Happy Birthday to Me! Unfortunately, my grandmother died this morning, so the celebration was bittersweet. God has a wicked sense of humor, that's for sure. Her health has been declining lately, and my sister and Mom got the opportunity to visit her last week in Colorado. I'm glad for that. Sigh... anyways...

So cracking one eye open at the early hour of 8 am this morning (Nicholas not being able to wait any longer to sing "Happy Birthday"), I spied this on the dresser.



Now there's a nice way to start the day! The Husband baked the French Toast with Pecans that I made last night, and Nicholas and I had breakfast in bed. I'll post the French Toast recipe tomorrow; it's going to be a definite repeater, and is perfect for a brunch or holiday breakfast, and heck, any other time you want to indulge. Paula Deen has a similar recipe, but I like this one better.

Went to the Farmer's Market this morning to pick up some more fresh veggies. I got 2 lavender plants, fresh baked bread, pitted Kalamata olives, green peppers, tomatoes, and a few herb plants. All the herbs plants that I've bought there are really thriving -- maybe my thumb isn't quite as anti-green as I thought!


Farmer's Market Offerings


Tomato Varieties


Pick a Pack of Peppers

For my birthday dinner, we ended up getting Chinese food and eating here, instead of going out. I actually made the decision before I found out about my grandmother, but given the circumstances, it was much nicer this way. There's a local Chinese restaurant that has superb food, but they're a little pricier and don't deliver, so we don't often get food from there. Today we did ... a little bit of everything, eaten family-style: Twice Baked Pork, General Tso's Chicken, General Tso's Shrimp, General Tso's Beef, Scallion Pancakes, Grand Marnier Shrimp, Steamed Dumplings, Fried Dumplings, Dried Sauteed Green Beans, Shrimp Toast, Sesame Noodles with Peanut Sauce, Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, Fried Rice, White Rice, Brown Rice ... I'm probably forgetting a few things, but suffice it to say, we ate well, and I know what we're having for dinner tomorrow night! I've never had the Grand Marnier Shrimp before and really liked it. Wouldn't think to mix fruit with shrimp like they did (strawberries?), but it worked.

My sister made Coconut Cupcakes for Nicholas' birthday (a Barefoot Contessa recipe) and my Mom brought a Chocolate Cream Pie and Cannoli Cake for my birthday. Needless to say, Nicholas is still confused about whose birthday is when, considering we had a cake for him yesterday at the kids' party, cupcakes for him today with my family ... and it's still not even his birthday yet!! Two more days to go.



My sister and brother-in-law got me 3 great food-related books, and surprisingly enough, I don't have any of them! They bought me Betty Crocker's Cooky Book, Endangered Recipes and Jane & Michael Stern's RoadFood. Two of these were actually on my list of things to buy, and I'm really looking forward to delving into them. The Cooky Book has been around since 1963 - anything that has stood that kind of test of time has got to be good! They also got me a bunch of cookie decorating tools, cutters, tips, sprinkles and more. Perfect! My parents got me a vacuum sealer (a must for my kitchen!), gorgeous earrings, tons of shoes, a tote bag, a cutting board, and placemats. And then with Nicholas' birthday stash from everyone... the living room looked like Christmas morning! We're definitely going to have fun playing with all our new "toys."

OK, all for tonight ... I'll be back tomorrow. Head hurts a bit and I'm trying to get to bed early tonight since I feel a sore throat coming on. Until tomorrow...

... Nicholas' "kids" birthday party today. He had a fantastic time - between hanging out with his friends, spending time with Elmo, running around like a maniac and eating cake, how could he not? It's funny ... he hates taking off his shoes (a requirement in these play places), he hates going through those climbing maze/obstacle courses, hates ball pits ... yet, today, nothing fazed him. Maybe everything changes when you hit 3? Who knows, but I'll take it!


Birthday Boy with a Fruit Punch Moustache

Had a simple, simple meal for dinner tonight. We had Grilled Ham and Gouda Sandwiches with Greens and Caramelized Onions and then Scallops with Browned Butter Vinaigrette. Both were new recipes, and on the table in about 30 minutes - can't beat that!


Grilled Ham and Gouda Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions and Greens


Scallops with Browned Butter Vinaigrette

With the sandwiches, I got a chance to use my panini maker again. The caramelized onions really add a nice flavor boost to the sandwich. I liked these better than the Pressed Cubanos I made last time, but The Husband preferred those.

The scallops were good, albeit simple-tasting. The Husband liked them; I did too, just not a WOW for me, so I probably won't make them again.

I have Baked French Toast with Pecans sitting in the refrigerator now, macerating for tomorrow's breakfast. Am I ahead of schedule, or what? Another new recipe, this one comes from the Steep Acres Farm Bed and Breakfast. With maple syrup, butter, pecans and half-and-half, I'm sure it's going to be a good one.

All for tonight. A long day today, and sure to be the same tomorrow. My family is coming over to do some birthday celebrating for me and Nicholas. Until then...

Grilled Ham and Gouda Sandwiches with Greens and Caramelized Onions
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, thinly sliced
Unsalted butter, room temperature
4 1/3-inch-thick slices sourdough bread
4 ounces thinly sliced smoked ham, divided
3 ounces Gouda cheese, thinly sliced, divided
2 large handfuls frisée, torn into bite-size pieces (about 1 cup), divided (I used red leaf lettuce)

Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add onion; sauté 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and cook until onion is very tender and golden, stirring frequently, about 25 minutes longer. Season with salt and pepper. Cool slightly. Butter 2 bread slices. Place bread, buttered side down, on platter. Divide onion, ham, cheese, and frisée between bread slices. Top each with another bread slice; butter top slices. Heat another large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add sandwiches and cook until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, pressing occasionally with spatula, about 4 minutes per side. Cut sandwiches in half diagonally and serve immediately.Makes 2 servings. Bon Appétit - March 2005

Nicholas went on his first field trip today and had a blast. The Husband accompanied him ... gotta love a guy that would go on a field trip with some 30+ preschoolers on a bus, topped off by being the only Dad that went. :) Nicholas partnered with one of his "girlfriends" today on the field trip, Isabela.


Young Love

The Husband overheard a conversation between them:

"Do you like me?" Isabela to Nicholas
"Yes, I like you. Do you like me?" Nicholas to Isabela

What?! When did young love start so ... well ... young? I don't remember the first time I started to think about boys, but I can guarantee you it wasn't at three years old! I can see we're going to have our hands full with our little Romeo ... too cute!

For tonight's dinner, I HAD A PLAN! Ahhh, things always go much more smoothly when you have a plan. I made Brazilian Spare Ribs and The Husband made his House Specialty Yellow Rice. A perfect combination, and a great meal. The rib recipe was SO simple to make, and the meat fell off the bone. The soy sauce gives it a nice ting, but at just the right subtlety that it doesn't overpower. I doubled the recipe, knowing The Husband's penchant for ribs. Because of this, the water didn't cook off the way it should have, so after the 25 minutes, I transferred the ribs to another pan, no liquid, and browned all sides. I then put a little bit of the cooking liquid in that pan and caramelized it and poured it over the finished ribs.


Brazilian Spare Ribs

Nicholas' "kids" birthday party is tomorrow. I know one of the mothers coming likes a Strawberry Bread that I've made before, so I made a batch to bring her some. Dashed out tonight to pick up a bunch of Elmo balloons, the birthday cake and already have the favors, so I should be all set.


Strawberry Bread

The comment section of yesterday's post was quite the happening spot. Through the kindness of strangers (thanks, Tami!), I think I might be getting my much-sought-after anti-gravity chairs shipped to me from AZ, and it looks like Jen and Stephanie have a trade worked out with cinnamon chips. I love the cooking community ... whether it's chairs or chips, we've got each other covered! :)

OK, head's pounding, so I'm off to pop some Tylenol and call it a night. The house is quiet, so I'm going to take advantage of that and catch up on some of my Tivo. Until tomorrow...

Strawberry Bread
(makes 2 loaves)
3 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1-1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, beaten
1-1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 cups fresh chopped strawberries
1 cup chopped walnuts

In large bowl, combine first 5 ingredients. Add egg and oil; mix well. Stir in berries and nuts until evenly distributed - batter will be thick. Grease & flour two 9" loaf pans and divide batter evenly into each. Bake at 350 approx. 1 hour. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Invert onto wire rack to cool completely.

Brazilian Ribs
10 pork spareribs
1/2 cup soy sauce
10 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dried rosemary
1 tablespoon dried oregano
2 bay leaves
1 lime, juiced
10 sprigs fresh cilantro
ground black pepper to taste
2 limes, cut into wedges

Place the spare ribs into a large pot, and fill with just enough water to cover. Add the soy sauce, garlic, rosemary, oregano, bay leaves, lime juice and 3/4 of the cilantro. Bring to a boil, then boil uncovered over medium heat until the water has completely evaporated, about 25 minutes. When all of the water is gone, remove the bay leaves, and allow meat to brown, turning occasionally. Use a spatula to scrape up browned bits and softened garlic from the bottom of the pot, and toss them with the pork. The garlic will dissolve onto the meat. Remove the meat, and drain on paper towels. Season with black pepper and garnish with lime wedges and remaining cilantro.

