so a new chapter begins...

Chapter closed, turn the page....

2008-09-21T22:40:00.000-07:00

Like the title states, this chapter is now closed. This part of my life is gone, at least temporarily. I begin a new life of working single Mom and a Military Spouse of a soldier who is deployed yet again to the middle east.
This will have been our 3rd deployment over there but we can count numerous others to other locations. I'm sad, extremely sad, to see this chapter end but I'm equally eager to see the next
"So What chapter am I in now" end as that will be my next deployment blog.
I cannot express tonight how I really would've liked this chapter to continue but such is life in the military, especially now a days when the US Army and the Marines are required to shoulder such a responsibility in the war on terror. Such is life, right. Suck it up. Just suck it up, say HOOOAAA and move on. That's the Army way for you.
BS!
I'm tired. If I have to do one more deployment with my husband I'll scream. Yeah, sure not many will hear me but I'll still yell pretty darn loudly. I know this is thought as being "unpatriotic" by some but my question this morning that kept running through my head was "Okay so how many sacrificies does a soldier have to give before it's considered enough?"
What? Does he have to die? Is that sufficient? What is? Of course this is all crazy thinking because most soldiers can get out of the military at a certain time but we're stuck. For the next 5 years.

Oh God help me. I keep repeating to myself the line from Moulin Rouge......Come what may...

So like I said. This chapter is now at an end. Menus that I make each week can be found at Menu Plan for the week here and my new chapter "So What chapter am I on now" can also be found here.
Au Revoir Mes Amis, Au Revoir

Coming to an end

2008-06-25T13:07:00.000-07:00

So as many might know here I use this blog titled "so a new chapter begins" now a days to plan out my and my family's meals for the week. Well I think it's time to call this one to a close and start a new one. Most likely I'll name it something like "Menu Plan for the week" (grin)
I'll probably start another one as well as my husband is preparing for yet another deployment but that will be later on.
So I guess I'm trying to say that this chapter of my life has ended in a way. But like all things, where there is an ending there may also be a beginning.
So that's it. I hope you've enjoyed reading and I hope you enjoy even more finding out what's for dinner in our house in my next blog.

Menu Plan for the week

2008-06-20T16:36:00.000-07:00

MONDAY
STEAK OSCAR (FOR 2)
Printed from COOKS.COM
2 filet mignons, 1 1/2" thick
2 sticks butter
1/2 lb. crabmeat, fresh or imitation
Knorr Bernaise sauce, packaged gravy section of store
Whole milk
Asparagus
Salt and pepper raw steaks before grilling. Broil 10 - 12 minutes on one side, then 8 - 9 minutes on other side. Simmer 1/2 stick butter with crabmeat on low heat until warm. Prepare Knorr's Bernaise sauce, with one whole stick of butter and using whole milk only, by following directions on package. Put asparagus and some water into microwave for 2 - 2 1/2 minutes. To serve: 1. crabmeat over steak 2. Asparagus over crabmeat 3. Cover with Bernaise sauce.

Make-Ahead Baked Stuffed Potatoes
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern Food.
Recipe Feedback:
Prepare these potatoes the day before, then pop them in the oven about 30 minutes before serving time.
INGREDIENTS:
6 large Russet potatoes or similar baking potatoes
6 to 8 tablespoons milk
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
fresh grated Parmesan cheese
fresh chopped parsley, optional
PREPARATION:
Scrub potatoes; pat dry. Heat oven to 425°.
Pierce top of potatoes with a fork. Bake for about 50 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. Remove a thin slice from the top of each potato and scoop out most of the potato into a bowl, leaving skin intact.
With an electric mixer on low speed, beat the potato with 5 tablespoons of the milk, butter, salt, and pepper.

Add a little more milk, as needed.
Spoon potato mixture into the potato skins; sprinkle each with Parmesan cheese. Arrange the stuffed potatoes in a single layer in a baking dish; cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.
Heat oven to 375°. Bake potatoes for 20 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are hot and tops are lightly browned. Sprinkle with fresh chopped parsley, if desired. Serves 6.

Reduce this down to 2 servings as it's just the three of us and one of us (MUNCHKIN) is sometimes a picky eater.

TUESDAY
Cheese fondue with bread, boiler onions, mushrooms and sausage.

