Thursday, December 27, 2012

Roast Beef Po'Boy Sandwiches

I had some leftover standing rib roast after Christmas, so I thought to myself: Po'Boy! Now, obviously, I can't get the same bread as they use in NOLA, so I had to improvise. I got a huge Ciabatta roll from Boudins in the Village at Corte Madera. I made one huge sandwich and cut into manageable sections.

Ingredients:
Ciabatta or other sandwich roll
Mayonaise
Roast Beef with leftover au jus or gravy
Shredded lettuce
Sliced Roma tomatoes
Thinly sliced Kosher dill pickles

Directions:
Cut the roll in half, lengthwise. Smear a ton of mayo on both sides...probably a cup altogether, but whatever you desire. On the bottom slice of bread layer the lettuce, tomatoes, pickles & roast beef. Ladle copious amounts of gravy on top, top it off with the other slice of bread. Cut in half; serve with Crystal Hot Sauce and tons and tons and tons of napkins!!!



Sunday, December 23, 2012

Chicken Enchiladas Suizas

Enchilada Suizas Recipe
Ingredients:
6 flour tortillas
2 chicken breasts, roasted & shredded
1 can verde enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 sm can sliced black olives

Directions:
Pour a couple tablespoons of the green sauce in the bottom of a glass pan. Put a few scoops of the chicken and cheese on top of each tortilla. Roll up and place into pan. Cover with the rest of the sauce and the olives. Cover with foil, back at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 15 more minutes. Garnish with sour cream, avocado, & hot sauce. Super easy; takes less than 10 minutes to assemble. Enjoy!
Enchilada Suizas Recipe
Ingredients:
6 flour tortillas
2 chicken breasts, roasted & shredded
1 can verde enchilada sauce
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 sm can sliced black olives

Directions:
Pour a couple tablespoons of the green sauce in the bottom of a glass pan. Put a few scoops of the chicken and cheese on top of each tortilla. Roll up and place into pan. Cover with the rest of the sauce and the olives. Cover with foil, back at 350 for 20 minutes. Remove the foil and cook for 15 more minutes. Garnish with sour cream, avocado, & hot sauce. Super easy; takes less than 10 minutes to assemble. Enjoy!

Friday, December 21, 2012

4th Annual Tamale Day!

I grew up in So. California where Mexican food was very dominant. I noticed that all my friends moms were making *tamales at Christmas time. I could only hope to score one or a dozen! Four years ago I got tired of dreaming about these homemade delectable treats and decided to do something about it. I found a recipe online with detailed instructions and got busy. Its like a 3 day ordeal! Its very labor intensive, but oh so worth it! I have 6 dozen tamales in my freezer for those cold winter nights when all I want to do is bust out a few and pop them in the microwave!



*Recipe available upon request! :)

Saturday, September 15, 2012

Last full day at Cowgirl Yoga

Went to breakfast around 8:30, but I barely ate anything. Kate made scrambled eggs, but they had feta in them, so I only had one bite and couldn't eat anymore. I know, I'm weird, I don't like feta. I also had a piece of bacon and a small spelt pancake. Still not having much of an appetite.

We had a lovely trail ride today and even let the horses drink from the river and splash around. I rode Picasso today. Loved him. I got to use one hand on the reign today, instead of two. It was so much more comfortable for me.

I wasn't hungry at lunch, either, but I ate a little bit of some delicious tomato soup and a bit of quinoa & brown rice that had some avocado in it. Good. Just wish I had room for more.

Today is the last dinner and we are encouraged to dress up, especially since they have the photographer here. I was going to do the pictures, but at least half of the group isn't doing it, so I'm thinking I'll blow it off, too. I didn't know about the $90 fee. I love my pics from last year, so I think I'll just stick with those. That way, too, I don't have to rush to be out there so early. I think they are starting now. I'm gonna just show up for dinner at 7:00, so I have a couple of hours to veg out for once! :) Oh, and btw, I'm finally feeling really hungry now! Unfortunately, its Moroccan night and I don't really like lamb or any Mediterranean food very much. Of course, I will try everything, and who knows, maybe I'll like it.

.....Dinner was great, but of course, I was starving and I was last in line and I got the last of every dish!! lol I had some delicious Moroccan soup, zucchini "pancakes", eggplant, tzatziki, olives,  & cous cous. I got just a teeny bit of each, but even though I "thought" I was starving (finally!!), it was plenty!!!!

