Frittata Cakies for Breakfast!

I got a little creative this morning. I used leftover Au Gratin potatoes to make individual sized frittata cakes. I sauteed some sweet onion; about half a large, roughly chopped, in a little olive oil/butter mix. In a large bowl I put about 1/3 cup heavy cream and one beaten egg. I mixed the potatoes and the onion together with the cream and egg. Then with my hands, I formed little 'cakes' and rolled them in a mixture of all purpose flour and corn meal.

After the cakes sat for a few minutes at room temperature, I browned them lightly in a pan with a bit of bacon fat, olive oil and butter. Odd sounding, but it worked. :) Once browned, I drained the cakes on brown paper, then placed in the oven at 325 degrees for about fifteen minutes.

While the cakies cooked in the oven, I fried eggs to the order of each family member. Once done, it was a matter of assembling on a plate: Cakie, egg, bacon and a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese.

You will want to try this!

Munchie night

I seem to be caught in a whirlwind of domesticity. With the 'BIG' dinner looming ahead tomorrow, what do I do? I decide to make appetizers for our dinner tonight.

Here is the menu:

Curried Chicken/almond chunks

Angel hair covered fried scallops with a dipping sauce

Spinach and Artichoke dip (THE best recipe ever!)

Shrimp...not sure what I'm doing with the shrimp but they were on sale!

Photos and recipes to follow.

Gnocchi of a sort

Tonight, was clean out the fridge and get inventive night.

I sauteed a bag of baby spinach in some olive oil and a tiny bit of butter, added some minced sweet onion and a bit of garlic, fresh ground pepper and a pinch of salt. I cooked the Gnocchi as I normally would in boiling water. In another pan I started a rue with butter and flour, added about half a cup of chicken stock then about a cup of half and half. When it began to thicken, I added chopped smoked ham, then just before serving I tossed in some diced tomato (Fresh). To serve; the spinach formed the base, then the Gnocchi and then the ham, tomato sauce. YUM. It was a nice rustic Autumnal sort of dinner.

Mac and Crack ;-)

For bread crumbs
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs

2 to 3 tablespoons chopped chipotle chiles in adobo

For Mac
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
3 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 lb macaroni
2 lb extra-sharp Cheddar (preferably white), grated

Make bread crumbs:
Heat butter and oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat until foam subsides, then cook garlic and bread crumbs, stirring, until crumbs are golden. Transfer to paper towels to drain and season with salt.

Make macaroni:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Chop chipotles.

Melt butter in a 3- to 4-quart saucepan over moderate heat, then add flour and cook, whisking, 1 minute. Gradually whisk in milk, cream, and mustard and simmer, whisking occasionally, 3 minutes.

Cook macaroni in a 6- to 7-quart pot of boiling salted water until just tender. Drain in a colander and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in white sauce, cheese, and salt to taste.

Fill a 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole with half of macaroni mixture. Stir chipotles into remaining macaroni. Spoon into another 1 1/2-quart shallow casserole and sprinkle both with bread crumbs. Bake casseroles in middle of oven 30 minutes, or until bubbly.

note:
Macaroni and cheese may be made 2 days ahead, put into casseroles, cooled completely, and chilled, covered. Do not add bread crumbs until ready to bake. (Baking may take longer than 30 minutes.)

Shrimp Cakes

I worked later than I had anticipated today. I had no dinner waiting in the crock pot. I told Mark that I had no dinner plans or ideas. He sweetly said we would figure something out. Not wanting take out; I let my mind wander and came up with a menu.

Shrimp Cakes (Kind of like crab cakes)

Lightly sauteed and creamed baby spinach

Corn, tomato and basil salad.

We will call this a success.