WEDNESDAY
Oriental Pork Kabobs
2 pounds lean, boneless pork
1 teaspoon powdered ginger
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced1/2 cup soy sauce
1 16 ounce can pineapple chunks
8 preserved kumquats, halved
Cut pork into 1 inch cubes; sprinkle with ginger, pepper and garlic. Pour soy sauce over pork, toss with pork to coat. Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning pork once or twice. Drain, saving marinade. Thread pork, pineapple chunks and halved kumquats alternately onto skewers. Grill 4 inches above coals until pork is well done, about 30 minutes. Turn several times and baste with marinade.

Makes 4 servings.

Serve with: rice, glazed carrots and a green salad if desired.

THURSDAY
Chicken and Summer Vegetable Tostadas
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons canola oil
12 ounces chicken breast tenders
1 cup chopped red onion (about 1)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (about 2 ears)
1 cup chopped zucchini (about 4 ounces)
1/2 cup green salsa
3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro, divided
4 (8-inch) fat-free flour tortillas
Cooking spray
1 cup (4 ounces) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
Preheat broiler.
Combine first 3 ingredients, stirring well. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the spice mixture evenly over chicken. Add chicken to pan; sauté for 3 minutes. Add onion, corn, and zucchini to pan; sauté for 2 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in salsa and 2 tablespoons cilantro. Cook 2 minutes or until liquid almost evaporates, stirring frequently.
Working with 2 tortillas at a time, arrange tortillas in a single layer on a baking sheet; lightly coat tortillas with cooking spray. Broil 3 minutes or until lightly browned. Spoon about 3/4 cup chicken mixture in the center of each tortilla; sprinkle each serving with 1/4 cup cheese. Broil an additional 2 minutes or until cheese melts. Repeat procedure with remaining tortillas, chicken mixture, and cheese. Sprinkle each serving with about 3/4 teaspoon of remaining cilantro. Serve immediately.
Yield: 4 servings
The tostadas can easily become soft tacos if you skip broiling the tortillas. Serve with black beans.

FRIDAY
BAKED HALIBUT WITH PARMESAN BREAD CRUMBS
Printed from COOKS.COM
6 halibut steaks, 1 inch thick (6 oz. each)
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 c. dry bread crumbs
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 c. olive oil
1/4 c. Parmesan cheese
1/8 tsp. dried thyme, crumbled
Lemon wedges
Place steaks in an oiled shallow baking pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Combine bread crumbs, garlic, oil, cheese and thyme to a thick paste and pat onto surface of steaks. Bake in a preheated 450 degree oven for 14 minutes per inch of thickness of fish or until fish is not longer translucent when tested with a fork. Garnish with lemon wedges and serve.

RAW BEET SALAD WITH APPLES AND RAISINS
To those who don’t even like the thought of cooked beets, eating raw beets may sound like punishment. But this salad may change your mind forever about beets, raw or cooked. Try it with cold, leftover roasted or grilled meats.
1/4 cup low or non-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
Small bunch beets, about 3/4 pound, trimmed and peeled
1 sweet and crisp apple such as a Fuji
2 tablespoons sultana raisins
1 tablespoon toasted hazelnuts, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped chives
Salt and pepper to taste
A handful of watercress
1) In a small bowl, mix sour cream, mustard and vinegar. Set aside.
2) Grate beets by hand using the second-largest hole on a 4-sided grater or using the grating attachment on a food processor. Put in a mixing bowl.
3) Core apple but do not peel. Cut into 1/2-inch cubes and add to beets. Add raisins, hazelnuts and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Add sour cream dressing and mix well. Taste for seasoning.
4) To serve, put watercress at the end of a small oval platter and spoon out salad onto the platter.
Serves 4.
Sam’s Cooking Tip: To remove hazelnut skins which can be bitter, put the toasted nuts in a tea towel and rub them together. The skins will slip off.

Serve with french fries

SATURDAY
Turkey Burgers with french fries and sauteed carrots

SUNDAY
Absolutely Fabulous Portobello Mushroom Tortellini
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 25 Minutes
Yields: 2 servings
"A delicious saute of portabello mushrooms with wine, garlic and parsley enhances a creamy rich and ready-made Alfredo sauce. Serve over cheese tortellini and add a grating of Parmesan cheese for a quick yet impressive dish."
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound cheese tortellini
1 large portobello mushrooms
2 tablespoons white wine
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 pound Alfredo-style pasta sauce
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente; drain.
2. Meanwhile, prepare mushrooms by rinsing and thinly slicing the mushroom caps; discard the stems.
3. In a medium skillet over low heat, combine wine, parsley, garlic and mushrooms; stirring frequently, saute for approximately 5 minutes or until mushrooms are cooked through.
4. Remove skillet from heat and slowly add Alfredo sauce, stirring to blend; season with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Separate hot pasta into four portions and spoon sauce over pasta. Garnish with cheese and serve immediately.

