Tag: dinner

Daily Thoughts · Uncategorized

Tuesday (actually Thursday but I forgot on Tuesday) Tidbits

Chocolate Castles4 Comments

Why can I not remember that I have said on Tuesday I will post in bullet points? Actually, I was out of town and did not have a minute to sit down and post on Tuesday, so will do that today. We were in California for 13 days, but came home last night. What a wonderful time we had. OK enough paragraphs, here are the bullet points.

1. California ranks in top 3 places I like to visit.

2. Love that i can have my hair cut and colored for $100 and love the experience of visiting a old fashioned salon where there are still hair dryers along the back wall. AND…the stylists always have cookies or candy and there is always coffee or sodas. (Debbie if you are reading this, thank you for putting up with me, and my humor.)Poor Jerry, the guy who does my hair never knows what color I’m going to ask for every time I am in town. I take him brownies to make up for the trouble I cause.

3. Traveled to Doyle Springs where we stay in a house that is built over a waterfall and stream. There is nothing quite like sleeping with an open window that allows you to sleep with the sound of water cascading over rocks. LOVE IT!

4. Found out that I cannot eat homemade ice cream 4 days in a row, steaks, grilled chicken, ice cream pie, Lebanese food, chile rellano casserole, two nights of Panda Inn and not expect to only fit in Moo Moos and maternity pants.

5. Played Hand & Foot with 5 ladies while having lunch. Great laughter and fun playing cards…

6. Went crazy driving down interstate 5 frantically telling Randy we have to turn around and go back so I can take pictures of all the deer I saw on the side of the road. After he let me go on and on about never seeing so many deer out like that so close to the road, he finally tells me that they weren’t real.

7. Learned that I do like British Programs, got hooked on The Crown while staying at a friends house. Even Randy loved the series. Cannot wait until November when the next season begins. Have now watched all 10 episodes.

8. Came home in a mood to bake. So just finished baking a tuxedo cake, my favorite. It will be for dessert tomorrow night when 4 couples come over after we go eat at Singing Pandas. Yes, back to reality. Laundry, trying to decide what to make for dinner…but, was wonderful sleeping in our own bed last night. Nothing quite like being home! We love to go but always wonderful to get home and start planning the next adventure.

Thanks to our precious friends in California who always treat us with love and make us feel so welcomed. One of these days we might need to find new places to stay, I think we stay in the Smith, Duncans and Welches houses more than our own.

appetizers · Breads · Daily Thoughts · Super Bowl Recipes · Vegetables

Bruschetta Melts

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One of my favorite foods is bruschetta. Sometimes on a Friday or Sunday evening, instead of making dinner, we choose to just have a plate of bruschetta. When I saw this in a Taste of Home magazine from 2015 (ok, I have been kinda busy and am just sitting down to go through some old magazines) I knew this would be our dinner next time we went for a little healthier dinner than running to Baskin-Robins for a hot fudge sundae. Yes we do that about once a month, nothing like a gorgeous hot fudge sundae for dinner….try it sometime. It will make your heart sing.

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teas lemon juice

1/2 teas seasoned salt (such as Lawry’s)

1/2 teas pepper

1/4 teas garlic powder (I will use probably about 3 cloves as we just cannot get enough garlic, hum…I wonder why we don’t have many friends?)

4 plum tomatoes, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely chopped sweet onion

2 tables minced fresh basil

1 carton (8 oz) spreadable chive and onion cream cheese

24 slices French bread (1/4″ thick)

2 cups (8 oz) shredded mozzarella cheese

Additional minced fresh basil

Preheat oven to 425. In a small bowl, wish the olive oil, lemon juice, salt, pepper, garlic powder until blended. Stir in tomatoes, onion and 2 tables fresh basil

Spread cream cheese over French bread slices and place on greased baking sheets. Top with tomato mixture; sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Bake 7-9 min or until mozzarella cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional minced fresh basil if desired.

Meats · Uncategorized · Vegetables

Pork Roast

Chocolate Castles1 Comment

A couple of days ago, taking a break from packing boxes, I got hungry for a pork roast!  We  texted (only old people call their kids) our kids and ask them if they wanted to come over for dinner.  I think we all know the answer to that question anytime free food is involved! So I got busy and began to look for the necessary food items that I normally use for pork roast.  They weren’t there, such as brown gravy mix, cream of mushroom soup and That brown stuff you sprinkle on meat that starts with Worches, but I can never remember the spelling and since I don’t have any in the fridge, I can’t run to check the spelling, so you will just have to guess what I’m talking about! Anyhoo since we are trying to use up all the items in our pantry and not keep buying I went with what I had in hand!  It turned out so good!  Will make this again as all four of us loved it!   I used cream of celery soup, a packet of dry French onion soup and about 4-5 shakes of Kikoman sauce!

1 (2-3 lb) pork roast

2 tables olive oil

1 onion, sliced

1 reg size can cream of celery soup

1 envelope of Liptons dry French onion soup kix

4-5 shakes of Kikoman sauce

garlicpowder to taste

pepper

in large Dutch oven heat with olive oil. Sprinkle roast with pepper and garlic powder to your liking! Because of the onion soup mix and Jimoman you  don’t need to add any salt!

brown roast and sliced onion in hot oil on both sides about 3-4 min on each side. When roast is brown sprinkle it with the dry soup mix, then cover with cream of celery soup and splash in the Kikoman sauce! add about a can or more water to roast and bake st 350 for 2-3 hours!  The last hour of baking I add cut up potatoes and carrots.  Bake until roast is tender and veggies are done!  The gravy this makes is so good!

Daily Thoughts · Starches · Vegetables

Chile Rellanos/Tkbakesalot Style

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image.jpegRandy and I are hooked!  We have such fun making these so we look for anyone who is wanting to try them! Last week we had some family over who loves Mexican food so had told them we would make them! They brought guacamole and I fried flour tortillas into homemade chips!  The difference is that I make green chile sauce to pour over the Rellanos and then sprinkle some cheddar cheese on top and put them in the oven for a min until the cheese on top is melted!  I just googled “recipe for chile Rellanos” which is easy so am only posting the green chile sauce! There are several recipes that are posted for these do pick one that you like and use this sauce to make them extra flavorful!

1 small can (like a soup size can) chicken broth

1 small can mild green chiles (diced)

1 small can mild green chile sauce

1 stick butter

1/3cup flour

sslt, pepper & garlic powder to your liking

melt butter in large skillet! Sprinkle flour a little at a time over melted butter and whisking continually to avoid lumping. When you have a paste of the flour mixture add the green chilies, green chile sauce and chicken broth (a little at a time as you might not need all the chicken broth) and seasoning! Stir continually until mixture is thickened as gravy consistency! Set aside while you make the Rellanos and the top each Rellano with about 2 tables of the sauce mix! Sprinkle shredded cheddar over the entire pan and place in preheated 425 oven until cheese is melted!

I also use this green chile sauce over my chicken green chile enchiladas!