The Perfect Thyme

And the journey continues...

2011-12-25T21:51:00.002-06:00

The New Year isn't a do-over; it's an opportunity to take your next big step.

As I read that in Whole Living Magazine (http://www.wholeliving.com/) today it really made me stop and think. I truly love New Years, I always have. I've never been one to set 'resolutions' so to speak instead opting to take stock in my life and set the groundwork for goals that I want to achieve in the coming year.

This year is no exception. I have the goals that I've decided on to help me continue on the path I'm taking all mapped out. They are pretty much off springs of goals from this year, I'm just Amping things up a notch, taking 'that next big step'.

I eat pretty well but I could use a little boost, switch some things up a little and one thing I've wanted to do is a detox plan. I've done mini ones here and there over the years but I never really gave 100% in following one until now.

This plan focuses on getting back to basics and giving your body a break by taking out the things that slow you down and make your body work harder like dairy, gluten, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and processed foods. It says in the article that by week three clean eating will be more like a lifestyle and less like a challenge as some things are reintroduced.

I found the New Year New You plan from again Whole Living Magazine and I'm going to do it and keep track of my progress here on my blog. Now just in case someone is actually reading, I want to say as much as I love this magazine I have NO affiliation with the magazine, website, company whatsoever!! I am not trying to promote anything. I am not a professional in the food, nutrition or writing arena. I am simply using my personal blog as a journal to document for myself and anyone that may be interested in reading.

I will be officially starting this New Years day.

Now the plan advises before the challenge to do a few things to aid in success. The first thing is to write down five things that this detox means to you and what you hope to achieve so here we go.

1. Up my intake of fresh fruit daily.
2. Up my intake of fresh veggies daily.
3. Increase my energy and stamina.
4. Clear my head.
5. Over all health.

Next it advises you to prepare the people in your life especially anyone that shares meals with you so that they know what you are doing and how important it is to you. Check.

Invite a friend to join you. Check. When I told my husband that I was going to do this he said he wanted to do it with me. I'm all for him joining me in this. We'll see how that all goes.

Drink plenty of water. Check. That is one good habit that I already have.

Space out your meals by eating every three to five hours (including snacks) rather than non stop nibbling to keep your metabolism even. Check. I already do this also. YAY...maybe I'm a tiny bit ahead of the game.

Keep a food journal. Track what, when, where you eat as well as your feelings before, during and after. I have a new little notebook to do this in plus I will be keeping track here on my blog.

Stick to each week's menu. The different phases of the cleanse offer different foods for a reason so don't jump ahead. OK, I will remind myself of that. Probably often. I know this won't be easy but I'm going to give it a shot.

This week I'm going to be going over the menu and recipes to get prepared for New Years Day. I'm not usually very good at following a strict eating plan so sending some positive vibes in my direction would be helpful.

Hope anyone that made it through this is enjoying the holiday season and taking some time out to reflect.

One of my favorite Fall traditions...

2011-09-17T22:16:00.001-05:00

http://www.delspopcorn.com/

It's Caramel Apple season at Dell's!!

Fall is knocking on our door...

2011-09-14T20:35:00.000-05:00

Well Southern Illinois is cooling off. Yesterday the high was 93 degrees. Today the high was 63 and the low tonight is predicted to be in the 40's....YES, I think FALL has arrived.
Since it was cool and rainy, something hot was necessary for dinner.

3 cups of diced cooked chicken (this time I sauteed 3 boneless breasts and cubed them)
3 cups of chicken broth/stock
4 cups of Great Northern Beans (canned and rinsed or dried and soaked)
1 onion diced
2-3 cloves of garlic diced
1/4 cup green chilies (canned works fine, throw in juice also)
paprika, cumin, salt, pepper (to taste)
1 diced jalapeno

Combine all ingredients. Cook in crock pot on low for 5 or 6 hours. Or cook on stove top for 2 or 3 hours on low.
ENJOY!!

A great Sunday dessert...Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-09-11T19:33:00.000-05:00

Pineapple upside down cake has always been one of my favorites. It was one of the first cakes I made from scratch many many years ago. lol I have no idea where the recipe came from but this is the only one I use now.

Basic Yellow Cake

2 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Sift together into a small bowl.

Cream 1/2 cup butter with 1 1/4 cup sugar
Mix in 2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix all together well.

Add in sifted ingredients and mix well.

Topping

1 stick of butter (1/2 cup)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 can pineapple cubes/crushed/rings...I used cubes

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees. Put one stick of unsalted butter in 10 or 12 inch cast iron skillet.
Put skillet in the oven for 2 or 3 minutes to fully melt the butter.
Remove skillet from oven and pour in brown sugar, mixing with the butter to make a 'carmel type' of sauce that coats the bottom of the skillet evenly.
Place pineapple in the pan.
Carefully pour in cake batter.
Bake for 30 minutes. Cake will be golden. Let cool about 5 minutes and then flip onto serving plate.

ENJOY!!

The Seasons are changing and an Onion Ring Recipe

2011-09-05T18:38:00.000-05:00

Happy Labor Day to all of those that celebrate. True to being the unofficial end of Summer, the weather dropping 30 degrees in two days had made it actually feel like Fall is here.
I love all of the seasons I really do. Each has their own joys, treats and beauty. Fall is my favorite though. I LOVE FALL!! Followed closely by Winter.

For me September is my month to get organized and to purge myself of all the things that no longer should have a spot in my home and my life. I don't know exactly why I feel this way every September but I do. I go through everything, every closet, every drawer, every cabinet. I think since Fall and Winter symbolize for a me a time of cocooning, spending time with friends/family and Lot's of holidays and entertaining I like to be prepared and I like things to be pulled together.

Since I've been so busy today with projects around the house I wanted to keep dinner simple. Bacon Cheeseburgers and Onion Rings. This recipe for the Onion Rings is delish. Even though I haven't made them it years it's quick, easy and delish!!

Batter
1 1/2 cups flour

3 tablespoons cornmeal
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 1/2 cups milk
1 egg
1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients together well.
Dip sliced onions in better, drip off excess, dredge through all purpose flour.
Fry them up either in fryer or cast iron/heavy skillet in about an inch of oil.
Lay on paper towel and sprinkle with salt while still hot.

ENJOY!!

Peppers are popping out like CrAzy...YAY

2011-09-02T18:51:00.000-05:00

Practicing my appetizers

2011-08-31T20:35:00.000-05:00

You know I was thinking today, I don't know about you but we eat a lot of appetizers between the months of September and January. I guess it's just the perfect food for football, festivals, Halloween, holiday parties.

This is the third or fourth variation I've made with this fabulous ingredient. But first I need to give kudos out to one of my friends http://www.richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/

Rich was one of my first food buddies when I set up my page on facebook. He also is the one that introduced me to the versatility of Won Ton Wrappers. So again thanks Rich.

Tonight to go along with some REALLY spicy chili I wanted something a little different.

Just take a little olive oil rubbed on wrappers and put in a small muffin tin and bake in a 350 over for about 5 minutes. Then take cream cheese, diced garlic, diced green onions, salt, pepper and a little extra garlic powder. Mix all of this together and then fill semi baked won ton wrappers. Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.

When done, top with a dollop of jalapeno jelly and serve immediately.

Enjoy!!

Banana Cake

2011-08-28T20:12:00.000-05:00

A co worker of mine has brought this cake to us a couple of times and I always LOVE it. I finally used her recipe and made my own. It is SO good. If you're looking for a super moist delicious cake this is the one.

Banana Cake-Recipe from Betty

2 Egg Yolks
1/2 Cup Butter softened
2 Cups of Sugar
1 Cup of Buttermilk
4 Ripe Bananas cut up
2 Cups of Flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 Egg Whites beaten

Mix egg yolks, butter and sugar with mixer. Slowly add buttermilk and then the bananas. Sift in flour, salt and soda. Combine well. Fold in 2 beaten egg whites.

Bake in 13x9 inch buttered and floured pan at 350 degrees for about 40 to 45 minutes.

Frosting

8 oz Cream Cheese
1/4 Cup of Milk
1 to 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
Combine all ingredients adding milk or sugar depending on desired consistency. I made it a little on the thin side to smoothly and evenly cover the cake.

ENJOY!!

A spin on Stuffed Peppers

2011-08-24T20:22:00.000-05:00

Peppers are popping out all over around here. Our Cayenne's are all turning red, jalapenos, big jims and bells, they all did fabulous this year. I think with the extreme heat we had the peppers thrived. Anyway, I made good use of a few for dinner. I hope you give it a try, it's delish and a super easy weeknight meal.

These are the measurements for two Stuffed Peppers.

1/2 pound ground beef cooked
Saute:
1 onion diced
1 cayenne pepper diced
2 cloves of garlic diced
cumin, paprika, chili powder, salt to taste
Combine all ingredients
Stuff peppers.

Cook at 350 for 15 minutes. Add shredded cheddar cheese to the top of each stuffed pepper and let cook about 10 more minutes.

I served on rice that was cooked with two diced chili's and 2 small diced tomatoes and their juice.

