Santa went to Sur La Table.

We take kitchen gadgets and accessories to a new level.

Santa knows that the Murphrees love kitchen gadgets. This year was no different. Casey and I bought a Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker with a gift certificate we got from Aunt Ann and Uncle Dave. After scouring the interwebs for the perfect ice cream recipe, Casey finally picked one. And he didn't shut up about it for DAYS. I'm glad he loves food as much as I do, but sometimes he gets OBSESSED. He picked Goat Cheese & Strawberry.

Courtesy of Heather Homemade

When Christmas Day (finally) came, we got to work on the ice cream. Well, actually, Casey did most of the work, and I did the taste testing. It turned out awesome! It's an almost cheesecake consistency with perfectly sweet strawberries mixed in. I think the secret is adding a little balsamic vinegar to the strawberry mixture after roasting them. YUM!    Here's the recipe.

Santa also brought us a Crock-Pot. It was technically for me, but I’m sure Casey will get some good use out of it. It also came with a bonus small crock-pot for dips! We haven’t used the it yet, but here are some of the recipes I want to try.

Crock Pot Super Garlic Chicken Legs - 20 cloves of garlic!

Grillades and Cheese Grits - This is a dish served at BB's Cafe in Houston. I'm interested to see if this version is as good!

Crock Pot Puttanesca- This lovely Italian word literally translates to "Whore Style." Sailors would come into port, and the various "Houses of Ill-Repute" would cook this sauce with pasta. It smells so incredible, they couldn't resist.

French Dip Roast Beef - Thought this was an interesting thing to make in a Crock-Pot!

Slow Cooker Chicken with Rosemary, Apples and Onions - Great flavor combo.

Corned Beef and Cabbage - One of my all-time favorite dishes.

The gadget giving didn’t stop with Casey and Me. We all pitched in and got a new Waring Comercial Deep Fryer for Dad. He’s awesome at making fries, and the deep fryer he had was on the small side. The new one is a nice size - Paula Deen would approve. 

His recipe is a mixture of different techniques he has tried over the years. I will post it as soon as he can get it to me!

And for the woman who started this family on the Foodie Adventure - Mom got a bunch of little things for the kitchen, including an olive oil mister, OXO mixing bowls, and silicone berry colanders. 

There's only so much we can fit in her kitchen at this point!

Do you have any great Crock-Pot, Ice Cream or Deep Fryer recipes? Please share!