Make ahead meals to freeze

2008-06-16T15:18:00.000-07:00

Since my dear hubby is preparing to leave for training and what not I have decided that it's time! Time to start making my meals ahead of time again. So here we go!

Sicilian Casserole
From Linda Larsen,
INGREDIENTS:
1 lb. ground beef
1 onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 (8 ounce) can tomato sauce
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp. dried Italian seasoning
2 cups elbow macaroni
8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, cubed
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup sour cream
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, divided
PREPARATION:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brown ground beef and onion in heavy saucepan, stirring to break up ground beef. Add green bell pepper when beef is almost cooked; continue to simmer until beef is done. Drain well.
Add tomato paste, tomato sauce, water, and dried Italian seasoning and stir well to blend. Let simmer for 10 minutes to blend flavors.
Meanwhile, cook elbow macaroni as directed on package. While macaroni is cooking, combine cream cheese and milk in medium bowl. Cook in microwave on medium power for 2-3 minutes, stirring once halfway through cooking. Remove from microwave and stir with wire whisk until sauce thickens and blends to form a smooth sauce. Drain noodles and add to cream cheese sauce along with sour cream and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; stir to combine.
In 2 quart casserole dish, place all of cream cheese mixture. Top with all of the ground beef mixture and sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-30 minutes until casserole is bubbly.
To freeze, add 1 Tbsp. cornstarch to the cream cheese sauce. Prepare casserole as directed, except instead of baking, chill in refrigerator. Wrap well and freeze up to 3 months. To thaw and reheat, thaw casserole overnight in refrigerator. Bake, covered, for 25-35 minutes 5 minutes longer until bubbly. 8 servings

Menu Plan for the week

2008-06-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

MONDAY
Shake n' Bake Pork Chops with Cabbage Pie
700g (1½lb) Potatoes, cooked and mashed
300ml (½ pint) Milk
110g (4oz) Runner Beans, sliced
110g (4oz) Leeks, sliced
110g (4oz) Cheddar Cheese, grated
1 Cabbage
3 Eggs, beaten
1 tbsp Fresh Sage, chopped
Freshly ground pepper
Take off 8-10 of the outer cabbage leaves. Remove the thick stems and cook in boiling water until just tender. Slice the leeks, runner beans and 110g (4oz) of sliced cabbage and cook until tender, drain well Beat together the eggs and milk, add the cheese, pepper and sage. Pre-heat oven to 190°C; 375°F: Gas 5 Grease a shallow ovenproof dish. Line with potato, add cabbage leaves allowing them to hang over the edge. Add the cooked vegetables. Pour over the egg and milk mixture. Fold cabbage leaves carefully over the top, making a seal. Bake for 30 minutes. Serve hot.

TUESDAY
Enchilada Casserole III
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Ready In: 1 Hour
Yields: 4 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 (1.5 ounce) package dry enchilada sauce mix
1/2 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1/4 cup and 2 tablespoons water
3/4 pound ground beef
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 (16 ounce) can refried beans
1/2 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, mix the dry enchilada sauce according to package directions, replacing tomato sauce with the tomato paste and water
3. In a large skillet, brown the ground beef with garlic salt and onion powder; drain fat. Mix refried beans and 1/2 cup of the prepared enchilada sauce with the meat.
4. Dip enough corn tortillas to cover the bottom of a 3 quart casserole dish in the remaining enchilada sauce. Arrange tortillas in the dish. Spoon in half of the meat mixture, covering the tortillas. Spread half of the Cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses over the meat. Cover with another layer tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Spoon in remaining meat mixture and top with a final layer of tortillas dipped in enchilada sauce. Pour any remaining sauce over the layers and top with remaining cheese.
5. Cover and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.

WEDNESDAY
Souvlaki
Submitted by: Abby BennerRated: 5 out of 5 by 476 members
Prep Time: 30 MinutesCook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 45 MinutesYields: 5 servings
"Use a very tender cut of pork for this Greek-style grilled entree. Marinate pork, onions and green peppers in an aromatic melange of lemon, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic and oregano. Thread onto skewers and grill."
INGREDIENTS:
3/8 lemon, juiced
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 tablespoon and 2 teaspoons soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1-1/4 cloves garlic, crushed
1-3/4 pounds pork tenderloin, cut into 1 inch cubes
7/8 medium yellow onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
7/8 green bell peppers, cut into 1 inch pieces
skewers
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large glass bowl, mix together lemon juice, olive oil, soy sauce, oregano, and garlic; add pork, onions, and green peppers, and stir to coat. Cover, and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours.
2. Preheat grill for medium-high heat. Thread pork, peppers, and onions onto skewers.
3. Lightly oil grate. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes, or to desired doneness, turning skewers frequently for even cooking.