This was delish!! ENJOY!!

Rice cooking with tomatoes, green chilies, salt, pepper.

Saute onions, garlic and cayenne in a little olive oil.

Mix ground beef, sauteed veggies and spices and stuff peppers.

TAG...You're It!

2011-08-17T12:28:00.002-05:00

I was tagged by saucygirlskitchen.com in this game that is floating around through the blogger world.
If you get tagged, answer these 7 questions using previous posts from your blog and tag 6 of your blogger friends.

Have fun and THANK YOU Saucy Girl!!

1. Most beautiful post... http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2011/01/wonderful-cake-recipe.html

2. Most popular post...http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2011/06/banana-split-cake.html

3. Most controversial...http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2010/06/rant-for-week.html

4. Most helpful...http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2011/08/best-advice-i-think-ive-ever-heard.html

5. Post that was surprisingly successful...http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2011/06/banana-split-cake.html

6. Post that did not get the attention it deserved...http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2011/03/chocolate-cupcakes-with-spiked-orage.html

7. Post I am most proud of...http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2011/05/my-personal-thoughts-on-food.html

The 6 Blogger friends I'm passing this on to are...

1. lifewithmel.com
2. mamagrubbsgrub.blogspot.com
3. bakeyourday.net
4. simplefarefairlysimple.blogspot.com
5. richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com
6. theculinarylens.com

Grilled Chipotle Chicken is a favorite of mine.

2011-08-14T19:40:00.002-05:00

In a food processor combine 4 or 5 chipotle peppers with about a teaspoon of the adobe sauce. Add 1 teaspoon cumin, salt, pepper, 1 teaspoon of paprika and about 1/2 a teaspoon of garlic powder. Add about a Tablespoon of olive oil and combine.
Pour sauce all over preferred chicken pieces and let marinate at least 4 hours and then grill as normal.

Served with rice and a stuffed Big Jim pepper...a great dinner.
ENJOY!!

The best advice I think I've ever heard...

2011-08-11T11:18:00.001-05:00

A cooling dessert for such a HOT day...

2011-08-07T15:59:00.001-05:00

Sundays are the one day a week that I almost always make a dessert. I had originally planned to make a cake but it's so hot out I really didn't want to turn on the oven and also I couldn't find the recipe I wanted. Organizing my life is a work in progress but that's for another time.

This dessert is quick, easy and Delicious for a hot August Sunday dinner or probably any time.

Melt 1 stick of butter in a pie dish. Add 2 cups of crushed graham crackers.

Spread crushed graham crackers around the bottom and slightly up the sides of the pie dish pressing with the back of a spoon. Add broken up pieces of a dark chocolate bar. (or any candy bar that you enjoy)

Make your favorite chocolate pudding recipe and add 1/3 cup of fresh whipping cream.

Pour chocolate pudding mixture over the graham cracker candy crust. I then topped with homemade whipped cream and sprinkled extra crushed candy bar and graham crackers on the top. Refrigerate for a couple hours and ENJOY!!

An AWESOME Pot Roast

2011-07-31T17:16:00.001-05:00

When it's really hot outside my Crock Pot is a life saver.

Carrots, garlic, sliced onion, sliced green pepper, balsamic vinegar, thyme, rosemary, salt and pepper.

Place your roast in the crock pot, add 1/2 cup of beef stock, vinegar and all herbs and veggies. Cook on low for 6 hours.
ENJOY!!

A Quick and Easy summer pasta dish.

2011-07-27T20:33:00.002-05:00

Sliced cherry tomatoes, garlic, fresh thyme, fresh rosemary and parmessan cheese.

Cook mini rotini pasta and drain reserving 1 or 2 tablespoons of liquid.
Sautee garlic and tomatoes in olive oil. Add herbs and toss with pasta.

Sprinkle with parmessan cheese and Enjoy, I did.

And I have lunch for tomorrow at work.

Another great use for won ton wrappers...

2011-07-22T19:53:00.002-05:00

I mixed Ricotta Cheese, Mozzarella, diced garlic, fresh basil and salt and pepper.

Then I used a cookie scoop to put a ball of the mixture in the middle of won ton wrapper. Place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

Moisten the edges with water and place a second won ton on top. Press edges together with fingers or a fork.

Lightly brush with olive oil and bake at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Sprinkle a little Parmesan on top when done and ENJOY!!

These are DELICIOUS and the possibiities are endless.

Happy Birthday to The Big Guy and his Lemon Poppy Seed Birthday Cake recipe.

2011-07-16T20:31:00.001-05:00

Today's my husbands Birthday and he had no preference for what type of cake I made him this year so I wanted to try something new. Something light and fresh since it's been so hot here lately.

I took the basic white cake recipe that I normally use and added lemon juice, lemon zest and poppy seeds. For the icing I used a Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Now my cake decorating skills need a LOT of work but the cake turned out delicious.

Lemon Poppy Seed Cake

1 Cup of Sugar
1/2 Cup of Butter
2 Egg
2 teaspoons Vanilla
1 1/2 Cups of Cake Flour
1 3/4 teaspoons baking powder
pinch of salt
1/2 cup milk
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons Lemon Zest

Cream together the sugar and butter. Add one egg and a time and then the vanilla and continue mixing until creamy.
Sift cake flour, baking powder and salt and slowly add to above mixture.
Slowly add in milk, lemon juice and lemon zest.

Grease and flour a 9x9 cake pan or muffin tins.

For the cake pan bake at 350 degrees for approx. 30 minutes. The cake will be a golden color and when inserted a toothpick will come out clean when the cake is done.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

8 oz Cream Cheese softened
1/4 Cup Butter
2 Tablespoons Lemon Juice
2 teaspoons Lemon Zest
1 teaspoon Vanilla
3 Cups of Confectioners Sugar

Combine all ingredients. Add more lemon or sugar depending on desired consistency.

Garnish with more Lemon Zest and or fresh Lemon Mint.

ENJOY!!

All time favorite...been eating it since I was a kid food.

2011-07-10T10:24:00.002-05:00

THE CHICKEN CAR!

My FAVORITE hometown food joint.

A double Krekel cheese burger with the works.

http://krekels.weebly.com/

If you are ever in the area of one of Krekels 7 locations you MUST and I do mean MUST try a burger and some of their custard.

I was fortunate to grow up with Krekels in our town. WAY BACK when I was a kid Krekels only had 2 locations and they were only open for the summer. The whole town would be buzzing when they opened up for the summer. I remember at least once a week my Dad taking us to the 'lake location' to get an ice cream cone. Dad and I usually almost always got their fantastic chocolate custard cone and my mom would get lemon. It was a great summer tradition.

When I was in my teens Krekels did something VERY cool. They opened another location within walking distance of my house and they kept it open all year long! I was such a happy girl. I had babysitting money, I was old enough to go their myself. I was in heaven.

Then, I moved away and that has always remained number one of my what I miss list from my hometown.
I haven't lived that close to a Krekels in almost 27 years but any time I'm visiting my Mom, Krekels is a MUST. Everyone knows that. There is no sense in even asking me, 'Where would you like to eat?' I will always say Krekels.

When we ate there yesterday and I was ooohhhhhing and awwwing with my eyes rolling back in my head my husband commented that in all the years he's been eating there, no matter which location you choose, they are exactly as delish as the first time. I thought of that when I checked out their website to link it here. The picture of the burger on their site is almost identical to the picture I took yesterday.
I think sometimes we all need to remember that 'If it ain't broke, don't change it.'

What is your all time favorite, been eating it since I was a kid food? I really would love to know.

Au Gratin Potatoes Recipe

2011-07-06T19:54:00.003-05:00

This recipe is great to use and experiment with different cheeses. This time I substituted Colby cheese for the Cheddar and it was REALLY good.

Ingredients

4 russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 onion, sliced into rings
salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C). Butter a 1 quart casserole dish.
Layer 1/2 of the potatoes into bottom of the prepared casserole dish. Top with the onion slices, and add the remaining potatoes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In a medium-size saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Mix in the flour and salt, and stir constantly with a whisk for one minute. Stir in milk. Cook until mixture has thickened. Stir in cheese all at once, and continue stirring until melted, about 30 to 60 seconds. Pour cheese over the potatoes, and cover the dish with aluminum foil.
Bake 1 1/2 hours in the preheated oven. Or can be done on the grill in a well seasoned caste iron pan.

Enjoy!!

Hope your 4th of July holiday weekend ends sweetly!!

2011-07-04T18:47:00.002-05:00

Graham crackers with strawberry ice cream

Graham crackers with chocolate, cherry, truffle nut icecream.

An AWESOME homemade brownie with peppermint icecream.

The same AWESOME homemade brownie as above but with french vanilla icecream, caramel sauce and pecans.

Always have a back up plan.

2011-07-03T10:47:00.002-05:00

Day two of our three day weekend and I got up to make Blueberry Waffles. mmmmmm

I love pancakes, who doesn't? But I have a confession to make... I have still not mastered the art of pancake making. (hanging head in shame) It has been on my list of things to do but why worry about it when I can make Waffles!! Right?? I equally LOVE waffles and they always turn out great.

