you can get involved with this great project.

I will be doing a BIG round-up post here on VV with pictures from the bake sale, plus recipes for those contributors who wish to share their treats with my readers!

Finally, I ask that if you are a regular reader who wants to suggest a great bake sale recipe, please post a link to the recipe in a comment on this post!

Every little thing we do has an effect on others, so take just a moment to reach out and help stop hunger for the children in our communities. Thank you for all your love and support!

This is one of my mom’s best dishes. The Creamy Dijon Sauce compliments the tender, juicy pork perfectly. Pork loins have been on sale a lot lately at the grocery store, so I got the chance to make it for myself this week. Mom usually serves this dish with mashed potatoes – so that we can drizzle some extra dijon sauce on top of them! This leftovers are amazing in a sandwich, too.

Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Creamy Dijon Sauce

1/4 cup Dijonnaise spread
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic, minced or grated
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 fresh pork tenderloin
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/4 cup Dijonnaise spread
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried minced onion seasoning
1/2 cup half-n-half
2 tablespoons more Dijonnaise spread

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

In a small bowl, mix together the Dijonnaise, the dry mustard, the onion, and the garlic. The mixture should be a bit thick. Set it aside.

In a large dutch oven-style baking dish, measure the olive oil and heat it over medium-high heat. Generously season the pork loin with salt and pepper on all sides. Using metal tongs, brown the pork in the olive oil until it is nice and caramelized on all sides. At this point, get your dijon mixture and spoon it all over the pork loin, applying it on all sides.

Next, send the whole dish into the oven to roast in the oven for about 15-20 minutes depending on the thickness of your cut). Remove the pork from the oven when a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reaches 145 degrees (for medium done-ness). Remove the meat from the dish and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, return the dutch oven to the stove. Add the half and half, deglazing the pan (i.e. scraping the brown bits off the bottom – they hold all the flavor!). Stir in the extra 2 tablespoons of Dijonnaise and warm the sauce to a simmer over low to medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes.

Here is the final recipe from our wine tasting – an appetizer of sausage stuffed mushrooms – the perfect bite-sized taste to accompany our fruity and delicious Barriosa Sombrero Rojo Rioja wine. Our guests are still raving about these mushrooms over a week later – I call that a successful dish!

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

3 pints baby bella mushrooms, cleaned with the stems removed
1 lb. chicken or turkey sausage, sweet Italian is great, but almost any flavor would work (We used a red wine and cheese variety from Trader Joes here.)
2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup parmigiano regiano cheese, grated (plus extra for sprinkling)
1/4 cup minced onion
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley

Preheat a heavy skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, remove the casings from the sausages and put the meat in the skillet. Brown the sausage until cooked through, using a spatula to break apart any pieces. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

I have gotten a lot of requests over the past several weeks for a rockin’ recipe for macaroni and cheese. In face, some of you who know me in *real life* have expressed your shock and concern over the lack of a mac ‘n’ cheese recipe here on VV. This reaction is understandable, considering that the truth is . . . . macaroni and cheese is my #1 favorite food of all time!

Mac ‘n’ cheese is the food of my dreams, the food of my childhood, the food of my adulthood. I don’t think I ever met a bowl of mac I didn’t like. I’m going to come out and admit, flat out, that I am not too proud to make the occasional Kraft Mac ‘n’ Cheese – heck I practically grew up on the Blue Box. And I have been known to eat Velveeta Shells and Cheese right out of the pot, while sitting on the couch indulging in a sappy chick flick.

I like mine with broccoli, I like it with bacon, I like it baked, I like it from the stove-top. I

Your comments and requests, dear readers, do not fall on deaf ears. Added bonus? No slaving over a hot stove – this recipe is extra easy, with no beschemel sauce to cook.

With that, I am proud to unveil, my S’Mac ‘n’ Cheese! This is an incredibly flavorful dish, highlighting the sharp cheddar flavor while bringing a subtle heat and a soft onion flavor to the foreground.

S’Mac ‘n’ Cheese
You will be smackin’ your lips . . .

1 1/4 cups elbow noodles
Salt
2.5 ounces extra-sharp cheddar cheese, cut into small cubes
1 tablespoon plus 1/2 teaspoon flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon dry mustard
A pinch or two fresh ground pepper
A pinch cayenne pepper or red pepper flake
A pinch of ground nutmeg
1/3 cup sour cream
1 egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons yellow onion, finely chopped or grated
3/4 cup half-n-half
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 shakes Worchestershire sauce
1 dash hot sauce (tobasco)
3/4 cup (about 5 ounces) extra-sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Sprinkle in som salt. Add the noodles and cook until al dente, according to the box instructions.

Meanwhile, grease an 8×8-inch baking dish. Drain the noodles well and pour them evenly into the prepared dish. Sprinkle in the cubed cheddar cheese, and mix gently until evenly distributed. Set the dish aside.

Measure the flour, the salt, the dry mustard, black pepper, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg into a large mixing bowl, stirring the ingredients together. Add the sour cream and eggs, whisking until blended. Next, whisk in the onion, half-and-half, heavy cream, Worcestershire, and tobasco until the mixture forms a custard-like sauce. Pour this mixture over the macaroni in the baking dish. Finally, sprinkle the grated cheese evenly over the top.

Bake until the custard sauce sets around the edges but is still a bit saucy in the middle, about 30 minutes. After baking, allow the dish to cool for at least 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!