pepperoncini beef sandwiches

sorry, i don't have a pic of the sandwiches themselves. jamie and i ate them. please enjoy looking at the pepperoncini picture i lifted from the internet instead. here is the scoop, i recently placed a message on a forum that i often frequent requesting ideas of what to do with a chuck roast. i am tired of the same ol'pot roast, beef stew, etc.... one poster suggested her favorite grubbin' barbecue recipe and i went for it. it is sooooo easy and flavorful. i did tone it down a bit, so it would not be quite as spicy, but it still has a bite, so much so the kids would not touch it. here is what ya do....

in your crock pot before bed or work, on low throw in a chuck roast, one jar of undrained sliced pepperoncinis and a clove of smashed garlic. that is it. let it cook long and slow till the roast falls apart. shred with a coupla forks and viola, dinner! what i did was toast some sub rolls with provolone and then piled the beefy goodness on top. i thought they were delicious. jamie liked it, but  i don't think he loved it. i could tell they were a bit spicy for him. they were not that spicy folks. he just doesn't like anything with a kick. he ate the whole thing though. i am guessing he figured he'd better because i was not fixing anything else. enjoy.

chicken cannelloni with roasted red bell pepper sauce

this was dinner....

it was tasty, but very, very rich afterall it has both cream cheese and alfredo sauce in it. it was super easy to make and good enough to serve to company. you can find the recipe here. i have lots leftover because the kids ran screaming. they had rather eat sodium laden chicken noodle soup.  i agree it doesn't look so purdy, but the screaming, it wasn't really called for. want some? don't scream, okay?

this actually would make a good seafood cannelloni....

i know we have talked ribs before but....

you need to make these now. they are so easy it is crazy. you simply wrap a rack of ribs in a double layer of foil, sealed nice and tight. bake in your oven at 300 degrees fahrenheit for two hours. go fire up your grill, gas or charcoal, slap'em on and just start basting away with your favorite barbecue sauce. me? i love sweet baby ray's original. omg! flip often and keep basting till the sweet sauce has caramelized making for a tasty bark on your divine swine.

enjoy!

buffalo burgers

my 100% ground bison started out like this....

had a short stint looking like this.....

and finally ended up like this, a strange looking creature, huh? actually it's my burger smothered with a slice of blue jack cheese topped with a few oven baked onion rings. those rings, real keepers, very tasty. oh, let's not forget the good ol'yellow mustard and ketchup for dipping making for another winner of a dinner.

lets talk about those oven baked rings. gosh they were ever so good and super simple to make. i used a red onion, but next time will definitely use a vidalia sliced thicker. here is how you make them.

beth's easy baked oven onion rings

first you plug in your pink plastic oven to get the light bulb heated. what? just joking....heat your oven to 450 degrees fahrenheit. cover a cookie sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

now slice one onion neatly. do better than me would ya. i had to pick out the nicer looking rings and they still weren't so pretty. set aside. get three bowls for your dipping station. in the first bowl put about a half cup of all purpose flour seasoned with salt and pepper. you really could add anything you like, little garlic salt, cayenne, etc...

next bowl, mix one egg white with two tablespoons of milk. whip with a fork till well combined.

last bowl, pour in about a cup of panko bread crumbs.

line in them up in that order-flour, egg white and panko. dip, shake, dip, drip, plop and pat. do it till you have all the rings you can handle. now bake for about fifteen minutes. i could have let mine go a tad longer to be a bit browner. i was truly surprised how good theses are. now they aren't dairy queen good, but are quite close. well, no, not really, but trust me they are good and a lot less guilt. enjoy.

carne asada buffalo flank steak with grilled corn on the cob

this is one of the best meals i have had in a while. it is buffalo or bison flank steak with a carne asada marinade, fresh pico de gallo, slice avocado and fresh corn, grilled in its husk. it was all unbelievably fresh and delicious. the buffalo came from these folks, edmonds farm, bison ranch and hay farm in lancaster, virginia. i found them at the yorktown market days a few weeks and after giving their bison brats a try we knew we wanted more. we loved them. i made arrangements to get a $50 "sampler" of their incredible meat. it was kinda funny, we rendezvoused in a mcdonald's parking lot at 9:30 at night. they were en route to virginia beach for its famer's market the following day. what nice folks kim and don with their darling daughter valerie and a sweet, little pink piglet named sausage. hmmmmm, interesting name for a pig. well i was lucky enough to get a nice selection to include ny strip steaks, flank steak, ground and summer sausage. i decided to go with the flank first, so....

