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. "