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Showing posts from January, 2009

Oven roasted sweet tater fries

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sweet taters ready to be roasted...like little soldiers:) Scott made Tilapia again tonight...pan sauteed with a little lemon pepper, garlic powder, s & p. I spritz a little lime on mine and we had my grandma's chow chow with it . The highlight to go with the fish was oven roasted sweet potato fries. Serves 2 Oven Roasted Sweet Tater Fries 1 Medium Sweet Potato olive oil or other vegi oil salt Peel, cut into strips and toss in oil, salt and Roast at 400 for 45 min.

Shortcut Buffalo Wings w/ herb topping

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We were craving wings...but wanted to stay in. Scott went to Market Street and bought their premade wings from their deli section, bone in and boneless and some blue cheese dressing and celery. We lined a jelly roll pan with foil for easy clean up, spread the wings out and put them in a low oven...about 225-250 for at least 30 minutes. we cranked the broiler on for a few minutes and got em hot and really crispy. After we'd tried this a few times, Scott decided to make a topping with some left over herbs...he sprinkled it on at the end of the cooking and it was divine. Going out for professional made wings is certainly better...but these wings with a glass of cold beer are worthy of cravings...at least to me:)...not only are they good, but cheap. Affordablility in food, a great value is always welcome:) it leaves more money for the really fun stuff...like sushi or even better VACATION! Shortcut wings 23 lbs of premade refridgerated ( or frozen) wings. you could easily use this to he

Tilapia and Mango Cucumber salad

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Scott took charge of dinner tonight...which is a very normal event...thank goodness. I cooked spaghetti last nite which was really good ...but would have eaten leftover beans for dinner tonight. not a bad option at all but his was so much better. he got frozen tilapia (one lb)...frozen fish from the local walmart grocery was the best option...believe me. any smart person would want fresh fish from central market, but that's not an option on a week nite in Mckinney . anyway, he seasoned it with salt, pepper and garlic powder (Paula Deen's "house seasoning"), and pan sauteed it with evoo , just enough to coat the bottom of the pan. spritz with lemon after it was cooked. the salad was our usual 'house salad', romaine, torn with a chopped roma tomato, a sprinkling of crumbled feta, a few walnut halves (from Ca, that papa and grandma hand shelled and brought to TX...such love in those nuts). he added cubed cucumber and mango and it was all dressed with salt

'08 cocktail of choice...or necessity:(

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I took a picture of my latest cocktail of choice...or rather the empty martini glass I drank it in...it sounds really sexy and all but alas its just alka seltzer...or even worse, generic alka seltzer that I drink out of a martini glass. its sad but true that i have had to drink way too much alka seltzer this last few years. not because of the food we've been cooking but because i eat too damn much of it and other junk. the martini glass was the right size and within eazy reach...and seemed to make the whole idea of gluttony less tragic. it makes me laugh at myself a little. i've been on weight watchers for 3 weeks now and my desire it to eat the food i want a.k.a. croissants, hot chocolate, mexican food, corn dogs...seriously, wine, d.c., butter, pasta, braised meat, dark chocolate, fritos as well as the vegis and fruits i love and still be the weight that isn't going to kill me. i'm trying not to get stuck in the trap of lowfat this and that...i just don't buy into

7 Cheese Lasagna

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We made this back in December...the 12 th . We were jonesing for a great lasagna and after perusing food network site settled on Paula Deen's . I remember watching her make it on her show years back... how can you forget someone putting cream cheese in their lasagna?! Well, we made it together and it does really have 7 cheeses in it...although that's not her name for it. We made the full recipe which is enough to feed an army...can I say "leftovers". We shared some with dad and "e" a few days later and then did indeed have decadent leftovers. This would be great with a simple green salad with my balsamic dressing...and of course a glass of wine. We have discovered a wine that we enjoy so much it has been deemed our "house wine". We aren't really wine aficionados to say the least...we are about as ignorant about wine as can be...but we know what we like... and its all for 2.97 a bottle! Oak Leaf...we've only tried the Merlot and Cabernet a

Toffee...aka "crack"

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4.5 lbs of fresh made toffee...still warm Almond Toffee...oh the smell in the house when toffee is on the stove. Although I can't print the recipe...ancient family secret you understand:) This is a family tradition for the holidays and is my standing gift to have on hand for Christmas. If you dare the adventure of boiling hot 300 degree sugar and butter...just google recipes for toffee that have only 4 ingredients...thats my hint to find an equal toffee. Simple ingredients and so yummy. This recipe is from my maternal grandmother and the women in the family have been making it for many years. My mom taught me and selling it paid for many Christmas' over the years. My hubby can even make it now. We have made hundreds maybe even thousands of lbs of this toffee. The toffee and our pilaf recipe are the most precious family recipes I have inherited...they've brought the most comfort and pleasure for certain. I made some again this year for a local business to give as corporate