A Break in the Heat Wave

Weather was in the mid-70s today, a welcome relief from the heat wave we've been caught in lately. It's rumored to be a gorgeous weekend as well, and with two days jam-packed with stuff to do, that will be perfect.

Wasn't sure if the babysitter was coming tonight (she ended up not being able to), so I hadn't plan anything for dinner. Didn't much feel like going out and, of course, with nothing planned to cook, dinner was anybody's guess. Ended up stopping in at Quiznos, getting a sub for The Husband and Nicholas, and salad for me. With my Ode to Quiznos back in March, it's no surprise that I like their stuff. I actually haven't been there in awhile, and not being very hungry tonight, the salad was just right.

Reading Ruby's blog today, reminded me that I flagged Nigella's Banana Bread recipe long ago as one I wanted to try. As I type this, it's baking away in the oven and smells amazing. With Bourbon-plumped raisins, how could you go wrong? As my friend, G, says, "Everything's better with bourbon!" Only change I made to Nigella's recipe was to add a smidge of banana extract to amp up the banana intensity just a bit. This recipe was a perfect use of the overly ripe bananas that were on my counter, begging to be used.

Not sure what's planned for tomorrow ... I have been trying to get up to Lowe's to look for anti-gravity chairs. A friend told me they carry them there, and I'm crossing my fingers they have them. I also need to start looking for a new dishwasher to replace ours. I'm looking at the GE Profile one, but still unsure. Do any of my readers happen to have it? I'd love some feedback on it. Nicholas' birthday party is Saturday, and family is coming over Sunday, so there's bound to be some cooking and baking.

Tune in tomorrow to see what develops. Until then...

Nigella Lawson's Banana Bread
1/2 cup or more raisins
3 oz (6 TBS) bourbon or rum
1 cup plus 2 TBS all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick or 4 oz)
1/2 cup sugar
2 large eggs
Very ripe bananas, mashed about 3 to 4
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (I used pecans)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon banana extract

An hour or more before you want to make this, put 1/2 cup (or more if you like it) raisins and the bourbon or rum in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let plump for an hour or more. Drain. When they are ready, preheat oven to 325 F. Butter and flour loaf pan. Put flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl and mix to combine. Melt the butter in a large bowl. Add the sugar and beat until blended. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then the mashed bananas. Then stir in the walnuts, drained raisins, and vanilla and banana extract.

Add flour mixture 1/3 at a time to combine. Scrape into the loaf pan and bake in the middle of the oven for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, till it tests clean(ish). Cool the pan on a rack and slice to serve.

Finally the Northeast is going to get a break from this heatwave. A powerful storm swooped the area tonight, actually starting from Maine, going all the way down to Texas. Just in the commute home from work, I excitedly watch the temperature drop 10 degrees! It's been over 100 degrees for the past week, so this is a very welcome change. The weekend is rumored to be a gorgeous one, with temps in the mid-70s. I can't wait!

Was feeling ambivolent about dinner tonight. I wanted to concentrate on getting some of the leftovers eaten, so I reheated a bunch of stuff, and then made Giada's Tortellini Soup in Light Broth. Honestly, this soup could not be simpler, and definitely hit the spot. Though I suppose it would be much better served in the cold nights of Winter, with the AC on, it doesn't matter in our house. ;)


Tortellini Soup in Light Broth

Was in a baking kind of mood tonight, and while looking through my tried-and-true recipes for an avocado dish we like (on tomorrow's menu), I came across the recipe for one of my favorite bar cookies - Cinnamon Bars. I made these a lot last year around Thanksgiving and Christmas; so much so, I got tired of seeing them after awhile. Now that I've had a bit of a respite, and more importantly, had all the ingredients on hand, I decided to make a batch tonight. Now, I'll warn you ahead of time ... if you want to make these (and you really should try them!), the cinnamon chips are tough to find. I haven't been able to find them in NJ, NY or PA, even though Hershey is one of the companies that makes them. My Mom brought back about 10 bags for me last year on a trip to CO, and a friend in TN has sent them to me. I know King Arthur's Flour carries them, so if you can restrain yourself from scooping up other goodies while there, you might want to grab a few bags. These are just out of the oven, so not a good picture to see all their interior goodness, but you get the gist of it.


Cinnamon Bars

So, birthday week has officially started in our family. My birthday is Sunday, and Nicholas' is Tuesday, and the men in the family will be the first to tell you that the women in the family are pros at stretching out our birthdays to celebrations that last a week ... or longer! Hey, why not? Nicholas has quickly learned this tradition. He has his kids' birthday party Saturday, a family party Sunday, then, of course, the actual birthday festivities on Tuesday. He has been carefully keeping track of everyone's birthdays, ticking them off as they get closer to his. "First Grandma, she's a July birthday. Then, Mama, in July. Then Nicholas, August birthday. Then Daddy in Petember and Grandpa in Petember." I think he's afraid we'll actually miss his! With five birthdays in about 6 weeks, it is definitely birthday season around here! So anyway ... every night, Nicholas has been bringing me a small treasure for my birthday. After dinner, he and The Husband go to the park and he comes home bearing gifts. So far, I have grass, some dandelions, two rocks, wood chips and tonight, a handful of leaves. The Husband actually took Nicholas out birthday present shopping a few nights ago. No sooner did they come home do I hear, "Mama, I got your birthday present. Mama, look what I got. Mama, come look!" with The Husband trying to shush a bubbly toddler before he spills the beans. Too cute!

All for tonight ... off to spend some time with my munchkin. Until tomorrow...


Precious Gifts

Tortellini Soup in Light Broth
Yield: 8 servings
8 cups chicken broth
Freshly ground black pepper
2 (9-ounce) packages refrigerated tortellini
2 tablespoons chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

Pour the broth into a heavy large saucepan. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Season the broth with pepper, to taste. Add the tortellini. Simmer over medium heat until al dente, about 7 minutes. Ladle the broth and tortellini into soup bowls. Top with parsley and Parmesan crisps and serve.

Parmesan Crisps:
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pour a heaping tablespoon of Parmesan onto a silicone or parchment lined baking sheet and lightly pat down. A silicone baking sheet is highly recommended. Repeat with the remaining cheese, spacing the spoonfuls about a 1/2 inch apart. Bake for 3 to 5 minutes or until golden and crisp. Cool. Yield: 8 to 10 crisps

Cinnamon Bars
CRUST:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened

TOPPING:
4 eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup butter, melted
225g pkg Cinnamon Baking Chips
1 cup cranberries, dried

CRUST:COMBINE all ingredients, mixing until crumbly. Press firmly into greased 13"x9" (33cm x 23cm) cake pan.BAKE at 350°F (180°C)for 15-18 minutes, or until light golden.
TOPPING:BEAT eggs, sugar, corn syrup and melted butter together until blended. Stir in Baking Chips and cranberries. Pour evenly over crust.BAKE for about 30-35 minutes longer, or until set and golden. Cool completely, then cut into bars.

Say THAT three times fast! If you happen to watch Rachael Ray on the FoodTV Network, you know all about her "stoup" - thinner than a stew, yet thicker than a soup ... STOUP. Tonights' new recipes (three, count 'em, three!) all come from a recent episode of her 30 Minute Meals show, her "Tex-Mex twist on tomato soup and grilled cheese." All quite tasty, it was pretty close to being on the table in 30 minutes. Hey, remember I have a nearly-three-old and 2 dogs underfoot! :)


Salsa Stoup

If I make the stoup again, I'd omit the celery. Just not a fan of it in this dish. It's a very healthy recipe, and you really can't go wrong with the ease of preparation, especially on a weeknight. Although good, just not a wow for me. Surprisingly enough though, The Husband liked it, and if you're a regular reader, you know his disdain for vegetables. The Guacamole Smash was used in two separate ways ... a dollop on the finished soup (which served as a nice cooling aspect given my crazy notion of making soup in 105 degree weather!) and as a dipper for the Double-Decker Quesadillas. I doubled the Smash recipe, but kept the sour cream at 1 cup. I'd definitely make that again -- a nice twist on traditional guacamole.

Since tomorrow's the deadline, tonight's dinner plans will translate nicely into my entry in Uncle Wiggly's Good Time Cooking Contest - Version Weekday sponsored by Dr. Biggles at Meathenge. Not sure it's "meaty" enough for the esteemed Dr. Biggles, but who knows? Maybe a carnivorous break is in order. ;)

If you followed Lance Armstrong's successful quest for his seventh consecutive Tour de France victory, you might want to check out World on a Plate's blog. Some great pictures on all the action. Congratulations, Lance Armstrong, for true embodiment of living strong.

All for tonight. Tune in tomorrow to see what precious gifts Nicholas has been giving me lately and highlights as "birthday week" gets underway. Until then...

No exciting dinner report tonight -- I made a Pot Roast with Potatoes and Onions. The Husband liked it, I didn't. It wasn't bad, just nothing exciting, you know?