Well, after today, learning to make pancakes moved up to the top 5.

I got all of the ingredients together and plugged in the waffle iron to pre heat it. It wouldn't work!! It was dead!! I was devastated!! I broke the news to my husband who is the only other one up until now that knew I always mess up pancakes and he was devastated also. His juice was poured, he had his coffee and he thought he was going to get Blueberry Waffles.

When I said 'I'll just make pancakes' a hush fell over the room. My husbands smile disappeared. I so desperately wanted to save the day. I wanted to turn that delicious blueberry waffle batter into fantastic pancakes.

I preheated the cast iron skillet, poured in batter and watched. My husband watched. They looked good. They smelled good. But deep inside I was worried. The few times I had attempted pancakes they looked good and smelled good but ended up either burnt on the outside or was filled with raw batter on the inside.
Would we have a repeat??

We did!! :-( The middle was a little raw. Not much. Just one mere minute on the griddle probably would have been perfect. But they were not edible.

So I picked up my ego, held my head high and cooked up some Bacon and eggs.

I WILL learn to make wonderful light and fluffy pancakes.
I WILL get a new waffle iron.
And I WILL always have bacon and eggs on hand for a back up plan .

WooHoo!

2011-07-01T06:38:00.001-05:00

I submitted this photo of my Blackbottom Cupcakes to Food Corner for her photo contest and out of 118 it came in #7. Not too bad for my first contest.

Be sure and check out her blog or facebook page for all the photo's. There were a lot of really great pics that will make you drooooool.

http://www.foodsshrilanka.blogspot.com/

This is the only Brownie Recipe I'll use now

2011-06-30T06:53:00.001-05:00

I am a picky brownie eater. I don't want it too 'cakey' or dense nor too 'fudgy' or rich.
I found this recipe in one of my Grandmother's notebooks and decided to give it a try.

All I can say is mmmm.

Ingredients

1/2 cup vegetable oil or 1/2 cup melted butter (I used butter)
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x9 inch baking pan.

2.In a medium bowl, mix together the oil, sugar, and vanilla. Beat in eggs. Combine flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt; gradually stir into the egg mixture until well blended. Stir in walnuts, if desired. Spread the batter evenly into the prepared pan.

3.Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until the brownie begins to pull away from edges of pan.

ENJOY!!

Brownie with Peppermint IceCream!!

Summer = great salads

2011-06-29T20:33:00.002-05:00

A light dessert for summer!

2011-06-29T12:45:00.000-05:00

I just came in from soaking up some Vitamin D outside. After a week or more of rainy, cloudy days it was needed. Something about grabbing a book or magazine and sitting outside is SO relaxing to me. Ever since I can remember being outside doing anything makes me happy.

Today I grabbed my favorite magazine and found a lot of good summer food ideas.

I'll share them with you as I make them. But for now here's one I'm making ASAP.

CHOCOLATE PUDDING

3 Avocados
4 Tablespoons Cocoa Powder
1/4 Cup Honey
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Sea Salt

Puree avocados, cocoa powder, honey and vanilla until smooth.
When smooth divide into four small bowls.
Sprinkle with sea salt before serving.

ENJOY!!!

Recipe from www.wholeliving.com

A picture I took at the Botanical Garden in STL.

Jam Cupcakes with Chocolate Frosting

2011-06-19T17:59:00.001-05:00

I tried this recipe today from Martha Stewart. I used blackberry jam instead of the raspberry. I'm sure you could substitute any of your favorite jams that go well with chocolate.
The icing in this recipe is amazing. You taste the chocolate and then get a hint of the salt. That combo always has me wanting to do a happy dance.

Ingredients

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pan

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, (spooned and leveled), plus more for pan

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3/4 cup granulated sugar

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons whole milk

1 cup confectioners' sugar

1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam

12 raspberries, for garnish

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter and flour a 12-cup muffin pan, or use liners. Combine flour, baking powder, and 3/4 teaspoon salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat granulated sugar and 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla. With mixer on low, beat in flour mixture in two parts, alternating with 1/2 cup milk.

2.Divide batter among prepared muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center of a cupcake comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Let cool in pan 5 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

3.Meanwhile, whisk together confectioners' sugar, cocoa, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat 1/2 cup butter until light and fluffy. With mixer on low, gradually add cocoa mixture, scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Gradually beat in 2 tablespoons milk and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla. Beat frosting until light and fluffy, about 30 seconds.

4.Using a paring knife, cut a 1-inch-deep piece from the top of each cupcake (do not discard). Fill each hole with 1 teaspoon jam and replace cutout pieces.

Cut a circle out, fill with jam and then put cake back in.

Frost them.

Cut open to reveal the jam center.

ENJOY!

Kept hearing about Weiner all day on the news...

2011-06-15T19:59:00.001-05:00

So this was dinner. No seriously, we don't eat them but maybe once a year but I kept hearing the word/name all day and I got a craving.

It's been 2 whole years? (and a little info on my journey)

2011-06-15T07:24:00.001-05:00

I just realized that two years ago today I started this blog with this post http://theperfectthyme.blogspot.com/2009/06/grams-food.html. A small tribute to my Grandmother whom I love and dearly miss.

How did I come up with the name The Perfect Thyme? Well, moving from Florida to Illinois in 2006 was a bigger adjustment than I ever thought it was going to be. I wanted my husband and I to pull up over 20 years of roots in South Florida and move back to our home state of Illinois to be closer to all of our family and because I was tired of living in the city, tired of the crowds, tired of the heat. Yep it was all MY idea. And I had NO idea that moving would alter me so very much.

The first year was wonderful. Everything was new and exciting. Having four distinct seasons, eating delicious sweet corn, being around family, SNOW... was all great. Then almost 1 year to the day I thought to myself 'ok that was fun, now I'm ready to go home' only this WAS home now. I didn't want to really move and my husband had found his niche in the community and had opened his TKD School. I HAD to make the best of it. There was no way I was going to bring up moving again.

After a couple of years of feeling a little lost and a lot disoriented I decided that it was 'the perfect thyme' (thyme because of my love of herbs) to jump into this next phase of my journey.

So now it is two years later. I've made friends. I've gotten used to the seasons. I know my way around town. I've started to adjust. Time marches on and changes are all a part of it right?

My day job is at the local hospital. You take building a new hospital, today's economy and the American way and what do you get? Downsizing. Yep, in four to six weeks I will receive a letter as to the fate of my employment. I'm a little stressed I can't lie but I'm old enough to see the positives too. This is just one more small, small part of my entire life journey. What will happen next?? What will I do?? I have no idea and I kind of like that.

All I can think is that it's The Perfect Thyme for some changes and this time I'm just gonna roll with it and ENJOY!!

Recipe for left over chicken #2

2011-06-14T21:17:00.002-05:00

Every time I fire up the grill I try to cook enough meat for more than just that one meal. Sunday night I made black beans and rice and when I grilled a steak and tilapia to go with it I threw a couple of boneless chicken breasts on for tonight.
So tonight I just made a pot of rice.
Heated up the black beans and spooned some over the rice.
Warmed up the chicken breasts in the oven while the cornbread was cooking then sliced it over the beans and rice.
Topped with a little fresh cilantro and it was a fantastic dinner.

ENJOY!!

A Great Summer Sunday Dinner

2011-06-12T19:09:00.004-05:00

Tilapia marinating in lemon, red pepper fakes, paprika, oregano and black pepper.

Tilapia grilling on cedar plank for 10 minutes.

Grilled steak and black beans and rice for me.

Grilled Tilapia with black beans and rice for my husband.

Black Beans and Rice

Saute in olive oil half a diced onion, 1 jalapeno minced, 1/2 diced green pepper, 1 or two cloves of garlic minced. Cook until a little tender.

Add in two cups of black beans. Either canned or beans that were soaked over night work well.

Add two cups of diced tomatoes.

Mix in...1 tsp oregano

dash of red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon cumin

salt and pepper to taste

and about 1 tsp of lemon juice.

Bring to a boil then turn heat down to low, cover and let simmer for 1 hour.

Make favorite rice to spoon beans and rice over and garnish with fresh cilantro.

ENJOY!!!

Banana Split 'Cake'

2011-06-11T19:27:00.001-05:00

A great dessert for summer. It's cool, refreshing and you don't have to turn on the oven.
This recipe can easily be halved. And it can be 'cleaned' up by making your own from scratch pudding and whipped cream.

9 Graham Crackers
1 Cup sugar, divided
1/3 Cup butter, melted
2 8oz packages of Cream Cheese, softened
20 oz of crushed pineapple
6 Bananas,divided
2 3.4oz packages JELL-O Vanilla Instant Pudding
2 Cups cold milk
2 Cups thawed Cool Whip
1 Cup chopped Pecans

Mix graham crumbs, 1/4 cup sugar and butter; press onto bottom of 13x 9 inch pan. Freeze for 10 min.

Beat cream cheese and remaining sugar with mixer until well blended. Spread carefully over crust; top with pineapple. Slice 4 bananas; arrange over pineapple.