Pork Crock Pot Goulash

Crock Goulash

1 Tablespoon olive oil

1 ½ pounds boneless pork, cut into 1 inch cubes

Salt and pepper to taste

1 large onion, halved and thinly sliced

¼ - ½ cup water

3 cups RED cabbage, shredded

3 squirts of ketchup

1 Tablespoon Paprika

1 clove garlic, pressed

2 Tablespoons flour

½ cup sour cream

In a skillet, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add pork cubes to the skillet and sauté till browned; salt and pepper to taste. Add the onion and sauté a minute longer. Now add the pork and onion to the Crock Pot. Add the water to the skillet and get up all the browned bits. Add this to the crock. Add the cabbage into the crock and toss well with the pork.

Cook on low for about 6 hours, High for about four, the pork should fall apart with little effort. Stir the flour into the sour cream then turn the crock pot off, and stir sour cream/flour mixture into the pork.

Serve over rice or some beautiful egg noodles.

Tuesday meal... No oven fires!

So tonight we are having calamari, and some scallops wrapped in bacon to start dinner, then shrimp salad on toasted deli rounds. I'm going to make a nice little jazzed up version of succotash, adding a little onion and garlic and Edamame. YUM.

I'll try really hard not to set anything on fire or do any further damage to my kitchen.

Monday fish!

Okay, I've decided to make crab stuffed Tilapia tonight. NOW my dears lest you think I'm going to lots of trouble let me just tell you that I've cheated. That's right; cheated. The fish came already stuffed with the crab. What I'm planning to do is bake it and top it with a Parmesan Cream sauce that I WILL make myself.

If I'm not completely mistaken, I have some frozen baby brussel sprouts in the freezer and, I'm thinking maybe a risotto of some sort. I'll have to get creative because I'm NOT going to the grocery store; I simply refuse.

Photos later if dinner turns out lovely. If it does not; I'll claim we forgot to photo! Watch me really forget to take pictures now! :)

Dinner at Mountain Lake first night

Dinner tonight at Mountain Lake Hotel was NOT a buffet; the buffet apparently is a weekend deal. Tonight's offerings began with appetizer (Calamari) Soup (Roasted Red Bell pepper with Gouda) and a salad. (it was a choose two). Dinner itself was a choice of Marinated flank steak, Salmon and Lobster Pinwheels, Breaded Chicken cutlets or Pasta Primavera. Most of us chose either the Salmon or the Flank steak. Both were yummy, but I was happy in the end that I chose the Salmon.

The salmon had a really nice hollandaise sauce and was accompanied by a beautiful tri-colored pasta scented with cumin and a vegetable medley of yellow carrots, edamame, cranberries, and whole wax beans. Yummy!

I had a photo fail for dinner because I had only taken my phone and the battery died!

Dessert was a serve yourself bar and coffee.

Lindsay's Birthday Dinner

I'm not cooking! Seriously I'm not. The girls and I took a trip to whole foods and went a wee bit crazy. I stood in the middle of the store gazing at the crazy amounts of pre-prepared gourmet foods and not so gourmet and heard myself saying "A person would never have to cook again in their life!" NOT that I have any desire to give up my awesome kitchen gadgets and tools, but it is an intriguing thought.

Tonight we are having an eclectic assortment at the birthday girl's request.
Sushi (a variety of types)
Tequila lime spiced shrimp
Spicy Asian Noodles with peppers and tofu
Snow peas/carrot salad
Old Fashioned Yellow Cake.

Photos to follow.

The Refrigerator

Before I had a job in Food Service(I think perhaps being immersed in food and the like, takes away the thrill of caring for the fridge and food at home sometimes.) my fridge could count on a regular cleaning; every Wednesday just like the FlyLady taught me, I would clean out my refrigerator. We called it Time to 'boogie' the fridge. Meah and Andrew were here with me and Meah thought that term was the funniest thing she'd ever heard. She would help me faithfully on Wednesdays. While we sorted through mystery bowls and expiration dates, she would regale me with her Meahisms.

