Chicken Legs with an Arugula Salad

"I ate my meal in two parts last night.  The first part was the salad and the second part was the chicken.  The chicken was not completely thawed when I put it on the grill so it took a little longer then anticipated until it was cooked completely.  I was starving, but one thing you don't want to mess with is raw chicken.  Eating it is asking for a stomach disaster!"

"Stage one of dinner was a Fresh Arugula Salad with English Cucumber, Tomato, Onion, Chopped Cashews, Salt, Pepper and Fat Free Italian Dressing.  Now if you are looking for a lesser fat nut topping I would recommend almonds instead of the cashews."

"Stage two was the Organic Chicken Leg.  To make the chicken leg I lightly brushed both sides of the leg with olive oil. Then I sprinkled both sides with my own spice mixture which consisted of salt, pepper, dried parsley and poultry seasoning.  Once the chicken was prepped I put both legs on the grill for about 20 mins.  The outside of skin was crisp and looked done, however the inside was still raw.  So I removed the legs from the grill and put them in the oven set at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.  By finishing the chicken in the oven, the inside got cooked with out burning the outside and the chicken still kept the "grilling" flavor.  When the chicken was done it was tender and had great flavor from the seasoning on the outside.  The outside skin tasted marvelous, but I only had a little piece of it because I know it is terrible for me."

Question: 

What is your favorite seasoning mixture or sauce to put on chicken that is being grilled or baked?

Mahi Mahi, Snow Peas and Rice

" What you see before you is Grilled Mahi Mahi with a berry salsa, snow peas and brown rice.  This meal is going to be a repeat as it was good and here are some of the reasons why : the fish was flaky and not dry, the berry salsa was a nice compliment to the fish and full of fruit flavor, the rice was soft, but not mushy and had a little lemon flavor which also went well with the fish, the snow peas were crisp and buttery."

Mahi Mahi Method

1. Preheat the grill

2. Season each fillet of fish with salt and pepper on both sides

3. Grill 5- 8 minutes per side - Should be flaky, not raw, not over done - But Just Right!

Berry Salsa Method

1. Put 1/2 cup of strawberries, 1/2 cup of raspberries and a 1/2 cup of blueberries/blackberries in a bowl - Fresh berries are always best, but I did not have them on hand so I thawed and drained frozen berries

2. Season berries with Salt and Pepper

3. Chop one shallot or 1/2 an onion and mix with berries

4. Add 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil, 1 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of red wine vinegar.  You could also use 1 tablespoon of white wine or white wine vinegar instead of the vinegars above. 

5. Stir it all together and use for topping on fish

Snow Peas

1. Boil water, put snow peas in boiling water and turn down heat to medium low

2. Boil about 10 minutes - maybe more, maybe less - I always take one out and eat it to check for doneness

Brown Rice

1. I followed the package directions

2. Added about a tablespoon of lemon juice, salt and pepper to season

Anyone know the average lifespan of a Mahi Mahi fish?

If you guessed 4-5 years, you are correct!!!!!

Grass Fed Burger's on the Gril

"Last night, I ate a grilled grass fed burger with sauteed arugula, cheddar cheese and tomato on a bun.  As a side I had a gouda cheese pasta salad and an edamme mushroom salad. The burger's flavor was amazing and the meat was very tender the only problem was it did not hold together very well on the grill.  Not sure why? I took the ground beef and added 1 egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, ketchup, mustard and worcester sauce.  Maybe I went a little too heavy on the ketchup/mustard/ worcester?  Not sure! They tasted great, but I will have to change my ratio's next time in hopes of them holding together.  No recipe, just eyed everything so maybe this is part of the problem.  The sides I bought from the grocery store.  The pasta salad had a lovely smooth gouda flavor and the edamme and mushrooms had a vinager based dressing which was nice."

A Gluten Free Birthday Celebration

"  My husband and I celebrated our dear friend's birthday and enjoyed a gluten free meal together.  For those of you who are not familiar with gluten free let me take a little time to explain.  Gluten is the mixture of proteins found in wheat grains, which are not soluble in water and give wheat dough elasticity. Some people are not able to properly digest foods with gluten so they go on a gluten free diet to aid in digestion.  For some, gluten may cause a few adverse affects, but for those who have been diagnosed with something called Celiac's Disease, eating gluten can be a chronic nutritional disturbance which causes major problems in their body.  Keep in mind that I have not spent a lot of time researching Celiac's disease and a gluten free diet, but this at least gives you a basic understanding."