Not sure if I'm going to be doing the yoga session or horse riding tomorrow before I leave. I feel like I just might blow one off. Yoga is at 8:15, then brunch, then a short horse ride, then I leave the Double T River Ranch......until next year......?

Friday, September 14, 2012

First Full Day of Cowgirl Yoga

I am so exxxxaaaauuuusssstttteeeedddd!!!! But in a good way! I got up at about 7:30 to get ready for breakfast. I was early, much to my dismay, because I could have been sleeping in longer!!! Thats ok because after I ate, I just went back to my room to chill a bit before yoga. Breakfast was awesome. I did not partake in Kates chocolate scones, but you should've heard the oooohs and ahhhhs! lol I had some of her scrambled eggs with basil, crushed red pepper, salt & pepper. So simple and delish. I also had some peppered bacon and a bit of berrie smoothie.

I swear, I am so confused as to how my days have just blended together!! I've only been here for like 32 hours, but so much has gone on that I can't keep track! Its just go go go but this year, we have had a bit more "down" time than I can recall from before. Which I am totally grateful for!

I was a bit worried about this mornings yoga sessions because I knew from previous experience that it was going to be a looooong one!! However, those chaturangas were tough! My arms are killing me right now! It was, of course, another amazing practice and it felt great. But then it was lunch time and I was like "I am soooo not hungry! How can I think of food?" But I knew that dinner wouldn't be for several hours and I had a long afternoon ahead of being on the horses, so I ate. Kate (she's the chef here, in case I didn't previously specify!) made some turkey sandwiches and hummus sandwiches, along with some carrot ginger soup, and a green salad w/raspberries and a balsamic vinaigrette. I "foraged". The soup was so, so good, but I could only eat a few spoonfuls. I am not sure why I have no appetite here this year. I can remember being ravenous last year!

I was paired up with the cutest young lady, Jenny, for horseback riding 101. She loves all animals, but had never been on a horse before. She was so calm. I was admiring her yoga abilities in yoga this morning and I was happy to get a chance to get to know her a little bit. And can I just say, in a non homosexual way, she has a really nice butt!! ;) I'm just a little envious since I have no ass. We rode Tango, my baby boy!!! He was the first horse that I encountered last year and the first one that I rode. I love my Tango boy!! It was fun being an alumni leading the newbies. There are five of us alumni!! So cool to see Tracy, Sarah, & Danielle again!! Missing Lori & Lynnette from last year. :(

As you can see, its been a very long day. So, time to summarize.

Dinner was garlic & herb encrusted beef tenderloin with a red wine reduction sauce, "smashed" potatoes, roasted beets, and Swiss chard. It was really delicious, but again, I just did not have an appetite!! But I don't care, I just love the whole subject of food. Period.

Sat in the hot tub with Kate, Casey, & Jessica (chef, her assistant, & Janices daughter/horse wrangler). In bed. Tired. Another big day---the biggest---tomorrow!

Goodnight! YeeHaw & Namaste!

Thursday, September 13, 2012

Day 4, Clyde Park, MT - Cowgirl Yoga!!

And today is the day that I am I actually here for to begin with!! I checked out of Chico Hot Springs, stopped at Albertsons for some rations, and headed up to Bozeman to do a little last minute shopping. I needed a few things, such as brown tights, an ivory camisole, and a brown sweater. Yep, needed them. So, I went to The Root and found everything I needed. Also grabbed a burrito from Taco Johns (hey, when in Rome....), and got a little bit of gas, just in case.

The drive to Clyde Park is my favorite. So beautiful!! I was so excited when I finally got here. I felt safe and "at home", finally! I met my housemate, Lynn, and she is really sweet. From DC. Her first time. I got unpacked and took a nice, long, relaxing bubble bath to de-stress and get in the calm frame of mind that I so desperately needed. All dressed for yoga, I went outside to see if Lynn wanted to walk over to the river with me. We ran into Sarah, Danielle, and Tracy from last year, and a new girl named Laurie. (love her, btw!) Said hello and hugged, got caught up, etc. Walked over to the horses and saw Janice!! God, I love Janice!! So great to be back here!!

We had a wonderful yoga session for about an hour-ish, then had light appetizers & wine and headed down to the stables to have a little overview with Janice. Dinner was caprese salad, chicken Picatta, risotto, & asparagus. Very delicious. Kate is awesome. After dinner, we had a little orientation upstairs in the yoga studio and then we were back in our rooms by around 9.