Beat pudding mixes and milk with whisk for approx. 2 minutes until well blended. Stir in 1 cup Cool Whip; spread over banana layer in pan. Top with remaining Cool Whip. Refrigerate 5 hours. Slice remaining 2 bananas just before serving; arrange over dessert. Top with nuts and drizzle with chocolate syrup or chocolate curls.

Graham cracker crust and cream cheese mixture.

Added pineapple and sliced bananas.

Top with pudding mixture, cool whip, nuts, bananas and chocolate.

ENJOY!!

Grilling for 3

2011-06-05T19:22:00.001-05:00

I work outside the house on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday ten and a half hours so it's really important to keep dinners simple on those 4 nights.
I try to prepare the meals for those days when I'm off. Today I took time to prepare and precook some of Monday and Tuesdays dinners.

We had burgers and potatoes on the grill for dinner tonight. Since the grill was already hot I threw on a couple of sausage links and some chicken legs.

The sausage links are going to get cut up into a New Orleans type spicy rice for Monday.

The chicken legs well there are SO many options with pre cooked chicken but I'm leaning towards just reheating them and mixing up some quick mac n cheese and some veggies for Tuesday.

So dinners are planned and as pre cooked as they can be until Wednesday when I'm off again.
It's a lot easier to make it through those long work days when I know dinner is taken care of. You don't have to have a strict concrete plan. Just a small bit of thinking ahead is a real help for us here at our house.

Another Banana Bread recipe

2011-06-05T09:19:00.001-05:00

I found this recipe yesterday while I was going through some of my Grandmother's recipes. I had exactly 7 very ripe bananas that I knew needed turned into something soon so despite the heat I decided these two loaves of banana bread would be worth the AC working a little harder. I was SO right. This is a great recipe. The flavor is awesome and it is so moist and buttery you don't even need to spread with butter.
I followed the recipe but added chopped walnuts to one loaf.

Banana Bread

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
2 cups sugar
7 large ripe bananas, mashed
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 eggs, slightly beaten
3 cups flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions:
Makes two loaves of banana bread.
1. Cream the butter and sugar. Blend in the bananas, vanilla and eggs.
2. Sift together the dry ingredients.
3. Add to the bread mixture and mix until just combined. Pour into two greased 9x5 inch loaf pans.
4. Bake at 350F. Check on the bread after 35 minutes (it may take up to 60 minutes). Banana bread is done when a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Cool the banana bread in the pan for 10 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

Recipe for left over Chicken #1

2011-05-31T21:30:00.001-05:00

We eat a lot of chicken. Definitely at least once a week, but usually more. There are just SO many wonderful things that you can do with left over chicken. It makes perfect sense that if you are going to cook some chicken, whether you bake it, grill it, fry it, roast it, saute it, however you decide to cook it...make a little extra for another meal.

Starting with this post, I have decided to keep track and write down all the different options that I can come up with for Chicken. Now I'm not going to go crazy with this and start eating chicken every day or soliciting for all the chicken recipes I can find. I won't even guarantee a weekly post. This is just a record for myself and maybe a little inspiration for you.

Yesterday we grilled Balsamic Chicken strips and I grilled extra for tonight. It was cheap, fast, easy and SO delish. ANY type of cooked chicken works for these.

Corn Tortilla Chips
Slice or cube Chicken
Salsa
Cheddar Cheese
Layer and Bake at 350 for about 15 minutes until cheese is melted and chicken is warm.

Layer nacho chips with sliced chicken, salsa and cheese.

Bake at 350 for approx. 15 minutes. Add sour cream and ENJOY!!

Happy Memorial Day

2011-05-30T18:24:00.002-05:00

All the fixings for coleslaw.

Grilled Brats and Balsamic Chicken Strips

Coleslaw

Grilled Sweet Potato rounds off the dinner.

Cole Slaw Recipe

1/3 Cup Diced Carrots
2 Cups Chopped Green Cabbage
1 Cup Chopped Purple Cabbage

1 Cup Mayo
2 Tablespoons Sugar
3 Tablespoons Vinegar
Salt
Pepper

Mix all ingredients together and chill at least 2 hours before serving.

For the Balsamic Chicken Strips
I just marinated sliced boneless chicken breasts in Balsamic Vinegar, Garlic Powder and Pepper and then grilled.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Memorial Day weekend filled with good food, family and friends.
A big THANK YOU to all of our service members and their families for the sacrifices they make.

Blueberry Muffins - Great for a lazy Sunday!

2011-05-22T11:06:00.001-05:00

I did not create this recipe and I have no idea who to give the credit to for it because I have used it for SO long now. All I can say is I pulled it from a magazine probably 15 years ago. Thank You to whomever created it because I love it and I'm passing it on hoping others will too.
This recipe makes 1 dozen muffins.

2 Cups all purpose flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
3 teaspoons baking powder
1/3 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cold butter
1 egg
3/4 Cup milk
1 teaspoon grated orange peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons cold butter

In a large bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In another bowl, combine the egg, milk, orange peel and vanilla; stir into crumb mixture just until moist. Gently fold in blueberries.

For topping mixture combine ingredients, cut in the cold butter and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs.

Fill paper lined muffin cups 2/3 full. Sprinkle on about 1 teaspoon of topping over muffins.

Bake at 375 for 20-25 minutes.

ENJOY!!

Chicken Flautas

2011-05-21T17:35:00.001-05:00

I had never made this before but I will again. This is a simple recipe and a great way to use up left over chicken.
I followed the recipe in Food Networks May issue all except for the radishes that I forgot to pick up. It was really good though and we didn't even miss them. We did however miss the cilantro which I forgot to put on.

1 avocado, halved and pitted
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lime
Salt
6 Radishes thinly sliced
3 Cups shredded chicken
1 1/2 cups fresh salsa
Corn tortillas
Vegetable Oil for frying
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh cilantro

Scoop the avocado into processor/blender. Add the sour cream and the juice of 1/2 lime and pulse until smooth. Season with salt.

Squeeze the remaining 1/2 lime over the radishes in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt.

Toss the chicken with 3/4 cup salsa.

Wrap the tortillas in paper towels and microwave until soft, about 45 minutes. Or if you're like me and don't use a microwave, I heated them in the oven on 300 for about 2 or 3 minutes. Spoon the chicken mixture down the middle of the tortillas. Fold in the ends and roll up like a burrito and secure with toothpicks.

Heat 3/4 inch vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until approximately 375. Fry the flautas, turning as needed, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove with tongs, set on paper towels and remove the toothpicks. Serve with the avocado cream, radishes, cilantro, lime wedge and the remaining salsa.

I served with a little plain white rice.

ENJOY!!

My personal thoughts on food.

2011-05-18T10:56:00.002-05:00

I believe that local organic food (produce, meat, dairy) is the best food you can eat.
I believe that food is one of the biggest factors in our health and well being.
I believe that processed food is full of chemicals and preservatives that are killing us.
I believe that you can prepare a meal at home with good quality ingredients for less money than you would spend at the fast food joint or in the freezer section of your local 'food' mart.

I understand that local organic food is not always easy to find.
I understand that for a number of years here in America the media hype has been preaching fast, easy, time saving and pre packaged.
I understand that life is busy and messy and stressful.

I hope that good quality, local and or organic food becomes the 'norm' and more easily accessible to all of us.
I hope that it becomes easier to learn about food, cooking and health.
I hope the media hype really picks up on the changes that are going on and starts to promote a more conscious and healthy way of living.

I personally am on the journey of changing how I live and do things. It's a journey in progress.

'Big Mac" Attack

2011-05-15T19:34:00.001-05:00

We've never been much on 'fast food' at our house but I did used to enjoy a Big Mac every now and then. Well it's been years since we've had one so I decided to try to re-create one at home.

For the 'Special Sauce' I combined...
1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons nonfat milk
2 tablespoons ketchup
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
salt
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
3 tablespoons minced red bell pepper.
And mix until smooth.

Cook up the best ground beef you can find. Make the patties small and try to keep them as flat as possible while cooking.

To assemble...
Bun bottom
Special Sauce
Slice of Cheese
Beef patty
Bun bottom
Special sauce
Slice of Cheese
Beef patty
Diced onion
3 or 4 Dill pickles
Shredded Lettuce
Top bun

They were really good and fun to make but I think if I make these again I will leave one layer out. Since we've been watching portion control, I couldn't eat the whole thing.
I gave it a really good try though.

Enjoy!

Coffee Cake Muffins

2011-05-10T21:52:00.001-05:00

The dry ingredients for these muffins can be combined the night before baking. In the morning, just add the liquid ingredients and mix.
Another bonus is the variety. You can add a cup of raisins or blueberries or raspberries or diced apples...the list goes on.

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup oil

GLAZE
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 tablespoon milk
1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large bowl combine all (except nuts) dry ingredients. In another bowl beat the egg, milk and oil and stir into dry ingredients just until moist. I added 1 cup of raisins to the batter but get creative. This weekend I'll be making them with diced apples.