i reached out to my twitter friends for a marinade recommendation. i should have know my gal barbara over at barbara bakes would hook me up! her recipes are no fail. she recommended a tasty carne asada recipe, smokey chipotle which you can find here. i did marinate the flank overnight. please go pay barb a visit and tell her i sent ya, maybe she will mail me some of those yummy peanut butter cookies she makes. drool.

lastly, i thought i would try my hand at grilling some corn on the cob, still in its husk. oh my lordy, let me just say, too simple and too delicious. i won't boil an ear ever again. hey, why can't you tell a secret in a corn field? too many ears, teehee. sorry, moving on.....

for the corn, take the outer most husks off leaving the last several layers and soak for at least an hour in water. fire up your grill and when ready, drain the excess water off the ears and pile'em on. cook, turning often, for about twenty minutes. my gas grill was on medium.

now if the meat gods are smiling down on you, after ten minutes you will be throwing on your piece of bison flank steak that has been smothered in a smokey chipotle goodness. the buffalo is super lean and literally takes minutes to cook, on each side. watch it! don't kill it twice.

now just look at that ear of corny goodness, those kernels steaming inside the water soaked husks locking in all that sweet corn milk keeping it moist and tender. get the butter ready, the real stuff, not margarine. come one now....

dinner is served. i whipped up some pico de gallo, sliced an avocado, buttered the corn, sliced the steak, salt and peppered the whole plate and dug in. enjoy. i know i did.

how about a buffalo bleu burger next?

veggie casserole

finished dish....

ready for the oven....

i made a great veggie casserole courtesy of pam over at for the love of cooking. i love her site and have mentioned her several times on you know what you oughta do. this casserole is da bomb, regardless of a few things i did wrong, well mostly just one. i used too small of a pan. the zucchini squash should have been packed thinner in order to crisp and mine was a bit watery. oh well, it was still fantastic. i used fresh basil and oregano from my "garden". I use the term garden loosely. It is more like a few plants stuck in the ground. no, seriously, it's sad.

zukes shredded and packed in a too small dish....

i highly recommend this recipe. oh, one more thing i will do different. i will use a red, orange or yellow pepper, the green is just too bitter for my taste. you can find this yummy veggie casserole here. enjoy.

cream of asparagus soup

a foodie friend of mine, casey over at tastestopping mention on twitter last week that she was making cream of asparagus soup for dinner. hmmm.....i have never had this before and i was intrigued. i love asparagus, so i am guessing it has got to be good. i set out looking for a recipe. lo and behold, my favorite, favorite, favorite blog, for the love of cooking had one posted. i should have gone there first. pam always fixes the most delicious and healthy foods. her mexican selections, holy moly, just leave me drooling. don't go there on an empty stomach, it is down right cruel. i duplicated her recipe which was originally from cooking light magazine changing it just a bit. i swapped out fat free half and half for the low fat milk, subbed brummel and brown for the butter and omitted the bay leaf all together. i didn't have one on hand. you know what, this soup is goooood. it is light, creamy and has a very mild flavor, almost a cream of broccoli taste. you wouldn't know it was low fat. i will make this again. enjoy.

tasty lower fat fettuccine alfredo

now this is one of my daughter caroline's all time favorites. she prefers the alfredo at one of the more popular chain restaurants, but is happy when i whip this up. i found this fettuccine alfredo version on recipezarr, but changed it a tiny bit. i have made it plain, with canned mushrooms(what's pictured), steamed fresh broccoli, grilled chicken and even oven roasted shrimp. all are dynamite. this recipe is much lower in fat and calories than the good ol'heart attack on a plate version and you don't really miss the extra anything. it is creamy and full of flavor and just like the other, you need to fix, serve and devour immediately or it becomes thick and then separates. also like the real deal, it doesn't reheat very well, but no matter, caroline will eat it till it is gone! enjoy.