My poor refrigerator now gets cleaned mostly every week, but not on a set day of the week. It has to start screaming at us that it needs attention. This is one of the things my girls just won't jump in and do; I think for fear of tossing out something that I will question the rhyme and reason behind. Lindsay did it a few times and purged my garlic and ginger. I complained loudly because I didn't realize they were gone until I needed them for a recipe. She hasn't done the weekly clean out since.

So; while this isn't a recipe or even thoughts about food tasted or cooked. It is about food. Do yourself a favor like I'm going to. Set a regular date with your fridge, purge anything that is questionable. Check your expiration dates. Make a list of condiments or spices that you toss so you can replenish. It takes less than fifteen minutes to do this! You'll be glad you did.

Recipes from tonight

This recipe came from Growlies for groups. Just google it.


Chicken-Nut Pate

---

Makes 3 cups
"A party favorite. It is usually the first thing on the hors d' oeuvre table to go."
---
1 cup Pecan halves
2 Tbsp. Minced ginger
1 cup Walnut halves
1 Tbsp. Soy sauce
2 cups Chicken breasts, cooked, skinned, boneless
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. White wine vinegar
2 Cloves garlic
1/2 cup Mayonnaise
1/2 cup Green onion
---

Combine pecans and walnuts in a food processor bowl. Process until
coarsely ground. Remove and set aside.
Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. Combine chicken and garlic in food
processor bowl; process until very finely ground. Add mayonnaise, ginger,
soy sauce, Worcestershire, and vinegar; process, using start/stop
technique, until well blended. Stir in onion and nuts.
Spoon mixture into a crock or bowl; cover and refrigerate overnight for
flavors to blend. Serve with crackers or bread sticks.

THIS recipe came from ALLRECIPES.com
INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese,
softened
1/3 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, chopped 1 pinch ground black pepper
1 pinch ground nutmeg
8 ounces shredded Swiss cheese
1/4 cup sliced almonds
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, combine the cream cheese, mayonnaise, onions, pepper and nutmeg. Stir in the Swiss cheese. Transfer to small ovenproof glass bowl. Sprinkle 1/2 of the almonds on top.
3. Bake for 7 minutes. Stir, and bake for an additional 8 minutes. Sprinkle remaining almonds on top, and serve.

Mark's Birthday Dinner

The plan for dinner tonight is now: Crab Cakes (My own recipe and I MAY just share it with you!) Homemade tartar sauce, Roasted corn and basil salad, Asparagus with garlic butter and Butternut squash and SHRIMP risotto. I'm excited about the risotto because it is a new recipe and you KNOW I won't follow it exactly; I never leave a recipe alone. I might just toss some bread into the bread machine too; but it depends on when I actually get home today. The day is NOT cooperating!

I'll post photos and recipes as we go through the evening.

I'm thinking dinner tonight

In the spirit of trying to be forward thinking; I've decided on dinner tonight. I will of course need to make a run to Kroger (No Martin's for me; three ho hum experiences and I'm done.)
Here is what the Dunnavant's are eating tonight.

Tandoori-Style Chicken Burgers

Prep: 40 minutes Total: 40 minutes







To keep burgers juicy, resist the urge to press patties down during grilling.



INGREDIENTS

Serves 4.

1 1/2 pounds (4 to 5) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into rough chunks
4 scallions, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh ginger (from a peeled 2-inch piece)
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
1 tablespoon paprika
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Vegetable oil, for grates
4 (6-inch) whole-wheat pitas
1 cucumber (8 ounces), halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on the diagonal
1/2 cup fresh cilantro sprigs
Cumin yogurt sauce (see recipe below)
Watermelon slices (optional)
DIRECTIONS