I finally made the Pink Lemonade Wafers today. Recipe is very simple, but no way could it yield 4-1/2 dozen cookies it suggests. I got about 20, and as you can see from the picture, it's not like they're huge. The cookies are light, a little buttery and very delicate. Unfortunately, so much so that I don't think I'll be making them again. You definitely couldn't mail them anywhere, but even holding them, you have to be careful because they just are that delicate. Still yummy nonetheless, another recipe out of my file. Originally from Land 'o Lakes, I only made one small change (recipe below includes my change).


Pink Lemonade Wafers

Got an e-mail the other day from Hungry Girl, with some scary stats about eating at 7-11. Now let me preface this by saying the only thing I go to 7-11 for is the occasionally Coke Slurpee with my son. I can't say that unhealthy food there would really surprise me, but still... even choosing their "healthier" foods can lead you astray. Their "Blueberry Muffin has 445 calories and 14 grams of fat, their Apple Spice Muffin has 520 calories and 4 grams of fat, and their Banana Nut Muffin has in insane 665 calories and 26 grams of fat! The healthy-sounding Grilled Turkey Sandwich at "The 7" has a surprising 640 calories and 18 grams of fat. And watch out for the 540 calorie, 22 gram of fat Big Eats Tuna Salad Sandwich. Tuna may be protein-packed, but when it's smothered in globs of mayo, it becomes a diet disaster!"

All for tonight ... if you don't know what Stoup is, tune in tomorrow to find out what it is, as it hits our dinner table. Until then...

Pink Lemonade Wafers
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp lemon extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 drops red food color
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt

Combine 1/2 cup sugar, butter, egg, lemon extract, lemon juice and red food coloring in large bowl. Beat at medium speed, scraping bowl often, until creamy. Reduce speed to low and add flour, baking powder and salt. Beat until well mixed. Cover and refrigerate until firm (1 hour). Preheat oven to 400. Shape dough into 1/2-inch balls and roll in remaining sugar. Place 2 inches apart onto lightly greased cookie sheets. Flatten balls to 1/4-inch thickness. Bake for 5-7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Sprinkle with confectioners sugar, if desired.

Got a chance to run into the bookstore last night to take part in one of my favorite monthly rituals ... picking up the latest cooking magazine imports. Each and every one has something I'm drawn to this month. Donna Hay's current issue has a feature on bite-size nibbles and tapas (we love tapas!); Nigella Lawson is featured both in Australia's delicious. (baking secrets) and on the cover of the British Waitrose's Food Illustrated with her perfect "picnic plans." Should be some fun reading.


Barnes & Noble Haul

Nicholas had a playdate today. I swear I think it's harder to juggle his social schedule than ours! No diapers today, and not one accident - we're very excited about this new phase, believe me. We went to the store this morning to return 3 brand-new boxes of Pull-Ups, and as soon as they saw what we were returning, and Nicholas in the shopping cart, they all started clapping and yelling, "Congratulations," knowing, of course, the reason why we were returning them. He was pretty excited - they even gave him a small present. He can't wait to tell his teachers tomorrow.
No new cooking to report today. As promised, I cleaned out the refrigerator and we had leftovers. I managed to make the Dulce de Leche Brownies and will be tackling the Pink Lemonade Wafers tomorrow.

With any luck, an early night tonight. We're real behind on our Netflix movies, so I'm trying to play a bit of catch-up.

Until tomorrow...

Ahh, one of those crazy days, but we managed to get a lot done. I screwed up on the birthday party time, thinking it started at 10 am, when it was, in fact, 2:30 pm. Luckily I figured it out before it started, but we definitely left the house a lot earlier than we needed to, and ended up doing a lot of back-and-forthing. Anyways, that left us enough time to go to Fatburger for lunch. Not really a restaurant, but not really fast food, it falls somewhere in between. We'll definitely be going back.

When I saw this sign and laughed out loud. I knew we were in for a treat.



Decorated in 1950s retro style, complete with chrome and red leather, it features a nifty jukebox that is web-based and holds 200,000 songs -- pretty cool! I, for one, love jukeboxes.


The Jukebox

The fries (we chose the skinny ones; they also have fat fries, which looked good) and onion rings did nothing for me, but the burger ... delicious! Really, really well seasoned, I got it topped with cheese and a fried egg and ate every last bite. Just on their own merit, the burgers will bring us back.


The Fatburger Experience

At Fatburger, you can watch the crew making everyone's meals, with the order-takers shouting out different items and the kitchen crew shouting the items back, marine style. They had 10 employees in the small galley kitchen, yet they worked amazingly well together. All around the restaurant, they have humorous quotes and sayings on their tabletop signs, posters, etc. I love the sense of humor the chain has.

My Mom is out of town, so being the good daughter I am, I made dinner for my Dad and brought it to him. I love meatloaf, but The Husband doesn't, so cooking for Dad gave me a good excuse to make meatloaf. I gave most to Dad, and saved a slice for me and a meatloaf-loving neighbor. I love it slightly warm on white toast with melted cheese, ketchup and mayo. Yum - I know what I'M having for lunch tomorrow.

Anyways, our favorite Indian restaurant is near my parents' house, so after stopping to drop off dinner for my Dad, we got some Indian take-out. Chef Joanna will be bummed to hear that I stuck to my usual ... what can I say? I'm in an admitted, delicious rut! I got Bhel Puri, Pani Puri, Onion Kulcha, Kheer and Assorted Snacks. Just like when I order Chinese food, I always get a bunch of appetizers, instead of a main course. To me, that's more fun. The Husband got his usual Chicken Makhani, Basmati Rice and Meat Samosas. Nicholas had a bit of everything. If you've never had Pani Puri, do try it. It's a great Indian snack that our old neighbors introduced us to. We go over there for dinner and try to outpace each other with who can eat the most. Pictured below, you pop a whole in the puri shell (pictured on the right), and fill it with the chick pea/potato mixture and then pour in the flavored water. Pop the whole thing in your mouth, and it's a pretty healthy treat.


Pani Puri

With leftover Chinese food from yesterday, and now Indian food from tonight, tomorrow night's dinner is definitely a Clean-Out-the-Fridge meal. That said, I will be making two new recipes: Pink Lemonade Wafers (cookies) and Triple Chocolate Cassis Brownies. Got a new cookbook (The Spirited Vegetarian), and the brownies come from there. If I have time, I might also make the Dulce de Leche Brownies. A pregnant friend is having consistent chocolate cravings, and if she and the baby want chocolate, who am I to deny them?

Tune in tomorrow for more weekend doings. Until then...

This is officially the first weekend Nicholas will be diaperless - cross your fingers for us! I think we've finally made it!

Not sure of a good segueway from diapers to food, so I'm not even going to pretend that there is one. Had company over for dinner tonight and cheated in a MAJOR way. It was a crazy week, so I wanted to keep things nice and simple. I ordered Chinese food for the adults, and made Chocolate Decadence for dessert. Nice, warm molten chocolate - how can you go wrong with that? For the kids, I made mini homemade pizzas. I took Pillsbury biscuits and flattened them and put them in the individual muffin compartments of a metal muffin tray. I topped each with a little bit of tomato sauce, diced ham and cheese and baked at 425 for about 15 minutes. Personal pizzas for the kids that were decidedly NOT greasy and were easy for them to eat. The kids had a great time playing together, and I think they will definitely be sleeping well tonight!

A semi-busy weekend, Nicholas has a birthday party tomorrow morning and we have some "house chores" planned. A trip to the Farmer's Market and maybe, just maybe, a little bit of relaxing squeezed in as well. Planning on trying some recipes from a few recent cookbook purchases this weekend too, and finally breaking out the new deep fryer. Lastly, the new batch of magazines are out, so a trip to the bookstore is in order -- I know the new delicious., Donna Hay and BBC Good Food are out.

I've been tagged for two recent memes, and I promise to finally get them posted this weekend as well.

Until tomorrow...

Babysitter has strep throat, so Nicholas was stuck with us tonight. Poor thing is really missing his "date night" with her, so we're all hoping for a speedy recovery.

In the meantime, I, of course, had nothing planned for dinner tonight, because we were planning to go out. Since I had a dentist appointment after work, I ended up running to the grocery store after that to grab a few ingredients to make Loaded Nachos for dinner, supplementing it with leftovers. I figured I'd keep it easy and we'd have another quiet night at home. Given it's been a little hectic lately, quiet is a good thing.

Although I usually wing it, tonight I actually used a recipe for the nachos this time, taking cues from Cooking Light's Loaded Nachos (recipe below includes minor modifications). They were delicious. The Husband asked me what restaurant makes my favorite nachos and I answered, "Macaroni Grill." Although they don't have them on the menu anymore, they'll make them sometimes if you ask nicely. They're fried lasagna noodles topped with crumbled sausage, banana peppers, olives and melted asiago cheese - yum. Definitely my favorite. Anyways, The Husband said my nachos top any restaurant's nachos -- I'll take that kind of compliment any day.

Having company over for dinner tomorrow night, and haven't a clue what I'm making. Ack! One of Nicholas' friends is coming over (with her parents), and he's really looking forward to it. I'm making mini homemade pizzas for them, still undecided as to what to make for the adults. Maybe Chocolate Decadence for dessert ... decisions, decisions.