beth's tasty lower fat fettuccine alfredo

one tbsp. butter
one good size clove of garlic, minced
one tbsp. all purpose flour
1 2/3 ff half and half(love this stuff)
2 tbsp. reduced fat cream cheese
4 cups hot cooked fettuccine, your favorite
one cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 tsp. fresh chopped parsley( i use if i have or just skip)
lots of fresh ground black pepper

in a large saucepan, melt the butter and add the minced garlic. saute for about a minute. sprinkle in the flour. with a whisk, gradually add the half and half. stir over medium heat till the mixture bubbles and thickens, about six minutes or so. now add the cream cheese, cook a couple minutes more. add the parmesan cheese, stir till melted. the cream should be nice and thick. pour over the hot fettuccine, toss well to coat. sprinkle with the parsley and black pepper. serve immediately.

i love fresh cracked black pepper!

italian pot roast with oven baked brown rice

italian pot roast or as my mama would say "eye-talian" pot roast was a family favorite growing up in my house. my brother kevin adores this pot roast recipe and our mom would make it often for him. kevin, the great white hunter or so he refers to himself, would keep the freezer full of game, so mom would often use venison rather than beef. no matter, both options are dang tasty(the beef tends to have less buckshot). admittedly, i had forgotten about this pot roast until recently. i had forgotten just how simple, yet flavorful it is due to both apple juice and apple cider vinegar. i needed an excuse to use my new enameled french oven and this was perfect. i just let it simmer for hours and the chuck roast became so tender it would melt in your mouth. my mom would serve this over white rice, but since i am trying to do the healthier thing these days, i served brown rice. if you think you are not a brown rice fan you have to promise me you will try it my way. if you do, you won't go back to the white stuff. my brown rice is oven baked. it has texture and a wonderful nutty flavor. it is absolutely delicious. all right, without further fanfare, here ya go. enjoy.

beth's italian pot roast

2-3 lb chuck roast, cubed and trimmed of most fat
2 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup apple juice
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
2 cloves garlic smashed
mushrooms, i use a large can, drained
salt and pepper to taste
cornstarch slurry


combine all in a covered pot over medium heat, once bubbly, turn heat to low and simmer till cooked down and the meat is tender. i then take out some of the liquid and mix about a tbsp. of cornstarch into it to make a slurry, add to the pot and cook till the gravy is thickened.


beth's oven baked brown rice

preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit

in a covered two quart dish, combine 1 1/2 cups brown rice, 2 1/2 cups water or broth, 1 tbsp. of butter or evoo, and a pinch of salt. bake for one hour. fluff with fork and serve.

homemade salisbury steak

if you are meat and potatoes kinda person, you are going to love these salisbury steaks. i made them for jamie the other night and he did. me, i am not so much on "meat patties", but i did make myself a teeny tiny one. it was good, full of flavor. it is a texture thing for me. now, i thought the the gravy and onions were daaaang tasty, too tasty in fact since i am trying to adopt a healthier lifestyle. i opted for just a spoonful, so cruel. i paired the salisbury steaks with nice full bodied,not wine, but mashed potatoes! plus some steamed fresh broccoli and garlic bread. overall, this is definitely a keeper. i found and adapted the recipe from one in a magazine. i hope you will try it.

not so healthy, but oh so good. enjoy.


beth's salisbury steak

for the patties-

1 1/4 lbs. of ground chuck
1/4 cup fresh chopped flat leaf parsley
2 tbsp. chopped green onions, all of it
big pinch of kosher salt
big shakes or grinds of black pepper
2 tbsp. flour

for the gravy-

1 tbsp. evoo
2 cups sliced onions(i used one large)
1 tsp. sugar
1 tbsp. minced garlic(i used one huge clove)
1 t2 cups beef broth
1 tbsp. tomato paste
1/4 cup dry red wine(i didn't use)
3/4 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves(i didn't use)

combine chuck, parsley, scallion, salt and pepper. divide evenly into 4 portions and shape each into 3/4"-1" thick oval patties. place 2 tbsp. flour in a shallow dish; dredge each patty in flour. reserve 1 tsp. flour.

heat 1 tbsp. oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat. add patties and saute 3 minutes on each side, or until browned. remove from pan.

add onions and sugar to pan; saute 5 minutes. stir in garlic and tomato paste; saute 1 minute, or until paste begins to brown. sprinkle onions with reserved flour; cook 1 minute. stir in broth and wine, then add the salt and thyme.

