Pot & Cover

Red Baron Supreme...with added jalapenos, mozzarella, cheddar, pineapple and fresh basil See the post, "Red Baron gets his Pizza on", for tonight's meal...our favorite frozen pie:)...(what's up with me and all the smiley faces?...i tire myself out sometimes with this "people pleasing" mess...always "put on a happy face" stuff...STOP it! ) i digress. Any way...Erich and I took little Logan swimming today...my first time taking him swimming. I should have taken a picture of his cute little fluffy blond hair when I put a little hair product in it to protect it from the sun/water...like a little 'punk' do...it cracked Scott up. I'll have to do it again and take a pic. At almost 8 mo. old, he loves the water. I only had Madison's old swim gear...a blue and red floaty suit, which was fine...but a hot pink sun hat too. I was glad his daddy wasn't there to witness the very colorful outfit on his sweet baby boy...we dressed Mikey as a ...

the wrapped figs, fresh from the oven, with bubbly blue cheese Scott bought figs last night...inspired by food network 'best thing i ever ate'. He was outside grilling the steak, and one of our neighbors said hello, commenting that he was out grilling again...Scott replied that it takes a lot of work to keep up a physic ( sp ?) like his as he pointed to himself in a very self depreciating way...you probably had to be there...but that is very funny! It cracked our neighbor up any way...and me too. the figs, before they were baked The figs were delicious. Warm & soft, wrapped in slightly crisp prosciutto , topped with a little hoisin and blue cheese which was blistered and melting. They were soft, with a bit of crunch, and a balance of sweet, salty, tangy and just out right GOOD! Well done, honey! my plate, with a few slices of blackened strip steak, figs, and salad...with red wine...so delicious! We had it with our favorite Caprese salad...a simple, yet elegant meal...eve...

Scott was watching Triple D...Diner's, Drive-in's and Dives...and was inspired to go to the store...to cook what? He told me he was "just looking"...uh, oh...wonder what will we have for dinner? Guy Fieri, or however you spell his name...well there are just crazy menu items featured on this show! Things like fried chix benedict...crazy stuff...so no wonder when Scott later announced Crab Cake Tacos...well eaters can't be choosers...if he's gonna cook...twist my arm! You'd think crab cakes would be enough...but in our house many things are elevated in popularity if its in a tortilla or between two pieces of bread with mayo and cheese. I have to admit, in the spirit of the crazy dishes on Triple D...I made up a 'crab cake benedict' recipe (at least in theory), of a piece of buttered toast (think a thin slice of good sourdough, toasted with butter), a crab cake, a fried egg, melted cheese and either hollendaise (sp?) or peppery cream gravy...scott ...

Scott was craving steaks...we just got done enjoying a seared Delmonico steak topped with a mushroom wine sauce and blue cheese crumbles. Garlic bread (of course) to mop up the sauce and Caprese salad. I ate just enough and it was so delicious and I'm satisfied but not too full...:) When I can learn to do that every time I'll be doing good! We enjoyed the rest of our wine from last night, which I used in the sauce too...just a variation on the steak we made the other day, only adding mushrooms and using wine instead of beer. Now its time to see Who Wants to Be a Millionare...Scott's watching it...even tho my patience for game shows is about that of an infant.

before they're grilled...I doubt I'll ever get a picture of them cooked...they are gone too fast! I came across a picture I took of these recently...we've made this a few times now, and love it every time. Scott found this recipe, although I don't know where. It is delicious, simple and makes a few ingredients really go far and pops with flavor. We griddle these on a cast iron griddle, you could put them on the grill on foil too. Make as many as you would like, but we find about 5 per person is perfect for a very generous appetizer 1 piece asparagus, tough end trimmed and cut in half,. Wrap with 1/2 piece bacon (even now I forget if its a half or a quarter piece...I think its a half!) Secure with toothpick through bacon and both pieces of asparagus. Grill or brown in med high skillet or on grill, turning to brown easily, till bacon is well browned. Spoon on a small bit (1/2 tsp?) of hoisin sauce, let it carmelize a little, turn, hoisin the other side, carmelize and ser...

We had our PFS Team over for team training today ....breakfast and $mart training....helping people get out of debt and food! Hello...does it get any better? We had banana nut bread, which I baked the night before, (recipe from Mark Bittman's how to cook everything, it was good, but not good enough to go to the trouble to type), fresh cantelope and strawberries, coffee, juice and pigs n blankets....we all just the love the little pigs n blankets! 1 package cocktail sausages, 2 rolls cresent roll dough...oven 375, cut each roll dough into 3 triangle, roll each weinie up in the dough, bake about 12-15 min. Later in the day.... Scott surprised me with a yummy cocktail while I was working on here. ..a tropical fruit martini...equal parts apple juice, orange/pineapple/banana juice & vodka, with a lime wedge. So delicious and so fun:) Just as his valentines shirt says, he's my "Captain Love"! We also had a wine tasting...comparing ...