Anyway, trying to make it an early night tonight, since I'm seriously sleep deprived. Tune in tomorrow to see what's on tap for the weekend. Until then...

Loaded Nachos
1 lb ground beef
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes, undrained
2 garlic cloves, crushed
Cooking spray
1 (16-ounce) can refried beans
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro, divided
1/4 cup chopped green onions, divided
tortilla chips
3/4 cup (about 6 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
sour cream

Preheat oven to 375°. Cook meat in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until browned, stirring to crumble. Stir in the next 5 ingredients (through garlic), and cook for 8 minutes or until thick, stirring occasionally. Remove from pan and drain the sauce. Place separate pan coated with cooking spray over medium heat until hot. Add beans, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and 2 tablespoons green onions; cook 2 minutes or until thoroughly heated. (This can also be done in the microwave) Place chips on a large serving platter; spread warm bean mixture over each chip. Spoon meat mixture over bean mixture; top with cheese. Bake at 375° for 9 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; top with sour cream, 2 tablespoons cilantro, and 2 tablespoons onions. Serve immediately.

OK, I'm back to the Land of the Living ... barely. I was home yesterday from 10 am on, waiting for a delivery. Luckily, because of that, I got a head start on my cooking, because about 3 hours before Supper Club, we lost all power! It, thankfully, came on right before everyone arrived, although dining by candlelight might have been fun.

Believe it or not, there are only 7 members in our Supper Club. Everyone usually brings 2-3 items (sometimes more!) and we leave stuffed, but most importantly, with leftovers for the next day, and The Husbands. :)

All the food was, as usual, delicious. There were some great highlights last night, and a bunch of new recipes to add to my cache. Julie brought these fantastic Peanut Butter Burgers. It wasn't so much the burger that was terrific, as the peanut butter sauce she paired with it. A unique combinationn, it worked. Hey, if you can make a peanut satay sauce for chicken, why not the same type of thing for your burger?

One of Letty's contributions were delicious Amaretto cupcakes with an amazing, rich frosting. That will be a definite repeater. Another winner was Jessica's Chocolate Raspberry Bars ... the thin chocolate glaze on top was perfect and Nicholas polished off one after dinner tonight.

Christie made a Chilled Blueberry Soup, taking full advantage of summer crops. A surprise ingredient of cardamon, it was unexpected, yet good, flavoring.

Zarina ... two more winners. A lemon-marinated chicken that The Husband gave two thumbs up to, and these chicken skewer things with a peanut sauce (the second peanut sauce for the night!) - delicious stuff.

And Nan, the Alcohol Mistress of the evening, provided Pink Panties. Alcohol, ice cream and the color pink - how can you go wrong?

As for my own contributions, I really liked the Falafel-Spiced Pecans (very addicting) and the Indian Potato Salad (so flavorful and healthy). I will definitely be repeating both, and I think the Pecans might make it into homemade gift jars once the holidays start coming around.

A great evening, but a late one. The festivities lasted well past midnight, and I, for one, am still beat.

Before I forget, I promised to post the recipe for the Mocha Truffle Cookies I made the other day. They are perfect warm, right from the oven, and the recipe can't be simpler, using ingredients you probably already have on hand.

Date Night tomorrow ... until then...


Peanut Butter Burgers


Summer Melon Salad with Feta and Mint

Mocha Truffle Cookies
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 tablespoon instant espresso
3/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups flour, all-purpose
1/2 cup cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup chocolate chips

Melt butter and 1/2 cup chocolate chips. Add instant coffee and blend well. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Add sugars, eggs, and vanilla to coffee mixture. Add dry ingredients. Stir in chocolate chips. Drop by tablespoon on greased cookie sheets. Bake at 350 degrees for exactly 10 minutes. Do not overbake. Yield: 3 dozen

Peanut Butter Burgers
1 1/2 lb ground beef
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup smooth peanut butter
1 tablespoon garlic minced
2 tablespoon softened butter
add a few shakes of cajun seasoning

Set up BBQ or broiler. Mix ingredients, shape patties and refrigerate at least two hours. Grill until done the way you like it.

Peanut Butter Sauce for Topping
2 tablespoons peanut butter
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons dark sesame oil
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced

To prepare sauce, combine first 6 ingredients, stirring with a whisk until smooth.

Indian Potato Salad -
Woman's Day magazine, modified
3 pounds potatoes, cut in bite size chunks
2 T olive oil
2 T mustard seed
2 tsp coriander seed, crushed
1 tsp salt
½ cup low-fat plain yogurt
1 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
2 green onions, trimmed, sliced

Heat oven to 400. Toss together the potatoes, oil, mustard seed, crushed coriander and salt in roasting pan. Roast in oven for 35-45 minutes or until potatoes are light brown and fork tender. Meanwhile, combine yogurt, cilantro, salt and pepper. Toss together potatoes and dressing in bowl. Add green onion. Serve.

Falafel-Spiced Pecans
Food & Wine magazine
Toasting nuts briefly in the oven makes them crispy but tossing them with
falafel mix first makes them even crunchier. You can substitute walnuts in
place of the pecans here.

2 cups pecan halves
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/4 cup falafel mix
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Preheat the oven to 350°. In a medium bowl, toss the pecans with the melted butter until evenly coated. In a small bowl, combine the falafel mix with the sugar and cayenne. Pour the spice mix over the pecans and toss to coat. Spread the spiced nuts on a lightly greased baking sheet, sprinkle with salt and toast for about 9 minutes, stirring once or twice, until golden. Let cool. The pecans can be stored at room temperature for up to 1 week.

Must.Sleep.Way.Too.Tired.Tonight for a full post ... busy day, completed by the power going out a few hours before Supper Club -- ack!!! I'll give a quick rundown of the dishes we had tonight, with details and pictures to follow tomorrow. Here goes:

Peanut Butter Burgers with a fantastic Peanut Butter Sauce
Chocolate Raspberry Bars
Triple Play Peanut Butter Cookies
Cheesy Onion Flatbread
Pink Panties (alcoholic drink)
Eggplant Quiche with Tomatoes and Olives
Chilled Fresh Blueberry Soup
Summer Melon Salad with Feta and Mint
Vidalia Onion Pie
Amaretto Dream Cupcakes with Amaretto Butter Frosting
Carrot and Jicama Salad
Chicken Skewers with Peanut Butter Sauce
Lemon Pepper Chicken
Falafel-Spiced Pecans
Strawberry Heaven Pizza
Parmesan Orzo Primavera
Indian Potato Salad

Tune in tomorrow for all the dish. Until then...

Supper Club is tomorrow and it took me FOREVER to whittle down my pile of possible recipe contributions. I have a separate Supper Club folder, where I stick recipes that I think would make a great addition to the Supper Club table. Not that any recipe won't work, but I also look for things that are easily transported, reheated if necessary, etc. And when it's at our house, I look for things that I want to make for Supper Club, but that are easier for me to make when I'm hosting (i.e., fondue, punch, etc.). With all of us bringing multiple dishes, sometimes lugging everything, depending on choices, can be quite cumbersome. So, this afternoon, I had my stack down to about 30 and I was having the hardest time culling from there. I was also trying to pick out recipes that were low in the prep factor, because tomorrow's going to be a busy day. We're getting some furniture delivered, and have another thing planned (shh! more to follow tomorrow), so I wanted to make sure to not make myself crazier than usual. No more burning the candles at both ends, right? Yeah. Sure.

Anyways, the "theme" for tomorrow night's Supper Club is a BBQ Dish with a Twist. For that, I'm making an Indian Potato Salad. My other contributions will be Falafel-Spiced Pecans, Cauliflower Potato and Pea Curry, Strawberry Heaven Pizza and Parmesan Orzo Primavera. I think I'm most looking forward to the Strawberry Heaven Pizza. I clipped this recipe awhile ago, and the picture looks scrumptious. Dough layered with mascarpone cheese, ricotta, strawberry jam, brie and fresh strawberries. Although an unusual mix, if the picture is any indication, it should be a winner.

Dinner tonight ... well, nothing inspired, I hate to say it. It was going to be leftovers, but two sets of neighbors stopped by and Dinner Interruptus ensued. Then, with The Husband working late tonight, and with me still having one errand to do, dinner ended up being Dashboard Dining at its best ... a stop through a drive-thru on the way to do erranding.

Anyways, turning in now to get some shut-eye. Tune in tomorrow to see what everyone else brought to the Supper Club table. Until then...

We had a great day today. If you've been visiting for awhile, you know I've mentioned a Farmer's Market that we like ... we went this morning, and this time I remembered to bring my camera. There are about a dozen different vendors, offering up everything from fresh baked bread, pickles and olives to the traditional (and majority) fare of vegetables, fruits, herbs and flowers. Everything is very reasonably priced, and I really like supporting local farmers.


Farmer's Market

I got a great rosemary plant from the below stand, and another pot filled with assorted herbs. Next week, she's bringing me some lavender plants, a favorite of my Mom and The Husband.


Assorted Herbs and Plants

I love, love, love Farmer's Market flowers. There's just something about them that you can't get at a store. Look how gorgeous they are!


Farmer's Market Flowers - only $5 a bunch!



