bbq desserts: 2009

Holiday Gift Ideas

Here are some food gift ideas to give your foodie friends. These work well for those work people you just don't know what to get.

Buy little mason jars, clean/sterilize them and fill with my pesto or tapenade. Tie a little bow or ribbon around the jar.

Homemade baked cookies are always good. I like snickerdoodles.

This year I am also making some white chocolate bark to give to lots of people. Wrap in some holiday plastic wrap or baggies and tie with a bow. Or if you have any of those holiday tins you can put them in there.

White Chocolate Bark
1 pound good quality white chocolate
1/2 cup craisins
1/2 cup pistachios, roughly chopped

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or a silicone baking mat.

Create a double boiler by placing a glass bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water. Add the chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Be sure to not overheat or the chocolate will seize.

Add the pistachios and craisins and mix well. Pour the mixture onto the baking sheet and spread out evenly, about 1/4 inch thick, with an offset spatula (those are the ones used for frosting a cake, but you could use a butter knife or rubber spatula if you don't have an offset one). Tap the pan firmly a couple of times onto the counter to settle the chocolate.

Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to set before breaking into pieces. Wrap or package to your liking and your gift is all set.

Old Bay Holiday Gift Contest

My friends at Old Bay Seasoning contacted me again about a great new contest in honor of the Holi-Bays. They're running it through Facebook for all of their fans. I have posted the details below. Good Luck!

Celebrate the Holi-Bays Contest:

November 19th through December 25th, OLD BAY wants to hear from its Facebook fans* on how they use their favorite spice blend during the holidays - it could be whipping up an OLD BAY recipe, sprinkling it on a holiday favorite, using it as a holiday decoration or giving it as a gift.
To enter the contest, post a photo on the fan page (www.facebook.com/oldbay) showing how you zest up your holidays using OLD BAY – (Entries are limited to one photo posting per week).
Each post will be voted on by the amount of “likes” it receives from fellow Facebook fan members.
The photo post with the most “likes” will receive an “Ultimate Holi-Bay Gift Basket” ($140 value) that includes a $25 gift card, a steamer pot and fryer, tons of OLD BAY products, 5 sample packs of OLD BAY for you to share with friends and family, as well as some items for the ultimate OLD BAY fan – branded t-shirts, cups, temporary tattoos, and an inner tube for sledding (or relaxing in the water for those who live in warm weather all year round)!
One winner will be announced each week, starting the week of November 30th.
All gift baskets will be mailed out upon receiving each winner’s address information.*You must be a Facebook member and fan of OLD BAY’s Facebook page to enter contest

Throughout the contest, OLD BAY will also be offering its fans great tips on how they can make it a Happy Holi-Bay and zesty New Year! Here are just a few of the recipes we think would be great for holiday gatherings:

Hot Crab Dip - http://oldbay.com/Recipes/Crab/Appetizers/Hot-Crab-Dip.aspx
OLD BAY Crab Cakes - http://oldbay.com/Recipes/Crab/Main-Course/OLD-BAY-Crab-Cakes.aspx
OLD BAY Steamed Shrimp with Cocktail Sauce - http://oldbay.com/Recipes/Shrimp/Main-Course/OLD-BAY-Steamed-Shrimp-with-Cocktail-Sauce.aspx

* I definitely want to try out the hot crab dip. Would be great with some yummy crackers.

Wedge Salad with Blue Cheese Dressing

As promised, here is the blue cheese dressing recipe I made for husband's birthday and served on a wedge of iceberg. I wanted to test it first because it was something I played with. I am happy to report it was really good. The dressing would be great with buffalo wings or a vegetable platter for your next get together.

Ingredients:
3/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup finely chopped shallot (about 1 shallot)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (about half a lemon)
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1/2 cup crumbled domestic blue cheese
1 head iceberg lettuce, core trimmed, cut lengthwise into quarters
small grape or cherry tomatoes (optional)
crumbled bacon (optional)

Whisk together buttermilk, mayonnaise, shallot, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in a small bowl. Stir in blue cheese. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold, about 30 minutes. Place each wedge of lettuce on an individual plate. Drizzle each wedge with dressing and garnish with tomatoes and bacon, if desired.

Penne with Vodka Sauce

Tomorrow is my husband's birthday, so I always try to make something special for him. Last year I made Chicken Carbonara, a dish I usually ridicule him for ordering at restaurants because I am sure it takes a year off of his life, but I figured for his birthday I would make an exception. And boy was it good! This year I am making Penne with Vodka Sauce and serving it with a wedge salad topped with homemade blue cheese dressing. Below is the recipe I am using for the main course. I will post the blue cheese dressing recipe tomorrow after I try it out. I am sort of experimenting, so want to make sure it is delicious before I pass it on.

Ingredients:
(This is Giada De Laurentiis' recipe from her cookbook, Everyday Italian)
1 quart (4 cups) simple tomato sauce, blended until smooth (see my Holy Marinara post and do yourself a favor and double the recipe. Freeze the extra in freezer bags in 2 cup portions)
1 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1 pound penne

Simmer the tomato sauce and vodka in a heavy large skillet over low heat until the mixture reduces by 1/4, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Stir the cream into the tomato and vodka sauce. Simmer over low heat until the sauce is heated through. Stir in the Parmesan cheese until melted and well blended.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 minutes. Drain the pasta and transfer it to the pan with the sauce, and toss to coat.

Creamy Cauliflower Puree

This one is for all my low carb lovers. I have recommeded before taking cauliflower and mashing it up in the place of mashed potatoes, so here is a great recipe. I haven't actually tried it, but I plan on making it soon. This recipe is courtesy of my boss via Eating Well Magazine. If my boss and fellow foodie likes it, it has to be good.

Ingredients:
8 cups bite-size cauliflower florets (about 1 head)
4 cloves garlic, crushed and peeled
1/3 cup buttermilk
4 teaspoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 teaspoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt, or to taste
Freshly ground pepper to taste
Snipped fresh chives for garnish

Place cauliflower florets and garlic in a steamer basket over boiling water, cover and steam until very tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Place the cooked cauliflower and garlic in a food processor. Add buttermilk, 2 teaspoons oil, butter, salt and pepper; pulse several times, then process until smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl. Drizzle with the remaining 2 teaspoons oil and garnish with chives, if desired. Serve hot.

Veggie Side Dishes for Thanksgiving

Roasting vegetables is a very healthy and delicious way to cook vegetables. It enhances the flavors of the vegetables without losing any of the nutrients. Drizzle the vegetables with olive oil, season with a little Kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper. You could also use some fresh or dried herbs, a squeeze of lemon, etc.

Roast Asparagus
Start by trimming the ends of a bunch of asparagus. The easiest way to do this is hold one at each of the ends and bend until it snaps, this will give you a good guide and then you can use a knife to cut the rest of the bunch at the same place.Lay the asparagus out on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil and season with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. You could squeeze a little fresh lemon on top. Bake the asparagus in a pre-heated oven at around 400 degrees. Cook for about 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the stalks. At about halfway turn the asparagus.

Roasted Brussel Sprouts
I know most people don't like brussel sprouts, but that is probably because your mom used to boil the hell out of them until they were mushy and lacked all flavor. This is a much tastier wa of preparing them. Lay out the brussel sprouts on a cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil; season with Kosher salt and fresh cracked pepper. Bake for 30 minutes in a 400-degree oven.