" I'm sure most of you are probably thinking, wow, I'm glad I don't have to eat gluten free.  I can understand why you would think that.  I love my pasta, cookies, pizza and pretzels too, but guess what?  A gluten free meal if properly prepared can be great! As time goes on, more and more people are having to switch to a gluten free diet so the availability of new types of gluten free flours, cookies, pasta etc are becoming easier to find. "

"Thus far, I myself have not had a problem eating foods with gluten ,so I probably won't make a major change in my diet in this regard.  However, I find this diet to be interesting and since one of my best friends eats gluten free I was excited to learn more about cooking/baking foods that she can enjoy. When I was in culinary school I did practice making gluten free cakes, but it's been since then that I have tried doing this again.   It being my friends birthday, I asked her what her favorite dessert was and what her favorite foods were.  Two of the items she mentioned I decided to try.  The first was a yellow birthday cake with homemade frosting.  The second was macaroni and cheese. " 

"Below is the picture of the cake.  It tasted amazing! I was actually surprised myself at how good it tasted. It was very light and sort of just melted in your mouth.   I cheated a little and used a gluten free yellow cake box mix which was the flour/baking powder base.  To the base I added butter, eggs, milk and gluten free vanilla.  The frosting was butter, powdered sugar(you need to double check that the powdered sugar, as some do have gluten in them), gluten free vanilla and milk.  Lastly, I decorated the cake with all natural sugar that I dyed with a purple tint, purple frosting writing and design and chocolate roses made from homemade modeling chocolate. "

The lines on the roses are a little hard to see in the picture.

Modeling Chocolate Method

1. Melt dark or semi sweet chocolate over a double boiler - 4oz

2. Let Chocolate Cool

3. Stir in Corn Syrup that has been heated just to a boil  to the chocolate mixture- 2oz

4. Chocolate and Corn Syrup will form a paste

5. Refrigerate for about 1 hour

6. Slightly knead dough and model with it

"As I mentioned, the second dish that I made was gluten free macaroni and cheese."  It also tasted 10 million times better than I thought.  If I didn't know it was gluten free I never would have guessed.  The macaroni was tender, the cheese was gooey goodness and the sprouted grain bread crumbs on the top added the texture that the dish needed.  Sorry I don't have a picture of this one, but you can let your imagination run wild. The recipe below does not call for the bread crumbs on the top, but I recommend adding them.  I simply took Ezekiel bread and grounded it up to make the crumbs."

Macaroni and Cheese Method

http://glutenfreemom.typepad.com/gluten_free_mom/2008/02/gluten-free-mac.html

"Along with the cake and mac and cheese I also ate moist rotisserie bbq chicken and fresh corn on the cob. The corn on the cob does have some proteins in it, but is still ok on the gluten free diet."

" It truly was a great meal that I will remember.  My question for you?  Did you ever eat a gluten free piece of cake, cookie or bowl of pasta?  If you have, how did it taste?  If you haven't, TRY IT!!!!!! "

Quizinos Turkey and Cheese on Rosemary Bread

"I decided to take a cooking dinner break last night.  Sometimes, it's good to go out so that cooking dinner stays fun and doesn't become a chore.  I ate a Grilled Quizinos Sandwich which had oven roasted turkey, cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, black olives and mayo on it. I know the mayo is not good for me, but on this sandwich it was worth the calories.  The sandwich was on a rosemary sub roll.  I had never had the rosemary roll before and it was really good! It was soft, fresh and had a nice rosemary flavor which enhanced the taste of my sandwich. I will most likely redo this choice again!"

"What's your favorite Quiznos Sub?"

Tuna Noodle with a Little Spice and Garlic Broccoli

"I was searching through my kitchen cabinets trying to decide what to make for dinner and I saw I had the ingredients for a good old fashion Tuna Noodle Casserole. This is something I grew up eating. My dad would make it and  my grandmother would make it when we went to visit.   Now, tuna noodle casserole doesn't have a burst of flavors so I wanted to do something to spice it up.   I figured my husband would appreciate a little extra spice in the recipe too.   I drizzled hot sauce over the top to add a little flare.  It turned out great! The hot sauce added a little extra punch and then we had the crispy crunch of the chips on top.  As a side I had sauteed broccoli seasoned with garlic powder which went nicely with the tuna noodle."  