Today I learned something new. I never knew what garlic looked like when it was grown. Never really gave it much thought, to tell you the truth. One of the vendors had fresh garlic (80 cents each) and I bought a few from her. They trim off the green stalks as they sell them. These were planted last Winter -- can you believe it takes nearly a year to get to this selling stage?



The Husband and Nicholas devour bread, plain, with butter, hot, cold, any way you serve it. Usually if I need a loaf of bread for a recipe, I buy two loaves, one for the car ride home (and it seriously is gone by the time when get home) and the second for the recipe. This vendor had great pizza breads, which I bought for an easy weeknight dinner. I'll stuff them with some ham, mozzarella and tomato sauce and bake them for a bit - yum. I also bought a round loaf of pumpernickle for my Mom, one of her favorites.



OK, the rest of the day ... I had planned to make a cake I found over on Epicurious' site. It looks really delicious, and coming from someone without a real sweet tooth, that's quite a compliment. A chocolate cake with white truffle layers and buttercream frosting - yum. Anyways, after reading the directions this morning (which I should have done earlier), I knew I'd never have enough time to make it, given various steps for chilling this, and cooling that. My birthday is coming up, so I think I'll make it then. Instead, we visited a dairy that we all like and got an ice cream cake. They make great ones that are non-fat ice cream (and I swear you can't tell!) with fudge and those little crunchies that Carvel is known for. Delicious stuff. I didn't just want to bring something store-bought, so I made a quick batch of Mocha Truffle Cookies. A tried-and-true for us, eaten warm out of the oven, they are truly a "WOW" recipe (I'll post it tomorrow).

Mom chose dinner at Lone Star. They have pretty good steaks and their Sweet Potatoes sides are to-die-for. Smothered with just a little bit of butter and a whole lotta brown sugar, they usually get eaten first. I ordered a steak and shrimp combo. Can't remember what the steak was called, but it was deemed "their most tender steak on the menu" - and it was. The Husband ate my shrimp, so I can't vouch for them. Is it me, or do you hate that little piece of requisite flimsy lettuce they put on the plate? Just seems and looks silly to me.



My brother-in-law ordered a beer, and in a slick marketing move, they deliver this:



As the waiter set it down, he said it's called their "Texas Two Step," and you only pay for the second bottle if you drink it. Pretty smart, because I bet most people drink it. He did.

Anyways, all for tonight. Supper Club is this week (came fast, huh?) and I have NO IDEA what I'm making. Tune in to see how the rest of the week develops. Until then...

Treated myself to a manicure today, and am glad I did. Actually haven't had one since my sister got married over a year ago. Really never have the time, nor the inclination to spend the money on them, but in a concerted effort to "take care of me" and slow down a bit, I'm going to get them regularly (well, hey, at least once a month). A bargain at only $10, I went to a spa that opened up a few years ago. Quite the bang for your buck, the half-hour of "me time" included a back, shoulder and neck massage while my nails dried. First time I've ever seen that done before, but I wasn't complaining. :)

OK, last night's dinner ... because of our sad nachos at iHop on Thursday, I knew homemade nachos were going to make the menu. I topped them with crumbled sausage and fresh, made-it-myself guacamole. For the main dish, I made Ham and Brie Quesadillas. A nice simple, weeknight meal, both dishes used ingredients I already had on hand, which is always a bonus.

Instead of grilling tomorrow, since we're going out to celebrate my Mom's birthday, we ended up grilling tonight. I tried the Chipotle-Rubbed Steaks with Gorgonzola Toasts that are featured on the cover of the Bon Appetit's July 2005 issue. A very simple dish to make, I made some slight changes in the rub, using chili powder instead of crushed chipotle chile pepper (the kids have to eat this too, so I wanted to tone down the heat a bit) and already ground cumin. The steak was fine, but I didn't think it packed TOO much of a punch flavor-wise. Could be my substitutions, I suppose, but don't think I'll be repeating this one. The Gorgonzola Toasts were yummy, and similar to another recipe of mine.

As a side, I made Southwestern-Style Scallop Seviche with Summer Vegetables. The first time I've made Seviche, this one comes from the current issue of Body+Soul (a new magazine put out by Martha Stewart). I didn't realize that with seviche, you don't actually "cook" the scallops. It sits in lime juice for 1 hour (minimum) and the acidity of the juice is what "cooks" the scallops. With my iron stomach not being quite so iron anymore, I was a little hesitant to try it that way, but took the plunge. They were SO tender, and the cilantro flavoring really came through on the salad. This is a definite make-again dish for us, and I'm going to start looking for other seviche recipes to experiment with.

OK, all for now. Going to the Farmer's Market tomorrow morning, and am planning to tackle an ambitious birthday cake for afternoon festivities, so tune in tomorrow for updates. Until then...

Southwestern-Style Scallop Seviche with Summer Vegetables
Salad:
1 head red-leaf lettuce, leaves separated, washed and dried
4 ears cooked fresh corn, kernels cut from cob (I used one can of drained corn)
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt
2 pounds ripe heirloom tomatoes, thinly sliced
3 medium garlic cloves, minced or pressed
1 ripe avocado, sliced
1 lime, cut into wedges

Protein:
1-1/2 lbs bay scallops
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro leaves (love the cilantro, so used 3)
1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced (I skipped this)
1/2 small red onion, minced (I diced)
sea salt
ground black pepper

At least one hour before serving, place the scallops, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeno, red onion, salt and pepper as desired in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour or up to 12 hours. On large serving platter, place large lettuce leaves overlapping each other in a circle so the frilly edges extend just beyond the rim of the platter. Using a slotted spoon to leave the juices behind, mound the seviche in the center. Place corn, chili powder and 1-1/2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a bowl; mix together and season to taste with salt. Arrange corn in a ring aruond the seviche so that the corn covers the bottom third of the lettuce leaves. Place tomatoes in an overlapping ring surrounding the corn and covering the middle third of lettuce leaves. Distribute pressed garlic over the tomatoes, drizzle remaining oil on them and season to taste with salt. Place the avocado slices and lime wedges on the top third of the lettuce leaves, around the tomatoes. Serve immediately.


Enjoying Mom's Cooking


Southwestern-Style Scallop Seviche with Summer Vegetables

Sorry for the lack of post yesterday, but it was a rough week all around, and I ended up falling asleep before I could get it in. Two new recipes on tap for dinner tonight, so make sure to stop on by later and see what we're cooking up. Until then, enjoy your Saturday.

First and foremost, happy, happy birthday to my Mom! We love you!!

Babysitter couldn't make it tonight (bummer!), so we all went out on the town together, hence the "table for three." Ever since Chef Joanna mentioned iHop a few weeks ago, I've been dying to go and get their Stuffed French Toast. I love having breakfast for dinner and The Husband, not so much. At least at iHop (or any diner, really), I can get eggs at dinner and he can have what he wants. Along with the Stuffed French Toast, tonight I had a supreme craving for nachos. In my mind, I decided I didn't feel like spending the extra money for an appetizer, but then The Husband, completely on his own, asked if I felt like getting nachos. Great minds think alike, and, of course, I quickly changed my mind.

A weird combination of food choices on our table for dinner. I got the Strawberry Stuffed French Toast combo, which comes with eggs, hashbrowns and bacon. I also ordered wheat toast (better for egg yolk mopping). Nicholas got their Chicken Finger dinner with fries, and a side kid's funnel cake with strawberries. Then, the Nachos, of course. The Husband started with a burger with fries, ordering it medium rare. When it came, it was well done, and we called the waitress over and explained the problem. She said they can only make them medium or well done. I said that they should tell the customer that when they order, because he would have ordered something else. We got the burger exchanged for Steak and Eggs, the only way he'll do breakfast at dinner.

Everything was delicious ... except the nachos. Straight-from-the-bag chips, not enough cheese, no sour cream, store-bought guacamole ... it definitely did not satisfy our nacho cravings, so we'll be making some homemade ones this weekend. Those are the best, next to Macaroni Grill's special nachos made with fried lasagna noodles, asiago cheese, sausage and banana peppers.

Anyway...

Also on tap this weekend at some point will be breaking in my new deep fryer. If you have any tried-and-true deep fried recipes, send them on over!

Forgot to answer the foodie question yesterday. You know you're a foodie when ... (one answer for me is...) you have an entire shelf dedicated to just salts and peppers. Grey salt, fine sea salt, kosher salt, mixed peppercorns, pink peppercorns, black peppercorns, ground pepper, salt from a grinder, pepper from a grinder, etc., etc. And your answer? Fill in the blank: You know you're a foodie when...

Tune in tomorrow to see what's on tap for the weekend. Between the deep fryer, the nachos, and a birthday celebration on Sunday, there will be some definite overtime on the treadmill needed this weekend!!

Until then...

A long day at work, and I'm glad it's over. Came home with a plan for dinner, and that always makes things a lot easier. I made Pasta with Tomato-Gorgonzola Cream Sauce. It was really simple to make, and we all liked the tomato sauce. The wine and tomato paste makes it a nice, hearty sauce with significant flavor layers, especially with the gorgonzola thrown in at the end. Although the recipe says it serves two, I used a pound of spaghetti, and we had enough for 2 adults, 1 toddler tonight, lunch for The Husband tomorrow, and one more dinner from it.