Here is a more modern and healthier take on the traditional green bean casserole.
Green Beans with Carmelized Onions and Sliced Almonds
2 lbs green beans, ends trimmed and rinsed
1 yellow or sweet onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 large clove of garlic, chopped
1 small package of sliced almonds (can be found in the baking aisle of your grocer)
2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Fresh black pepper

Heat the olive oil in a large nonstick pan over medium to medium-high heat. Add the onion and sauté until caramelized, about 10 minutes or so. Meanwhile in another shallow pan with tight-fitting lid, add a couple of inches of water. Bring to a boil. Season well with a few good pinches of the salt. Add the green beans and put on the lid. Let steam for about 3-5 minutes. They should be bright green and still have some crunch. This maintains flavor and nutrients. Drain the green beans and shock them in a bowl of ice water. This allows the beans to maintain that great bright color. Once the onions are caramelized, add the garlic and almonds to the pan and let brown for just a minute. Then add the green beans and sauté to coat them in the oil and allow for the onions and almonds to distribute. Season well with pepper and a little more salt.

Re-post: Southern-style Cornbread Stuffing

I posted this recipe last year after my husband asked me to make a stuffing to bring to his work holiday luncheon. Well, he signed me up again this year for their Thanksgiving luncheon that is tomorrow. I happily obliged, even though he forgot to tell me and remembered on Monday. But, he did make it up, by going to the store and buying everything and helping me as my sous chef chopping up the onions that always make me cry and doing all the dishes!

Ingredients:
Cornbread, I just made a cornbread mix from a package
8 slices white bread
1 sleeve of saltine crackers
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 cups of celery, chopped (about 8 stalks)
1 onion, chopped
4-6 cups of chicken stock (start with 4 and add more if it isn't moist enough)
Kosher salt and pepper
1 teaspoon dried sage
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
4-5 eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay the slices of white bread on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for just a few minutes, until lightly toasted. In a large bowl, crumble the cornbread, white bread, and saltines together; set aside.

In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the celery and onion, salt and pepper to taste. Cook until soft and transparent, about 10 minutes. Stir in the sage and poultry seasoning. Pour the vegetable mixture over the bread mixture. Add the stock and a little more salt and pepper to taste; mix well. Now add the beaten eggs; mix well.

Pour mixture into a lightly greased cooking pan (9x13) and bake until dressing is cooked through and lightly brown on top, about 45 minutes.

Pork Chops with a Caper Sauce

Here is another great Mediterranean-inspired meal. Nice and healthy, utilizing ingredients you may already have in your pantry.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsp olive oil
4 boneless pork chops, about an inch or two thick
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
2 generous handfuls of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, divided
1/2 cup dry white wine, like a Pinot Grigio
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with their juices (I like to use the no salt added tomatoes)
1/2 lemon, zested and the juice
2 tablespoons capers

In a large, heavy skillet heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Season the pork chops with salt and pepper. Add the pork to the pan and brown on both sides, about 4 minutes each side. Remove the pork from the pan, cover loosely with foil, and set aside.

Add the shallots and half of the parsley to the pan and cook over medium heat until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the wine. Using a wooden spoon, scrape the brown bits off the bottom of the pan. Add the tomatoes and stir. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the pork back into the pan, so they are mostly submerged in the pan juices and tomatoes. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 12 to 15 minutes, until the pork is cooked through.

Place the pork on a serving dish. To finish the sauce, add the lemon zest, remaining parsley, capers, and salt and pepper to taste. Stir to combine. Spoon over the pork chops and serve immediately.

I served it with rice pilaf and steamed broccoli.

White Chipotle Chicken Chili

My husband's co-worker sent us this recipe courtesy of the South Beach Diet, so it's healthy and low-carb. It was very flavorful and we made only a couple slight changes. We ended up putting in a entire 7.5 ounce can of chipotle peppers when the recipe only calls for a teaspoon. It was pretty spicy, so if you don't like spicy, I recommend sticking to the recipe's guidelines. Also, removing the seeds will take away most of the heat, as the seeds are where most of the heat is stored. However, if you like spicy go our route.

Ingredients:
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (1 ¾ lb), cut into 1-inch chunks
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp ground cumin
Salt and black pepper
3 cans (14.5-oz size) white kidney or cannellini beans, drained (save ½ cup draining liquid) and rinsed
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, divided
1 tsp canned chipotle chili, seeded and minced
½ cup nonfat half-and-half (I used regular half-and-half, so I am sure I added a few more calories and fat grams)
Garnishes: Shredded reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese, chopped fresh cilantro leaves

Warm oil in large saucepan or Dutch oven over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook 4 minutes, stirring. Push onion mixture to one side; add chicken to skillet; sprinkle mixture with chili powder, cumin, salt, and pepper. Cook 5 minutes, stirring.

Increase heat to medium-high. Add 2 cans of the beans and draining liquid, 1 ¼ cups broth, and chipotle; bring to a simmer. Cook 10 minutes, until chicken is cooked through.

Meanwhile, combine remaining 1 can beans and ¾ cup broth in bowl of food processor. Puree until smooth. Add to soup in pot, along with half-and-half. Simmer a few minutes, stirring, until warmed through and flavors incorporated. Serve hot; garnish with cheese and cilantro.

Nutritional Information:
360 calories
41g protein
33 g carbohydrate
8 g fiber
5 g total fat
1g saturated fat
85 mg cholesterol
671mg sodium

Publix Apron's Recipe: Tuscan-Style Chicken

I made my first Publix Apron's Simple Meals recipe tonight. I picked up the flyer this week while grocery shopping and saw this recipe. It was pretty good. What is nice about the Simple Meals is that they are quick and usually use only one or two pots/pans. Plus you can find all the ingredients right there in the store.

Here is a link to the Tuscan-Style Chicken with Italian Sauteed Beans: http://www.publix.com/aprons/meals/AllRecipes/SimpleMeal.do?mealId=3118&mealGroupId=1000

I perused around a little bit and saw some other yummy-sounding recipes as well. Yet another great resource for quick, healthy and family-friendly meal ideas.

I'm Back

Sorry I have been M.I.A the past week. I have honestly been overwhelmed with my new dog, Lily. She is a very sweet, well-behaved girl, but I can tell she is also very sensitive. I have just been worried about her. I want to make sure she is happy and adjusting well. And to be honest, I have been adjusting, too. I have never really had a dog of my own, so I guess the responsibility has just been a little overwhelming. Not to mention I am a total worry wart anyway, so I have just been a bundle of nerves lately.

Things are getting better though. I am getting used to it and we are getting in a bit of routine. Luckily, my husband seems to be quite fond of her as well. He didn't really want a dog, but gave in to make me happy (I know, sweet). But he has been very patient with not only Lily, but more with me. He has been reassuring and really helpful. He even gave her a bath - solo - the other night when I was out at an event.

It's been only a little over a week and we've already had to attend our first vet appointment. I honestly didn't think we'd have to worry about that yet because she is an older dog and supposedly the breeder took her to the vet a couple days before sending her. But, I noticed she was really scratching and rubbing at her ear, and when we were over at my friend's house on Saturday we noticed her ears were really dirty, so we cleaned them. We thought she might have an infection, and boy did she! The vet let us look into her ears and they were filled with all kinds of crap; yeast and bacteria. So know were are flushing her ears out with cleaner, putting these other drops in and giving her oral medication. She already seems better though and she is very cooperative.

Anyway, with everything going on I haven't been cooking much, but I am getting back on track.

