Homemade Christmas Chex Mix

I made this for my neighbors and a few friends I'd be seeing up to the week of Christmas.  I looked at other people's recipes and additions and saw that most recommended upping the spices and butter.  I kept mine basic this year but if I was making it for ourselves, I'd choose spicier add-ins like Sriracha almonds and jalapeno bagel bites, etc.  What I used:

Bucatini Carbonara

I have never made this in life before.  I made this for my son after I talked him out of eating it on vacation.  I owed it to him.  😉

Prosciutto Pumpkin Jam Rosettes

A friend of mine recently returned from Portugal and brought me some pumpkin jam.  She showed me what she ate with it at a restaurant and I had to make it.

"Beef on Weck" Sandwich

In the 80's, a boy took me to the original place Buffalo wings started.  Wings are one of my fondest memories of back east and Buffalo from those days and I don't know why most of the world ruined them by dipping them in "Ranch" dressing?  It's real "Bleu Cheese" dressing ONLY with carrots and celery sticks...Wow did I digress, eh?  I always see "Beef on Weck" on t.v. now but never had it and wished I had while in Buffalo all those years ago.  What I used, based on this recipe:

Pit Boss: Pulled Pork

The nice weather remains so I still have my smoker ready to go.  My son/roommate came home sick from work yesterday and it turned out to be covid.  I await to see how I fare now... I'm waiting a couple days for symptoms before I rapid test, then I will anyway.  Before I knew the bad news, I was at Costco and they had $5 off whole pork shoulder blade roasts, so I paid $15 for a six pounder.  I was so happy to get a food deal on something, so I had to buy it!!!

Cinnamon Spiced Apple Pecan Bread

I was making three loaves today, two for friends and one for home.  I expected it but just regular "Granny Smith" and "Honeycrisp" apples were $9 for 6 apples at the grocery store and they weren't even organic!  OUCH.  I looked at slew of different recipes and liked this one so chose it.  I just tripled the recipe below:

1905 Salad

It's Tomato Season!!! YAY!!!!  🍅  I've had the pleasure of dining at Chef Art Smith's restaurant in WDW Downtown Disney and it was a true pleasure.  I follow it on social media and saw this:  "ART-fully inspired, our NEW 1981 Salad is nearly 40 years in the making. An ode to Chef Art Smith's first cast role in the Magic Kingdom College Program in 1981, our take on the classic Tampa salad features chopped iceberg and spring mix lettuce, honey ham, roasted artichoke, tomato, Swiss cheese, and Spanish olives. However, the real secret is in the sauce. Worcestershire is combined with lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, and vinegar, making this new menu option tastebud magic in every bite! 🍴"

Pit Boss: Smoked Chicken Wings

My idea for tonight was to smoke the wings, then finish them in my oven air-fryer to crisp them up.  My only goal was to impart the smoke flavor and have crispy skin.  I preheated the Pit Boss to 225°F.  I seasoned with my favorite "Traeger Blackened Saskatchewan Rub" and "Cool Runnings" chicken seasoning.  In they went.  After about two and a half hours I brought them into the air-fryer.  Internal temp was 150°F when they came off the smoker.  They need to be 165 - 175°F.

Shrimp, Boursin Cheese Puff Pastry Tarts

I made these as a side dish for an "end of summer" dinner in my yard.  My smoker was the feature this evening but I made these tarts inside the house.  I'm not confident enough yet to smoke puff pastry!  Below is tomatoes, cream cheese, sausage and asparagus just put on the smoker:

Filipino Chicken Adobo

I can't believe I've never made this.  It is soooo tasty, and easy.  I based mine off this recipe to give me a starting point.