Spoon mixture into lined muffin tins and top with chopped nuts.

Bake at 400 for about 20 minutes.
Cool for 5 minutes.
Combine the glaze ingredients and drizzle over muffins.

Makes 1 dozen

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T17:00:00.003-05:00

I hope everyone is enjoying their day. It's been raining here off and on all day but that's OK, it's been a nice and relaxing day.

For our dinner I brined Cornish Hens all night and WOW it payed off. They
were delicious. Add in the mashed potatos, garlic green beans, deviled eggs and rolls and we had a pretty great meal. Dessert...Chocolate Cake with Strawberry cream cheese frosting between the layers and plain cream cheese frosting on the outside. YUM!

Hope everyone else enjoyed the day with good food and good company like I did.

Sopaipillas with Chocolate Sauce

2011-04-22T22:59:00.001-05:00

Chocolate Sauce

1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Pinch of Salt
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

For the Sopaipillas
Vegetable oil for frying
Flour tortillas cut into wedges or strips.

Granulated Sugar and or Powdered Sugar for dusting.

In a sauce pan bring 1/4 cup of water, brown sugar and salt to a boil, stirring until the sugar totally disolves. Whisk in the cocoa powder until smooth. Remove from heat, add butter and vanilla and continue to whisk until well blended.

(Remaining sauce can be covered and refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

Heat oil in pan until approximately 350. In small batches fry the tortillas, turning once. Approximately 2 minutes per side.
Place tortillas on papertowel and sprinkle with sugar and or powdered sugar. Plate and drizzle with chocolate sauce.

Black Bottom Cupcakes

2011-04-17T08:55:00.001-05:00

"There's nothing better than a good friend, except a good friend with chocolate." - Linda Grayson

This recipe was given to me from Miss Vittles Catering over on facebook. It is from the Joy of Baking and it is Amazing!

Cream Cheese Filling
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated white sugar
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Chocolate Cupcakes
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour (we both used cake flour)
1 cup sugar
1/3 cup natural unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup water
1/3 cup corn or canola oil
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees and line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.

Cream Cheese Filling: Beat the cream cheese until smooth. Add the sugar, egg and vanilla and beat until creamy and smooth. Set aside while you make the Chocolate Cupcake batter.

Chocolate Cupcakes: First, in a large bowl sift together the flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. In a separate blowl mix the water, oil, vinegar and vanilla. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and stir in the wet ingredients until smooth. Evenly divide the batter amon the 12 muffin cups. Spoon a few tablespoons of the cream cheese filling into the center of each cupcake.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes until the cream cheese filling is a little brown and the cupcakes feel springy to the touch. Remove and cool.

The cupcakes can be stored in the refrigerator for about 3 or 4 days.

ENJOY!

The Green Thing

2011-04-06T08:41:00.001-05:00

In the line at the store, the cashier told the older woman
that plastic bags weren’t good for the environment. The
woman apologized to her and explained, “We didn’t have
the green thing back in my day.”

That’s right, they didn’t have the green thing in her day. Back then,
they returned their milk bottles, Coke bottles and beer bottles to
the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and
sterilized and refilled, using the same bottles over and over. So
they really were recycled.

But they didn’t have the green thing back her day.

In her day, they walked up stairs, because they didn’t have an
escalator in every store and office building. They walked to the
grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every
time they had to go two blocks.

But she’s right. They didn’t have the green thing in her day.

Back then, they washed the baby’s diapers because they didn’t have
the throw-away kind. They dried clothes on a line, not in an energy
gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really
did dry the clothes. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their
brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

But that old lady is right, they didn’t have the
green thing back in her day.

Back then, they had one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in
every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a pizza dish,
not a screen the size of the state of Montana . In the kitchen, they
blended and stirred by hand because they didn’t have electric
machines to do everything for you. When they packaged a fragile item
to send in the mail, they used wadded up newspaper to cushion it, not
styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap.

Back then, they didn’t fire up an engine and burn gasoline just to
cut the lawn. They used a push mower that ran on human power. They
exercised by working so they didn’t need to go to a health club to
run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

But she’s right, they didn’t have the green thing back then.

They drank from a fountain when they were thirsty, instead of using a
cup or a plastic bottle every time they had a drink of water. They
replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the
whole razor just because the blade got dull.

But they didn’t have the green thing back then.

Back then, people took the streetcar and kids rode their bikes to
school or rode the school bus, instead of turning their moms into a
24-hour taxi service. They had one electrical outlet in a room, not
an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And they
didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from
satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest
pizza joint.

It’s a crying shame that we didn’t have “the green thing” back then!

Sunday's at Grandma's

2011-03-26T19:55:00.001-05:00

My Grandparents were farmers who grew or raised probably 80 percent of their food. My Grandmother always had the root cellar that my Grandfather built for her full of her home canning. I remember many summer afternoons in the kitchen with her canning dozens of jars of tomatoes, beans, relishes, pickles and too many other veggies and fruits to mention. Her freezer chest was always full of strawberries, blueberries, pie crusts, sweet corn to name my favorites. She was a homemaker who ran her home more efficiently than I can even begin to explain.

Watching this I picked up many of my beliefs and ways of doing things one being keeping a well stocked household.

Some of the reasons I continue this tradition...
I don't have to worry about running to the store after working 10 1/2 hours and I'm tired and hungry.
If I get sick, or have a headache or just don't feel good...I have what I need at home.
I can plan my shopping trips around sales, my free time and how I feel, saving me money and sanity.
If the weather is bad, we'll have what we need until we can get out.

Living in Southwest Florida for over 20 years also was a motivator. Hurricane season can get rough. Even if the storm isn't headed directly at you, all of the surrounding people from every other direction will descend upon your town buying up all of your gas and food.
Our last year there Hurricane Charley payed us a visit. Spending that week in August in South Florida with no power was miserable because of the heat but we had everything else that we needed and were otherwise comfortable.
Now that I'm in Illinois there are other weather related emergencies that could easily happen such as tornadoes, snow storms and thunderstorms.
I think no matter where you live you should have at least two weeks worth of food and necessities stocked up.

So I hope you consider organizing your supplies and stocking up a little.

You can start by making a list of the household items and food that you use on a regular basis. When you see them on sale or find a great coupon for the item pick up two or three extras.

You'll save tons of money, time and your sanity.

Chocolate Cupcakes with Spiked Orange Frosting

2011-03-23T16:37:00.002-05:00

Hershey's Chocolate Cupcakes

1/2 stick of unsalted butter melted and cooled
6 tablespoons of Hershey's Cocoa powder
1 cup sugar
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup milk room temperature
1 egg room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/ cup boiling water

Pre heat oven to 350 degrees
Line cupcake tins with papers

In a large bowl, sift together cocoa, sugar, flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt.
Add butter, egg, milk and vanilla. Mix ingredients for 2 minutes. Slowly add boiling water and continue to mix. Batter will be thin.
Bake approx. 25 minutes.

Spiked Orange Frosting (from the book Crazy about Cupcakes by Krystina castella)

3 tablespoons of orange juice
3 tablespoons of Triple Sec
3 tablespoons of room temperature unsalted butter
3 cups confectioners sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of orange zest
pinch of salt

In a small bowl mix the orange juice and Triple Sec.
In a medium bowl cream the butter. Add the sugar to the butter, alternating with orange juice mixture until desired consistency is reached.
Stir in 1/2 of zest and the salt. Beat on high speed for 1 minute until creamy.

Frost and put a pinch of leftover zest on top of cupcakes.

ENJOY!

Orange Kiss Me Cake

2011-03-13T12:47:00.001-05:00

My Mom used to make this cake all the time through my childhood and it was my absolute favorite.

3/4 Cup Orange Juice-(I use the juice and zest of one orange)
2 Cups Flour
1 Cup Sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup shortening or butter
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp Triple-Sec Liqueur
2 Eggs
1 Cup Raisins
1/3 Cup chopped Walnuts

Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Grease and Flour pans

Mix orange juice with flour, sugar, soda and salt. Add butter, milk, eggs and triple sec. Mix approximately 2 minutes on medium speed. Fold in raisins and nuts.

Nut Topping
1/3 Cup Sugar
1/4 Cup chopped Walnuts
1 tsp Cinnamon

1/3 cup orange juice-(I use the juice and a little of the zest from another orange)

Bake about 40 minutes for a 13x9 glass baking dish.

Drizzle the warm cake with the orange juice and sprinkle on the Nut Topping.

**This recipe originally called for 1 can of thawed orange juice concentrate. I modified that with the oranges and liqueur. Both ways are delicious!

Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf...

2011-03-06T20:43:00.002-06:00

Tonight I tried Bacon Wrapped Meatloaf. I used pastured ground beef and local bacon so it was very juicy not greasy. This is a very tasty twist to meatloaf.

1 pound ground beef
8 or 9 slices of bacon
1 egg
1/2 cup panko
1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Red pepper flakes to taste
Cracked black pepper to taste

I mixed all ingredients and let rest in the refrigerator for about an hour.
Preheat oven to 375
Shape meatloaf on your baking dish
Wrap the two ends with two slices and tuck under
Wrap the rest of the meatloaf.