Heat grill to medium-high. In a medium bowl, place chicken, scallions, ginger, lemon juice, paprika, cumin, cardamom, cayenne, 1 1/2 teaspoons coarse salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; toss to combine. Set aside to marinate, at least 10 and up to 30 minutes.
Transfer chicken mixture to a food processor; pulse until roughly chopped, but not pasty, 10 to 12 times. Gently form mixture into sixteen 3/4-inch-thick patties (about 3 tablespoons each).
Moisten a folded paper towel with oil; grasp with tongs and rub over grates. Season patties with salt and pepper; grill until opaque throughout, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
For the Cumin Yogurt Sauce: In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup plain low-fat yogurt with 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin; season with coarse salt and ground pepper.
Halve pitas crosswise (toast on grill, if you like). Into each pocket, place 2 chicken patties, cucumber slices, and cilantro sprigs. Serve with Cumin Yogurt Sauce

Dinner Tonight

I'm making Carnitas. I THOUGHT this was something I made too often, and I HATE repeating menus too often. I realized that the last time I made them, I posted the recipe to this blog. It was in January! So I guess it's time to repeat!

I am planning a variety of yummy toppings to choose from; on my short list is: Avocado, salsa, chopped Vidalia onions, shredded cheese, lettuce, sour cream and maybe some hot sauce for Marcus. ;-)

I'll try to remember to take a photo or two of the Carnitas when they are finished. They smell amazing!

Inventions are good!

Last night it was only me and Mark and Chelsea home for dinner. We wanted something fast and I wanted something that took little effort. I worked yesterday until 4:30 and got a taste of what it's like for women who do that daily. Dinner really needs to be planned in advance.

What we made:

Grilled sourdough sandwiches with Smoked sausages, thick slices of tomato and a combination of sharp cheddar cheese and mozzarella cheese. YUM! We also had some fresh corn on the cob. Talk about a summer meal!

P.S. I didn't get photos; we were too hungry to slow down long enough for pictures!

Monday night dinner

On our menu tonight; Panko Crusted Smoked Pork Chops, Garlicky Creamed Peas and French Pilaf.
Photos and Recipes to follow.

Eggs Benedict with Spinach... WOW!

The Eggs Benedict were awesome. I made Hollandaise Sauce for the first time and it was glorious. I will say that I was a wee bit appalled at the amount of butter in the sauce; you will be too..but it is so worth it and it will make far more sauce than you need; save it for veggies later in the week!

The Recipe:
4 English muffins, split
Foolproof Hollandaise:
5 egg yolks*
1 lemon, juiced
2 tablespoons water
Salt
Pinch cayenne
1 pound hot, melted butter
Extra-virgin olive oil
8 slices Canadian bacon
1 onion, minced
1 package cooked, frozen spinach, thawed and drained in a colander (press the spinach against the side of the colander to extract as much water as possible)
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon white vinegar
8 eggs

Directions
Turn the oven heat up to broil. Put the English muffin halves on a baking sheet and brown on both sides under the broiler. Remove to a plate. Reduce the oven heat to 200 degrees F and put the English muffins in the oven to keep warm.

Heat 2 to 3 inches salted water to a simmer in a wide saucepan or deep skillet for the eggs; turn off the heat and cover to keep warm.

Meanwhile, make the hollandaise. Combine the egg yolks, lemon juice, water, salt and cayenne in a blender and blend until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Then, with the blender going, drizzle in the melted butter in a thin stream. Taste for salt and lemon juice. To keep the sauce warm, put the whole blender jar in a bowl of warm water; set aside while you finish the dish.
Heat a 2-count of olive oil a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add half of the bacon slices and brown on both sides. Transfer to a plate lined with paper towels. Brown the remaining 4 slices and put the on the plate. Put the bacon in the oven to keep warm.

Put the skillet back over medium heat. Add a 2-count of olive oil. Add the onion and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the spinach and give it all a stir; cook until warmed through, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the cream and simmer to reduce. Season with salt and pepper.

Return the water to a bare simmer. Add the vinegar and swirl a couple of times with a kitchen spoon. Then, first cracking each egg into a cup, gently drop 4 eggs into the simmering water and cook until just set, 3 to 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, get yourself 4 serving plates and put 2 muffin halves on each plate. Put a piece of bacon on each half and top with a spoonful of spinach. Remove the poached eggs with a slotted spoon and place on top of the spinach. Do the same with the remaining 4 eggs. Spoon the warm hollandaise sauce over and enjoy!