Target Deals: Candles and Stain Remover

I ran into Target the other day and found some great deals on candles and stain remover, both of which we use a lot.

Glade Scented Oil Candles

Currently, these are $2.50 each. If you buy 5, you get a $5.00 gift card. Inside the packages, I found a coupon for $2.00 off 2. I purchased 4 candles and a refill pack. This is the breakdown:

$2.50 x 4 candles = $10.00

$2.50 x 1 refill = $ 2.50

$12.50 subtotal

$ 4.00 coupons

$ 8.50 subtotal

$ 5.00 gift card

$ 3.50 grand total for all candles

I plan on rolling this deal a few more times because the deal doesn't end until 12/26. Also, I saw some coupons in the past Sunday paper for these so I am going to use those as well.

Tide Stain Booster

I am the laundry queen. I love a good stain challenge and believe me, my family can throw some good ones my way. I LOVE this new Tide Wash Booster, but it is so expensive! Imagine my complete and utter happiness that I came across the 50 ounce bottle in the cleareance section of my Target! They were originally $11.99 but were marked down to $5.98 and I had two $1.50 coupons making these a steal at $4.48 each. That is $.49 more than the small bottle that they had in the laundry section for $3.99. This should last me at least until the end of the year. Woo-hoo!!!

Welcome Lily to the Family

Meet the new addition to my family, Lily. She's an adorable, sweet, almost five year-old Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that we adopted. She flew in yesterday from Alabama. For years I have wanted a Cavalier and now I have one. I am so excited. She is still adjusting, but doing well. You can count on more Lily-related posts in the future.

Hungarian Goulash in the Crock Pot

I have posted a goulash recipe before, but this one is a little different. It uses cubed steak instead of ground beef. I have made this one before and it is very good. Best of all the Crock Pot does all of the work. It dawned on me last night that this would be a very fitting Halloween dinner. You know with ghosts and ghouls... goulash. This recipe is from my Fix It and Forget It Cookbook.

Ingredients:
2 lbs round steak, cubed
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 and 1/2 tsp paprika
1 (10 and 3/4 ounce) can tomato soup
1/2 soup can water
1 cup sour cream
1 lb egg noodles

Mix meat, onion powder, garlic powder and flour together in slow cooker until meat is well coated.

Add remaining ingredients, except sour cream. Stir well.

Cover. Cook on low for 8-10 hours, or high for 4-5 hours.

Add sour cream 30 minutes before serving. Boil the egg noodles according to the package directions. Serve the goulash over the hot noodles.

Walgreens Deals: More rolling deals!

I had some great rolling deals this morning. Here is what I purchased:

TRANSACTION #1
Bought:

Vaseline Infustion Lotion $6.99
Halls Refreshe $1.00

Subtotal: $$7.99

Coupons Used:

Vaseline Infusion Lotion $1.50
Halls Refreshe $.35

Subtotal: $1.85
Total OOP: $6.65 w/tax

Received:

RR Vaseline Lotion $7.00
RR Halls Refreshe $1.00

Subtotal: $8.00

Total for transaction #1: $1.35 profit

TRANSACTION #2

Bought:

Dulcolax Balance $7.00
Robitussin To Go $2.49
Trident Layers Gum $1.29
Trident Layers Gum $.71

Subtotal: $10.49

Coupons Used:

Dulcolax Balance $3.00 (cpn can be found on bottle or here)
Trident Layers $1.29 (cpn was B1G1, Walgreen's takes the highest price)
Chapstick RR $3.00

Subtotal: $7.29

Total OOP: $3.94 w/tax

Received:

RR Dulcolax Balance $4.00
RR Robitussin To Go $2.50 (also received a $1.00 cpn for the 10ct pack)
Trident Layers Gum $1.00

Subtotal: $7.50

Bonus:
There is a $5.00 MIR for the Dulxolax Balance, so this make it even a great deal!

Total for transaction #2: $3.56 profit + $5.00 MIR = $8.56 (This is a great money maker!)

Grand total for both tranactions:
   $10.59 OOP
  -$15.50 RR
-$ 5.00 MIR
   $9.91 PROFIT!

Walgreens Deals: Made a Profit!

I stopped by Walgreens today and picked up a few items. Here is what I purchased:

I bought:

Oust Surface & Air Spray $2.99
Dulcolax Balance $7.00
Chapstick $2.99
Trident Total Gum $1.29 ($2.00 for 2)
Trident Total Gum $ .71
Halls Refresh $1.00
Robitussin To Go $2.49
Emergen-C $3.49
Super Poligrip $2.49 (to keep my neice's vampire teeth in)
Beano-To-Go $2.49
Dentex Dental Floss $2.00

Total $28.45

Coupons Used:

Trident B1G1 Free $1.29
Halls Refresh $.75
Oust Surface & Air $1.00
Vasseline Lotion $1.50 (I just realized that I forgot to put this item in my basket, but the cashier ran the coupon anyway)
Dulcolax $3.00
Gillette MVP Razor Reward $6.00

Subtotal of Coupons $13.54

Total OOP: $14.91 + $1.82 tax

Rewards Received:

$1.00 Oust Surface & Air
$1.00 Trident Layers Gum
$1.00 Halls Refresh
$2.00 Poligrip
$2.00 Dentex Floss
$2.50 Robitussin To Go
$2.50 Beano
$3.00 Chapstick
$3.50 Emergen-C
$4.00 Dulcolax Balance

Total: $22.50 RR

Summary:

Spent $16.73

Received $22.50 in RR

Profit: $5.77

Spinach and Artichoke Calzones

Here's a great vegetarian recipe that even kids will love.

Ingredients:
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups low-moisture, part skim ricotta cheese
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and squeeze well to release all of the water
1 (15-ounce) can quartered artichoke hearts, drained and roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded
black pepper
1 (10 ounce) tube refrigerated pizza dough, regular is better than thin crust
marinara or pizza sauce, warmed for dipping

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl, mix together the ricotta, parmesan, spinach, artichoke hearts, garlic and mozzarella until well incorporated. Season with pepper. Set aside.

Roll the tube of pizza dough out onto a nonstick cookie sheet. Cut the dough in half across. Divide the spinach mixture in half and spread across one side of each piece of dough. Fold the dough over top of filling and pinch edges firmly to seal.

Bake for 12-15 minutes until golden brown. Serve with tomato sauce on the side for dipping.

Pepper Pork Chops with Wine Sauce

This is a quick, easy recipe that would also be good with chicken or fish. This is a take on a Ellie Krieger recipe.

Ingredients:
4 boneless pork loin chops
dijon mustard
fresh cracked pepper
olive oil
1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dry red or white wine
Kosher salt to taste

Spread a little dijon mustard on both sides of the pork chops and rub with black pepper, as much as you like. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the pork chops on both sides until browned and the inside is no longer pink, but still juicy, about 10 minutes total.

Transfer the meat to a plate and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. Add the broth and wine to the pan and cook over medium-high heat, scraping up any brown bits from the pan. Continue to cook until the sauce has reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 8 minutes. Pour the sauce over the meat, season with salt, and serve.

Book Club Pick: She's Come Undone

We're switching things up this month, reading something a little different. This is a bit of an older book, written back in 1997 I believe. It of course became a best seller when Oprah picked it for her book club.

