Hernando Water Tower Festival Ticket Giveaway

  You may have already heard on Facebook that we are giving away tickets to the Hernando Water Tower Festival.  If not, guess what?  You have a chance to win a pair of tickets to either the Friday night or Saturday night activities of the Hernando Water Tower Festival.
  Having loaded into the Hernando Square Thursday night, Friday morning kicks off the BBQ competition.  Teams compete to win prizes in the catergories: ribs, shoulder, beef, poultry and seafood. Then Friday night at 6, the music festival will commence with local musicians:  Burn the Sun, Angel Down and Full Service Band.
  Saturday will feature a crafts fair of local vendors and a farmers market on the Hernando Square as well as the 4th Annual Car Show.  Starting at 6 p.m. the main musical entertainment, Craig Morgan, will perform with the local musicians: Stew and Stacy and Molly Hunt.
  During the day, the Festival is free but to enjoy the music festival you will need tickets.  Tickets are on sale at the Hernando Main Street Chamber of Commerce's office and they will also be available for purchase on the Hernando Square both nights.  You can purchase tickets for Saturday night online at Ticketmaster.com.  For more information, call 662.429.9055 or visit the Hernando's Chamber of Commerce office on Highway 51 South.  We'd love to see you at the festival!  In fact, below is another place where you can enter to win tickets!

(Photo Credit)

  Also, don't forget about out Life's a Beach Sweepstakes we have going throughout the month of October!  When you enter in this sweepstakes, you are entering yourself to win a 2 person weekend stay at Henderson Park Inn, a beachside bed and breakfast in Destin, Florida.  Click here to enter (must be 25 or older).

Hernando Water Tower Festival Ticket Giveaway

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Pumpkin Seed Pesto

  Making a pesto from pumpkin seeds sounds a little strange, we know, but once you try this it will be your new seasonal favorite.  A good recipe to eat plain (with crackers and cheese) but also one you can use as you would a regular pesto.  If you run out of ideas on how to use this pesto, the Food Network has an article on 50 things to make with pesto.  You heard me, 50 different ideas of how to best use pesto. While this recipe makes a good amount (over 2 cups) you can also freeze half and bring it out throughout the year, so you'll never be without pumpkin!  As a person who is not a fan of pumpkin (at all), this girl ended up eating some of this without even knowing it.  You might even be able to sneak this pumpkin dish past picky children.

Pumpkin Seed Pesto

from Whole Foods Market

YIELDS: 2 ½ cups

INGREDIENTS:

2 cups unsalted hulled (green) pumpkin seeds

6 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup water

2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice, or to taste

3 cloves garlic

1 cup roughly chopped fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°F.  Toss pumpkin seeds with 2 tablespoons of oil and salt then spread out in a single layer on a large baking sheet.  Roast until seeds are puffed and fragrant, 10 to 15 minutes, then set aside to cool.

Combine seeds in a food processor with water, lemon juice, garlic, cilantro and remaining oil.  Pulse until mixture forms a coarse paste then season with salt and pepper.  Cover and chill until ready to use.  Pesto needs to sit overnight for the flavors to fully blossom.

Muscadine Gin Fizz

  Try this Thirsty Thursday recipe from Hog and Hominy.  If you don't want to make the actual drink at home, swing by Hog and Hominy.  We're sure they would love to make it for you.

Muscadine Gin Fizz

provided by Hog and Hominy

YIELDS: 1 cocktail

Muscadine Syrup

INGREDIENTS:

2 cup sugar

4 cup water

30 Muscadines

DIRECTIONS:

De-seed muscadines. Combine ingredients in a sauce pan and cook slowly over medium heat for 20 minutes. Blend ingredients. Store refrigerated.

Muscadine Gin Fizz

INGREDIENTS:

1.5 oz Hendricks Gin

3/4 oz Muscadine syrup

1/2 oz Egg white

1/2 oz Lemon juice

3 thin slices of Muscadine for garnish

Collins glass

DIRECTIONS:

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice and shake vigorously for 30 seconds.  Pour ice and drink into glass and garnish.

Reader Recipe Contest!

  Click Magazine wants to hear from and feature you.  On Facebook this morning we announced a new contest for reader recipes.  We have been blessed so far to always have a contributing audience.  Previously, you have sent in reader recipes for us to choose from, but now we are taking a different approach.  While you are still contributing we are running a contest each month for the best recipes in a certain category.  One recipe will be featured in the magazine and four to five recipes will be spotlighted here, on the blog.
  We have the blog ready to feature a weekly reader recipe.  October is "pumpkin month" in honor of Halloween and general decor.  While the recipes we've posted so far have been from various sources, we already are featuring some from our readers.  Ideally, we will test the recipes ourselves, so we won't be suggesting something we haven't already tried.
  November's recipe theme is pecans anything and everything pecans.  Basically, if you use pecans as an ingredient, your recipe is fair game.  The blog featured Maple Pecan Scones last Sunday, so keep that in mind as you start sending in recipes.  We honestly can't wait to hear from you.  Please send all the recipes to recipes@myclickmag.com.  The deadline for November submissions is October 31, but start sending in your delicious recipes now.
  We hope you like this new way of doing things, and if you do, show it by sending recipes and telling all your friends.  If your recipe doesn't get featured this month, don't worry we start the December contest as soon as the November one ends.  While we aren't at liberty to fully disclose the theme, let's just say here at the office in December we're going to be eating a good number of sweets.
  Here's to a very pecan-filled Thanksgiving and November.