return meat to pan and bring gravy to a boil. reduce heat to medium-low, cover and simmer 20 minutes.

finally, something new...vegetarian lasagna rolls

did i mention that my cholesterol ldl's(the stuff that likes to stick to the walls of you arteries) were wonky, too? according to the doc, given family history, they should be less than 70, mine were 140!! my overall cholesterol number and hdl number was fine though. crazy, huh? so, that means less red meat and limited dairy, dang it.

i love cookbooks and have many, one being diabetic. naturally, it was buried in the back of my pantry, but i dug it out and started to flip through it. i found a few interesting recipes including the vegetarian lasagna rolls. they looked healthy and nutritious, loaded with spinach, mushrooms, and part-skim cheeses. "good for you" generally equals bland, boring and no fun(like exercise). vegetarian lasagna rolls was dinner last night and it was good. the entire family ate. the rolls were satisfying and filling. all seemed fat and happy. admittedly, i thought what made the recipe work was using my homemade pasta sauce rather than jarred. i could eat that stuff with a spoon. anyway, here is my version of last night's supper. enjoy.

beth's vegetarian lasagna rolls

8 lasagna noodles, boiled for ten minutes
8 oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
1 150z container of part-skim ricotta( cottage cheese would work, too)
1 10oz thawed, drained frozen chopped spinach
2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella
2 eggs
1 tbsp. dried basil
1/2 tsp. fresh ground pepper
1 28 oz jar of your favorite pasta sauce or make your own
1/4 cup parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit.

in a dry saucepan cook over med heat the mushrooms till edges are brown, about 10 minutes.

in a big bowl mix mushrooms, ricotta, spinach, eggs, one cup mozzarella, basil and pepper. mix to combine. now spread about a 1/2 cup of the mixture down the middle of each noodle lengthwise. roll up to form lasagna rolls. place in a casserole, edge side up. tops with pasta sauce, remaining one cup mozzarella and the parmesan. bake 25-30 minutes.

btw, here is a link to my sauce.


p.s. i think next time i will add some chopped fresh parsley to the cheese mixture.

pork tenderloin, it's what's for thanksgiving dinner

no turkey or ham for us this year. we opted to change it up a bit since it was just us four. i had posted on twitter asking for suggestions on how to cook a pork tenderloin and barbara bakes shared her wonderful recipe for spicey grilled pork tenderloin. i jumped on it. oh my lordy, is this ever so good and easy. this is such a keeper. i know i should have taken a pic of the tenderloin after i sliced it, but oops, i forgot, but let me assure you it is flavorful, juicy and oh so tender. jamie ate so much he was moaning in deliciousness agony. it is good, no great, stuff folks. thank you barbara for you recipe. in the words of jj, it is dy-no-mite! enjoy.

stay tuned because i made some killer vanilla bean whipped sweet potatoes, first ever chocolate almond torte and cook's illustrated pumpkin pie. i will be telling you all about it real soon.

basic ol' chicken and dumplings

chicken and dumplings, a southern staple, but not so much in this house. i do make them once in awhile, but for us(really me) they are one of those foods that you can wait months in between having'em again. i do think i make pretty good ones, pretty simple, but full of flavor. i mean if my picky eleven year old daughter will eat a entire bowl, then they must be okay. i do make my own dumplings which it the best part, right? they are so simple and you do not have to make them perfectly, trust me 'cause i sure don't. anywho, here is what i do. enjoy.

beth's basic chicken and dumplings

first, we are white meat folks, no dark for us, at all. ick. you can use whatever you prefer. i buy a package of boneless, skinless chicken breasts and put in a dutch oven. i cover the chicken with about two quarts of fresh water and bring to a boil. i add in four chicken bouillon cubes, two bay leaves, 1/2 tsp of poultry seasoning and lots of freshly ground black pepper. i boil till the chicken is done and remove from the pot to cool. meanwhile, i strain the broth into another bowl and sit aside. don't bother to wash your dutch oven, just leave it on the stove. you will be back.

the dumplings, i mix two cups of self-rising flour with a 1/4 cup of cold vegetable shortening in a large bowl. i either use my fingers or a pastry blender to cut in the shortening till it about the size of peas. i then pour in about 3/4 cup of my chicken broth to make a dough. blend it till it pulls away from the sides of your bowl. plop onto your floured table or counter and knead two or three times till it comes together. with your floured rolling pin, roll the dough to about an 1/8 inch and cut into strips. i used my pizza cutter. i also cut the strips into halves or thirds to make them smaller. it really doesn't matter if your strips are varying sizes, they will all taste the same.