We had these ingredients...and I love risotto...this is from Gourmet May 2009...and its good...but not my best risotto...I honestly prefer plain, parmesean, buttery risotto...but it was good and made good lunch leftovers. 3 cups chix broth 2 cups water 3/4 lb asparagus (0r equal parts asp and peas) 1 small onion, finely chopped 1 1/4c Arborio rice 1/4 cups dry white wine 3/4 lb med shrimp, peeled and deveined 1 tbsp grated lemon zest 1/4 cup parmesean 2 tbsp chopped parsely (or BASIL!) Simmer broth and h20...blanch asparagus 4 min...ice bath to cool... sautee onion in butter and 1/4 tsp salt....add rice and coat w/ butter...add wine...stir till absorbed...intermitantly add 1/2 cup broth and stir till rice is tender...add parm and butter...stir to distribute fat/cheese...top with basil...EAT!

I'm wondering if we eat much of anything without Garlic Toast...I feel like I'm part of the Sizzler Chain:) I finally figured out to make it ahead... pre -buttering, garlicking and freezing in 2 person serving sizes...then defrosting and baking 12-18 min in a 400 oven...delicious! Okay...back to the main event...Scott found Strip Steaks at a great price and we took the opportunity to make a 'poor man's' version of Chef John's delicious steak sauce, that calls for a very lovely liquor, which we did not have...and living so far away from a city where we can purchase liquor...beer would have to do...and it did! Scott's Strip Steaks with Lyssy Loo's beer beef oniony sauce:) 2 strip steaks, seasoned w/ s&p& garlic powder, seared in a cast iron skillet (on grill or indoors).. ok , we later tried this indoors and promptly set off the smoke alarm....outdoors is recommended. using the browned bits in the skillet, saute 1 small onion till tender- add 1T...

8.2.09...our precious friend D.G was heading off to China...and we were attending a party in his honor...which, let's just be honest...the secondary guest of honor was the award winning ribs served by our hosts...Mr. Griggs makes some mean BBQ! Anyway..we were asked to bring a 'side', so i made beans, beans I know...and tried a baked bean recipe based on Emeril's mom's recipe..and let it be said...its very spicy..but also very sweet....just right! Scott loves sweet baked beans...so this in also in honor of him and trying to find a recipe he likes as much as Market Street's Cowboy beans...I think I have a winner here. Well D.G is in China, teaching English, looking forward to meeting up with his 4 kiddos in Spain in October and serving JESUS! I hope the heat from these beans was representative of his passion for Christ...I know it is! We're praying for you D.G! Recipe based on Emeril Lagasse, Miss Hilda's Baked Beans Ingredients 2 pound dried pinto bean...

Finally we've actually made it to August! We've recently had a new appreciation for bell peppers. My parents love them...raw, grilled, any way....i didn't see the point. Neither did Scott. We finally added some to a batch of Marriage Chili(which Emeril's original recipe calls for, and we arogantly dismissed) a few months ago and noticed a difference...and we've been becoming bell pepper converts. I always 'wanted' to like them...they are healthy right!? But never cared....until now... Scott found some at the local Kroger...4 for $.79...they were VERY 'ripe'...still good, but on their last leg...but they are normally like 1.79 each! These were the highly prized yellow and orange...not those 'common' green ones... So he brought them home...not knowing what we'd do with them...just knowing they were somehow 'important'...(where's Madison to make sure I'm using my italics correctly!) anyway...inspired by shows like "Chop...

We love Tyler's Ultimate on the Food Network...which inspired us to try making etouffee for the first time....the original recipe called for chicken...but we had shrimp already. This was very good...even better the next day...but time consuming and we both like my 'bacony chix' recipe just as much if not more and its much easier. I'm all for better and easier! Shrimp and Smoked Sausage Etouffee based on a recipe by Tyler Florence on food network Ingredients Extra-virgin olive oil 1 pound andouille sausage links (or combination of sausage and bacon:) 1 lb shrimp, peeled/deveined 4 Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 3/4 cup all-purpose flour 1 medium onion, roughly chopped 2 ribs celery, roughly chopped 1 green bell pepper, roughly chopped 4 cloves garlic 1 (12-ounce) can beer 4 cups low-sodium chicken stock 2 bay leaves 2 tablespoons paprika Pinch cayenne pepper 1 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley or basil:) Directions Set a Dutch...

This is Scott's new favorite salad...Simply a sliced tomato, sliced fresh mozzarella and fresh basil, layered and doused with our favorite balsamic vinaigrette ...which i think is already on here. We are having this a lot this summer...its nice to have our big pot of basil. We had it with Scott's Chix tenders this night...7.17.09...oh I must stop to say that my sweet (an insufficient word) husband just brought me a cocktail:) Equal parts apple juice, orange/pineapple/banana juice, vodka with a lime wedge...vacation in a glass! I even got it in a martini glass! So fun...okay back to the food. my personal chef:) master of the kitchen and the chix tender! i couldn't decide which picture i like more...both! my surprise cocktail...again couldn't decide which picture...both! Thanks "Captain Love";)