Tuna Noodle Method

1. Boil Water and Cook 1/2 bag of Egg Noodles Per Package Directions 

2. Mix 1 can of cream of mushroom soup (I use the reduced fat and sodium one), 1/2 cup of milk, 2 cans of tuna fish drained,  1/2 cup cheddar cheese, salt and pepper to season

3. Spray a 2 Quart Baking Dish and Preheat oven to 350 degrees

4. Drain Noodles and Mix into Mushroom Soup/Tuna Mixture

5. Pour into a pan and spread evenly

6. Sprinkle with Parsley and hot Sauce

7. Crunch up Potato Chips Over the Top

8. Bake for 20 - 25 minutes till chips are lightly browned

Broccoli Method

1. Heat Pan with 1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

2. When Pan is Hot Put in 1 cup of fresh or frozen broccoli

3. Season Broccoli with Salt, Pepper and Garlic Powder

4. Saute till Broccoli Begins to Brown 

" What dish do you remember eating a lot as you grew up at home?"

Chili Attempt Comes Back

"Back on August 10th I attempted to make a chili recipe, but ended up having to throw it away because of a big mistake that I made with the rice.  Last night I decided to try the recipe again.  This time I wanted to have nothing to do with the rice part.  So my husband made us organic corn muffins instead.  We ate the muffins aside of the chili instead of pouring the chili over cooked rice." The chili tasted good, but my husband said it could have used a little more spice.  I don't normally like things real spicy, but it did need a little extra something.  You know when something just tastes a little flat?  Well that's what I was getting too.  The recipe called for 2 tsp of chili powder.  Next time.... (yes I will make a third attempt to get this chili right)  I will either use more chili powder, add a little hot sauce or better yet throw some actual cut cup chili's or hot peppers in the recipe.  The corn bread also was not as good as the normal Jiffy one's that we make.  We may need to use 2 percent milk and butter instead of skim milk and vegetable oil.  The muffins were OK too,  but also needed a little TLC.  "

Chili Method

1. Brown 1 lb of Turkey Meat, 1 small chopped onion and 1 Tbl of chopped garlic

2. Season the contents above with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning and 3tsp of chili powder or 2 tsp chili powder and a tsp of hot sauce or a hot pepper

3. Stir in 1 - 14oz can of mixed chili beans - drain first

4. Stir in 1 - 140z can of diced tomatoes with juice

5. Simmer to bubbly
6. Stir in 1/2 cup of fresh Parmesan or cheddar cheese

Thanks for your patience with these pictures - need to kick finding a camera to use into high gear!

To end this post I would like to ask you a question about Chili Peppers!

Is the Chili Pepper Mostly Related to:

1. Peppercorn
2. Eggplant
3. Green Beans


* If you answered eggplant you are correct! Peppers are fruits not veggies - similar to the tomato and eggplant!





Leftover BBQ Chicken Can't Go to Waste, Leftover Made New!

BBQ Chicken Sandwich

1. Took the leftover chicken and pulled it apart into pieces and placed in a pot

2. Poured more Stubs BBQ Sauce in the Pot

3. Simmered until the Sauce was bubbling

4. Placed on a Bun

5. Made a Side Salad with Cucumbers, Tomatoes, Croutons, Leftover Green Beans, Salt Pepper and Balsamic Vinaigrette for dressing

"This meal was not too shabby for a leftover made new.  The chicken was still moist and flavorful and the bun was soft.  The side salad was good too and went nicely with the sandwich."

Have you ever taken a leftover and made it into something new the next day?  What did you make?