now back to your dutch oven, over med high heat, melt 3 tbsp butter. stir in a 1/4 self-rising flour, cook two to three minutes. now add back in your chicken stock and bring to a boil. once boiling, add your dumplings. turn your heat to low, cover and simmer for fifteen minutes. stir a few times while cooking to make sure they don't stick together. they will puff up, so don't be scared.

while the dumplings cook, cut up your chicken however you like it, shredded, cubes, strips, chunks, whatever. add these to your cooked dumplings along with 1/2 cup milk or fat free half and half and lots more of freshly ground black pepper. simmer till warmed through. enjoy.


p.s.-if you feel like you don't have enough stock, just throw in a can. i keep extra in my cupboards. also, when you add the chicken you can always jazz it up with some peas, corn, or carrots. that's yummy, too.

creamy tomato soup with a buttery baguette crouton

i love soups and a good tomato soup in particular, but i always thought the canned soups were the good ones, until now. i made the best creamy tomato soup tonight. i say creamy, but it has crushed tomatoes in it lending it to be a little lumpy, yet delicious. i like the lumps, but i am sure you could do away with them with an immersion blender or a food processor. i don't recall where the recipe came from, but no matter, it's mine now. i switched it up quite a bit adding oregano and freshly ground black pepper among other goodies. it is delicious. no more slithering condensed tomato soup that goes splat in this house. it is homemade all the way.

oh, try sinking a pat of butter to the bottom of your bowl for even more flavor. oh baby....

i also bought a little baguette a the store, cut in pieces, basted it with butter, sprinkled with seasoned salt and baked in a slow oven till nice and toasty. it was a big fat crouton to float on top. mmmm.... mmmm good. enjoy.

beth's creamy tomato soup

3 cups tomato juice(you could use v8, but i just used plain tomato juice)
1 28 oz can good crushed tomatoes( i used hunt's)
1 cup fat free half and half
1 med sized shallot diced
3 tsp butter
1 to 1.5 tsp dried oregano(rub in between you hands to release the oils when adding)
2 tbsp of flour
1 tsp salt
3-4 tsp of sugar
freshly ground pepper or pepper

in a bowl whisk together two cups of juice, milk and canned tomatoes. set aside.

in a dutch oven or large pot, melt butter over med high heat, add the shallot and oregano. saute a few minutes until shallots are tender. add the flour and stir for another minute or so. now add the tomato/milk mixture. whisk to combine and keep whisking till the soup begins to boil. now reduce to low and add the other cup of tomato juice, salt, sugar and a good grind of pepper. let the soup simmer uncovered for about an hour, stir often to make sure it does not stick to the pot's bottom. taste and adjust your seasoning. you could even add some red pepper flakes for some bite.

i think this would be wonderful topped with parmesan or cheddar cheese, pretzels, goldfish crackers, just about anything. i even think the addition of some rice would be lovely. it makes for a tasty jumping off point.

scalloped potatoes and ham

a real quick post to share with you one of my personal favorites for cold weather, scalloped potatoes and ham. i love this stuff! it is not for the faint of heart when it comes to calories, but oh my is it worth the splurge. i am sure you can lighten the load some, i try to and i will share those secrets. oh, i generally serve a big green salad to cancel out those fat grams. well, mostly to make me feel better about eating all those fat grams and to pretend i am eating healthy. enjoy.

scalloped potatoes and ham-your can find the recipe here.

my changes-i use fat free half and half, 2% milk and also, 2% cheddar that i sprinkle on top after it comes out of the oven. just put your lid back on and the heat will melt it beautifully. also, i don't do cayenne, because, well, i don't do cayenne.

easy chicken noodle soup

jamie requested this for dinner tonight. he loves chicken noodle soup, so i delivered. why not? the weather is cool and it is beginning to feel a tad like fall, and well, truthfully it is so dang easy to make. i made it earlier in the day and let it sit on the stove till he got home. it was still nice and warm. he inhaled two big ole bowls. i don't really like "noodle" soups, so i opted for a tomato, avocado and cheddar panini (jamie had one of those too, mind you). the kids, travis ate pretty much nothing, a few fig bars and milk. caroline, she had chicken flavored cup o'noodles.