"Mine is a story of craving: an unreliable account of lusts and troubles that began, somehow, in 1956 on the day our free television was delivered . . . "

Meet Dolores Price. She's 13, wise-mouthed but wounded, having bid her childhood goodbye. Beached like a whale in front of her bedroom TV, she spends the next few years nourishing herself with the Mallmomars, potato chips, and Pepsi her anxious mother supplies. When she finally rolls into young womanhood at 257 pounds, Dolores is no stronger and life is no kinder. But this time she's determined to rise to the occasion and give herself one more chance before really going belly up.

In this extraordinary coming-of-age odyssey, Wally Lamb invites us to hitch a wild ride on a journey of love, pain, and renewal with the most heartbreakingly comical heroine to come along in years. At once a fragile girl and a hard-edged cynic, so tough to love yet so inimitably lovable, Dolores is as poignantly real as our own imperfections. She's Come Undone includes a promise: you will never forget Dolores Price.

About the Author: Walter (Wally) Lamb was born in Norwich, Conn., in 1950. He attended the University of Connecticut, receiving a B.A. in 1972 and an M.A. in 1977; he also earned an M.F.A. from Vermont College in 1984.

Lamb has written numerous short stories, most notably "Astronauts", which received both the Pushcart Prize and the University of Missouri's William Peden Prize in 1990. He is also the author of the bestselling novels She's Come Undone and I Know This Much Is True.

Recipe: Mom's Chicken Tortilla Soup

My mom makes the most awesome chicken tortilla soup. She doesn't have a written recipe...just throws things together. That is a talent that I don't always have. She gave me her basic recipe and I adapted it to what my family would like. Her recipe is more creamy than some of the tortilla soups that I have had at restaurants, it is not a typical broth like soup. So, here goes.....

Mom's Creamy Chicken Tortilla Soup

3 chicken breast, cubed

1 large onion, diced

1 tbsp cumin

6 - 8 cups chicken broth, depending on how thick you like your soup

2 cans cheddar cheese soup

1 can fire roasted tomatoes, diced

1 cup salsa, I used tequila lime salsa

2 cups crushed tortilla chips

salt and pepper to taste

shredded cheese

sour cream

Brown chicken cubes and onion in dutch oven with a little oil.
After chicken has browned and onions are translucent, stir in cumin, coating chicken well.
Add six cups of chicken broth.
Add both cans of cheddar cheese soup, stirring well.
Add can of diced tomatoes, with juice.
Add salsa, stirring well.
Once all ingredients are stirred and mixed, add crushed chips.
Simmer with lid on for about 30 minutes. If soup is too thick, add a little broth until it reaches the consistency you like. We like ours thick, so six cups of broth worked for us.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
To serve, add crushed chips in the bottom of the bowl and garnish with cheese and sour cream.

There are so many variations on this recipe. My mom sometimes uses the cheese sauce sold in the pasta sauce aisle. She also will use the salsa with corn and black beans.

This soup was perfect for our cold snowy evening after the kids came in from playing in the snow.

Linked to:

* And Baby Makes Five, Collen's Kitchen Recipe Swap
* It's a Blog Party: Fall Fest 2011

Book Club Eats: Beer Cheese Dip

My friend Ashley brought this dip to our book club meeting on Saturday. I really liked it, especially with pretzels for dipping. This dip is fast, easy and affordable.

Ingredients:
2 pkgs (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1/3 cup beer or nonalcoholic beer
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
2 cups (8 oz.) shredded cheddar cheese
pretzels, bagel chips, crackers, etc. for dipping

In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, beer and dressing mix until smooth. Stir in the cheese. We like beer.

Book Club Eats: Apple-Cheddar Salad

I have been wanting to make this salad for awhile, and my book club gathering was the perfect opportunity. This recipe is courtesy of my Cuisine at Home magazine. The only thing I omitted from the salad was the pecans. One of my friends is allergic to nuts, so I didn't want to kill her, she is one of my favorite people. I had meant to prepare the pecans and serve them on the side, but I forgot to even buy them.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup pecan halves or pieces
1 Tbsp sugar
pinch of salt

Toast the pecans in the butter, sugar and salt in a small saute pan over medium heat for about 3 minutes; set aside.

For the vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp fresh chives
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp Kosher salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream (I used half & half)

Combine the vinaigrette ingredients in a bowl and whisk in the cream.

Salad ingredients:
1 Braeburn apple, cored and sliced
1 bag salad mix
sharp white cheddar, shaved

Toss 1/3 of the dressing with the salad mix, apples and pecans. Garnish with the cheese. Save the remaining dressing for another use.

Recipe: Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

It was a cold morning and these sounded so good! I LOVE anything made with pumpkin and these are yummy! This is the perfect after school snack for my kids.

Pumpkin Butterscotch Muffins

4 eggs
2 cups sugar
1 (16 oz) can pumpkin
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup oil
1/2 butter, melted and cooled
3 cups flour
2 tsps baking powder
2 tsps baking soda
2 tsps cinnamon
1 tsp salt
12 ozs butterscotch chips

In large mixing bowl, combine eggs, sugar, pumpkin, vanilla, oil and butter until smooth.
Whisk dry ingredients together and add to pumpkin mixing between additions. Stir in chips.
Fill greased or lined muffin tins 3/4 full.
Bake at 400 degrees for 16 - 20 minutes.

I made 16 regular muffins and 24 mini-muffins. My cooking time was about 17 minutes.

Book Club Eats: Roasted Red Pepper "Hummus"

Here is another recipe I made for Book Club today. This is kind of like a hummus, but without the tahini paste. It is super easy and fast to make.

Ingredients:
1 (15-ounce) can of chick peas, drained and rinsed
half a jar of roasted red peppers, make sure the pieces have no seeds
about 1/2 cup of feta cheese
1 garlic clove
olive oil
Serve with crackers, pita bread, or vegatables such as carrtos, celery, cucumber, etc.

Place the chick peas, roasted red peppers, feta and garlic into a food processor. Blend until a smooth mixture forms. While the processor is running, stream in some olive oil, about a 1/4 cup, until it reaches the desired consistency, like hummus. Serve with vegetable crudite, pita bread or crackers.

Book Club Eats: French Onion Tart

Claire Robinson is my new favorite host on The Food Network. A couple of weeks ago she had an episode that had a lunch with the girls theme. She made this yummy and easy looking French Onion Tart. When I suggested to my book club that we meet at my house this month I immediately went back to that episode.

Here is the recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/claire-robinson/french-onion-tart-recipe/index.html

I love Claire because all of her recipes have five ingredients or less. Although I added a sixth ingredient to the tart, blue cheese crumbles. Just a little on top before you return the tart to the oven to reheat for five minutes.

Women's Car Care Clinic

This past week I was invited by a friend to attend this women's car care clinic. It is basically a small class for women to learn the basics of car maintenance, including changing a tire, probably the most important car-related skill a woman should know.

The clinic was held at a local Century GMC/Buick dealership in Tampa on West Hillsborough Ave. Before we get to the clinic, I have to tell you about this dealership. It has been family-owned for 40 years and this location is a new facility that just opened in 2007. It is really amazing. I have never seen such a clean and welcoming service area. They have wi-fi throughout the facility, a great looking cafe and seating area, a 14-seat movie theatre that shows movies three times a day, a gym, and flat screen TVs everywhere. Best of all they have a nail and hair salon. I mean where else can you go get your car serviced and while you wait watch a movie or get a pedicure? We got a tour of the dealership and it was really impressive. They boast tons of space for meetings and events. If you're involved with a group that ever needs some meeting space, give them a call.