Grilled BBQ Chicken, Pierogi's and Green Beans

Grilled Chicken Method 

1. Put Heavy Duty Foil on the Grill - This will help keep clean up easy and the chicken won't fall through the grates

2. Preheat the Grill to about 400 degrees

3. Put the Chicken on the Grill an Brush First Side with BBQ Sauce of your choice ( I used a brand called Stubs)

4. Flip the Chicken After about 10 minutes and Brush the other Side with BBQ Sauce

5. Keep Brushing with Sauce as the Chicken Cooks and Flip again if needed

6. Juices Should be Running Clear and you want Chicken to be moist so Remove When there is no pink inside - ( I usually cut open a small part of the center to double check)

Pierogi's Method

1. "EASY" Place your choice of Pierogi on the Grill

2. Flip When first Side Begins to poof up and brown

3. You Can Brush with Butter and Salt if you want a little extra flavor and browning on the outside ( I just kept mine plain)

Fresh Green Beans Method

 1. Wash and Cut or Break off the Ends of Each Green Bean

 2. Place Greens in Boiling Water and Simmer Until Desired Tenderness - I just eat one to check - I like them soft, but not over done, they should have a little crunch to them

 3. Drain Water and Mix in a little Salt, Pepper, Butter and Soy Sauce for a little extra kick of flavor

"This meal was very easy to make and it was well balanced with the meat, potato and vegetable.  It was not a real heavy meal as most of it was grilled.  As we get into the fall, I want to continue grilling as it's not as easy to do outside during the winter months." " Is there a type of food that you enjoy grilling in the summer/fall?  " Please share!

Weekend Update

"Saturday night I enjoyed dinner at the home of our new friends. I ate a mixed salad with lettuce, tomatoes and shredded cheddar cheese.  I of course selected Ranch dressing as my choice of topping for the salad.  Ranch is my favorite, but I know it's not the best one for me so I try not to use it all the time.  As a main course I had piece of rotissere chicken and then a vegetable medley as a side.  The food was tasty and made me feel right at home. When eatting out somewhere whether it be at someone's home or in a restaurant, if food comforts you and makes you feel at home, it gives you a good feeling inside.  I can only hope that my food does that to people that are eatting in my home too.  During the meal, it was wonderful to have the opportunity to talk and get to know our new friends and three of their four cutey pie kids .  The kids sure did make me smile and I enjoyed chatting with them too!"

"Food helps bring people together and around the dinner table is a nice way to get to know one another."


" Last night, I did not was a hang out and relax kind of night.  I simply took the leftover alfredo sauce from the Friday night pizza and poured it over some cooked shell noodles.  It satisfied my hunger and was a great way to use up the extra sauce before it went bad.  Personally, I do what I can to not waste food.  Sometimes you do have to be creative to accomplish this goal, but it can happen.   However, with only two of us we can't always eat everything quick enough."

White Veggie Pizza and a Spinach Cucumber Salad

"I had a lot of veggie's in the fridge that I need to use before they went bad. Has this ever happened to you?  I decided to once again make a pizza.  This time I did not make my own dough. Boo, I know! It really isn't as good when you don't make your own, but sometimes, it's about making things quick and easy.  I used Pillsbury's thin crust pizza dough and simply followed the packaged instructions.  For the sauce, I used an organic alfredo sauce mix packet.  I boiled 1 1/2 cups of milk, 1 tablespoon of butter and the sauce mix until thick and then added some fresh Parmesan cheese.  I used the white sauce for the pizza and then topped the pizza with sliced onion, green pepper, spinach, tomatoes, mushrooms, mozzarella cheese, salt and Italian seasoning.  The pizza was then baked for 10 minutes at 400 degrees.    I enjoyed using the white sauce instead of the same old marinara pizza sauce.  The sauce gave the pizza a more creamy texture, but was balanced by the crunch of the vegetables and crust. "

"Along side of the pizza I had a salad with spinach, cucumber, quinoa and a balsamic dressing.  For those of you that don't know, quinoa is a grain -like crop grown for it's seeds. It's not part of the grass family, it's more part of the beet or tumbleweed family.  It gave the salad a unique grain texture which in my opinion was marvelous.  If you haven't tried using it you should give it a try. "

Grilled Salmon and Hot Potato Salad

"The salmon had a good flavor, but was cooked a little too long so it was on the dry side.  I left my husband as the grill master and he is still learning to know when things look done.  I can't complain because I really appreciate when he is willing to help with dinner because I know cooking is NOT one of his favorite things to do."  

Method

1. Preheat the Grill

2. Brush each salmon fillet with olive oil

3. Season with salt, pepper and your favorite type of dry season mix.  I used a lemon pepper season.

4. Grill the Salmon Away - It should only take about 8 to 10 minutes - 4 - 5 minutes per side. 

5. When you remove the salmon it is ok if it's a little raw in the center.  Once it is sitting off the grill it will still cook. 