hey, what? wait. isn't that basically the same thing, minus the styrofoam cup? jeez. enjoy.

beth's easy chicken noodle soup

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 large container of chicken broth(32 oz i think, i threw the container away)
1 cup of water to start, maybe more
2 chicken bouillon cubes
big pinch of sea or kosher salt
big pinch of course pepper
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp of butter
2 stalks of celery-diced
3 carrots-diced
1/2 onion-diced
coupla big handfuls of extra wide egg noodles

in a large, lidded dutch oven place you chicken breasts, chicken broth, water, bouillon cubes, salt, pepper and bay leaves. bring to a boil and cook until the chicken is done. remove the chicken to cool. turn the broth to low, to simmer. in a frying pan, melt your butter and add the celery, carrots and onion. cook 3-4 minutes till slightly tender. add all to your broth. now cube your cooked and cooled chicken breast, add to pot too. now let you soup simmer on low for about a half an hour. check your veggies often to make sure they are not cooking too quickly. when they are still slightly firm, add two big handfuls of egg noodles, more or less, your choice. here is where you might need to add some more water. you should have plenty of broth, but the noodles will soak up quite a bit while cooking. you might want to add another cup, just use your best judgment. simmer for another ten minutes, check veggies, noodles and broth. if it is not flavorful enough you can always add another bouillon cube, some poultry seasoning, whatever you would like. once done, just turn off heat, place on the lid and walk away. if the noodles are quite done, they will keep cooking a bit, so don't worry. i let mine sit maybe two hours before jamie got home. throw a pot together for your family today, or tomorrow, or next tuesday, or whenever.
p.s.-i actually think this tastes better the next day.

vegetable beef soup/stew

we have been having some unseasonably cool weather here on the east coast of virginia, so i decided to make a pot of vegetable beef soup/stew. we love this stuff, even my kids will eat it. it is so simple to make. you can start it in the morning, let it sit and it will be perfect for your evening supper. i call it a soup/stew, because the first day it is more like a soup with lots of soup liquor. come day two, it has thickened more like a stew, that is my favorite. as i look at the photos i think how monotone it looks. all the veggies' colors have dulled, but that is the nature of a soup/stew plus my lack of photographic skills. trust me, this is delicious and a favorite dinner. we like to top it with handfuls of grated vermont sharp cheddar. i also made a batch of garlic cheddar drop biscuits to go alongside. i hope you give it a try.

both pics are two day stew....



beth's beef vegetable soup/stew

2 tbsp. of evoo
1 tbsp. of flour
2 lbs. of stew beef or chuck roast cubed
one small onion, chopped
1 bottle of vegetable juice such as V8
one large can of petite diced tomatoes(28 oz)
one bag of frozen mixed veggies
one half bag of frozen butter beans
1/4 bag of frozen green peas
three whole bay leaves
start off with about two tsp of italian seasonings
sea salt
course black pepper
one tsp of sugar
one half box of elbow macaroni

okay, in a dutch oven over med high heat, heat the evoo and add the onion, stir for a few minutes and add the stew beef. sprinkle with the flour and brown briefly. maybe, three or four minutes. pour in the vegetable juice, scraping up all the lovely brown bits on the bottom of the pan. add a little water to the bottle, shake to get out all the juice and pour right into the pot. now, add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT macaroni. let it start to bubble and turn heat to low, put the lid on. allow it to simmer for about an hour or until the meat is cooked. taste it. adjust your seasonings and allow it cook slowly on low until the meat is tender. now cut it off and let it sit on your stove top. okay, an hour before you are ready to eat, turn it back on to med heat. let it start bubbling,add the macaroni, turn it back down to low, put the lid back on and allow it simmer again till the macaroni is just tender. watch it so it doesn't stick. don't add the macaroni till the end or you will end up with vegetable beef wall paper paste.

you can add most anything you want to the pot, potatoes, okra, whatever. this is the basic combo that my family loves. this is most forgiving recipe, so experiment and have fun. i love it best the next day. enjoy.