Bake with foil tent for about 30 minutes. Remove foil and back for another 15 or 20 minutes until bacon is desired crispness.

Radom thoughts on a cake stand.

2011-02-27T13:39:00.003-06:00

A while back I went through the kitchen and got rid of what little plastic I still had. The Tupperware cake container was one of the things to go. I replaced it with an Anchor Cake/Punch stand. Triple duty and glass all in one.

Well about a year ago there was an 'incident'. All I know is I came home and it was on the kitchen floor broken. No one had been home since I had left except for the two furry felines that lived here. So we'll never know.

Well to get on with the point of this post...I replaced that cake stand yesterday. When I looked at the box I saw their slogan and thought it was pretty cool.

And just an fyi - I received nothing from the company for saying any of this. This is just an example of the random stuff that goes through my head during the course of the day. :-)

~happy sunday~

Stuffed Burgers

2011-02-26T17:38:00.004-06:00

We haven't had a burger probably since the last time we grilled which was in October. We still have a couple of weeks before I start grilling outside here so I pan fried up a couple of stuffed burgers to cure our craving until then.

I stuffed them with diced jalapeno, diced onion and local farmers cheese. Toasted the buns and topped with homemade mayo, purple leaf lettuce and a big slice of raw onion for me.

I served them with olive oil and thyme potato wedges and now I'm stuffed.

Hope everyone's enjoying their weekend.

Picadillo is like a latin sloppy joes for me.

2011-02-20T18:02:00.000-06:00

1 pound ground beef
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion chopped
1 green pepper chopped
1 jalapeno pepper chopped
3 cloves garlic minced
1 tablespoon cumin
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes
3/4 cup beef stock
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon capers

Cook the ground beef. Approximately 10 minutes.

Stir in onions and peppers to saute. Approximately another 10 minutes.
Add garlic. Add all remaining ingredients. Let simmer on low heat for at least 30 minutes, stirring when needed.

I serve it over rice or wrap in tortilla's.

A twist on Won Tons.

2011-02-19T22:36:00.001-06:00

I found this idea here a couple of weeks ago.

http://richfletchersgoodfoodrevolution.blogspot.com/
The first batch that I made I followed the recipe exactly and they were delicious.

The batch I made today I did the 'originals' which were great again, then I simply put a little cream cheese in a few of the pre heated won ton wrappers and once heated put a dot of jalapeno jelly on top.
They were great too.

I think the possibilities for these are endless.

Happy Valentines Day!!!!

2011-02-13T17:37:00.000-06:00

For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.
Judy Garland

In honor of Valentines Day and the old movie Lady and the Tramp I'm making a big pot of Spaghetti and Meatballs for dinner tomorrow evening for my husband and I.

Hope everyone has a day filled with LOVE!

Midwestern Herb and Garden Show

2011-02-12T14:36:00.001-06:00

Check out what I found today at the Midwestern Herb Show!
LOCAL cheddar and farmers cheese, honey, maple syrup. We're definitely having waffles for breakfast tomorrow.

They had tons of local, organic dried herbs which I have plenty of but couldn't resist the oregano and thyme since I use them so often.

The two little cactus's are going to work with me for my desk and I added another Lemon Mint and Thyme plant to my herbs here at home.
And the tea ball is a star with the moon...too cute.

This show is held the second Saturday of February every year and it is what always makes me start looking forward to Spring.

Sweet Strawberries, Great Jam

2011-02-09T21:28:00.001-06:00

It is February and that means it is strawberry season in Florida. That is one of the things I really miss about living there. The Strawberry Festival is this month in Plant City and if you can ever go...do, you won't regret it.

Since I don't live there any more I was very happy to see these jewels at the local grocery when I went there last night. I know it goes against my Eat Local goals but I can't resist them. Florida strawberries are SWEET! Plus I justify it in my head that it's only Florida, not Mexico, China, Honduras...etc.

I now have 6 jars of Strawberry Jam to get me through until Strawberry season here in Illinois in May.

These are AWESOME!!

2011-02-06T14:33:00.002-06:00

Next month I'm making these for the Heart Associations Bake Sale at work. This was the practice run and all I can say is they are AWESOME!

For the cupcake I used some of my own variations.
2 Cups Sugar
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cups Hershey's Cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
about 30 maraschino cherries

Heat oven to 350F
Get your pans ready.

Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, butter, mayonnaise and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer for two minutes. Stir in boiling water. Batter will be thin. Pour batter into prepared pans.

Once poured insert 1 maraschino cherry into the cupcake.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes for cupcakes.

Maraschino Cherry Cream Cheese Frosting
4 ounces cream cheese softened
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon maraschino cherry juice
1 1/2 Cups sifted confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, on medium speed of an electric mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth, about 3 minutes.
Add the vanilla, lemon juice and cherry juice and beat well. Gradually add the sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating continuously until smooth and creamy.

A fun morning in the kitchen.

2011-02-06T12:29:00.000-06:00

The Chipotle Wings are marinating in the refrigerator.
The Salsa and Guacamole are done.
The cupcakes are waiting to be frosted.
It's been a fun morning in the kitchen.

Cold snowy weather calls for Soup.

2011-02-05T11:07:00.006-06:00

It's been really cold here and we've had a lot of snow this year. Today we woke up to another 3 inches or so with more coming Sunday and Monday. That calls for my favorite Spicy Northern Bean and Chicken Soup and cornbread.

3 or 4 cups of chicken
(I either use left over roasted chicken or I saute three boneless chicken breasts)
6 cups of chicken broth
3 or 4 cups of Northern Beans
4.5 oz can of chopped green chiles
1 large onion chopped
1 whole jalapeno-stem cut off
dash of cayenne pepper flakes
dash of salt
dash of pepper
1 tablespoon cumin

In my large stock pot I sweat the onions on medium heat in a little olive oil.
Add stock, peppers and spices. Stir well.
Add chicken and beans. Stir well.
Bring flame (heat) down to low, cover and simmer.

Roasted Chicken

2011-02-02T05:55:00.004-06:00

I can not remember which cooking show I saw the 'no string' method of tying up a chicken but I finally did remember to try it and it works wonderfully. I'll never string one up again.

All you do is just tuck the wings behind, which I knew, but then you cut small slits in the skin on the sides near the cavity, cross the legs and tuck the ends of them into the slits. So simple but I had never tried it before.

This rosemary, lemon and herb chicken made for a delicious Sunday dinner this past weekend.

Banana Nut Bread

2011-02-02T05:22:00.005-06:00

Banana Nut Bread is the perfect cold weather snack for me.
Not only does it help heat up the house while it's baking but it is a great comfort food that warms the soul.

R.I.P. Bruce Lee...We're going to miss you!!

2011-01-25T13:21:00.003-06:00

Today I had to say good bye to my dear sweet friend Bruce Lee. It was a hard decision to have to make but I feel we did the right thing.
It's going to be really sad to come home every night and not have him running down the stairs to greet me.
We're all going to miss you buddy!!!

A simple Sunday dinner

2011-01-25T00:10:00.004-06:00

Oven baked spicy chicken wings, baked potatoes, salad and deviled eggs. A tasty meal that doesn't have you in the kitchen for long.
We enjoyed this yesterday while watching the playoffs. Sad that the Bears didn't win but the food was good.

Olive Oil, Green Peppers and Onions...A Wonderful Smell

2011-01-19T12:27:00.002-06:00

Raisin Crunch Cookies

2011-01-15T22:10:00.005-06:00

1 1/4 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup old-fashioned oats
1 stick (1/2 cup)
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup raisin bran cereal
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup raisins

Pre heat oven 350*
Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda and oats in a medium bowl and set aside.

Beat butter and sugars in large bowl. Add in egg and vanilla and continue mixing until smooth.

Gradually add dry ingredients, mixing well between each addition.

Mix in cereal, coconut and raisins.

Bake 12-14 minutes until golden brown.

Quick, delish and somewhat healthy. Enjoy!

A Wonderful cake recipe

2011-01-02T00:02:00.007-06:00

http://parispastry.blogspot.com/2010/06/le-cake-orange.html

I was surfing around this blog last week and came across a recipe for Le Cake Orange. I made it today and all I can say is it is heavenly.
Be sure and check out her blog for the recipe and give it a try. You will not be sorry.

You can go your own way...

2011-01-01T23:47:00.006-06:00

My husband and I spent the day relaxing a little more before picking back up our busy schedules that will kick back in on Monday. I have learned a few relaxing tips over this holiday season though that I plan to continue throughout the year.

I am not making any New Year's resolutions this year, not in the traditional sense anyway. I did pretty well with most of the resolutions that I made last year but I have decided to continue on the path I have decided upon and remind myself frequently to be AWARE. Aware of my blessings, aware of my surroundings, aware of everything going on in and around me. I believe this will help me stay centered and focused on the 'right now' and let the past and the future go their own ways. The present is what I have and what I need to be spending all of my energy on.

