I haven't forgot

I haven' forgot about my cookbook goal. Just been ultra busy these last few weeks.

Here's a tiny peek at what I've been cooking.

Homemade pasta
Roasted chicken

I'll post more about these soon, very soon.

Read more...

Question Of The Week

Here is The Question of the Week that my friend sent all of us:

Are you very picky when you buy food(s) from the grocery store?

I have to be the pickiest person in the world when it comes to buying foods for my family. I believe that you should buy only the best , freshest , and in season foods. The the end result of a food dish is only as good as the ingredients that go into it. No amount of cooking talent or fancy spices will improve crappy food quality.

To that end I buy organic fruits and veggies whenever I can or from local farmers that I know and trust. I'm sorry but I don't see any reason for washing fruit and veggies in chlorine all for the sake of my food safety, I'll take my chances with my produce being washed with just plain water thank you very much. And who needs fresh strawberries in the middle of January that were grown in who knows what country? Local, fresh and in season are the way to go! My only exception to the fresh part is produce that I have frozen myself for use during the winter time. Yes , I may be eating strawberries in January but I bought them in June from a local farm.

I only buy milk and milk products that are rBGH free. I see no reason why we need to inject our cows with drugs just so they produce more milk. They say it's safe but who really knows what the long term effects could be. I also only buy whole milk because the vitamins in it are real & natural and not added to it like they do in skim, low fat, etc. milk. And yes, I buy and use real butter in my cooking.

I buy my meats from a butcher that buys his meat from the USA and not from some other country. Most of that is even from local farms which makes me feel good knowing I'm supporting the local guy.

Except for junk food I don't buy pre-packaged foods. I've never liked the taste of those pre-packaged foods anyway. They may be quick and easy, but many of those items can be made in the same amount of time and it not only tastes better but you also know what's in it.

No fake sugar in this house ! While I do buy it for when friends are over and they use it , I personally will never use it myself. Not even that stuff they say tastes like sugar..... it's still not real sugar no matter what they say it tastes like.

My only exceptions to these "rules" are the foods I buy from Europe. But since I know their standards are much higher then ours ( banning the use of rBGH and other drugs in their foods) I will buy from them knowing I'm getting good quality foods. Plus those foods I do buy are super high end and the hoops they have to go through to produce them have been in place for decades .

So yep I guess you could say that I'm very picky about the foods I buy.

Read more...

Yummy Chicken

Last night for dinner I made rotisserie chicken for the first time and it turned out so good. So much better then the ones you can find in grocery stores.

I started the night before with brining my whole chicken like I do my Thanksgiving turkeys. The brine is never the same way twice and is always based on what I want the meat to taste like.

For this one after I cleaned out the chicken I put it in a huge bowl and covered it with cold water. I then poured in about a cup of whiskey ( it was the end of the bottle and looked like a cup), a half a cup of salt ( I know that sounds like a lot of salt but trust me the chicken will not taste salty) , a palm full of dried rosemary, sage, thyme & fresh ground black pepper, and the juice of one large lemon. I then covered it with ice, put some foil on the bowl and stuck it in the fridge over night.

The next day about an hour before I was ready to cook it I took it out of the brine and in the cavity I place some fresh rosemary, sage, thyme and half of a lemon. After that I trussed up the chicken and placed it on the spit.

This is what it looked like.

It takes about an hour to hour & a half over medium heat ( roughly 350 degrees) depending on the size of your bird.

And this is what mine looked like when it was done. OMG ! it was so tender and juicy ! I will be making this again, but with two birds next time because we finished that one so fast and wanted more.

Read more...

The Weekend

I'm completely aware that a new weekend is upon us, but I forgot to post about Sexy Stud's weekend home. I blame PMS, which would probably account for my mood lately.

anyway......

Friday Sexy Stud and I went out to lunch and then went to Target & Home Depot. We are looking for a wall like structure to put around two sides of the hot tub so we can have some sort of privacy when the neighbors are outside. I've seen what I want in a catalog but the price is out of the range I want to spend. So it looks like I will have to get my Dad to build it for me. That night I grilled steaks, potatoes and some corn on the cob. Which for corn in May it was REALLY good! After dinner Sexy Stud took B-Monkey to the store to get the game he has been saving for.

Saturday I talked Sexy Stud into edging the walk ways , something he said he would do last fall but never did. Only thing I had to do was clean up the mess he made..... no problem. While he did that I went around and popped out all the dandelions out of the yard. I put down weed & feed a few weeks ago, but it's not working fast enough so I did it the old fashion way. Of course I got sunburned.... when will I ever learn!? For dinner that night I grilled pork tenderloin on a cedar plank. The smell of cedar on the grill is heavenly ! Along with that I grilled garlic red skinned potatoes and more corn on the cob. That evening we just hung out on the front porch watching the lake and finished the bottle of wine we started with dinner.