The car care clinic was taught by Lori Johnson, president of Ladies, Start Your Engines. This is what she does for a living, travels teaching small groups of women how to take care of their cars to reduce the cost of ownership and extend the lives of their vehicles. The class was hands on and I really learned a lot of great tips. I am now totally comfortable with changing a tire if need be. If you work for a large company, you should really consider asking your management to hire Lori to come and educate all the female employees. She doesn't just go to dealers, anyone can hire her to teach the clinic.

In addition to changing a tire, we also learned how to check to see if our brake pads and rotors are worn out and need to be replaced. Lori showed us under the hood and we checked the oil and other fluids as well as fuses. Here is a major tip when buying a used car. One of the first things a dealer will do is change the oil. So, it is important to not only check to see if the oil is clean, but check the oil cap and inside the oil pan. If there is any crusty oil stuck inside or any discoloration in the oil, do not buy the car. This can be a sign of a bigger mechanical problem.

Ladies, I urge you all to check out her site and educate yourself. You want to be able to keep your car running as long as possible, right? And you certainly don't want to ever be taken advantage of by a dealer or mechanic.

Menu Revision

Ok, well, for the most part I stuck to my menu plan this week. On Thursday, we went costumes shopping so we didn't get home until late. So, I made Eggs on Toast....a recipe that I learned from my mother and it is so good, easy and quick! On Friday, I made pot roast and balsamic potatoes with green beans because it was my husband's birthday. Saturday we had chicken enchilada leftovers. I made the cheese sauce from the beef burritos that I previously posted hoping that it would make the taste of the enchiladas more to our liking. It didn't work and we ended up just eating nachos with the cheese sauce. The chicken enchiladas weren't bad, it just wasn't the way that we are used to eating them.

Tomorrow, I will work on the menu plan for the upcoming week. I want to challenge myself to use as much out of the freezer and pantry which are both well stocked.

Walgreens Deals

I stopped by Walgreens this afternoon to pick up on a few deals before they ended tonight. Here is what I got:

Northern TP 2 packs @$3.99 each = $7.98
Fruit Loops Cereal 2 boxes @ $1.75 each = $3.50
Halls Fruit Lozenges @ 1.00 = $1.00
Starbucks Frappuccino 2 @ $1.59 each = $3.18

SUBTOTAL = $15.66

Coupons Used:

Northern TP $1.00
Northern TP $1.00
Fruit Loops Blinkie $1.00
Fruit Loops Blinkie $1.00
Starbucks Frap Coupon $1.00
Starbucks Frap Coupon $1.00
Walgreens Frap Coupon $ .20
Walgreens Frap Coupon $ .20
Chapstick Register Reward $3.00

TOTAL = $6.06 + $ .78 tax

I received one $1.00 Register Reward for Halls Lozenges.

Tinkerbell and The Lost Treasure

This movie comes out on Tuesday, October 27. My girls can't wait! We are definitely Tinkerbell fans in this house. So imagine, my excitement, when I found a $10 coupon on the combo pack. When Snow White came out, Safeway had an awesome deal. Purchase the movie and receive a free bottle of juice and a pumpkin. So, for $14.99, I received the combo pack movie, a $4.99 bottle of all natural pomegranate juice and a $7.99 pumpkin. What a deal! Crossing my fingers for another great deal!

Seasonal Decorating: Halloween

I was reading one of my favorite blogs today, It's The Little Things That Make a House a Home, when I came across one of her postings about decorating for Halloween with bats. She did a project off the Country Living website and I think it looks terrific and easy to do....right up my ally! I would like to try it this weekend with the girls. Tomorrow is supposed to be cold and rainy and that sounds like the perfect time for craft projects.

Thanks Karla for the inspiration and did I mention that I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE your blog!

Photo provided by It's The Little Things That Make a House a Home.

~*~* QUOTE*~*~

"I've learned that people will forget what you said,

people will forget what you did,

but people will never forget how you made them feel."

Maya Angelou

Texas Rice Balls

UGH! I have been looking for a recipe for Texas Rice Balls for a while now. I remember them very fondly from when I was a kid and ate them at the Texas Rice Festival in Winnie, Texas.

I have found all kinds of recipes for rice balls but these are unique because they are fried. I did another Google search tonight and found this recipe which sounds close. I don't remember them being spicy so I might have to pick my mother's brain.

I might give it a try this weekend or maybe later next week when the kids are in school.

Recipe Review: Enchilada Casserole

Well, so far I have stuck to my menu plan. Tonight we had chicken enchiladas. They were pretty good, but I like my mother's better.

Here is the recipe that I used:

Enchilada Casserole

Next time, I will stick with my mother's. These weren't as creamy good as what I have had before. I think there was too much enchilada sauce. I even used two cans cream of chicken soup and it still wasn't the right sauce that I like. I did like having the refried beans inside the enchilada.

I also made a pot of pinto beans. I printed out the recipe here. I followed some of her recipe, except I added a hunk of ham that I had frozen in my freezer. I also cooked my beans much longer....I like them mushy. The steps for making the refried beans were very easy. Although I used bacon fat (yum!) instead of butter to saute my onions in. All in all, homemade refried beans taste so much better than the canned stuff. I don't think I will go back to canned unless in a pinch.

Book Club Pick: The Last Song

This month's Book Club pick is The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I know his books are whimsical and cheesy, but I love them. I have read almost all of them. I am a hopeless romantic so I just get lost in his books and end up finishing them in like two days.

I am excited because this Sunday I am having the girls over to my house to discuss. I am going to prepare so yummy eats for us, so check back later this week for the recipes. Right now I am thinking about a carmelized onion tart and elegant spring mix salad. Very much chick food to go with our chick lit.

Here is the background on the book from the Nicholas Sparks website:

"Seventeen year-old Veronica “Ronnie” Miller’s life was turned upside-down when her parents divorced and her father moved from New York City to Wilmington, North Carolina. Three years later, she remains angry and alienated from her parents, especially her father… until her mother decides it would be in everyone’s best interest if she spent the summer in Wilmington with him. Ronnie’s father, a former concert pianist and teacher, is living a quiet life in the beach town, immersed in creating a work of art that will become the centerpiece of a local church. The tale that unfolds is an unforgettable story about love in its myriad forms – first love, the love between parents and children – that demonstrates, as only a Nicholas Sparks novel can, the many ways that deeply felt relationships can break our hearts… and heal them."

I am about halfway through at this point, and it is very much the typical Nicholas Sparks fare. This one is aimed at a more of a younger audience since it is mostly about Ronnie, an almost 18 year-old trying to find herself.

New Boots!

After looking for boots for like three years I finally found ones that I really like. I always thought I would get brown boots, but after that great Calvin Klein find last weekend I knew I had to get black ones to wear with my new dress. I went shopping with my mom and sister on Friday and we ended up at DSW. My sister got a similar looking brown pair by Sam & Libby and I got the black ones below. They're Madden Girl and were only $50. I really like the suede, but I wasn't crazy about the bow in the back, so I pulled out the ribbon.

Double Duty Dinners - Chili

I love double duty dinners. Making something one night and then turning the leftovers into dinner for the next night. Yesterday was the first real cool day in Tampa, so my husband made his chili. He loves to make chili and has been waiting for it to cool down just for that reason.