roasted shrimp, easy and delicious

let me preface by saying, i don't like shrimp. i had a bad shrimp experience years ago and i have not been able to let that go, until now. my husband has been after me to fix healthier foods, more seafood, veggies, and fruits. i am a southerner, i equate healthy foods to tasteless or boring meals. i envision a cold fresca served with a lovely "diet" plate of one scoop each cottage cheese, tuna and chicken salad on a lettuce leaf. oh and let's not forget dessert, sugar-free jello, usually strawberry, topped with a big ole dollop of dream whip. ewwww. i know we need to eat better, but it's such a drag not to mention expensive. it cost big bucks to eat right. little debbie's are cheap. anyway, i did pick up a pound of shrimp to fix for dinner tonight. it's a good start. i thought i would try ina's recipe for roasting them. oh my gosh!! these are crazy good. i betcha i ate easily a dozen of those little suckers. i didn't maker her cocktail sauce though, just used store bought. the shrimp were so simple and unadorned, yet so full of flavor and juicy. i am so tempted to go buy more for supper tomorrow. no joke, i am going to make these often, although neither one of my kids ate them. who cares? it just means more for me. they choose velveeta shells and cheese. ick.

run forrest run! buy your shrimp. you and bubba need to make these now, it's better than a box of chocolates. well, not really. enjoy.
ready for the oven, evoo, kosher salt and freshly ground pepper.

chicken pot pie, dang easy, dang tasty

so pam, over at for the love of cooking, one of my favorite food blogs ever, posted a beautiful chicken pot pie. i want pam to take pity on me and invite me over for dinner one night. it doesn't matter that she lives clear over yonder on the west coast. i will come bearing gifts. how about a smithfield ham and a big ole can of peanuts? well, it is more likely that i will be stuck here munching those goobers while dreaming of her food. pam's mexican creations make my over cheesed heart pitter patter and my overindulged stomach growl. anyway....

her pot pie recipe sounded so wonderful that i had to give it a try. it is 99% pam's with a dash of beth. i am not such a hot pastry chef, so i cheated and used store bought pie crust. when i unrolled the crust, it was too small and too round for my oval baking dish, so i used a cookie cutter to cut circles which i overlapped on top. it worked beautifully. i pretty much followed her filling recipe to a " t" with the exception that i added both sliced celery and pinch of thyme to the mushroom/onion/garlic saute. the pot pie was delicious. big j and i ate over half in one sitting and polished off leftovers tonight. c wouldn't taste any pot pie even if it was spoon-fed to her by a jonas brother. little t, boxed mac and cheese was calling his name. folks, please give pam's chicken pot pie recipe and her delightful site a visit. it will be worth your while. go do it now, go do it for the love of cooking or in my case, for the love of eating! enjoy.

p.s.- i am thinking next time, beef pot pie with a cheesy crust? holey moley. oh, and sorry for the one and only "not so good" picture. i was too busy shoveling it in.

white castle wannabes

when i saw this recipe over at the big red kitchen(a fun read, go check it out) i just knew i had to give these a try. i also just knew big j would love them, and he did. these super simple sliders were just that, super simple. let me take you through the steps, so hang on....
first, sprinkle dried onion all over a 9x13 pan, as many or as little as you would like. you see the naked side? that is for my four year old, little t. he won't eat the onions, no problem, mama hooked him up. next....
you need two pounds of ground chuck, don't go extra lean because you need the grease to soften up those onions and you want flavor, baby. i am sure they are called sliders for a reason, the grease helps them slide on down your gullet. anyway, pat your burger in your pan, pressing down firmly into the onions. now sprinkle with your favorite seasoned salt. i used adobo seasoning because, well, it was all i had. now cook about 25 minutes at 400 degrees fahrenheit , the meat will shrink and there will be a lot of grease. drain and pat the burger with a paper towel. now....
see how the meat has shrunk? also, i put my pan inside a larger one to prevent grease spillage overage. now the good stuff, place six pieces of sliced cheese, real cheese please, not that cheese food garbage on humongo the burger and pop back into the oven till melted, maybe two or three minutes. grab your pizza cutter and cut into nice little squares to fit these....
martin's potato party rolls, my personal favorite, split and ready to receive. you can use any size party or dinner roll you would like. top it off with a dill hamburger pickle chip....
and you got this!
white castle wannabes. enjoy, i know i did, so did big j, little t, lily the dog, but not so much c. i think she ate yogurt. she's no fun.