Sunday ,Sexy Stud was going to leave, but when he woke up he checked the weather down in Arkansas and saw it was going to rain all day Monday so he decided to stay another day. Fine by me! That afternoon we went to a birthday party for a friends son who turned 13. Had a good time.... yummy food and conversations always make for a good time.

Monday Sexy Stud left around 9 AM which just left me and the kids for the holiday. Which was pretty much uneventful. I grilled some Italian sausage, made my grandma's fried cream corn with the left over corn on the cob and that was pretty much it for the holiday.

I think that's pretty much it. Better late then never I suppose....lol

Read more...

Dry As A Bone

My biggest comic relief in the summer time has always been watching my neighbors grill. I thought my laughing days were over with, when the old neighbors moved out and new ones moved in, but I thought wrong.

First I present to you "Burger Smasher Man"

He places 3 burgers on his grill that were about as thin as White Castle burgers. Comes back about 6 minutes later, and proceeds to smash the heck out of them with the back of his spatula. Goes back inside and comes back about 6 minutes later , flips them over and smashes the heck out of them again. Back inside...... 6 minutes later flips them over again ...... smashes them again. He does this pattern of flipping and smashing 2 more times, for a total cooking time of roughly 30 minutes. Even if those thin as White Castle burgers were frozen when he put them on the grill, it would only take roughly 6 minutes to cook them. And for the love of all things juicy don't smash the heck out of them! Your smashing out what little juice they may of had in them in the first place.

Now I present " Dry As A Bone Man"

He places boneless, skinless chicken breasts & hotdogs on his grill. I know this because I heard the kids screaming about what was for dinner. He sits down , gets up about 2 minutes later and flips the chicken. Sits back down, back up, flips chicken, rolls hotdogs. He does this pattern of flipping chicken /roll hotdogs every two minutes for the next 40 minutes. First off buddy... hotdogs are already cooked, all your doing is warming them up on the grill, so they don't need to "cook" for 40 minutes. Next the reason why your chicken kept sticking to the grill is because you kept turning it to soon. Test it first and if it's sticking leave it alone...... it will release when it's ready to be turned. Learn this so I don't have to hear you bitching about it next time. Lastly..... for the love of all things juicy...... they were boneless, skinless chicken breasts...... they should of cook for 10 minutes tops.

And they say men are the "Kings of the Grill"....... lol

Read more...

Doesn't Get Any Better

Bolognese Sauce- Canon Rebel xti

Life just doesn't get any better than this....

The weather is perfect, even though they said it was going to rain/storm. Right now it's a beautiful sunny 70 degree day.

I'm making Bolognese Sauce for dinner tonight.

I can smell the loaf of Sun Dried Tomato's & Asiago Garlic Bread baking away in the oven.

The pasta dough is resting so I can begin cutting it.

Listening to Italian Music all day long.

Life just doesn't get any better then this right now.

Read more...

You Capture- Week 7

Fun that was the theme for this weeks You Capture.

Fun is such an subjective word. What I find fun may be completely different from what you find fun. So I thought it would be fun to show you a nano fraction of some things I find fun. And to also see just how many times I can use the word fun in one post. LOL


Spending almost an entire week with The Husband was fun. We laughed, talked, had many lunch dates, shared bottles of wine and had several midnight soaks in the hot tub.



Sadly I just said good bye to him and he is now on his way back to Arkansas. Behind him he's transporting something he finds extremely fun. If your a reader of my blog you know how I feel about that, but I won't get into that here. I will ask that you say a little prayer that he and the beast make it there in one piece.



Moving on...

I find cooking fun. Chopping, mixing, stirring, creating. It's all fun to me



The only thing better than creating the meal is eating the fruits of labor.





Followed by eating some kind of chocolate, which is also fun.







While sitting still for hours isn't fun, nor is dealing with the after care. I do find The Husbands & my tattoos a lot of fun. Please excuse the crappy photo of mine, it was taken with my webcam.





But what is really fun is reading comments on my blog. So leave one and I'll love you forever.

Read more...

Chocolate Anyone?

Chocolate Chocolate Chip Muffins


Baking Away In The Oven


Fresh From The Oven


Cool Enough To Eat

Read more...

Dinner

The Husband is always sending me pictures of his dinner, so I thought I would send him a few pictures of our dinner tonight.

Read more...