I am soooo spoiled! I have the BEST room of all. I'm in the Master Suite of the Ranch House. I have my own bathroom and I have a TV! :) I haven't had a TV this whole time!!! I even got to catch part of The Real Housewives of Miami premiere tonight! ;) But, its not about TV and I know I won't have much time to watch anyway. Thats fine with me. I am here for the yoga and the horses!!

OK, well, gotta get up for breakfast at 8, yoga at 9, horseback riding at around 12. Its gonna be a very busy, but fun next few days! So excited! But I'm also really, really homesick!!!! :( As much as I am happy to be here, I cannot wait to go home and be with my family!!! I miss my husband so much!! I miss my daughters!!! I miss my baby, Madison, and my kitties. But, ya know, its good for all of us. :)

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

Day 3, Bozeman/Pray/Chico Montana

I was the only guest at Fox Hollow last night, so I had to eat my breakfast all alone. Nancy made me a fruit "cocktail" with strawberry yogurt, a ham & cheese "roulette", & wheat toast w/homemade preserves of various berries. It was really good, but soooo filling!! After breakfast I went upstairs to finish packing up my stuff and just wanted to chill for a little bit until I had to check out.

Off to Pray, MT!! I got on the road and headed for Chico Hot Springs, but first I wanted to check out Livingston. Particularly, I wanted to go to Spurline and check out the Murray Hotel since thats where I stayed last time. I really needed to pee and also wanted to stop for wine, but I just couldn't find anyplace convenient. Its such a tiny town. So, I drove ALL THE WAY back to Bozeman to Target to grab a bottle of wine. Then I headed back down to Pray again...and when I got to the exit, I was so pissed to discover there was an Albertsons right there!! Ugh!! Oh, well, I had time to kill anyway.

Gorgeous drive to Pray!!!! Loved every minute of it! Chico Hot Springs was a trip. They put me in the (literally) Fishermans Lodge. So gross. I was a little (ok, alot!) freaked out at first. My room was connected to a couple of geezer, salty dog fishermen. But I decided to go ahead and check out the hot springs (a creepy experience!!) and go for a hike to Trout Pond (all uphill!!), and I got acclimated. I realized I loved the "resort", but I was just in a really bad room. I went out to dinner at their dining room. My waiter, Mike, was awesome. I was amazed at how awesome the service was there! It was like 5 star quality!! I had a prawn cocktail and a Thai inspired pork chop. The pork chop was a little under done for my taste, but it was very good, nonetheless. The place was so packed with all of these big parties of 4 or more and I felt kind of lonely! :( I would actually love to come back to Chico Hot Springs - with my family, or at least a girlfriend - and stay in one of the amazingly gorgeous cabins that are scattered all over the property. And it is pet friendly!!! Oh, how I miss my dog Madison and my cats Celeste, Carly, Cinnamon, & Cleo!!!! And yes, I desperately miss my husband and daughters.

Well, tomorrow I am finally headed to the Double T River Ranch and COWGIRL YOGA!!! I am so excited!!! I cannot wait to see Margaret, Kate, Janice, Ron, and the other 3 returning alumna from my retreat last year, Sarah, Danielle, & Tracy!! I just really miss my roommates, Lynnette & Lori, from last year!! :( But I am sure I will meet a lot of new amazing women.

YeeHaw & Namaste!!

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Day 2, Bozeman, MT

I slept really deep. So deep that I had some bizarre dreams. Went down to breakfast at 8:30. So different for me to eat breakfast! I had a delicious cup of coffee and then sat down to a beautifully set table. Joining me was an older couple, Mike & Esther, from Santa Barbara. Nancy started our meal off with a chilled peach soup drizzled with honey. I really don't have a sweet tooth, but I ate it politely. She also made a puffed pancake (?) with an orange glaze and fresh fruit with more honey on top. Super sweet, but good. I told her I am not usually a fruit person, but if you put it in front of me, I'll eat it. There was also 2 strips of peppered bacon. A really nice start to my day! In fact, it was so nice, that I went upstairs with the intention of going for a 3 or 4 mile run, but ended up falling back asleep for 2 hours!!!! LOL

Feeling refreshed - finally! - I headed to downtown Bozeman to stroll along N. Main Street to A) shop a bit and B) get some steps in on my FitBit. I was soooooo full from breakfast that the farthest thing from my mind was eating lunch! I needed to burn it off!!! I went to The Root, a favorite boutique from my previous visit last year, and I tried on a bunch of cute clothes, only to settle on a pair of tan cords & an ivory blouse. Cute outfit; might wear it to dinner this weekend at CY....? I have the cutest horse bit necklace that would look really pretty, but I needed earrings to match, so thankfully, I found an adorable pair of dangling "tools" at Cosmica, a few doors down.