Promised Nicholas we'd finally make the Banana Bread tonight, and, of course, even though I sent The Husband to the store for the heavy cream for the pasta earlier, do you think I remembered that we needed butter? Nope! So, off again! This Banana Bread recipe is a new one, which I got from Chief Family Officer. Although not devoted to food, she occasionally has recipes on her site. Haven't tried it yet, but hoping it's a good one because the recipe is so dang simple.

Tune in tomorrow to see what's on tap. All I know is it's Date Night. Until then...

Pasta with Tomato-Gorgonzola Cream Sauce
Serves 2 generously; multiplies easily

For Sauce:
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 large shallots, finely chopped
Generous pinch hot red pepper flakes
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 large clove garlic, minced
1/4 tight-packed cup chopped fresh basil leaves
1 generous tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes, drained and crushed
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup creamy Gorgonzola or blue cheese, crumbled
3/4 pound pasta such as corkscrew, fusilli or rotelle (I used 1lb thin spaghetti)

Heat oil in 10-inch straight-sided sauté pan over medium high. Add shallots, red pepper flakes and black pepper and sauté about 3 minutes until shallots are softened and starting to turn clear. Adjust heat to prevent browning. Add garlic and basil and sauté over medium heat about 30 seconds. Add the tomato paste, blend in and sauté 30 seconds.

Add wine and simmer over medium-high until reduced to nothing. Stir in tomatoes and simmer, uncovered, at a lively bubble over medium-high 21/2 to 3 minutes, stirring often, until thick and rich tasting. Remove from heat, cover and let stand 5 to 10 minutes. Can be made ahead to this point and refrigerated up to 2 days.

Bring 4 to 6 quarts well-salted water to a rolling boil. Add the pasta and cook, partially covered, about 10 minutes or until just tender. There should be a little bite to the noodle. Drain in a colander.

Bring sauce to a simmer while pasta cooks. Stir in 1/2 cup cream and simmer 1 minute. Taste for seasoning. Hold, covered, until pasta is done.

Add drained pasta and remaining 1/2 cup cream to sauce; stir over medium heat 1 to 2 minutes. Add cheese and stir gently just until combined and cheese is melted. Taste for salt and pepper. Serve hot.

Hanalei Plantation Banana Bread
Makes 2 large or 4 small loaves.

1 cup butter
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
6 ripe bananas, mashed
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped walnuts

Mix in order given. Place in greased loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean.

... a little of that, and an hour later, we call it dinner! Had to run some errands today and with the heat, and a cranky Nicholas, I had ZERO motivation to cook. Hey, we all have days like that - I'm entitled. ;) Didn't feel like going out nor spending money for take-out, so it ended up being a mish-mash of things I pulled from the freezer. I made Steak Pot Pies that I had delivered from Schwans some time ago -- yup, The Husband was THRILLED with that ... NOT! Hoping to appease him and his disdain for pot pies, I also made some roasted potatoes, which I know he likes, using some fresh rosemary and sage. I also made some Chinese dumplings that I bought awhile back when visiting my sister. Of course, neither The Husband nor Nicholas care for dumplings either, so I guess the meal was all about me! Heck, if I knew that was the case, I would have made Tortellini Alfredo - The Husband's supreme "dislike dish." Like the good sport he is, he picked out all the meat from the pot pie and was happy with that, and 2 helpings of potatoes. Nicholas decided he wanted sausage patties for dinner, and polished off two before we even sat down. His appetite the last few days has been voracious, to say the least. Guess we're in another growth spurt.

The carpenter is almost done with the most exciting part of my kitchen. We formerly had our back door right next to the stove, leaving me only a smidge of counter space on the other side of the stove. So much for "chop and drop!" I had him move the back door to where we had a window, and this will end up giving me four feet of counter space near the stove, and cabinets underneath. I am THRILLED about this. Above the counter, instead of more cabinets, he's going to put up a bunch of shelves, so I'll have all my spices right next to the stove ... too cool! The spices are now on the other side of the kitchen, so I'm constantly trekking back and forth to get what I need. I'm going to save one of the new shelves to put a few oft-used cookbooks and my tried-and-true recipes. This section should all be done tomorrow and the next day, and I can't wait!

Was all set to make banana bread tonight, but came home to find out that SOMEONE threw away the bananas! Now granted, they were BEYOND ripe, but that's perfect for banana bread! So, Nicholas and I went off to the grocery store to buy bananas. After dinner, started preheating the oven, and gathering my ingredients and find I'm out of butter! Didn't feel like another run to the store, so banana bread will have to wait 'till tomorrow - sorry, Kerri!! I promised her banana bread, but I'm also making Dulce de Leche Brownies as well, so maybe that will make up for it.

OK folks, all for now. Tune in tomorrow to see what's happenin'. Until then, finish this sentence for me ... You know you're a foodie when....

I'll give ya my answer tomorrow.

Spent the weekend at the shore, breaking in my newest cookbook, Everything Tastes Better with Bacon. Bacon made an appearance in three of our meals this weekend, two were recipes from this new cookbook.

Saturday morning breakfast started with Sweetie Pie Pancake with Brown Sugar Apples and Bacon and lunch was BLTs. The Pancake was pretty simple to make, about 30 minutes from start to table. High praise all around, including the men. This would be a really nice brunch dish; the apples are tender and sweet, with the bacon lending a subtle saltiness to the dish. Adding the eggs, you have everything you need to start your day.


Sweetie Pie Pancake with Brown Sugar Apples and Bacon

For dinner, we started with Nigella's Roasted Tomato and Mozzarella Bruschetta. We did that on Semolina bread, which added another flavor layer.



The main dish was another Nigella one, Spaghetti alle Vongole in Bianco. Nice and simple, it produced a clean, wine sauce for the clams and spaghetti. I especially liked this one because without butter or oil, it was pretty healthy (perfect to offset all the bacon we had!).



We rounded out the meal with another new recipe from the bacon cookbook, Pear Salad with Bacon and Honey Vinaigrette. I made a few slight changes to the recipe, and it was delicious! Big flavor impact, particularly with the additition of gorgonzola. A unique mix of ingredients, this will be a definite repeater for us (and this coming from a confirmed non-pear eater!).

So, all in all, a successful foray into a new cookbook - see below for some of the recipes. Four new recipes this weekend, and all were successes. Gotta love those odds!

The weather was perfect for eating out on the back deck, and with this kind of view, how can you not?


View from Deck as Sun was Setting


Side View

We took Nicholas miniature golfing for the first time, and he got the hang of it pretty quickly ... especially the cheating part! He'd swing at the ball and get it about halfway there, then he'd go pick up the ball and put it a few inches from the hole and swing again to get it in. Pretty smart! Who needs all those extra club strokes in between? When The Husband swung at the ball, Nicholas would very helpfully retrieve it from the green and bring it right back to the beginning. :)


Learning to Golf!

Tonight's dinner was Jamie Oliver's Crispy Chicken with Basil and Sweet Tomatoes, served over buttered rice. I've made this one before (see early June entries), and it's still just as yummy as ever. It cooks for three hours, but prep time is under 15 minutes. Do try it!

Tune in tomorrow to find out what cookbook bargains I picked up over the weekend. Until then...

Pear Salad with Bacon and Honey Vinaigrette
(recipe has been modified by Sweetnicks)
Serves 4

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon coarse (kosher) salt
pinch of freshlt ground pepper
1 tablespoon of white vinegar
2 ripe but firm pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
4 crisply cooked pieces of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2-1/2 cups cloose packed mixed greens
1-2 oz. crumbled Gorgonzola

In a small bowl, mix together the oil and honey. Whisk in the mustard, salt, pepper and vinegar. In a medium bowl, gently toss together the pears, bacon and mixed greens, lifting and blending the ingredients. Pour the vinaigrette over the salad, toss again, and divide among 4 chilled salad plates. Garnish each salad with crumbled cheese and serve immediately.

Sweetie-Pie Pancake with Brown Sugar Apples and Bacon
Serves 4

3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
pinch of salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 slices of cooked bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
2 small apples
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
powdered sugar for dusting

Preheat oven to 425. In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, salt and flour. The batter may be slightly lumpy. Set aside. Peel, core and cut the apples into 1/4-inch slices. Melt the butter over medium heat in ovenproof skillet or Corning Ware dish. Add the apple slices and saute for 3 minutes. Turn the apples and saute for 3 minutes longer. Sprinkle the apples with the brown sugar, then with the bacon and cook for 1 minute. Whisk the batter for 30 seconds and pour it over the apple mixture. Bake until the pancake puffs up and is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Using an oven mitt to hold the skillet's hot handle, remove from the oven. Dust with powdered sugar, slice and serve immediately (relax, it will deflate).

