Homemade Onion Rosemary Bread

Oh how I love the smell of freshly baked bread!  But what about freshly baked bread with a hint of onion and rosemary??  Catch me I'm swooning...

And I have the sweet Debra of Eliot's Eats to thank for this new family favorite.  Since joining the monthly Blogger C.L.U.E group nearly a year ago, Debra has been one of the bloggers I've been waiting to be assigned.  For years we've grown to know each other through blog posts and comments (she's far more diligent at commenting than I...), and she's someone I would love to sit down with for coffee and and an hours long chat.

This month our Blogger C.L.U.E prompt is "Celebration", and I'd first thought of using one of the Eliot's Eats cocktail offerings... Chocolate Bourbon Kahlua anyone?? (swooning again!) 

However a stomach bug earlier this week has had me sipping nothing but Ginger Tea for days, so today I'm celebrating the return of my appetite with this fabulous bread.

Perfect in texture, this bread makes a wonderful soft sandwich.  But toasted with just a little butter made my breakfast perfection this morning.  Both Liv and my husband gave two thumbs up, and I have a request for a third loaf asap.

So Debra, today I celebrate you.  I'm so thankful blogging has crossed your path with mine.  Here's wishing you a wonderful holiday season and a New Year filled with treats and travels!

Now come celebrate the rest of our wonderful group with me as we travel the world for Blogger C.L.U.E.!

A Savory Cheesecake by Wendy from  A Day in the Life on the Farm

   

Almond Shortbread Cookies by Lisa from Authentic Suburban Gourmet

   

Black Forest Trifle by Rebekah from Making Miracles

   

Blueberry Lemon Bars by Anna from annaDishes

   

Bourbon Apricot Meatballs by Christiane from Taking on Magazines

   

Cheesy Garlic Blooming Loaf by Christy from Confessions of a Culinary Diva

   

Cookie Dough Cheese Ball by Liz from That Skinny Chick Can Bake

   

Handcrafted Baileys Irish Cream by Debra from Eliot's Eats

   

Henri's Tastee Dressing by Kate from Kate's Kitchen

   

Homemade Onion Rosemary Bread by Kim from Liv Life

   

Italian Anisette Cookies by Sue from A Palatable Pastime

   

Party Meatballs by Azmina from Lawyer Loves Lunch

   

San Permis Sparkling Cocktail by Stacy from Food Lust People Love

   

Tartiflette by Kate from Kate's Kitchen

   

The Randy Reindeer by Kathy from A Spoonful of Thyme

   

White Chocolate Chip Cookie Soufflés by Lauren from Sew You Think You Can Cook

Ina's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables - My Grilled Veggie Version!

Growing up, vegetables were not really high on my list of favorite foods.  My mom would make dad stuffed bell peppers frequently and I would always turn up my nose with a resounding "EEEwwww!", sort of like my kids do now.  However, last year I stuffed my own Poblanos and loved it.  I've also been grilling zucchini and asparagus and I actually find myself craving arugula and spinach salads.  Ina's Orzo with Roasted Vegetables, which I tweaked using my own veggie favorites and turning to my trusty grill, became a favorite after the first try.

Filling the salad with grilled zucchini, onions, and asparagus has me even making extra veggies so that I can nibble as I put the salad together.  A few sprigs of basil from my garden, a zesty dressing with lemon and oil and a handful of crumbled feta complete the salad while my mouth waters in anticipation.

Serving the salad along with our grilled fillets yesterday, my Mother in Law literally skipped dessert in favor of two extra salad helpings!  If that isn't a testament to its wholesome goodness I'm not sure what is.

An ideal salad for spring and summer with versatility being key.  Out of zucchini?  How about eggplant instead?  Have a few roasted red peppers on hand?  Toss 'em in!  Cherry tomatoes make a nice addition when those little red fruits overload your summer garden and any sort of summer squash fits nicely with that lovely lemon dressing.

Caramelized Onion Dip and a CSN Giveaway

Are you ready for some football??  Are you ready to shop??  I can help you with both!

The CSN Stores has graciously offered up a $45 Giftcard for us give away to one of our lucky readers.  Meeting all of your shopping needs, the CSN Stores offers you department after department for your shopping pleasure, including products ranging from backyard swing sets (what kids doesn't want one of those??) and trampolines to hand mixers (I got mine there!) and cooking tools and gadgets.  

Open to our Canadian and US readers, our giveaway will close at 5 PM on Super Bowl Sunday (2/6/11 - 5 PM Pacific Standard Time).  Our house will be hopping with our annual Super Bowl Extravaganza, and Molly (from our last giveaway) and Olivia will work some sort of magic to come up with a random number indicating our fortuitous winner.  

To enter, all you need to do is to leave us a comment below about your favorite Super Bowl treat (feel free to leave a link to your blog!) and who you think will win this year's Big Event.  

If you would like to tweet our giveaway, sign up as a Liv Life follower on Twitter, Facebook, RSS or email, we would truly appreciate it, but you do not need to do this to enter.  (Note... our directions are in Green as I'm pretty darn sure that Greenbay has it in the bag! =0  )

2011 marks Liv Life celebrating it's 8th Annual Super Bowl Extravaganza.  What began as a Super Junk Food Day for my then 6 year old son, two of his friends and their dads has turned into a guest list of 50+ people and more of a gourmet spread including Becky's Famous Football Stromboli (shown at left), Kim's Coconut Mango Chicken Wonton Cups, Naomi's homemade authentic sushi (she's from Japan!), Ellen's Coconut Shrimp, Darlene's guacamole and Claudine's Seven-Layer Dip.  Pringles, M&M's and good old fashioned Queso Dip also grace our table, but the eats have definitely improved over the years.

This year Caramelized Onion Dip will be featured with a big bowl of multi-grain Pita chips on the side.   Rich with the caramelized onions seasoned with a little balsamic and then stirred into cream cheese, we found this dip to be somewhat addicting.  Tasty either warm or cold, this creamy dip is sure to be a winner.

Liv and I are looking forward to your favorite Football treats in the comments below!

Go Packers!!