 "You want your grilled salmon to be moist, flaky and firm.  If it's dry then it's been cooked to long."

"The hot red potato salad flavor was tangy from the vinegar, but I didn't feel as though it was too much.  The potatoes were soft, but the skins gave them some texture so they weren't mushy.  The onions, mushroom and turkey pepperoni added a unique flavor."

Below is the link to the recipe that I used, however I made some changes which are listed below too. 

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/hot-german-potato-salad-iii/detail.aspx

Changes

1. I did not peel the potatoes and I just cut them into chunks instead of slices
2. I did not have bacon so I used the turkey pepperoni.  I just tossed it in at the end so I skipped that step completely
3. I did not use celery seed, but I did add dry parsley and garlic powder
4. When I sauteed the onions I also added mushrooms

" The thing that is great about cooking is you really can be creative even if you start out following a recipe.  You can make your own changes along the way.  The same can be true for baking, but you have to be a little more careful, because certain recipe changes can not be made or you will have big mess on your hands. "

Kick it Up Grilled Cheese and Homemade Chicken Vegetable Soup

Chicken Soup with Carrots, Celery, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Filled a Deep Stock Pot with Water, Sprinkle in Salt, Pepper and Italian Seasoning, and 1 Large Chopped Onion

2. Add 1 Whole Uncooked Chicken and Bring Contents to a Boil on High Heat ( I use an Organic Chicken)

3. Lower Heat to Medium Low and Simmer for 2 Hours

4. Remove Whole Chicken from the Pot - Meat Should be Tender and Fall of the Bone

5. Remove all skin and bones and discard

6. Set Aside the Amount of Chicken you want in your soup - the rest can be refrigerated or put in the freezer for a later date

7. Strain Remaining Liquid/Broth - There will be a lot - Set Aside Enough to Make a Nice Batch of Soup and then I usually put the rest in containers and freeze for a later date. 

8. Place Broth for Soup into a smaller pot

9. Peel and Slice Carrots, Slice Zucchini, Squash, and Celery

10. Place all Vegetables Pieces into the broth - Put on Medium/ High Heat till Boils

11. Add Shredded Chicken Pieces -  Lower Heat and Simmer till Vegetables are Tender

12 . Serve and Enjoy

" I enjoy this soup because it is  comforting and warm. Even on a hot August day if I've been in AC all day it is a good meal. It is also very healthy for me too! "

Grilled Cheddar Cheese on Sprouted  Ezekiel Bread with Tomatoes and Spinach

Method

1. Slice a Fresh Ripe Tomato

2. Set Aside Enough Fresh Spinach for 1 Sandwich

3. Have Two Slices of Bread - Butter one Side of 1 piece and set aside

4. On the Other Slice Place 1 Piece of Cheese ( I used cheddar, but any cheese will work), 2 Thin Slices of Tomato and the spinach - Top with other Slice of Bread - Butter Side on Top

5. Lightly Coat your frying pan with Oil and Heat up on Medium Heat

6. Once Pan is Hot Place Sandwich Butter Side Down

7. Butter Top Piece of Bread While Sandwich is in Pan

8. When Bottom Side is Golden Flip Sandwich Until it is Golden too

9. Remove From the Pan and Take a Bite

"This Sandwich went nicely with my soup, the tomato added a juicy texture while the spinach added a little soft crunch as it wasn't fully cooked. The sprouted bread was  moist and would be easy to digest for those of you who may not be able to of regular breads made with wheat flour.  The best part was once I ate all the vegetables/chicken from my soup, I still had some broth left so I could dip my sandwich in the broth and that was even more spectacular."  Overall a good meal! You will see a repeat as it got my husband's approval too!

"Oh Yeah! I can't forget to tell ya'll that I washed it all down with a lovely glass of fresh lemonade from a store called Earthfare, to me this lemonade has just the right amount of sugar and lemon spark" Delish!