It was probably his best batch yet, not too spicy for me. He used ground beef as well as some Italian sausage that he took out of the casing. He added red, yellow and cubanelle peppers, as well as some other long spicy pepper. And of course he put in onion, canned diced and crushed tomatoes, and kidney beans. He likes to season it with lots of cumin and chili powder, 2 and 4 tablespoons respectively.

So the chili was last night, tonight I baked potatoes in the oven and topped them with chili, cheese and sour cream. Not very figure-friendly, but it was budget-friendly, and delicious. However, I still have chili leftover. He made a huge batch. I guess we'll be eating it for lunch tomorrow.

Weekly Meal Plan

In an effort to be more organized and to save time and money in the kitchen, I am going back to planning our dinner meals. Here is what I have planned for this week:

Sunday
Chicken Cannilloni
Salad
Breadsticks (I have not tried this recipe yet, but my family loves bread sticks.)
Mom's Peach Cobbler (this is my mother's recipe and it is SOOOOO good!)

Monday
Sloppy Joes
Tater Tots
Corn

Tuesday
Crockpot Texas Hash
Cornbread

Wednesday
Enchilada Casserole
Refried Beans
Mexican Rice

Thursday
Crockpot Scalloped Potatoes and Ham
Green Beans
Biscuits

Friday
Quick Croque Monsieur
Chips

Saturday
Steak Inspired Slow Cooked Beef
Mashed Potatoes
Roasted Green Beans
Homemade Rolls

Some of these recipes are new for me. Once I try them I will let you know how they are.

Paula Deen's Pumpkin Spiced Bars

Just in time for the Fall season. These pumpkin spiced bars are so good, more like a cake actually. You can always rely on Paula Deen for a good dessert and these certainly don't disappoint. I love the taste of pumpkin, but I have never been a huge pumpkin pie fan. I think it's the texture, but these bars are a great alternative for me. Plus, I love cream cheese frosting and this is the best you'll ever have.

I made these tonight for my husband to take to work for a bake sale. I'm hoping they'll be a big hit and sell out, raising money for a much needed family.

Check out the recipe on the Food Network web site: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/pumpkin-bars-recipe/index.html

I dare you to make these for Thanksgiving this year!

Tilapia with a Smothered Mushroom Sauce

Tilapia was on sale this week at Publix, so I couldn't pass it up. Also on sale were baby portabella mushrooms, which I love. I decided to put the two together by creating a creamy wine sauce for the tilapia using sauteed mushrooms. I added a little spice with some cayenne pepper.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tilapia fillets
creole or cajun seasoning
1-2 Tbsp butter
1 package baby portabella mushrooms (also known as cremini), wiped clean and sliced
salt and pepper
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup half and half
dash of cayenne pepper
dash of garlic powder

Heat the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet. Season the tilapia on both sides with the creole seasoning. Saute on both sides until lightly brown and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a plate and cover with foil to keep warm. Return the skillet to the heat and melt the butter. Add the mushrooms and season with salt and pepper. Once the mushrooms cook down a bit and the liquid from them evaporates, add the wine and let cook for a minute. Add the half and half, cayenne pepper and garlic powder. Reduce the heat and simmer for a couple minutes until the sauce thickens. Add the tilapia back to the pan to heat through.

Serve this dish with couscous or creamy grits.

Huge Savings at the Grocery Store This Week

So, I saved almost $40 at Publix this week! Very exciting. I have become a coupon clipper and I'm proud of it. I look through the ads every Sunday in the paper and clip coupons. And I gotta say there have been some really good ones lately.

A couple of tips: don't clip coupons for items you don't normally buy or won't really use. This will just cost you money because you wouldn't normally buy it. Also, I've heard to not use coupons right after you clip them. Wait a week or so because supposedly some vendors/manufacturers will raise the normal price right after they run a coupon to make up the difference. Just a thought.

Oh, and I didn't save $40 on coupons alone. I looked at what was buy-one-get-one-free and what products were on sale at Publix this week. I then created my meals around those sales. (My friend Jeanne is the master saver and she has taught me well. Needless to say, she was very proud of me this week.) Even though, I saved $40 this week I still spent well over a hundred dollars, but I must say I really did stock up on meats. Chicken cutlets and ground turkey were on sale, so I bought a couple of packages of each. Italian sausage, pork loin chops and tilapia were also on sale. I love when my freezer is packed and now I probably won't have to buy any meat next week.

Countdown to Christmas

I have been thinking how close Christmas is. Maybe because it snowed here over the weekend and Halloween is around the corner. I have five kids in school....three in elementary. It gets so expensive at Christmas with teacher's gifts, gifts for neighbors, friends and family. Over the summer, I read a blog about making vanilla extract. I thought that would be a fabulous idea for teacher's gifts...not the usual mug. I think that I am going to try the recipe in the first blog. I have included a few more to reference.

http://www.joythebaker.com/blog/2009/06/how-to-make-vanilla-extract/
http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/how_to_make_vanilla_extract/
http://homecooking.about.com/library/howto/htvanilla.htm

The "standing" time seems to differ, but I am still going to give it a try.

New Cookbook: 500 Soup Recipes

While at the mall today I was browsing around Waldenbooks and saw this huge cookbook of 500 soup recipes on the bargain shelf. It was only $3.97, so I thought what the hell. I have already looked through it and picked out some of the soups I want to try. There are several things that are great about this book.

1. The price, obviously.
2. There is a picture of each and every soup. I love visuals.
3. The diversity. There is everything from creamy soups, cold soups, Asian-inspired, vegetarian, bean, pasta, meat, seafood, etc., etc.

Now if only we weren't in the middle of record high temperatures I might want to make some of these. I guess I'll have to start with the cold soups. Gazpacho anyone?

Shopping Deals at Ross

Today I went to Ross for the first time in a very long time. Ross is very much a hit or miss place, but there are always great deals on housewares and accessories.

Today I got a stainless steel tea kettle for only $10. I have been wanting to get a tea kettle for awhile and I couldn't pass this one up. Now, it just needs to get cooler than 90 degrees, so I'll feel like having a cup. Another houseware I purchased, also for $10, was a set of four white storage canisters. I am going to store my flour and Kosher salt in them for sure and I'm thinking maybe some orzo and breadcrumbs in the other two.

Last, but certainly not least, I bought this charcoal grey Calvin Klein sweater dress for only $50. Again, I just need it to cool down so I can wear it. That and also a pair of great black boots would look cute, so that'll be my next purchase. What is even more exciting than finding this dress at Ross, was immediately afterwards I went over to the mall and was browsing around Macy's when I saw the exact dress for $100. I couldn't believe it. I was so excited I had to tell this perfect stranger shopping in the same vicinity. She was excited for me. I tried to find a picture of it to post, but couldn't find it at Macys.com or the Calvin Klein website.

Anyway, I just thought I'd share my cool findings from Ross today. I need to remember to check out Ross more often. You never know what kind of deals you'll come across.

Time Flies...

It is amazing how fast time can fly by. Summer is gone. I don't think we really had a fall season because this morning when I looked out my window...the ground was covered in snow. SNOW!!! Can you believe it?

That means today is a perfect day to watch movies with the girls, do some baking and make a big pot of stew. So, I am going to browse the internet and my recipe books to find some yummy treats to make as well as an awesome recipe for beef stew.