Dinner tonight was Low and Slow Italian sausages, roasted brusells sprouts and sweet potato fries. My none veggie lover husband even enjoyed it.

What was your first dinner of the new year? Any resolutions?

2011 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2011-01-01T12:19:00.011-06:00

Our Christmas was really nice. For the first time in many years we had a White Christmas. It was beautiful. We spent the day relaxing, hanging out and of course eating plenty of good foods.

We watched tons of Christmas movies this season. Still my all time favorite is A Christmas Story. Who could ever get tired of Ralphie? I tried to find or put in a Christmas movie every chance I had even if I was up cleaning or doing something else. Something about one of these holiday movies playing in the background soothes me...it's weird.

We decided we wanted to pass on the 'traditional' holiday meal that we have ALWAYS had and we had meatballs, stuffed shells, salad and a loaf of bread with garlic butter. It was delicious and a really nice switch from the usual.

I have a tradition that I started a few years ago. Every year sometime between Christmas and New Years I read Raphael, The Herald Angle. It's copyright is 1957. My great, great grandmother gave me the book when I was young. It is a wonderful short story that you can read in an hour or so. If you can find it, I highly recommend it.

We did really well on avoiding the commercialism of the holiday. I didn't purchase any new decorations. We didn't spend a lot eating out or on mind less shopping trips. My husband and I set a limit on each other and agreed we both wanted something that was useful and needed. For our friends and relatives we either gave gift cards or food gifts. Keeping it simple and focusing on the true meaning of the Holiday is very refreshing. I hope everyone was able to feel that and that we may all remember to try and keep that Holiday spirit throughout the entire year!

SNOW DAY!!

2010-12-12T11:28:00.003-06:00

We live in Southern Illinois and really don't get snow all that often so it was a real treat to wake up on a Sunday morning to find everything covered with beautiful white snow!
If you have snow where you are...go out and have some fun it. I made this snow angel for a friend in Florida that has never seen snow.
Now I'm off to make some Christmas goodies.

A great Cookie Recipe

2010-12-05T13:41:00.004-06:00

I have to take 40 cookies to work tomorrow for a cookie exchange, plus I wanted a few for here to freeze for Christmas Eve. Most of the recipes I wanted to do only made 3 or 4 dozen so I pulled out my Grandmothers 1953 copy of Better Homes and Gardens cookbook and found this recipe.
It's a simple recipe, made 75 cookies and they are really tasty.

SOUTHERN CREAM COOKIES
1 CUP SHORTENING
2 CUPS SUGAR
3 WELL BEATEN EGGS
1 TEASPOON VANILLA
1 CUP SOUR CREAM
5 CUPS FLOUR
3 TEASPOONS BAKING POWDER
1 TEASPOON SALT
1/2 TEASPOON BAKING SODA
1 1/2 CUPS CHOPPED WALNUTS
3 TABLESPOONS SUGAR
1 TEASPOON CINNAMON

Cream shortening and sugar; add eggs, vanilla and sour cream; mix well. Sift flour with baking powder, salt and baking soda; add to creamed mixture. Add nuts.
Drop from teaspoon onto baking sheet. Grease the bottom of a small glass; dip into cinnamon sugar mixture; lightly press cookie flat.
Bake in 350 oven for 10-12 minutes or until edges turn a golden brown.
Makes 6 dozen cookies.

Dreaming of Thanksgiving Dinner...

2010-11-20T17:36:00.006-06:00

I LOVE Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays because it centers around food, fun and family. It's a day to relax, enjoy and appreciate all that you have to be thankful for.

Our menu this year...
Roasted Turkey
Mashed Potatoes
Sweet Potato Casserole
Corn
Deviled Eggs
Parker House Rolls
Pumpkin Pie

The only new recipe that I'm doing this year is the parker house rolls. I found a recipe in this months Food Network Magazine. I'm not the best bread baker, especially with a new recipe soooo wish me luck. I'll let you know how they turn out.

What's on your menu for the Holiday?

Lasagna and Apple Pie

2010-10-31T17:26:00.010-05:00

Today with a scary movie marathon going on in the back ground, I made lasagna in the crock pot for the first time. I was a little skeptical at first but it really turned out good. The cheese was melted perfectly and it came out of the crock without sticking.
Just follow your favorite recipe for lasagna. Pour a thin layer of sauce and a touch of olive oil to the bottom of the crock and start your layers with UNCOOKED lasagna noodles. Layer up and cook on high for 3 to 3 and a half hours.

I made an apple pie also but instead of a 'traditional' top crust, I used an apple shaped cookie cutter and layered them on top. Haven't tasted it yet, but it smells wonderful.

The weather here is really cooling off and fall is in full swing. I LOVE it.

Happy Halloween!!!

2010-10-31T17:18:00.006-05:00

Hope everyone is having a spook-tacular day!!

End of Liberty Trailer

2010-10-24T14:08:00.001-05:00

2010-10-24T13:56:00.004-05:00

I'm not from Iowa and I don't know anything about this race but I did like this video.
All of us need to stand up to the corporations that have taken over the US so that we can begin to fix things. One of the best ways to do that... STOP buying their products! Spend a little time to investigate where you are letting your money go.

Francis Thicke vs. The Corporate Ag Monopolies

2010-10-24T13:55:00.001-05:00

Wide Open Spaces...

2010-10-21T19:49:00.004-05:00

The older I get the more I need wide open spaces. I consider myself very lucky to live in a smaller town away from the hustle, the traffic, the crowds. It's been five years here now and I don't miss the 'big city' one bit.

2010-10-16T22:42:00.002-05:00

Can't believe I haven't posted anything since July. No real reason. But here's a glimpse at what I've been doing.

Harvest Festival in Mt. Vernon

2010-10-16T22:35:00.007-05:00

Eating lots of good food.

2010-10-16T22:28:00.005-05:00

Cruise Night Taekwon Do Demo in Mt. Vernon

2010-10-16T22:24:00.004-05:00

Japanese Festival at Missouri Botanical Gardens September 2010

2010-10-16T22:10:00.012-05:00

About the Missouri Botanical Garden"To discover and share knowledge about plants and their environment in order to preserve and enrich life." – Missouri Botanical Garden mission
Founded in 1859, the Missouri Botanical Garden is the nation's oldest botanical garden in continuous operation and a National Historic Landmark.
The Garden is a center for botanical research and science education, as well as an oasis in the city of St. Louis. The Garden offers 79 acres of beautiful horticultural display, including a 14-acre Japanese strolling garden, Henry Shaw's original 1850 estate home, and one of the world's largest collections of rare and endangered orchids.
For over 151 years, the Garden has been an oasis in the city, a place of beauty and family fun—and also a center for education, science, and conservation.
Visit the Garden's illustrated history for glimpses of the rare, archival images.

One of the BEST things about Illinois...

2010-07-21T10:02:00.001-05:00

Fajita Seasoning Mix

2010-07-21T09:50:00.005-05:00

After checking the package of Fajita Seasoning that I normally buy and seeing many ingredients that I didn't want to ingest, I came up with my own and it is very good.

Mix together-

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/2 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 red pepper flakes

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon garlic

Even if you're not eating meat, this is great on sauteed or grilled veggies.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!!!

2010-07-04T19:13:00.007-05:00

HOPE EVERYONE HAS A SAFE AND PEACEFUL HOLIDAY!
This was our dinner with salad and tomatoe's from our little garden. It was a great meal. Now I'm about ready for the FireWorks!!

We need a better School Lunch program.

2010-06-29T13:09:00.005-05:00

Everyone having access to fresh, local, healthy food is one of my biggest passions. I'm especially disheartened by the things that they try to pass off as "food" to our children at school. So I was very happy to hear that this Thursday Representative George Miller from California will be holding a full committee hearing on the Improving Nutrition for America's Children Act of 2010.

This bill will expand access for millions of children to healthy meals in schools and other child care centers, call for farm to school sourcing, create a grant program for local food and establish nutrition standards for food sold outside of the cafeteria. Vending machines full of junk food will be out.

The downside of the bill is that it only raises the amount for school lunch by six cents. Right now, schools get about $1 for each meals ingredients. That is crazy. I know our government is broke already but we have to put money into our future and feeding our children healthy meals and teaching them about proper nutrition will pay for itself in the long run.

Call your House Representative before Thursday morning and ask them to bring this bill up for committee quickly and to fully fund the bill with at least an additional $1 billion per year.

Six month check up on my 2010 goals.

2010-06-26T10:25:00.010-05:00

Since we are 6 months into the new year I figured it was time to sit down, look at the goals that I set for myself this year and see how I'm doing.
All and all I am doing pretty well. There are a few things that I need to pick up the pace on and one or two that I have decided to modify. (re-what was I thinking)

My 2010 LIST:

-I will set aside more time to read.
Have been doing well with this. I just finished Janet Evanovich's Finger Lickin Fifteen and have Emeril's two newest cookbooks to start next. His Farm to Fork is awesome. I am also working my way through the Encyclopedia of Country Living from cover to cover.