We had Garlic Roasted Asparagus too: this is SO easy. Find out where to trim the asparagus by holding one stem by both ends and bending it gently until it snaps. This is the point you can use to trim the rest of the asparagus in the bunch.
Put the asparagus in a ziplock bag, drizzle some olive oil over it, a little salt, a little garlic and let it hang out. Roast in the oven until it is fork tender.

Easter Brunch take two (or the Shrimp Quiche)

The Shrimp Quiche.... Oh what can I say about that besides heavenly? I took serious liberties with a crawfish quiche recipe and boy did it turn out well!

Ingredients:

Pie Crusts.. I like Pillsbury the kind with two in a box, roll and shape and bake!
•1/3 cup finely diced yellow onions
•2 teaspoons chopped garlic
•1 pound Shrimp, peeled and deveined. ( I bought frozen raw for this, but fresh would be super nice!)
•1 1/2 cup heavy cream
•3 eggs
•1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
•Dash hot sauce I used After Death
•1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
•2 tablespoons grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
•1 cup grated medium Cheddar

Directions:

Place pie crusts in two pie plates, shape edges into a fluted pattern, using both hands to pinch and curve the dough. Push the edges downward so they are almost even with the pie plate or the tops will burn.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and 1/4 teaspoon cayenne. Saute for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp and saute for 1 to 2 minutes. IMPORTANT: do not cook the shrimp completely, take them off the heat BEFORE they are completely pink. This prevents them from cooking fully then cooking again in the quiche, which would result in rubber shrimp syndrome! You don't want that!! Remove from the heat and cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the cream, eggs, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon black pepper, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce and grated Parmesan. Arrange the shrimp mixture evenly in the two pie shells. Sprinkle the grated cheeses over the shrimp. Pour the cream mixture over the shrimp. Place in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the center sets and the top is golden. Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes, before slicing. Serve hot, room temperature or cold. It's yummy any temp!

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Easter Brunch Recipes, thoughts and photos

Since everyone was so excited by the whole idea of the French Toast Casserole, I thought I'd start with that. You may never go back to regular French Toast again.
RECIPE:
Ingredients
•1 loaf French bread (13 to 16 ounces)
•8 large eggs
•2 cups half-and-half
•1 cup milk
•2 tablespoons granulated sugar
•1 teaspoon vanilla extract
•1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
•Dash salt
•Praline Topping, recipe follows
•Maple syrup
Directions
Slice French bread into 20 slices, 1-inch each. (Use any extra bread for garlic toast or bread crumbs). Arrange slices in a generously buttered 9 by 13-inch flat baking dish in 2 rows, overlapping the slices. In a large bowl, combine the eggs, half-and-half, milk, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and beat with a rotary beater or whisk until blended but not too bubbly. Pour mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly with the milk-egg mixture. Spoon some of the mixture in between the slices. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Spread Praline Topping evenly over the bread and bake for 40 minutes, until puffed and lightly golden. Serve with maple syrup.


Praline Topping:
•1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter
•1 cup packed light brown sugar
•1 cup chopped pecans
•2 tablespoons light corn syrup
•1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
•1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl and blend well. Makes enough for Baked French Toast Casserole.

*This casserole was super easy to make, and would be a great 'do ahead' for a vacation day breakfast or when you know you are going to be out late on a Saturday night and need breakfast for a crowd the next day. If you try this; let me know what you think!

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Easter Brunch Menu

There is nothing quite like waiting until the last minute to plan an important meal! I seem to do it all the time and actually think it makes the cooking experience better for me. Maybe I work best under pressure.