Date Night rears its head once again, and this time we decided to try a "new" restaurant. We've ordered take-out from them plenty of times, but have never actually sat in the restaurant for a meal. Besides the restaurant (which is relatively small), there is also a fresh fish market adjoining it. The staff goes to the Fulton Fish Market in NYC daily to get the freshest fish possible, and you can certainly tell in every bite. I'm a sucker for oysters, pretty much made any way, so I ordered the Fried Oyster Dinner. Not a huge amount of oysters, but enough to satisfy me. The Husband had Lemon Sole, which was a first time for him, and he declared it quite tasty and very tender. Service was pretty brisk, and we were out of there in an hour, without rushing. Total tab $34 + tip. Not bad. When we get take-out, instead of buying their actual "dinners," I buy the fish by the pound, and we get a lot more bang for our buck that way. For example, the Fried Oyster Dinner comes with half a pound of fried oysters and a side of steak fries for $12.95. If I buy a pound of breaded oysters (twice the amount of seafood that you get in the dinner) and have them quickly fry it there, it's $10.95 -- quite the bargain. So, we usually do that, and then make our own sides.


Fried Oyster Dinner

After dinner, we decided to head on over to Stewarts for dessert. They carry Welsh Farms ice cream, and I love their Peanut Butter Twirl -- only place I know that carries it around here. The kiddie cup is a perfect size for me, and a bargain at $1.25. What can I say? I'm a cheap date.



Turns out, unbeknowst to us, that tonight was "Cruising Night" at Stewarts, with the parking lot full of old cars from the 1950s and 1960s. Complete with a DJ spinning music from that time period and perfect low 70s weather, it was a great evening.





The Box Man Cometh! Got an Amazon Used Books delivery today, Everything Tastes Better with Bacon. How can you not love a cookbook with that kind of title? And at $2.54, it was a bargain I couldn't resist. Planning on going down to the shore this weekend, and bringing it with me to make something yummy for lunch.

And speaking of the shore, there will be no new posts tomorrow or Saturday, but I'll be back on Sunday with a full report of new recipe reviews. Planning on making Spaghetti with Grilled Clams for dinner on Saturday night, along with Grilled Bruschetta as a starter. The weather is perfect for grilling, and I want to take full advantage of it.

So since there will be no new posts for 2 days, take advantage of the extra time and revisit some old posts, print out some recipes and get cooking!

Until then...

Hey all, taking the night off tonight to get some much needed rest. No dinner report as it was a "clean out the fridge" night. I couldn't fit another speck of food in there if I tried, so it was time to work through the leftovers. Tomorrow night is Date Night! Think we're going to try a new restaurant for a change, just haven't decided which one. Tune in tomorrow to see who wins the prize. ;) Until then...

Really enjoyed my day off today, and was able to get a bunch of things done. Treadmill got delivered today, albeit very past the time window they gave me, and I've already broken it in. I'm going to really enjoy having it.

Had a mystery shop tonight at Panera, so got my favorite stuff from them ... IC Mocha, Portobello sandwich on Rosemary Foccacia and Broccoli Cheddar Soup - delish!


Panera Dinner

Making lunch for the office tomorrow ... BLTs (yum!), leftover (shh!) Chinese Salad and Lemon Yogurt Mousse for dessert.

Below are a few of the recipes from the Fourth of July BBQ. Tune in tomorrow to see what else is going on. Until then...

White Chocolate Bundt Cake
(internet recipe, with slight modifications)
1 box yellow cake mix
2-1 oz. instant white chocolate pudding & pie mix
2-1 oz. instant vanilla pudding & pie mix (use only 3/4 of the second box)
1 cup sour cream
1/4 cup canola oil
2/3 cup milk
1 large egg
3 large egg whites
3/4 cup white chocolate chips

Glaze:
1-1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1/4 cup milk
1 tablespoon almond extract

Coat 10-inch bundt pan with nonstick cooking spray. Combine cake mix, pudding mix, sour cream, oil, milk, egg and egg whites, blending until well mixed. Stir in white chocolate chips. Bake @ 350 for 40-55 minutes or until wooden pick inserted comes out clean. Meanwhile, in a small bowl mix confectioners' sugar, milk, and almond extract; set aside. Cool cake on rack for 10 minutes before inverting on serving plate. drizzle glaze over warm cake.

Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing
(from Grilling by Louise Pickford)
Serves 4
8 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
8 oz orzo or other tiny soup pasta
6 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 cup coarsely chopped mixed fresh herbs (I used basil and a small bit of dill)
grated zest and juice of 2 lemons
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat the grill or broiler. Thread the tomatoes onto soaked wooden skewers with all the cut halves facing the same way. Sprinkle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper; and grill or broil for 1-2 minutes on each side until lightly charred and softened. (I just broiled them on a cookie sheet - just easier at the time). Remove from heat and set aside while you cook the orzo. Bring a large saucepan of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the orzo and cook for about 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain well and transfer to a large bowl. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a skillet, add the onions, herbs and lemon zest and stir fry for 30 seconds. Stir into the orzo, then add the grilled tomatoes, lemon juice, remaining olive oil, salt and pepper. Toss well and let cool before serving.

Just a quick post today, 'cause I'm beat! I'll put up some of the 4th of July recipes in tomorrow's post.

Went to IKEA today and got a few things, namely a new desk for my home office, which I'm excited about it. I'd be more excited if they had the legs for it, but they were out of them, so I took a chance and bought the table-piece anyway. It's a simple desk - just a top and 4 legs, wood with an antique finish. Not sure how they can run out of legs, but not tables. You'd think everyone would be buying them in sets together, no? Have tomorrow off (milking the 3-day weekend for just one more day), so might run down to another IKEA location to see if they have the legs in stock.

Anyways, when I got there, I hadn't had breakfast because I wanted to be there when they opened in the hopes of beating the crowds a bit. Fat chance! Anyway, I made my way upstairs first, to grab something quick to eat in their cafeteria. Being a Swedish company, their slant on food is decidely Swedish. They have a breakfast platter that comes with Swedish pancakes topped in Lingonberry sauce, Swedish potatoes with toasted sesame seeds, sausages and the creamiest scrambled eggs I've ever had. I wish I had my camera with me to snap a photo for you, but trust me, the plate was full and gorgeous. I wasn't THAT hungry, and was planning to pick through it, but ended up eating it all - it was THAT good! The best part? The whole plate of food WITH a drink was the supreme bargain at 99 cents!!! When checking out, I also bought a box of mix to make the Swedish pancakes at home. Very similar in style, texture and thickness to crepes, I'm going to try the mix and then start looking for some from-scratch recipes.

Had my family over for a nice, relaxing Fourth of July holiday BBQ. Menu was Zesty Parmesan Corn, Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herb Dressing, Chinese Salad, Bacon-Cheddar Deviled Eggs, Hamburgers, Hangar Steak, Chips and Dip, Muddy Buddies, White Chocolate Bundt Cake and White Chocolate-Eclair Icebox Dessert. My Mom also brought two great salads, one with Spinach and Shrimp, the other with Green Beans and Potatoes (Ma - need those recipes!). The highlights for me were the Orzo Salad, the White Chocolate Bundt cake and my Mom's Green Bean and Potato Salad. All were new recipes, but will definitely be repeated.

Did you know... if you're looking for a particular recipe or post on my site, if you look at the very top of the page, there's a small white window with the words "search this" next to it. If you type in some key words there, using google, it will search only my site to find the post you're looking for. It certainly helps ME out, when I'm trying to find a particular recipe I mentioned -- thought it might help you out too.

Hope you had a great holiday ... tune in tomorrow to find out what's on tap for the week.

Until then...

Regular post for today follows below. In the meantime, trying to catch up on my recent meme tagging.

Sylvie of Food - Got to Love It tagged me for the newest meme that's floating around the food blogosphere and I'm happy to participate. Nicky over at Delicious Days is the originator of this one. Here goes:

What is your first memory of baking/cooking on your own?
Not sure if you can call it "cooking," but I had several failed attempts at making pudding from a box! in my Mom's kitchen growing up.

Who had the most influence on your cooking?
I don't know that I've had any hard-and-fast influences. I enjoyed helping my mom prepare for dinner parties when I was old enough to, but don't have any real memories of being taught to cook. I just started helping her out and learned as I went. Necessity really IS the mother of invention, because I really started working on my cooking skills when I moved into my first apartment by myself. Had great Melrose Place parties then! One thing I DID learn from my Mom, though, are some of the little non-cooking techniques she does. For example, when entertaining, she has a list of all the dishes she's going to make, and checks them off as she gets them done, one-by-one. She goes one step further and even makes a timeline. I don't go that far, but I do put together a running list to keep track of what I need to do. She also has an "entertaining journal" that she writes down info on parties she's had, who's come, what she made, etc. She's been keeping them since before I was born, and it's fun to look back and see the celebrations and parties she's had. Even my Baptism menu is in there! Like her, I started keeping an Entertaining Journal a few years ago.

Do you have an old photo as “evidence” of an early exposure to the culinary world and would you like to share it? None available that I know of.

Mageiricophobia - do you suffer from any cooking phobia, a dish that makes your palms sweat? Nothing that makes my palms sweat, but I'm real squeamish about dealing with food in their original form, i.e., rotisserie chicken is a little too "real" for me, and often times, I have The Husband shred it for me. If we order lobster in a restaurant, he has to take it apart for me. I swear I could be borderline vegetarian.