Spicy Feta Dip

It is no secret that I love Mediterranean food, so this dip recipe is right up my alley. I am always looking for new snacks and noshes I can make for get togethers and this one was a big hit tonight at my monthly book club meeting. The book? Not so much. Everyone agreed that the book wasn't very captivating and could have delved a little deeper into the story and character developement, but nontheless it was a nice story and had a good ending. Oh! the book was The Next Thing on My List by Jill Smolinksi.

This recipe was courtesy of my Cuisine at Home magazine. A great magazine that I believe comes out bi-monthly or quarterly. It has great recipes that are easy to follow and shows step-by-step instructions.

Ingredients:
1/2 lb. (or 8 ounces) feta cheese
4 Tbsps. extra-virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp. chopped pepperoncini chile peppers (I used banana peppers)
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh oregano (I prefer to use dry, just use a lot less of it, maybe a palmful.)
couple of pinches red pepper flakes (recipe says to use 1 tsp., I just didn't want it too spicy)
1-2 tsp minced garlic (1 clove is sufficient)
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme (again, you could use dried thyme, just use less)

Using a potato masher, mash together feta and oil until mixture is smooth and creamy. Add peppers, lemon juice, oregano, pepper flakes, garlic and thyme. Mash to combine. Serve dip with warm pita bread or fresh vegetables.

Seriously, this dip is super fast to prepare, under 10 minutes, and is so easy and full of flavor. Definitely want to use a high-quality feta cheese for this.

Chai Thai Teriyaki Turkey Tacos

This recipe is courtesy of my friend Michele, the brilliant creator of Intensity Academy gourmet sauces. I first had these at my first tastecasting event for Save the Tortillas. She made these then and the next time I made tacos I asked her for the recipe. It is really easy and the best turkey tacos you'll ever taste. Plus, they're healthy because a.) it's ground turkey and b.) the sauce is all natural. Thanks, Michele for a wonderful recipe! You can find Michele and her award-wining sauces at local farmer's markets and festivals. Check out the St. Pete Saturday Market every saturday at Al Lopez Park. Check out all the sauces and order at www.intensityacademysauces.com. Here is the recipe, plus a few seasonings my husband added in.

Ingredients:
1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 an onion, chopped
1 package ground turkey
1 tsp cumin
dash of crushed red pepper
1/2 bottle of Intensity Academy's Chai Thai Teriyaki
flour tortillas - I like TamXico's low-carb wheat tortillas
toppings: shredded cheese, sour cream, lettuce, tomato, avocado, hot sauce

In a large skillet over medium-high heat add the olive oil. Once hot, add the onion and cook for about 5 minutes, until softened. Add the ground turkey and brown while breaking it up with a wooden spoon or spatula. Season the meat with the cumin and crushed red pepper. Once browned, add the teriyaki sauce, reduce the heat and simmer allowing the meat to absorb the sauce.

Serve on warm tortillas and top with desired toppings.

Black Bean Soup

My husband loved the Cubans I made last weekend, so he requested them again. This time I thought I would make them for Saturday night's dinner and press them on my panini press. I was trying to think of what I could make with them, not really wanting to do the black beans and rice thing, which we do a lot when we have tacos and such. He suggested a black bean soup. It was perfect because I knew I had seen recipes for black bean soup in one of my Rachael Ray cookbooks. The below recipe is a variation of her Black Bean Stoup (thicker than a soup, thinner than a stew) that is in her 365 No Repeats cookbook - my favorite cookbook of hers I think.

This soup is healthy, high in protein and can be made vegetarian if you use veggie stock instead of chicken stock.

Ingredients:
2 Tbsps olive oil
2 dried bay leaves
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3 (15-ounce) cans black beans
2 Tbsps cumin
1 and 1/2 tsps coriander
Salt and Pepper
couple of pinches crushed red pepper
2-3 Tbsp hot sauce
1 quart (4 cups) chicken or veggie stock/broth
1 (15-ounce) can diced tomatoes
sour cream and chopped scallions for topping the soup

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil to the hot pot, then add the bay leaves, garlic, onion and celery. Cook for 3-4 minutes, then add the bell pepper and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes. Drain 2 cans of black beans and add them. With the remaining can, pour the entire contents into the food processor and blend until smooth. Add to the pot. Season with cumin, coriander, crushed red pepper, salt and pepper and the hot sauce. Add the stock and can of tomatoes, bring to a bubble. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes over low heat. Ladle the soup into bowls and top with a dollop of sour cream and scallions.

Tampa Pitcher Show

I have been going to the Tampa Pitcher Show for years. It is truly a Tampa original, located in Carrollwood off of North Dale Mabry. What's unique about it is instead of sitting in the normal row of seats, you sit at a little pub table where there are servers that bring you food and drinks, like beer. That is what is truly great.

They have everything from snacks like popcorn and appetizers to sandwiches and even entrees like pasta dishes. My husband always orders the chicken wings and I usually get the blue cheese burger, but I have had entrees like lasagna before, which was equally good.

It is just one theatre, so they only play one movie at a time. Last night we went and saw The Informant! with Matt Damon. The movie was a little weird, but Matt Damon was great, as always. But even when the movie isn't that great, the experience always is because you can enjoy a pitcher of beer or sangria and enjoy some deliciously bad for your food.

14416 N. Dale Mabry Hwy

Tampa, FL 33618

I definitely suggest all you locals check out the Tampa Pitcher Show if you haven't already. It's a great laid-back atmosphere and definitely a better value than going to the regular movies. Admissions for adults are only $7 and you can have the whole dinner and a movie at the same spot.

Salmon Puttanesca

Tonight I whipped up a quick meal of sauteed salmon topped with puttanesca sauce served over linguine. I took some amateur pictures, which I have posted below. I think it looks like a pretty fancy dish when in reality it took less than a half hour. Here is the recipe from a previous post: http://amodernhousewife.blogspot.com/2009/07/puttanesca-sauce.html, except tonight I topped with some really good feta cheese. The Land & Sea Market has really good Greek and French feta cheese.

Chicken and Broccoli Stuffed Potatoes

This is a great hearty dish that seems like it would be really fattening, but is actually quite healthful. Cut even more fat and calories by using low-fat cheese and not using any butter on the potato. I can't wait for it to cool down so I can stuff a big potato with leftover chili.

Ingredients:
2 large baked potatoes
1 chicken breast, about 1/2 a pound, cooked and chopped into small chunks
1 cup broccoli florets in small chunks, blanch in boiling water for no more than 3 minutes
1 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 cup skim milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper
parmesan cheese, grated

Rinse the potatoes well. Using a fork, poke the potato to make various holes in them. Place in the microwave and cook on high for approximately 14 minutes, turning once halfway through. (You could also bake in the oven, but that would take over an hour, and what modern housewife has an hour to kill after work during the week?) Test the doneness by poking with a fork. If it goes in smoothly and the potato is soft, it is done.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a sauce pan. Whisk in the flour and let cook for a minute or two, until golden brown. (This is called a rue and is used to thicken sauces and gravys.) Then slowly add the milk while whisking. Bring to a bubble, stirring often until thickened. It won't take long, maybe 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Whisk in the cheddar cheese, stir in the chicken and broccoli.

When the potatoes are done, remove to a plate and slice in half. Mash up the insides of the potatoes a little with a fork. If you'd like, add a little butter. Season with pepper. Pour the sauce over the potatoes and sprinkle with a little grated parmesan cheese.

Roasted Garlic

I had to repost this recipe. The first time I posted it was back in February when I made it for Valentine's Day. I made it tonight and served it with pita bread that I warmed in the oven. Just add the pita bread to the oven when the garlic has about 8-10 minutes to go. Cut the pitas into wedges and spread the garlic on them.