(Photo Credit)

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

  We could go on and on about these yummy, easy muffins, but then we'd just be wasting space.  I'll let you go ahead and read the recipe.  The most difficult part is whipping the cream cheese, but you can do even that with some ease.  Serve these bad guys to your office (like we did), family or friends, but if you have a sneaky husband, boyfriend or child watch out they may get eaten before they cool!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

complied from Cindy Hannaford and Two Tarts

YEILDS: 12 muffins

Cream Cheese Filling

INGREDIENTS:

4 oz cream cheese

¼ cup sugar

DIRECTIONS:

Whip together cream cheese and sugar very well (with a fork, hand mixer, food processor, anything).  When it is all combined, pop it into the fridge to stay cold while you prep the rest of the muffins.  Having this mixture as cool as possible will prevent the cream from melting away too much during baking.

Muffins

INGREDIENTS:

Any flavor cake mix

1 can pumpkin

2 eggs

Pumpkin Pie Spices

  (1 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, 1/2 tsp. ginger, 1/2 tsp. nutmeg, 1/4 tsp. cloves)

  (Feel free to ad lib to the spices, the only thing essential is the cinnamon.)

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F.  Mix together. 

Line muffin tins with paper cup, or lightly oil them.  Spoon about 1-2 Tablespoons of batter into the bottom of each muffin.  (A regular dinner spoon—heaping—is about the right size.)  Make sure this batter is spread thinly and evenly across the bottom of each muffin tin. 

Distribute a spoonful (approx. 1 Tablespoon) of the cream cheese filling in each.  Fill with the remainder of the batter (spreading it out evenly).  Approx 2-3 Tablespoons each is about the right amount.  (Putting the cream cheese in the middle is crucial.  We tried both ways and the cream cheese does not sink on its own.)

Bake for 20 to 30 minutes.  Let cool before you eat them, unless you are ready to deal with molten cream cheese!

Rethink Breast Cancer

  How much do we really know about breast cancer?  Before researching for this post I didn't know much.  We mentioned last week that pink products (in support of breast cancer research and awareness) have virtually taken over the month of October.  However, unless we take it upon ourselves to self-educate, this month will do little for helping to raise awareness.  While this blog will not fully inform you concerning breast cancer awareness, this can be one piece of the puzzle.
  While researching for pink products, we ran across this website that is apart of breast cancer awareness in Canada.  This campaign has the right idea, educating without over burdening the reader.
  Rethink Breast Cancer is a campaign about rethinking everything: rethinking the way breast cancer is seen, rethinking the way the under-40 crowd is informed, rethinking the pink ribbon, rethinking how to support those who have breast cancer, and even rethinking the general attitude towards cancer. The whole campaign is exciting and full of life in a way not seen in their American counterparts.  Rethink Breast Cancer even has an app for your phone that will help you stay on top of your (breast) health.  But don't take our word for it, watch the video below.

(Photo Credit)

  Canada should be incredibly proud of Rethink Breast Cancer.  This campaign is amazing.  The target audience for this campaign is the younger crowd, educating us so everyone can be aware and prepared.  Rethink Breast Cancer is right on target for what they are trying to accomplish.  Are you more willing to pay attention to the facts than before?

Maple Pecan Scones with Maple Glaze

  It's Sunday, the day of rest, which usually means if you aren't waking up early for church then you are probably going to be sleeping in.  Either way, you have to eat and what is more fun than brunch?  Here's a recipe for brunch food, scones.  Hope you enjoy making them!

(Photo Credit)

Maple Pecan Scone

INGREDIENTS:

4 1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

2 Tbsp. baking powder

2 tsp. kosher salt

1 cup toasted and chopped pecans

3 sticks cold butter, cut into cubes

1 cup heavy cream

5 large eggs (we use cage free)

1 tsp. natural maple extract

Maple glaze:

1 cup confectioners sugar

2 Tbsp. heavy cream or milk

1 tsp. maple extract

Mix all ingredients together until smooth- set aside

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Put dry ingredients in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle.  Add cold cubed butter and turn on low. Let blend until all butter is about the size of a pea.

Mix cream, eggs and maple extract together. Once the butter is incorporated add the cream and eggs and pulse the mixer on and off until just combined. Add the pecans and pulse again.

Cover a table with a little flour and place the dough in the middle. Knead together adding a little flour to the dough until it comes together to make a smooth dough. Do not overmix.

Pat down with your hands until it is about 1" thick, cut with desired cutter or cut into triangles with a knife.

Brush with heavy cream and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.  

Let cool and cover each scone with the glaze and more toasted pecans.