Chicken Fajitas with Lime Rice





 Chicken, Red Pepper, Green Pepper, Onion and Frontera Chipotle Lime Sauce

Method

1. Slice 1 Green pepper and 1 Red pepper into thin strips

2. Slice 1 Onion Into think strips

3. Coat Frying Pan with Olive Oil

4. Heat Pan

5. Saute peppers and onion till tender and browned

6.  Add previously cooked pieces of chicken

7. Stir in Frontera Chipotle Lime Sauce and Simmer





 Brown Rice, salt, pepper, butter and lime juice

Method

1. Cook brown rice per package directions  - 1/2 cup of rice per 1 cup of water

2. Stir in pinch of salt, dash of pepper, 1 tablespoon of butter and juice from half of a lime





Whole Wheat Tortillas

Method

1. Preheat Oven to 350 degrees and warm tortillas in oven for 5 - 7 minutes



Filled Tortilla with greek yogurt/salsa topping

Method

1. Put Chicken/Pepper/ Onion mixture in warmed tortilla

2. Put Rice in tortilla or place on the side if you prefer

3. Top with Greek Yogurt/ Salsa Mixture which was made by taking 1 cup of yogurt and strirring in 1/2 cup of your salsa of choice

Why the Final Product Tasted Great?

1. The Chicken, Peppers and Onions were tender and full of flavor

2. It had just the right amount of spice and was balanced with the greek yogurt topping

3. The tortillas were fresh, warm and soft

4. The rice was seasoned well and the lime acidity wasn't to heavy or too light

5. The rice was cooked so it wasn't too gummy or crunchy















A Letter to My Followers

Hello Followers,
I know there are only a few of you out there right now, but I would like to share with you my thoughts on this blog and ask for your feedback.  I am definitely passionate about food and the hospitality industry, but currently am not actually working in the field.  This blog is a way for me to talk about food and allow myself to use my passion in a positive way.  However, I am still trying to figure out my goals as far as where I would like to take the blog.  For those of you who have been reading.  What do you think?  Do you enjoy reading my blog? Do you get bored easily? Are there certain things that you wish I would explain further? Should I stick with the theme of what I had for dinner or do you think I should head in a different direction?  Please let me know your thoughts.  I will consider both constructive criticism and positive responses.  

Thanks,
Natalie

Won Tons, Veggie Lasagna and Picnic Dinner

Thursday night, I ate organic chicken won tons with a side of roasted asparagus.  The won tons were boiled and then sauteed in olive oil. The asparagus were drizzled with olive oil and soy sauce and sprinkled with salt and pepper, then put in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes.

Friday night we traveled to Lebanon, Pennsylvania! I ate a wonderful home cooked meal. Vegetable lasagna, bread from La Brea bakery to be dipped in olive oil and garlic and champagne to celebrate time with the family.

Saturday we went to a local amusement park for a family reunion. For dinner I had part of a pork bbq sandwich, part of a chicken leg and a baked potato.  The best part of the meal was just having the time to spend with my family.  The food was good, but nothing over the top.  Something I've learned is that a good meal may not be all about the food while other times it is all about the food.  In this circumstance the food was secondary to the time being with others. Let's face it sometimes food is what brings us all together.

Not Much to Report

"I don't really have too much to say today about dinner last night." It was pretty much leftovers and odds and ends."  I won't bore you with the details.  Hopefully something worthy of a post tomorrow.  Thanks to you who keep following me, I appreciate your support."

Chili Gone Bad -What Now?

"Yesterday I had planned on making a turkey chili over rice. I was talking with my sister on the phone while measuring out the ingredients for the chili.  As I was about to say goodbye I realized that I had measured the rice right into the other chili ingredients.  NOT GOOD! The rice was supposed to be cooked separately and then the chili should have been poured over the rice! There was no way to scoop out the rice as there were other ingredients already on top.  Ahhh! So I thought, well I will try to cook the rice in the tomato/bean liquid and see if it will still cook properly? Nope, didn't work. Boiled the rice in the liquid for about 40 minutes, tasted it and the rice was still crunchy! Dang, the chili was a not happening.  Luckily, I had not poured in the cooked turkey meat.   I had to throw away the bean, tomato, rice mixture.  It was 8:00pm and dinner still wasn't done.   I took the turkey meat added some leftover tomato sauce and poured it over some cooked shell noodles. Along with the pasta I had a English Cucumber, spinach, tomato and crouton salad with a raspberry vinaigrette."

Lesson learned, don't talk while in the middle of the measuring process of the recipe! Thought I learned that by now.  Oh well, better luck next time with the chili recipe. 
Have you ever had a recipe gone bad?  What did you do to fix it? Please share!