Here is my menu for our Easter Brunch:

Spicy shrimp Quiche
Roasted Asparagus
Eggs Benedict with Canadian Bacon and spinach
Baked French toast Casserole
Home Fries
Mimosas and Bloody Marys

I'll post photos and recipes as I make the brunch.

What are you having??

Chicken pot pie

This is a bit of a stretch for me. This IS my own personal recipe. I have no real measurements, like many things I cook. But I've decided to share, knowing that most of you will not make this. :)

You need:
Chicken, cooked your method of choice. Today, I browned then slow cooked in broth.
a bag of mixed veggies
butter
flour
onion
half and half or heavy cream
salt
pie crust (two)
monterey jack cheese
garlic
Melt the butter over low heat. Yes..that is a STICK of butter. add the chopped onion, about one medium.
Cook for a few minutes, stirring then add the mixed veggies.

cook the onions and mixed vegetables over low until the onions are translucent. Add some garlic... you can never have too much. Think of Emeril.

Cook stirring constantly for about two minutes then add flour. A good rule of thumb is flour equal to the amount of butter.
Add about 6 ounces of Monterey Jack cheese and stir until it is melted, then add the cooked chopped chicken.

Cook for a few minutes, until the flour loses that 'raw' smell. It shouldn't smell like playdough.
Stir in half and half, start with about half a cup and keep adding as the mixture thickens. You want it to be thick but not gloppy.

Pour into a pie crust, top with another, and bake for about 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

Spaghetti almost like homemade

I'm going to confess a cheat. While I DO make homemade spaghetti sauce, it IS an all day event. I've found a rather glorious way to fake it.
Brown meat of your choice; I use half ground beef and half Italian sausage. sometimes I add chopped onion to this mix as it is browning, sometimes I don't. Drain off most of the fat if you didn't use a lean meat (Tip: meat that cooks with some fat actually TASTES better, even after you drain the fat away.) I use two jars of Prego Spaghetti Sauce (Roasted Garlic and Herb). Just pour it in. To this, add about a cup of nice red wine (Always use a wine that you would drink, if you wouldn't drink it; don't cook with it.) Set the temp to medium low and let it cook for as long as you can, this will thicken the sauce and intensify the flavors. Taste your sauce! If it needs a 'little something' add a tablespoon or two of sugar. (Yes I said the 's' word) If it STILL needs a little something try a hint of nutmeg...trust me.

I like to make an Alfredo sauce when I cook spaghetti. I prefer it and so do the girls. Another option though is to top the red sauce WITH the Alfredo! If you want to go one step further... saute fresh mushrooms and top the double sauced spaghetti with a spoonful or two of them!!

FINALLY.... Blogger let me post the French Toast Pic

Cakes... I told you I don't bake!

So, we were having a mega sweet craving; even me; the non sugar consuming person.
I decided to bake a cake from scratch. I opened my trusty Fannie Farmer cookbook and found a cake that we had all the ingredients for. A Boston Traditional cake A.K.A. a YELLOW cake.

I thought that the mixing of the cake and the baking actually went really well. It was pretty and smelled really nice.
Lindsay was in charge of making the icing; cream cheese icing. I actually ate a sliver of this cake. It was....interesting. Not bad, just not great. I'm now on a mission to bake the perfect cake from scratch...my poor family!

Snow Day and Good Eats!

We are quite literally snowed in. I have zero desire to actually go anywhere, so it works. I made the obligatory grocery store run and have plenty of food although the family complained that I didn't buy enough snacks. Snacks translates into chips, dip and cookies. Uhm...no. lol They are my prisoners and shall eat what I provide or they can go to Kroger themselves.

This morning at Kerry's request I made Stuffed French Toast.


The recipe for this is SO easy; you want to try this, you really do.
In a mixer blend softened cream cheese with a couple of tablespoons of sugar, a tablespoon of Vanilla Extract and a little heavy cream to make it all blend together.

Spread a generous amount of the cream cheese mixture in between two slices of Texas Toast... From this point; you prepare it just like any other French Toast, but don't cook it too long or the cheese will melt and the sandwich will slide apart!