I left downtown and headed to Murdoch's to see if I really wanted those things I saw yesterday. And yes, I sure did! I tried on a really cute brown & orange plaid shirt dress, had to have it, and the boots I was coveting turned out to be coincidentally a perfect match for the dress! Brown shaft with turqoise & orange stitching. And they were on SALE! I also got a cute pair of "BootyUp" Wrangler jeans. I always find the cutest clothes at Murdochs! Wish there was one in California!!!!!

I went back to the B&B to change for dinner. I went out by myself - again - to Chicago Pizza. I ordered Buffalo Tenders for an appetizer, but only ate 2 of them. For my entree I had the Chicago Beef Sandwich. I could barely finish half of it. I check out from here tomorrow after breakfast and am heading to Chico Hot Springs in Pray, MT. Super excited!! I just want to relax and go to bed early. I have an 8:00 dinner reservation in the dining room there. I hope its delicious! :) Not that I'm looking forward to eating at a restaurant alone - again! :)

Monday, September 10, 2012

Off Topic: 2nd Annual LUXE Cowgirl Yoga Retreat!!

I barely slept at all last night due to the fact that I had to get up at the butt crack of dawn (3:45am) to get ready to leave at 4:15 for my 6AM flight to Bozeman, Montana!! I'm going back for a second round of Cowgirl Yoga!! However, I got a really great deal on a flight but the problem is that they only fly in/out of Oakland/Bozeman on Monday mornings. So, I'm here for 8 days!! The longest I've ever been away by myself.

I wasn't supposed to check in until 3, but I took a chance and called Fox Hollow B&B to see if maybe I could come early since I was super exhausted and needed to sleep. They said, sure, we are all ready for you.....at 10:00AM!! Bonus!! So much for having to keep busy all day until 3! :) I met the owners, Nancy & Mike, and they were very, very friendly. I settled in, went out to look for food (Taco Johns) and of course, went straight to Murdoch's for a little look around. Saw some cute stuff; maybe I'll go back tomorrow? After I ate (God, I was starving!!),  I went back to the B&B and took a nice, long, 2 hour nap!! I was dead to the world!!

Starving again, I went out to dinner by myself (Eek!!) at Johnny Carino's Italian place. It was pretty good. I had a nice salad and the Italian Pot Roast that the cute waiter recommended. :) Went to Target to grab a bottle of wine and a few toiletries that I forgot to bring, went back to the B&B, had a glass of wine with Nancy & Mike, went up to read for a bit and early to bed I went!

BTW, the bed in the Garden Room is soooooo comfy!!!! :)

Monday, July 9, 2012

Grilled Chicken with Pesto Sauce & Pasta Pomodora

So, I've been suffering from creative cooking block lately, but I spent a lot of time thinking about food and my blog while on vacation last week and have come up with some good ideas! I wanted to make stuffed pork chops last night, but I just couldn't get motivated. My daughter suggested Pasta Pomodoro, which is easy enough, but my husband and I like to have more protein than that, preferably in the form of meat. So, we came up with Grilled Chicken with Pesto Sauce. I wanted to put it over a bed of arugula, but our grocery store didn't have any. The dish was really delicious! My husband did the chicken; I did the pasta.




Ingredients for the chicken:
4 boneless/skinless chicken breasts
salt, pepper, ancho chile powder, tumeric, & cumin
1 cup olive oil
half a bunch of basil
4 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup pine nuts, plus more for garnish, if desired
4 slices of gruyere cheese, each cut in half.

Directions:
Sprinkle the spices over the chicken, using as much or as little as you want. (My husband came up with this combo....not sure why? ;) Set aside. Put the oil, basil, garlic & pine nuts in a tall container (I use a small plastic pitcher that I got at Ikea) and blend together with an immersion blender (because I hate using blenders!) until all liquified. Set aside.

Grill the chicken...about 10 minutes per side. Heat the oven to 325. After the chicken has rested a few minutes, cut each breast in half, put a half slice of the cheese and a dollop of the pesto sauce on each breast. Put in the oven for about 10 minutes or until the cheese melts. Garnish with pine nuts, if desired.