Roasted Garlic
1 whole head of garlic
1 Tbsp olive oil

Roasting the garlic this way mellows out the flavor and softens it, allowing you to spread it on bread as if it were butter. Delish! I had this years ago at an Italian restaurant, but this was the first time I tried to replicate it.

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Using a knife, cut off the top third of the garlic head. Do not peel the garlic. Place it in a small, oven-proof dish, cut side up. Drizzle with olive oil; and cover the dish with foil. Bake for 30 minutes covered. Remove the foil and bake for another 30-40 minutes. You should now be able to use a butter knife to scoop out the garlic cloves and spread on bread, or anything else you can think of.

Pesto Risotto with Shrimp

Everyone is probably getting sick of reading about me making pesto all the time, and I know, but I just love it. Here is another great use for it. Make a batch of basic risotto, recipe follows, and then add a few spoonfuls of my basil pesto to the risotto. I also added shrimp to the dish. Just stir the shrimp into the risotto when there is a couple minutes left, maybe when you add your last ladle of broth.

Risotto
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 small white onion or 1/2 a medium one, chopped small
1 and 1/2 cups arborio rice
1/2 cup dry white wine (I like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blanc works well, too.)
grated parmesan cheese (a couple of small handfuls)
salt and black pepper to taste

Place the broth in a saucepan over low-medium high heat to warm.

In a deep skillet, melt the butter and oil together over medium to medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and saute for a few minutes, until translucent. Add the rice and saute for a couple more minutes. (This toasts the rice and gives it a light golden color.) Add the wine and let it cook out for 1 minute. Now add a couple of ladles of the broth. As the rice absorbs the liquid, add a couple more ladles of broth. Stir often and continue to add broth as the rice absorbs the liquid. Takes about 15-20 minutes. Stir in the cheese and season with salt and pepper. What you'll end up with is a delicious, creamy and cheesey rice dish.

Serves 4. Yummy!

Mount Diablo Dip and Cuban Sandwiches

This is a great game day spread. This dip is my version of layer dip or taco dip. My family has been making it for years. I'm not sure where it originated from. I think a neighbor used to make it and we loved it so much he shared the recipe. Anyway, this dip makes an appearance at various family gatherings. I also made some Cuban sandwiches.

Ingredients:
2-3 avocadoes
juice of 1 lemon
Sprinkle of both onion and garlic powder
1 (8 ounce) package of cream cheese, room temperature
1 pint sour cream
1 package of taco seasoning mix
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tomatoes, diced
1 small can of sliced black olives
3 green onions, sliced
1 bag of tortilla chips

On the bottom of a pie plate, mash up the avocado with the lemon juice and season with a little of the garlic and onion powder. Spread out on the bottom of the plate.

In a bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream and taco seasoning until smooth. (There are always a little bit of lumps. I even tried mixing it with my Kitchen Aid and it was still a little lumpy.) Spread the mixture over the avocado.

Next, sprinkle an even layer of the shredded cheese. Top with tomatoes, olives and green onions. Serve with your favorite tortilla.

For the cuban sandwiches, take real Cuban bread and slice in half. Spread mayo on one side and yellow mustard on the other. On the bottom piece of bread, place sliced swiss cheese, then dill sandwich pickles, sliced ham, turkey and pork. Top with the other piece of bread.

Blew Through Yet Another Hair Dryer...

...Pun definitely intended. Is it just me or does everyone go through a hair dryer like once a year?

I swear I just bought this hair dryer maybe a year ago and it already broke. Died on me this morning. Luckily I was just about finished and used my flat iron for the final touches. Otherwise I wouldn't have looked very pretty this morning. My hair is getting longer now, so I can't get away with not blowing it dry anymore, otherwise it does this very unattractive wavy thing. I only reserve Sundays for no blow dryer use, because come on, it's the day of rest, right? And then I just throw it up so no one can tell I have this weird wavy thing going on.

Anyway, I am looking for some suggestions on a good hair dryer that will last me longer than a year. Please provide your suggestions in the comment box, preferably an affordable suggestion. Thanks!

Linguine with Clam Sauce

I have made this dish before, but last night was by far the best. I think it is because I let the sauce simmer and reduce while the pasta was cooking. It is also key not to use all of the clam juice, but half and make up the rest with broth. By the way, this meal is very inexpensive because I use canned clams in lieu of fresh clams.

I served it with a caprese salad topped with my homemade basil pesto. Just slice ripe tomato and fresh mozzarella. Season the tomato with salt and pepper, alternate the slices of tomato with mozzarella, drizzle with some of the pesto.

Ingredients:
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 Tbsps butter, divided
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, minced
pinch of red pepper flakes
2 (10 ounce) cans whole baby clams
the clam juice from 1 of the cans
10 ounces chicken, seafood or vegetable broth
juice and zest of 1 lemon
handful of fresh parsley, chopped
1 lb. linguine (I used multigrain)
salt and pepper
fresh grated parmesan cheese (about 1/4 cup)

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Melt the olive oil into 1 Tbsp of butter. Add the shallot and cook until soft and translucent, but not browned, about 3-5 minutes. Add the garlic and sautee for another minute or two. Add the red pepper and clams and sautee for a minute. Add the clam juice and broth; let simmer while the pasta is cooking. Some of the liquid will cook out and that is good. The clams will absorb some of it as well. When the pasta is almost done add the lemon juice and the remaining Tbsp of butter to the sauce.

By this time the water should be boiling, salt liberally, add the linguine. Cook for about 7 minutes, or as the box directs. When the linguine is done, don't drain normally. Use tongs or a pasta spoon and take the pasta out and directly add to the skillet with the clam sauce. Don't worry about draining the pasta really well as you scoop it out, some of the pasta water is good.

Add the lemon zest and parsley, toss the linguine well with the sauce. Add some parmesan cheese, salt and pepper to taste; toss well again. Divide among 4 bowls. Serve with a little extra cheese on top.

Italian Chicken (in the Crock Pot)

My mom, sister and I have frequently been using our Crock Pots lately. The two of them had both told me about this Italian Chicken dish using one of the McCormick slow cooker packets. So, I finally decided to make it. *Note, I found this particular packet at Sweetbay. I was having trouble locating them at Publix.

Ingredients: (This is all on the packet, but I have some cooking modifications to share)
1 McCormick Italian Chicken packet
2.5 lbs chicken (Definitely use skinless, boneless chicken breast. When you use bone-in chicken it all just breaks down and you're left with a bunch of bones hanging out in your sauce.)
1 (12 ounce) package fresh mushrooms, sliced
2 (14 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste (one of the very few times you'll actually use a whole can of tomato paste)

Add the chicken to the Crock Pot, then the mushrooms. Mix the seasonings, tomatoes and paste together, pour on top. Cook on low for 6 hours. *Note the package says 8 hours on low, but that is really too long.

Remove the chicken and mushrooms to a platter. Stir the sauce well. You can serve over pasta or creamy polenta as I did.

Creamy Polenta
2 cups chicken broth
2 cups milk
1 cup polenta or cornmeal
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil
1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

In a saucepan bring the broth and milk to a simmer over medium-high heat, season with salt and pepper to taste. Reduce heat to low while whisking the cornmeal in slowly and continue for about 5 minutes until it starts to thicken. Add a drizzle of olive oil and stir in the cheese until melted.