Dinner with Friends

I'm cooking for friends tonight. To show just how chill I've become about this sort of thing, let me tell you that I JUST now decided on the menu. I did start thinking about it yesterday evening while doing dinner service at work. (things went so well that I actually had time to think...that my friends; is a miracle)

On the menu for tonight:

Crab Cakes (MY recipe)
Sweet Corn and Basil Salad
Roasted Asparagus with garlic (so we will smell nice!)
Bread? I dunno... I'm thinking about it.

I'm thinking that Linz is going to bake cookies today, so that is all the sugar anyone needs. I will do an appetizer too, just haven't figured out what.

Carnitas... Finally!

So, we finally got around to having the Carnitas that I made in the crock pot this week. Can we say "YUM"? In soft tortillas with whatever you want...like salsa, avocado, onions, cheese...

We have leftovers...I'm thinking spanish omelets???

I do a lame dinner every now and then.

Last night's dinner, I don't even want to talk about but in the interest of honesty and openess; I will confess. We had our version of fish and chips. Now, lest that conjure up images of lovely plump filets lovingly battered and fried and hand cut 'chips' cooked to perfection; well, I need to tell you that it was from a box in the freezer section of Kroger. Mrs. Pauls and Ore Ida. Go ahead and laugh. I will laugh later.
This lovely dinner came about when I took Lindsay and Kerry to Kroger with me. Linz has this thing for those frozen chunks of greasy fish. I usually cave to whatever food request the girls have, thus my exciting dinner last night.

Tonight I will be at Bon Air Baptist (where I work as Food Service Director) We are making a beef pot pie tonight; this promises to be far nicer than dinner at the Dunnavant's last night.

Tomorrow's dinner will be the Carnitas that I prepared Monday night. I'm looking forward to that one.

Pork Carnitas.... Crock Pot Recipe

1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil
1 pound pork shoulder cut into 1 inch cubes
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin
(HONEST MOMENT - I do not measure any of this. I season until it smells right.:) )

In a skillet, heat the oil and brown the pork. Put pork and spices in the crockpot, mix well. (you can sprinkle the pork with the spices prior to browning. This is my preference) Cook on high for 4 - 6 hours or low for 7 - 8 hours. The pork should easily shred with two forks.

Serve with low carb tortillas, or lettuce leaves if you are REALLY serious about the no carb thing. Add cilantro, salsa, sour cream and avocado if you like!

Here's a recipe you should most definitely try; it's one of our favorites!


Low Carb King Ranch Chicken
Serves 4

1/2 whole green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons butter
4 ounces sour cream
1/2 tablespoon flour
1/2 of a 14.5 oz can of Ro*tel
or other Mexican style tomatoes
1/2 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 8-ounce can sliced mushrooms, drained
1/2 of a 14-ounce can artichoke hearts,
drained and chopped
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
8 ounces of cheddar cheese, shredded
olive oil in a spray pumper, or olive oil
to use for greasing

Preheat oven to 350.

In a skillet, saute onion, garlic, and green pepper in butter.
Stir in sour cream and flour. Heat until smooth and bubbly. Add tomatoes, chili powder and cumin. Spray a 9 x 11 casserole dish with olive oil or wipe the dish with olive oil on a napkin. Add the chicken broth, mushrooms and artichoke hearts to sauce mixture. Fold in chicken. Pour all of the mixture into a casserole dish. Sprinkle cheese on top. Bake for 30 minutes.

LC SERVING SUGGESTION: Serve on a bed of spinach (the heat from the casserole will wilt the spinach nicely) and with a low carb tortilla on the side."

Capital Ale House Eats!

So, I haven't been cooking much lately; I'm not even certain what we've been eating. I do know that we had some yummy and I mean yummy beer and food from The Capital Ale House last night.
The beer was Old Richmond #4, a brown ale which happens to be one of my very favorite things! They didn't have any other brown ales on tap, so I tried it and am a believer! It was dark and rich, with just the right 'bite' and a nice bit of hoppiness, but not a lot. I personally prefer a beer with lots of flavor from hops, but this was really nice.