Recipe Share Tuesday

In honer of it being Mardi Gras lets have some Beignets 
These are about as close as you can get to the yummy French pastries you find though out New Orleans . Recipe found on Food Network

Ingredients
1 package dry yeast
1 1/2 cups warm water (just above body temperature, around 110 degrees F)
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 cup milk
7 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup shortening
Vegetable oil, for frying
Powdered sugar
Directions
In a bowl of a standing mixer, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water and stir to dissolve. Then add the sugar, eggs, and milk and blend with a paddle attachment. Add half the flour, salt, and shortening and blend well. Add the remaining flour and continue mixing to form a dough. Place the dough on a flour work surface and form into a ball. Place the dough in a greased bowl, and cover with plastic wrap then refrigerate overnight.

The next day, punch down the dough on a work surface, then cover it with a damp towel, and let it rest for 15 minutes. Then roll the dough into a rectangle 1/4-inch thick. With a pizza cutter, cut into 2-inch squares.

Heat some oil for deep fat frying to 365 degrees F. Drop in the beignets, 3 or 4 at a time, and fry on both sides until golden brown. They will look like pillows. Drain them on a brown paper bag and dust extremely heavily with powdered sugar.

Notes about the recipe: These are sold everywhere in New Orleans, even at the airport with the powdered sugar in their white oil stained paper sack or the option of a bag of powdered sugar separate. Probably the most famous place for these is Cafe Du Monde in New Orleans. I went there this year and thought 2 would be enough, but they're so light I was still craving them after the third one. You eat them traditionally with steaming cups of cafe au lait and the coffee is brewed with chickory sometimes called Creole Coffee. Coffee is brewed with roasted chickory, the root of the leafy salad green, to extend and give body and aroma to the coffee. To make cafe au lait, warm milk in a saucepan and pour 1/3 milk and 2/3 coffee into your cup. Some places throw their beignet dough scraps into the mix for the next batch of dough, almost like a sour dough starter or levand.

Read more...

YUM! Times A Million

A few months ago they opened up a new deli/sandwich shop right outside of my subdivision. I hadn't tried them out yet, but all of my friends who had told me it was the best "fast food" they've had in a long time. So on my way home from the store today I stopped in.....I looked over the menu board and my eyes went straight to the Italian Beef........ if they can make a good Italian beef sandwich then I'm in love.

Love does not even begin to describe how good this sandwich is. LUST...... HELL I would marry this sandwich it is THAT GOOD! And the oh so yummy onions rings can be my wedding band lol

I brought home their menu and while eating I noticed they also made Paninis......... Hello lover mama found a new place to eat lunch.

Read more...

Recipe Share Thursday- A Weekly Feature

Another great recipe from Emeril



Grilled Prosciutto, Soppressata, and Mozzarella Panini - YUM!





1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons minced fresh oregano leaves, or 1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8 slices ciabatta bread, or other rustic Italian white bread, thinly sliced
4 ounces thinly sliced mozzarella
2 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto
2 ounces thinly sliced soppressata


Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, oregano, garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl to blend. Arrange the slices of bread on a flat work surface and, using a brush, divide the vinaigrette equally among 1 side of each slice. Divide the mozzarella equally among the bread slices. Top 4 of the slices of bread equally with the prosciutto and soppressata and then place the remaining 4 slices on top.
Brush the outsides of each sandwich with some of the remaining tablespoon of olive oil. Heat a large skillet or grill pan over medium heat. Add the sandwiches and cook until the bread is golden brown and the cheese is melted, pressing occasionally to compact with a large spatula or the bottom of a heavy small saucepan, about 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Bon Appetit !

Read more...

Recipe Share Thursday- A Weekly Feature

This has got to be my all time favorite recipe for Risotto. Just hand me a fork and the pot and I will be one happy girl. Enjoy!

Emeril's Three Cheese Risotto

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
Salt and white pepper
6 cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1 pound Arborio rice
1 tablespoon butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup grated Romaino cheese
1/4 cup grated Asigo cheese
2 tablespoons chopped chives
In a large saute pan, over medium heat, add the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the onion and season with salt and pepper. Saute for 3 minutes, or until the onions are slightly soft. Add the stock and garlic. Bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 6 minutes. Add the rice and simmer for 18 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the mixture is creamy and bubbly. Add the butter, cream, cheese and chives. Reseason with salt and pepper. Simmer for 2 minutes and serve immediately.

Read more...

Mac & Cheese

It's been 2.5 months since Barry has been home and because of this I told him that he more or less had free range to pick whatever he wanted for dinner this week. So what does he pick today? Homemade Mac & Cheese...... gotta love a man who makes my life easy.

Read more...