Ingredients for the pasta:
Angel hair pasta, cooked as directed on package
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
4 large tomatoes, chopped rough
4 cloves of garlic, sliced
1 or 2 sprigs of basil
salt & pepper, to taste

Directions:
Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Add the tomatoes, garlic, basil, salt & pepper and let simmer for about 20 or 30 minutes. I started the sauce right when my husband put the chicken on, and it was perfect by the time the chicken came out of the oven. Serve the sauce over the angel hair pasta. Garnish with more basil and Parmesan cheese, if desired. Oh, and I did something kind of weird. I added about a tablespoon of the leftover Pesto sauce to the Pomodoro sauce to finish it off. It was good!

Look out for my Asian/Thai inspired stuffed pork chops coming up soon. :)

Thursday, March 8, 2012

Lynda's Gazpacho

I remember ordering this amazing gazpacho at one of my favorite restaurants in my hometown of Upland, CA. Unfortunately, El Gado Gordo closed down several years ago.  I remember that the Lynda's Gazpacho had diced avocado and little bay shrimp in it. Add some hot sauce for more kick, and man, it was a great little meal in itself! I am trying to eat a "plant & protein" diet these days in an attempt to drop some weight, and since the weather is so nice lately, I thought of gazpacho for dinner. It was very, very delicious!



Ingredients:
2 large yellow heirloom tomatoes
1 large shallot
2 miniature red bell peppers
1 red jalepeno
1 cucumber, peeled
1 can organic diced tomatoes
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
several sprigs of cilantro
salt & pepper to taste
Optional: scallions, avocado, hot sauce, horseradish, prawns

Directions:
Dice all the veggies. Put all ingredients in a bowl and give it a few pulses of the immersion blender, but leave it a little bit chunky for texture. Garnish with your choice of sliced scallions, avocado, cilantro, hot sauce, horseradish & prawns. Or add them all, like I did! :) Maybe even a few tortilla chips would have been a nice addition. Serves 4. Enjoy!

Sunday, February 19, 2012

Cassoulet

I love beans of every variety! Green, garbanzo, pinto, kidney, lima...you name em, I love em. When I was a little girl, my mom would buy these cans of big, white lima beans that had little chunks of ham. I loved those, but haven't seen them on the shelves in years. Another childhood favorite of mine is Campbell's Bean with Bacon soup. Yum! Recently, I found some Rancho Gordo Flageoulet beans at the Farmer's Market and decided I'd make a nice Cassoulet on a chilly Winter night.

This delicious Cassoulet reminds me of sort of a cross between those two canned childhood favorites...but with a more grown-up twist. You really should use dried beans, preferably Rancho Gordo...I love those beans! You can also use whatever kind of meat you want. I prefer a selection of pork, but you could use chicken or even duck legs, if you want (but be sure to drain all the fat from the duck cuz thats just too greasy).

FYI, you will need to soak your beans overnight or do a quick soak in the morning (4-6 hours).

Here's the recipe! :)



Ingredients:
1 pound dried Flagiolet, or any small white beans (canned beans will just disintegrate)
1/2 pound bacon
5 slices of good, uncured Canadian Bacon
4 uncooked, uncured sausages of any variety ( I used 2 Chorizo and 2 Italian Chianti)
olive oil
1 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 carrots, chopped roughly
2 stalks of celery, sliced
6-8 cloves of garlic, sliced
2-3 sprigs each: sage, oregano, bay leaf (or whatever herbs you prefer)*
2 T tomato paste
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 T butter

Directions:
Rinse your beans, check for pebbles. Place them in a large saucepan then cover with a good amount of cold water. Let them soak overnight or for 4-6 hours. I've never been a fan of the quick soak, but you could do that, too. (Google it)

When you are ready to begin the Cassoulet, preheat the oven to 400. Cook the bacon in a large sauce pan or Dutch Oven until crispy, set aside. Brown the Canadian Bacon, set aside. Brown the sausages on all sides. I do the pork in separate batches so they brown evenly, but you could throw it all in together if you want. Drain the oil out of the pan. Put all meat back into the pan. Add the veggies and herbs to the pot, give it a stir and let them cook until softened, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato paste, stir, add the canned tomatoes and the drained beans. Add enough water to cover the beans, bring to a boil. Cover the pot and place it in the oven. Cook for 45 minutes, check to see if you need to add more water (I did), then cook for 45 more minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and cayenne pepper or hot sauce if you like it spicy. Remove the herbs, if you wish. I didn't wish. ;)

Spread the panko bread crumbs over the top of the Cassoulet then dot with butter. Put the uncovered pot back into the oven for about 15 minutes until its nice and golden.

