Gooseberry Patch's Rush-Hour Recipes Review & A GIVEAWAY!!

Guess what? My friends at Gooseberry Patch are cranking out new books again and that means REVIEWS!! Not just one, but 2 this month!! That also means GIVEAWAYS!! Both this week and next I will be reviewing books so stay close by so you can get entered in for the giveaways.

The first book that arrived at Faithfulness Farm was Rush-Hour Recipes!
I say RUSH-HOUR and we all can picture what that looks like......


Whether you have a commute back and forth to work that resembles that or not we ALL have days when we have RUSH-HOUR in the kitchen trying to get a meal to the table or something prepared for a potluck or a party. Rush-Hour Recipes has your back for those times. As I browsed thru the sections - 5-Ingredient Favorites, One-Dish Dinners, Slow Cookers to the Rescue, Soup's On, Make-A-Meal Sides and my FAVORITE section, Speedy Potluck & Party Foods - I was amazed at the wonderful recipes offered. Knowing I had 2 occasions to plan for in that week, dinner with a friend AND a family meal with the kids here, I picked the recipes I wanted to make.

First up was my meal with a friend. The menu was Shrimp Scampi, Garlic Butter Asparagus and Cheese & Garlic Biscuits -- I know, a pretty garlic intensive meal but no one complained, and there were no vampires in attendance lol.

My First comment is on the recipes. They are clearly written, easy to follow and use simple pantry ingredients -- my only purchases were the shrimp (I usually have some in the freezer but didn't this time) and the fresh asparagus and I would have shopped for this occasion anyway. I wish I had been able to find peeled, raw shrimp but in my small town, that was not available so the peeling of the shrimp was a little time consuming but I did it in advance of my company arriving so it wasn't a huge deal. The only other things I did in advance was the assembling of all the ingredients, the mixing and scooping of the biscuits and trimming of the asparagus - everything else was while we chit-chatted. The meal came together quickly and pretty effortlessly and best of all, tasted like someone had been slaving over it for hours.

Shrimp Scampi
GBP Rush-Hour Recipes (contributed by Vickie)
(Printable Version)

2 lbs, uncooked, peeled large shrimp
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup oil
2 Tbsp white wine or lemon juice (I used some chardonnay I had in the refrigerator)
1/4 cup fresh parsley, minced (I used flat-leaf parsley)
1 Tbsp garlic, minced
1 tsp salt
Pepper to taste
Optional: lemon wedges (I wedged 1 lemon and broiled it with the shrimp and that was wonderful)

Place shrimp in a large bowl; set aside. In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, combine remaining ingredients except lemon wedges. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring often, until well-blended. Pour most of the butter mixture over shrimp; toss to coast well. Arrange shrimp on a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan in a single layer. Broil 3 to 4 inches from heat for about 5 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a serving platter; drizzle with remaining butter mixture. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired. Serves 6.


Garlic Butter Asparagus
GBP Rush-Hour Recipes (contributed by Jennifer Jones)
(Printable Version)

2 to 3 Tbsp butter
2 to 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. asparagus, trimmed
Olive oil to taste
Salt and pepper to taste

Melt butter in a skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and asparagus. Cook for about 10 minutes, until crisp-tender. Just before removing asparagus from skillet, drizzle with olive oil. Drain asparagus on paper towel, if desired. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4.


Cheese & Garlic Biscuits
GBP Rush-Hour Recipes (contributed by Lori Vincent)
(Printable Version)

2 c biscuit baking mix
2/3 c milk
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 c butter, melted
1/4 tsp garlic powder

In a bowl, combine biscuit mix, milk and cheese. Stir until soft dough forms; beat vigorously for 30 seconds. drop dough by tablespoonsful onto a parchment lined or greased baking sheet. Bake at 450°F for 8 to 10 minutes, until lightly golden. Mix melted butter and garlic powder; brush over warm biscuits. Serve warm. Makes 1-1/2 dozen.


Now on to the important details. You can pre-purchase this book before it's release here.


IF you would like the opportunity to WIN this book AND a Faithfulness Farm Apron (don't you love that the hens look like they are *rushing*, lol) & Tee-Towel Combo, you need to:

1. Leave a comment on this post.

2. Follow Faithfulness Farm (new followers are good - leave a comment saying you follow).

3. Blog about the giveaway (leave a comment so I can visit your blog).

Stay tuned all week long because there will be 4 more recipes from this book reviewed and posted AND some bonus opportunities for the giveaway! The winner will be drawn and announced on December 22, 2011!!