The food...oh the food. I had Polenta with Mozzarella. This was a lovely dish; triangles of baked polenta topped with a marinated portabella mushroom, topped with fresh mozzarella cheese and finished with a roasted red pepper marinara sauce. Can we say "yummy"?
The Kalamata olives were a little on the too salty side, but I happen to love salt!

A little Wine Chat

I talk about my wine and wine experiences a lot. I thought I'd share a little wine knowledge and some of my personal tastes and perhaps even drop a few names of my favorite wines!

Dry Red Wines(My personal favorite dry red is a Cabernet Sauvignon)are predominantly made from red grape varieties that have been 'fermented to dryness. What this means is that the wine has little or no residual sugar in the finished product. The sugar is fermented completely into alcohol.

MOST Reds are dry, but there are some dessert wines that are sweet.

The TANNINS in wine are naturally occurring compounds in grapes and they are what give the wine the feeling or texture in your mouth. Tannins CAN be drying; they can make your mouth have a feeling of dryness. This does not technically make the wine a dry wine, see my notes about sugar. :)

Acidity and Sweetness of a wine are the taste elements that work together to give a wine a pleasantness of taste. Too much acidity and you have a harsh taste to your wine...not quite vinegar..but something similar. If a wine is too acid, the flavor of the wine will not linger in your mouth long enough. You will have a sensation of having something flat and not interesting at all. You don't want that! Too much Tannin in a wine and you have bitter wine. The right balance of the two; acidity and tannins will give you a wine that FEELS nice in your mouth.

There are many other hints and nuances of flavor in dry red wines; some of them being berries, plums, chocolate, and my personal favorite is the oaky taste. You will quickly recognize the flavor; it's that of freshly sawn oak. When a red wine has been "oaked' well, it will smell slightly of Vanilla. Too much oak is overwhelming, but get it just right and you have the perfect wine. (in my humble opinion)

**Wine is Oaked by the wine being in storage barrels of oak. The newer the oak barrel the stronger the oak flavor that goes into your wine. The Vanilla that is part of the Oaky taste comes from the character of the hardwood. Some wine enthusiasts consider the Vanilla to be a highly desirable taste. (I do!)

I am not a wine snob, quite the contrary; while I adore and appreciate a really fine bottle of wine; I quite frequently will purchase a $6 bottle or ... gasp... one of those BIG bottles you see mostly in grocery stores and Wally World.

The following list is a few of my favorite 'nicer' Cabernet Sauvignons but I'm in no way limited to these.

Robert Mondavi Napa Valley ($20 - $25) '05 -'07 Tastes of plums, blackberries and a hint of spice and lots of tannin for a really bold full mouth feel.

J Lohr 2006 ($22 - $26) Tastes of oak, cherry, stone fruits. Silky and smooth in the mouth, medium weight feel. (I LOVE this wine!)

Hawstone 2006 ($20) Good body, soft tannins, hints of fruit and berry, Earthy. Very nice wine.

Chateau St. Michelle (Columbia Valley) 2006 (Average cost around $15)Has a nice mouth feel, tastes of ripe berries and a tiny bit of oak.

Estancia($13 - $14) Black Cherry and chocolate, nice oaky flavor. For a lower cost it's a super nice wine.

Kendall Jackson ($18) Nice round mouth feeling, hints of vanilla and oak...long finish.


Now for my go wine of 'cheap' wines:

Barefoot makes a decent Cabernet and you can't get one much cheaper. No vintage..lol
It has a nice currant, berry taste with a really nice amount of oak. It may be just a wee bit acidic; but after a couple of glasses, you really won't mind it at all. AND the price makes it a steal. $8 or less a bottle. Try it; you might just like it.