What would be your most valued or used kitchen gadgets and/or what was the biggest letdown? My parents got me a Kitchen Aid mixer last year for my birthday, and I really love using that. No real let-downs in terms of kitchen gadgets, but most of those "as seen on TV" deals are better left there, on TV!

Name some funny or weird food combinations/dishes you really like - and probably no one else! In high school, I remember eating Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup straight from the can.

What are the three eatables or dishes you simply don’t want to live without? I love avocado and tortellini. Probably my two favorite stand-alone items.

Three quickies:
Your favorite ice-cream: pretty much any from the Starbucks line, or Welsh Farms' Peanut Butter Twirl

You will probably never eat…venison, frogs' legs, duck, lamb, veal, snails ... see a theme?

Your own signature dish… The Husband would say it's probably my Jugged Chicken and my Mom would probably say my Cinnamon Apple Cake, so I guess it depends on who you ask.

Passing the torch:
I looked through the map on Delicious' Days site, and don't believe that Kayaksoup, Dispensing Happiness or Banlieue Blog have been tagged yet. The map that Nicky put together is a pretty comprehensive "who's who" of the food bloggers, literally spanning the world. Interesting stuff. Have fun, ladies!

Did a little bit of everything today, errands, gardening and cooking. Woke up with plans to go to IKEA today, but forgot that it's closed on Sunday. Bummer. They happen to be open tomorrow, so that's first on the list. An interior-decorator friend of mine ordered me to go and check out their butcher block selection, and when it comes to making my kitchen perfect, who am I to say no? Haven't been there in awhile, but their bottom floor of kitchen and housewares stuff is always fun, so I'm sure I'll come home with a few goodies.

Having a Fourth of July BBQ tomorrow and I think I finally came up with a game plan for food. The requisite burgers, hot dogs and steaks on the grill, of course. For sides, I'm making an Orzo Salad with Lemon and Herbs, the Chinese Salad from Supper Club the other night, Zesty Parmesan Corn on the Cob, and Chips and Dip. Dessert will be a White Chocolate Bundt Cake and Chocolate Eclair Icebox Dessert. Mom's bringing two salads as well, so I think it's safe to say we'll be well fed. Invited a few neighbors to stop by as well, and I subscribe to the belief that it's better to have more food than not enough, wanted to make sure we had a full menu. 'Sides, leftovers are A-OK by me.

Thought you'd like to meet 2 members of our family, Bella and Eli. Bella's in the foreground, and Eli is the one pictured in my About Me section. Great dogs, they're both rescues from puppy mills. Bella will be more than happy when the Fourth of July has passed. Hearing the fireworks just sends her pacing around the house, scared spitless.

Bella and Eli

Dinner tonight, I got to christen my panini maker. I made Pressed Cubanos with Bacon and they were delicious! It looks like we're going to have fun with this new toy. Any good panini recipes to share?

Pressed Cubano with Bacon

Anyways, all for now. Tune in tomorrow for Fourth of July BBQ recipes. Until then...

Pressed Cubano with Bacon
From Cooking Light, 6/04
Garlic oil gives these sandwiches a crisp, flavorful crust. Hawaiian rolls provide a slightly sweet contrast to the salty ham, pickles, and mustard. To make this easy supper even quicker to prepare, use precooked bacon. Serve with banana peppers.
1 teaspoon extravirgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
4 (3-ounce) Hawaiian rolls, sliced in half horizontally
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
8 (1/2-ounce) slices Swiss cheese, divided
4 bacon slices, cooked and halved
12 dill pickle slices
2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
6 ounces thinly sliced ham
2 ounces thinly sliced deli roasted turkey breast

Combine oil and garlic. Spread cut sides of rolls evenly with mustard. Place 1 cheese slice, 2 bacon halves, 3 pickle slices, and 1/2 teaspoon cilantro on bottom half of each roll. Divide ham and turkey evenly among bottom halves of rolls; top each serving with 1 cheese slice and top half of roll. Brush garlic oil evenly over outside of rolls.

Heat panini maker. Add 2 sandwiches to pan and press gently to flatten. Cook 3 minutes on each side or until cheese melts and bread is toasted. Repeat with remaining sandwiches.

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 sandwich)

Today was just one of those perfect days. The weather was great, we got a lot done without feeling like we were running around, had a nice relaxing dinner outside, and capped off the evening with fireworks at a local carnival. The poor dogs have been pacing for the last half-hour or so ... they are not fans of fireworks.

Everyone had a beauty day today, right down to the dogs. They both went to the groomers to get bathed and trimmed. Nicholas got a hair cut and so did I. Nicholas has great curly hair, especially when it's humid out. Unfortunately, The Husband is a fan of short hair cuts in the summer time. As he left, I reminded him "not too short." Of course, he comes back, and Nicholas' hair is pretty darn short. Yeah, I know, it will grow back, but in the meantime, I miss the curls. Wait 'till my Mom sees it though - she's worse than me on hanging on to the curls!

Took Nicholas to a farm today for an afternoon outing. He had a great time feeding the goats, sheep and rabbits, singing "Old MacDonald" all the while. The farm also had great, inexpensive produce, freshly made pies and danishes, herbs, flowers and more.


Up close and personal


Feeding the goats

One of Nicholas' main dinner requests is macaroni and cheese, followed closely by chicken nuggets and hot dogs. Although Kraft Macaroni & Cheese and Velveeta's version has its place, I wanted to show him there were alternatives, so we made a homemade version today. We added a bowl of fresh watermelon, and had a great meal outside.


Sweetnicks' Cheesy Macaroni

I've had a few recipe requests recently, and didn't want them to get lost in the comments section, so I put one (the Cold Zucchini Soup) recipe below. The Summery Pasta Salad recipe will follow tomorrow.

Until then, I'll leave you with a little factoid. Did you know that The Rock's favorite snack food is a Dunkin' Donuts glazed donut topped with more sugar eaten with ice cream? If it was that easy to keep in such fine shape, we should all be heading over to the donut shop now! Seems to be working for him. :)

Cold Zucchini Soup
4 young, dark green zucchini (6-7 inches long)
1 green bell pepper
3 medium onions
2 large garlic cloves
4 tablespoons butter
salt
freshly ground white pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
6 cups chicken broth
1 cup heavy cream
fresh chives or parsley, minced

Slice 3 zucchini, green pepper and onions. Mince the garlic. Saute the vegetables in 3 tablespoons of the butter over very low heat in a heavy pot. Cook, stirring often, about 10 minutes or until the vegetables are tender but have not browned. Add salt and pepper to taste and thyme. Stir in the chicken broth and simmer, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, thinly slice (do not peel) the remaining zucchini and saute it briefly in 1 tablespoon butter until barely tender and still bright green. This should take about 3 minutes - stir and watch closely that it doesn't overcook and go mushy. Immediately turn the sliced vegetables out onto a plate to cool quickly. Reserve. Cool the soup slightly and puree it in a blender. Stir in the cream and the sliced cooked zucchini. Adjust the seasoning - the soup should be rather highly seasoned as chilling intensifies the flavor. Chill covered for 24 hours and serve with a scattering of fresh herbs (chives of parsley).

This week has been a little hectic, and there are a few events in the food blogging world that I'm trying to catch up on. First of all, yesterday was the last day for the EoMEoTE #8 (End of the Month Eggs on Toast Extravaganza). This monthly event, sponsored by Cook Sister!, has come again. Because of the general business of the week already, I didn't get a chance to actually COOK my dish, so you'll have to visualize the end product. Bacon Deviled Eggs is a nice twist on an old party favorite, and one I'll be adding to our Fourth of July BBQ table.


EoMEoT #8

Bacon Deviled Eggs
12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon honey mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
4 strips bacon, cooked, crumbled
2 tablespoons shredded sharp Cheddar
Parsley, for garnish, optional

Halve eggs lengthwise. Spoon yolks into a bowl. Reserve whites. Mash yolks with fork. Add mayonnaise, honey-mustard, salt and pepper. Fold in bacon and cheese. Fill each half egg white with yolk mixture. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Today also marks the deadline of the first ever Taste Canada event. The brain child of Jennifer over at Domestic Goddess, it's a fun challenge for us all. Not knowing too much about all foods Canadian, I enlisted some help. Although I won't make it in time for the deadline, I'm planning to make my Canadian meal Sunday, so tune in for that.

Lastly, tonight's dinner. I made Rustic Frizzled Ham and Goat Cheese Pizza. Decidely delicious. I used Pillsbury Ready Made Pie Crust, since I had an extra one in the fridge already, and laid it out on a cookie sheet. I sprinkled it with salt and pepper and then covered the bottom, leaving a border, with thinly sliced tomatoes. Then, I caramelized some onions and added those. After the onions were done, I threw some soppresata strips into the pan and crisped them up, and added that to the pizza, along with crumbled goat cheese, julienned fresh basil and more salt and pepper. Lastly, I drizzled olive oil over the top. Turned up the corners all around and baked it for about 20 minutes. Served it with Salt and Pepper Shrimp, and dinner was made out of things I already had on hand. Gotta love that!


Rustic Frizzled Ham and Goat Cheese Pizza

All for now. Until tomorrow...