Homemade Pizza

"What you are seeing in the photo below is a freshly baked homemade pizza.  I made my own dough which is very simple if you want to give it a try.  The recipe is as follows:

Pizza Dough
1 Packet Quick Rise Yeast
1 Cup of Warm Water (about 110 degrees)
21/2  to 3 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 tsp of Salt
2 tsp of Olive Oil
Olive Oil and Corn Meal for Pizza Pan
Mix the yeast and water. Add the salt, olive oil and 2 1/2 cups of flour.  Mix till incorporated.  Add rest of flour 1/2 cup at a time.  Mix about 4 mins more till dough starts hitting sides.  Place in a oil glazed bowl, put a towel over and put in a warm place for 1 hour.  Will be doubled in size. Punch down.  Brush pizza pan with oil and sprinkle with corn meal.  Stretch and Press Dough on Pizza Pan. Make yourself a nice crust. 

Next - Put on whatever toppings you like! What is your favorite topping?
I used garlic and tomato sauce, onion, tomatoes, spinach, ham, parmasean cheese and fresh mozzarella cheese. 
Bake for 12 - 15 min at 425 degrees.  Tasted great! My crust was a little on the thicker side put you could use less dough and make a thin crust if you prefer.  I love using the fresh ingredients it just tastes better than the processed stuff.

Dinner on the Grill

"Friday is always a good night for a burger, so I decided on a turkey burger on the grill. I always am one to spice things up so I sauted fresh spinach and garlic and used it along with provolone cheese to top my burger.  The spinach added extra flavor making my turkey burger more exciting then normal! The burger was then placed on a thin honey wheat bun.  I like the thin buns cause it helps hold the burger in place, but doesn't fill me up on "bun".  As a side I grilled up a few french fries.  Ha, yes you heard me right, I put the french fries in some foil and threw them on the grill too.  They were crunchy and had that smokey grill flavor.  What is your favorite burger topping?  Have you tried mushrooms, onions, peppers?"

Did you know that spinach has fiber in it which aids in digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs overeating?

Trying Trout

"It's been awhile since I've had trout for dinner and I wanted to give it a try again. Are there any foods that you haven't tried in awhile that you would like to try again soon?  I purchased the fish from a local grocery store called Earthfare.  It had already been marinating in a bourbon sauce which smelled great.  Originally I thought I would cook the trout on the grill, but come dinner time the weather outside was pretty nasty.  So I decided to simply bake it in the oven on 350 degrees for about 15 min.  When eating the trout it was full of the bourbon flavor without being too over powering.  The fish tasted fresh and moist and almost melted in my mouth! What flavors do you like with your trout? Do you think you would have enjoyed the bourbon flavor?  My two side dishes were roasted soy asparagus and roasted garlic fingerling potatoes.  The asparagus were drizzled with soy sauce and olive oil and sprinkled with salt and pepper.  The fingerling potatoes were sliced and drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with garlic, salt, pepper and chili powder.  Both sides were wrapped in foil and roasted in a 400 degree oven for 30 mins.  They went nicely with the fish and were quick and easy to prepare . " Lastly, did you know that 1 - 3oz filet of trout contains 19 grams of protein?  Not bad for a fish!

The Invention of a New Lasagna

"My refrigerator was mostly empty, but I needed to make dinner before I could get to the grocery store. Have you ever been in this situation?  I took some cooked turkey meat, tomato sauce, onions, no bake lasagna noodles and a little bit of seasoning and made a simple version of lasagna.  No ricotta or mozzarella cheese to help fill the standard 9 x 13 pan, so I used a loaf pan instead.  I heated the layered ingredients in the oven for about 50 min on 350 degrees and dinner was made."  Sometimes you just need to be creative and take whatever it is that you have and make something out of it.  Who knows, maybe I will end up making this one again. Have you ever had bare bones ingredients in your kitchen, but were able to create a masterpiece?" What did you create?

Sorry the picture came out a little dark.  I think I will be eating leftovers of this tonight so I will try and post a better picture later. 

Mexican Restaurant Night!

 "Last night I went to a new Mexican Restaurant in town.  I ordered a beef and cheese tostada, a cheese enchilada and a beef taco.  In addition, I had an ice cold margarita to drink.  Honestly, the food tasted ok, but I've definitely had better.  The margarita was more a yellowish color rather then green which was different then I expected and it was definitely on the weak side.  Out of convenience we may go back to this place, but it would not be near the bottom of the list for Mexican restaurants in town."