-Make one new recipe each week and record that recipe and a photo and any notes in a notebook.
50% on this one. I have been making one new recipe a week-sometimes more but did not start the journal that I wanted to. I think this is still something I want to do though.

-Learn to make cheese.
Haven't made any yet but I have been reading about it. As a matter of fact, the Farm to Fork cookbook has two great cheese recipes with pretty easy to follow steps.

-Expand our home grown veggies and herbs.
In progress.

-Learn to can tomatoes, my salsa and spaghetti sauce for myself and Christmas gifts. For some reason canning tomato products scares me.
In progress.

-Make more strawberry jam and pickles for myself and for Christmas gifts.
In progress.

-Learn to knit scarves for myself and for Christmas gifts.
My first scarf is half way finished. I will need to bump this up a LOT if I plan to make a couple for gifts.

-Dust off my sewing machine and get re-acquainted with it, for myself and Christmas gifts.
Sadly, I haven''t made time for this yet.

-Have a 100% home made Christmas.
In progress. Not sure I will make it to 100% but I think I will come close.

-Pay off all remaining debt. We are SO close. WOOHOO!!
Have NOT made any new debt and are even closer to our goal of paying everything off.

-Take a 30 minute walk every morning before work to focus on my day and to get more exercise.
Have modified this to three days a week. Every morning was a bit much. I am off on Wed, Sat and Sun so these are the days that I do this.

-Find a place to buy local eggs and dairy.
One of my husbands Tae Kwon Do students always has an over abundance of eggs so I have found them but not dairy yet.

-Find a place to buy fish that is raised closer than Indonesia or Honduras.
The closest fish I have found locally is from Alaska. We are still in the process of eliminating all meat from our diets. We still eat grass fed local beef about once a month or so and we are still eating local poultry a few times a week. The fish we have had to cut way down on because I won't buy it from another country and now with the problems in the Gulf I am afraid our seafood days are close to an end.

-Find more people ( on line and in my community) that are trying to live a simple sustainable life also.
In progress.

-Continue to purge and organize our home.
Have realized this is going to constantly be a work in progress. We have a home that we LIVE in, not a show place.

-Take my camera with me everywhere I go.
Have been pretty good about this one.

-Enjoy the journey, smell the herbs and take in the sunsets
Success on this one!

Herb Bread

2010-06-23T18:01:00.003-05:00

After I did an egg wash, I sprinkled fresh thyme, fresh rosemary a little pepper and garlic powder then baked as usual.

I can't wait to cut into it tonight at dinner. It made my kitchen smell heavenly.

Aren't mums supposed to bloom closer to Fall??

2010-06-23T17:56:00.004-05:00

Well mine is in full bloom NOW.

Perfect end to a perfect day...

2010-06-12T22:59:00.001-05:00

Happy Saturday!

2010-06-12T10:53:00.016-05:00

Since I stepped up on the soap box yesterday with my little 'rant', I figured I'd lighten it up a little today. I'm definitely not all doom and gloom but I really do hope people start to pay attention and take better care of our world.

This is my new red pot that I had been eyeing for awhile and hubby got it for me for my birthday. I used it this week for black beans and rice and I swear they tasted better.

A couple of tomato plants and rosemary on the front porch. The hen and chickens are from my grandmothers garden.

This hot banana pepper was delish. Part of it went into a jar of salsa and the rest was chopped up and cooked into stuffed burgers.

I'm looking forward to cooking with all the wonderful things that are growing. We've really had perfect weather so far this year. I hope it continues.
Already tomorrow I will be making a batch of pesto to use some of the basil that seems to be going crazy.

How are your garden's doing? Reaping any of what you sowed yet?

Rant for the Week...

2010-06-11T12:53:00.009-05:00

I have no access to solar power, wind power or any other alternative method of energy other than electric, gas and hand powered.
I have no access to water other than the small amount I can collect from rain or the faucets in my home.
I have no livestock, chickens or a garden that will get us through a year.

And yet I am still more prepared for an emergency, natural or otherwise, than the 'average American.' That should make me feel better, but it doesn't.

I was watching part one of a series on Oprah about getting out of debt. The $170,000 debt that this one family has was scary but the most amazing thing to me was that their kitchen was entirely empty. NO food at all. They spent close to $100.00 a day on the four of them to eat out EVERY meal, EVERY day of the year. Now not only is that unhealthy and just crazy but what would they do in an emergency? What if a natural disaster affected their area even if only for a couple of days?

People need to wake up!
Our world is changing very rapidly. I know we can't all bug out miles from civilization and live totally sustainable lives, but we can all make changes to head in that direction. I think it will be easier to make some of these changes now while they are still self imposed rather than waiting for the day that will come when we have no other option.

Over at www.agoodhuman.wordpress.com
she has a couple of great posts about 'Building Lifeboats' that you should read. We all need to work on our own lifeboats so that we can protect ourselves and our families.

In the event of a natural disaster, an EMP, an attack, etc. the government will not be there for us. They can't do everything.

When we lived in Florida we did experience one hurricane (Charlie) that had a direct hit only 30 miles from our home. The city looked like a war zone. We had to experience a city of over 500,000 people with no electricity for weeks. It was a wake up call. It took two weeks for FEMA to set up a booth to start taking claims. It took months to get trailers in to provide shelter for those who had lost their homes. Between the red tape and the waits, people who had the money just moved.
Look at New Orleans, they're still re building. Look at the Gulf Coast residents, they're going through it now.

I still have a long way to go but at least I know I am on the right road and that feels a little reassuring.

Yummmmmmmmm

2010-06-06T10:30:00.009-05:00

Emeril's Creole Seasoning
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

A little olive oil, potatoes cut and cooked anyway you like, fresh thyme and Emeril's Creole Seasoning makes a delicious side or snack.
These were wedged and cooked on the grill.

The Martins have moved in.

2010-06-06T10:22:00.006-05:00

For the five years that we have lived here, from the first of May until the end of June we are visited by Martins.
I love to have them here because they eat their weight in mosquito's and they are cute little things but it takes a little getting used to having to duck being dive bombed every time you open the front or back door.

Thought for the Day

2010-05-29T16:06:00.007-05:00

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better.
It's not." Dr. Seuss~~The Lorax

The annual repotting of the Aloe...

2010-05-29T12:31:00.008-05:00

I gave away a lot of my plants when we moved from Florida to Illinois so on my Mom's first visit here she brought me this tiny little aloe plant probably from Kroger.

Every year I have to separate and repot this 'mother plant' because the base leaves get so heavy it starts to tip the pot over. It has produced well over 50 little aloes in the last 4 years. Close to half the town has an aloe plant from this one.

So today is the day she gets another larger home. I bought one of the largest indoor pots they make so lets hope she slows it down a little or else I don't know what I will do next year.

Now only if I had sold all that aloe instead of giving it away. LOL

2010-04-17T14:01:00.007-05:00

Last Sunday's Dinner...all local!
"Traffic Art"
Love the decor at our local Mexican Restaraunt

Bruce used one of his 9 lives...

2010-04-13T16:37:00.006-05:00

Easter Sunday...good day, all was well, cats were running around. Everything normal.
Monday night...Bruce wasn't eating or drinking and seemed to be breathing a little heavy.
Tuesday morning...trip to the vet. Bruce is in critical condition, probably a heart condition, could only have a short time left. We're keeping him here for observation. We'll call you.
Tuesday late afternoon...you can come and get Bruce. He doesn't have a heart condition he is a diabetic. His glucose was over 400.
Tuesday night...celebrate my 20th wedding anniversary in a daze from the past 24 hours events.

One week later...Bruce is on insulin shots 2 times a day, his food has been changed to a low carbohydrate dry food and he seems to be getting back his strength.

Life is GOOD!!!

HAPPY EASTER!!

2010-04-04T13:32:00.003-05:00

A lot has been going on here in my world. I changed my hours at work to 4/10 hour days and am soooo glad that I did. It is heaven to have that extra day off in the middle of the week. I had been so stressed out with never having time at home. This has been a perfect solution for me. I have a lot more 'me' time now to do some of the things I enjoy.

The weather has heated up quickly. Last week we had two days in the 80's and now we're mid 70's. So many trees and flowers are starting to bloom and the grass is a gorgeous green. Excited to get things rolling around here with my herbs and veggies.

It's going to be a busy month with all the cleaning and projects inside and outside that I have planned. But I feel energized to get it all done. Spring is the time to clean out all the cobwebs and get rid of all the things that accumulated over the winter.

For tonights dinner I made my husband his favorite dessert banana cream pie...he's in heaven.

Have a blessed day everyone!!

I WANT ONE...

2010-03-31T12:21:00.004-05:00

Pittsburgh's Giant Eagle Market District.

This is the type of grocery store we all need to have in our neighborhoods.
They are growing lettuce right in the produce aisle and their other produce is in bins...no plastic!

Check out their web site at marketdistrict.com to see how amazing this place realy is.

Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution

2010-03-31T10:28:00.002-05:00

I think what he is doing is wonderful. Be sure to watch the show on Friday's or check out his website and sign the petition.

This is the change that we need!!