Enjoy! Makes excellent leftovers!!!
Serves 4-6

*I like to be flexible with my ingredients. There are no rules that say you HAVE to use every ingredient exactly to the letter. If you don't like celery, use bell pepper...or omit it. If you don't like sage, use parsley! You could use chicken broth instead of water, if you want. Get the idea? :) Just be flexible and have fun.





**This recipe is loosely adapted from the Amateur Gourmet blog**



Friday, February 17, 2012

Broccoli Cheese Soup

Ingredients:

1/2 stick of butter
1/2 sweet yellow onion, diced
2 T flour
2 cups skim milk
1 cup whole milk (or you can use 1/2 & 1/2)
2 heads of broccoli, chopped
dash of nutmeg
salt & pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups grated cheddar cheese, divided

Directions:

Melt the butter in a large sauce pan. Add the diced onions and saute until translucent, about 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour in, give it stir to make a roux, and cook for about a minute or two to get the floury taste out.  Slowly pour in the milk (you can use 3 cups of whatever kind of milk or cream combo that you want), bring to a low simmer. Add the broccoli florets and the spices. Bring back to a simmer. Cover and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. Add 1 cup of the cheese and stir until it melts. Add the remaining cheese as garnish. Enjoy! This was super duper delicious soup!


* This recipe was adapted from & slightly changed from The Pioneer Woman's Blog.*

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Seriously the best Lasagne I've ever made!

I've been making Lasagne since I was a teenager and my friends and family have always complimented me on how well I make it. A good Lasagne is all about the sauce. A good sauce is all about the fresh herbs. This Lasagne has mild Italian sausage & spinach. It was so good. Recipe happily available upon request.



Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A good day!

I had a very nice Valentines Day! Dinner was just "ok". We are out of propane, so I had to broil the pork chops and I just couldn't get a good color on them. The cake turned out really pretty; I put a heart made of raspberries on top. My husband brought me a bouquet of Sunflowers AND a bouquet of red roses! Love them! Also, a really cute card with an adorable Pug face, and a hot pink running top and black running capris with hot pink trim. Love them! He also got me a small heart shaped box of See's candies....which is weird because I told him in the very beginning not to get me chocolate for Valentines Day.....and he never has until this year. And this is what? Our 25th Valentines Day together? lol Maybe he wanted it for himself! I got him a HUGE pink See's heart, truffles, chocolate, chocolate, & more chocolate, so he doesn't need it.

Yesterday, I took my cats stitches out. He had his arm & shoulder blade amputated on Jan. 28th. He had cancer and we did not want to do chemo or radiation. He's doing ok. I'm sure my Vet will be mad at me for playing doctor, but oh well. I just hate putting him through the whole car ride in the crate thing. He's doing really well and starting to get around on 3 legs pretty well. :)

Today I have a ton of housework to do, then I will start the sauce for the lasagne tonight. My family is spoiled; they don't want Ragu, they have to have MY homemade sauce. I can't say I blame them. ;) I do make a good sauce. I'll post my recipe and picture one of these days for all my readers! lol I know I have a lot of work to do on my blog, but I figure the first order of business is to just write. I am behind on many recipes! I have the pics, but I need to upload them to my computer and write out the recipes.

Well, time to get productive!
Cheers,
Shelley

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentines Day!

I love Valentines Day! Its just fun, no obligations, just remember those that I love. I like to get gifts for my family and spoil them on this holiday. I mailed a Valentines Day care package to my daughter, who is away at college. I also sent her a bouquet of flowers, but I don't know if she got it yet. I got flowers for my 14 year old daughter and for my husband. Lots of chocolate, too. We celebrated Valentines Day in Napa over the weekend, so we are staying in and I'm cooking pork chops, scalloped potatoes, Caprese salad, & chocolate cake with chocolate frosting & raspberries. I don't like chocolate cake with raspberries, so I won't be tempted, but my family will be in heaven! I am sure we will open a bottle of bubbly, too!

Monday, January 9, 2012

Rancho Gordo Piquinto Beans & Carnitas

My Carnitas turned out super yummy tonight. I love Rancho Gordo beans, which are grown in Mexico and distributed from Napa. I put them in the crockpot this time...a first. Usually, I soak them 4-6 hours, or overnight, then simmer them for 3 or 4 hours. I will post the recipes later. I'm super tired....only up this late waiting for a blanket to dry so we can finish making the bed and go to sleep! :)