Question: Has anyone ever had a really awesome margarita?  Where was it served?  Was it frozen or on the rocks?  With or without salt?  Was it filled with flavor? Would love to hear your feedback!

Tuna Melt Goodness

"Last night I ate a simple, but good tuna melt"  It was tuna fish mixed with olive oil mayo on a whole wheat roll, topped with cheddar cheese." The tuna melt was warmed in the oven on a cookie sheet under the broiler.  This is a great meal if you need something quick. 

Flashback Weekend Night Extravaganza - The Gin Joint and Beyond

"Saturday I headed to Charleston, South Carolina to visit my dear college friends. For dinner we started with drinks and appetizers at their amazing restaurant called the Gin Joint. If you are ever in Charleston this place is a MUST stop.  The food is incredible and the drinks will put you right up on Cloud 9."  The appetizers we had were as follows:
Fingerling Potato Skins, aged cheddar, bacon and sour cream - These little slices of joy were cooked to perfection with a fresh crisp skin and the right amount of flavor
Pad Thai Popcorn , lime, fish sauce and palm sugar - Wowser! This was my favorite, it had just the right amount of spice and the fish sauce gave it just what it needed to remind me of the traditional pad thai dish, it was crunchy and not soggy in the least. YUM!
Homemade Soft Pretzels, Maldon sea salt, sriracha cheese - Who doesn't like a good soft pretzel with cheese?
Homemade Beef Jerky, soy, garlic, chilli - When they say homemade here, they mean it - this chewy jerky was a delight and it would not be terrible to have some of this in your back pocket while camping in the woods. 
Confit Shrimp, extra virgin olive oil, fennel, lemon, capers - The presentation on this was unique with the shrimp in a small mason jar  - these bad boys were yummy - the oil provided a lovely flavor and I didn't get that overpowering shrimp taste. 

Now the drinks, well, I just can't get over how amazing they taste. I tried several, but the two that were designated to me had very fancy names that I don't remember. One had a grapefruit flavor and the other was a basil.  I didn't think I would like the basil, but I was wrong, as it was very very good.  The fresh quality of these drinks with the right amount of ice every time is to be commended.  I've had drinks in New York, LA, Charlotte, Paris, ect. and none compare to the Gin Joint.  This is by far my FAVORITE place to go for drinks.  If you want vodka or a Bud Light you better go elsewhere because the class and style in these drinks is going to be far beyond what you could imagine.  Ah, I can't wait till the next time.

The Gin Joint Joint was only the beginning course, next we headed to Chai's Lounge which was also located downtown Charleston.  My friends mom needs to eat gluten free, so the chef prepared a very special gluten free menu for us.  If you didn't tell me it was gluten free I would not have known.  It all tasted so good. The lounge was very dark so I wasn't able to take pictures of the food, but here is just a glimpse into what we had.

A very lovely Riesling Wine that was crisp, refreshing and went well with the food.  Normally you get the alcohol burn at the end, but not with this wine as it was very clean at the finish.
Marinated Tomato Salad, arugula, goat cheese, pistachio balsamic - the goat cheese was very creamy and went nicely with the ripe tomatoes
CrispyRock Shrimp, tempura, blood orange, pickled fennel - it was a gluten version of the tempura batter which was fascinating! It wasn't too greasy which was good.
Pork Carnitas, avacado creme fraiche, pico de gallo, corn tortilla - simple but good - all fresh ingrediants
Butcher's Plate, housemade & imported selection of charcuterie, cornichon, house mustard, chutney, crostini . assorted cheese - I loved this because it was a lot of variety, but simple and enjoyable.
Dessert - I just remember it was a smore theme also a gluten free version - the chocolate part was very smooth and went well with the red Pinot Noir that we had.  We also had a dessert with pana cotta, strawberries and with some sort of a white chocolatey crunch. The pana cotta was a little grainy to me, but everything else was wonderful. 

A night to remember.

LOL! Ha, Sunday night I drove home from Charleston and it was late so I opted for a Jr. Whopper and french fries from Burger King. LOL again, I'm not going to even describe this one as it is like dirt compared to the night before.