Spanakorizo
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Ingredients:
2 1/4 pounds of fresh spinach, chopped, washed, drained
1 spring onion, chopped
1/3 cups of olive oil
1 1/3 cup of water
1 1/3 cups of long-grain rice
5 1/4 cups of water
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
juice of 1 lemon (about 2 tablespoons)
Preparation:
In a stock pot, sauté the chopped spring onion in the oil over medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Add spinach and 1 1/3 cups of water and cook until the spinach wilts, about 5-7 minutes. Add rice and 5 1/4 cups of water, bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lemon juice and salt, cook for another 5 minutes and remove from heat. Stir, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes until the dish "melds."
Serve with wedges of lemon and freshly ground pepper.

THURSDAY
Spaghetti and Meatballs with fresh bread

FRIDAY
Sausage; bell pepper & pasta dish.

SATURDAY
Slow cooked Chicken Cacciatore
Sprinkle this classic Italian dish with some freshly grated mozzarella and/or Parmesan cheese before serving.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon red pepper
8 3-oz. boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) chicken broth
1 can (14-1/2 oz.) diced tomatoes with roasted garlic, undrained
1 can (14 oz.) artichokes hearts, drained and cut into quarters
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
1/3 cup chopped onion1 package (3 oz.) thinly sliced prosciutto
2 tablespoons chopped pimiento-stuffed green olives
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
Hot cooked linguine
Directions:In a large resealable plastic bag combine the flour, salt, and red pepper. Add chicken, a few pieces at a time, and shake to coat. In a large skillet brown chicken in hot oil in batches. Transfer to a 5-quart slow cooker. Stir in the broth, undrained tomatoes, artichoke hearts, mushrooms, onion, prosciutto, olives, garlic, oregano, and thyme. Cover and cook on low heat for 4 to 4 1/2 hours or until chicken is no longer pink. Serve with a slotted spoon over linguine. Number of Servings: 6 To 8 Delicious Servings

ARTICHOKES ITALIANO LIMONCELLO
Printed from COOKS.COM
4 medium artichokes\
1 lemon
3 cups fresh breadcrumbs (or, thick Italian bread, crusts removed and torn into small pieces)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil plus 2 tablespoons additional olive oil
1/2 onion or 2 shallots, minced
1/2 cup diced fresh mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced1 tomato, diced
zest of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
sea salt
freshly ground pepper
5 tbsp Caravella Limoncello
1/2 cup water
4 tbsp butter, melted
Trim the artichokes by cutting off the upper 1/3 and removing the tough outer leaves. With a spoon, remove the center leaves and fuzzy chokes, leaving a center cavity.
Squeeze fresh lemon juice into the cavity and cut surfaces to prevent discoloration. Toss breadcrumbs with 1/4 cup olive oil and spread onto a sheet pan.
Bake at 400°F for 10-12 minutes or until slightly golden brown. Remove and let cool.
In a medium skillet, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and sauté onion and mushrooms for about 3 minutes. Add garlic and sauté for another minute. Add tomatoes, lemon zest, parsley, Italian seasoning and sauté for another minute. Remove from heat and stir in the cooked breadcrumbs, 2 1/2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese, sea salt, pepper and three tablespoons of Caravella Limoncello.
Drain artichokes and fill the center and in between the leaves with stuffing. Place artichokes into a shallow baking dish and drizzle with 2 tablespoons of melted butter. Top with remaining Parmesan cheese.
Pour 1/2 cup water into the pan, cover with foil and bake at 375°F for 45 minutes, or until a knife easily pierces the center of the artichoke.
To serve:
In a small saucepan, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and cook until lightly browned. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons of Caravella Limoncello and stir. Remove from heat and drizzle over cooked artichokes.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4.

SUNDAY
ELEGANT BEEF WELLINGTON with mashed potatoes
Printed from COOKS.COM
1 (6 lb.) whole beef tenderloin roast
Butter
1 (17 1/4 oz.) pkg. frozen puff pastry
1 med. sized onion, minced
1 (8 oz.) pkg. mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tsp. dried thyme leaves
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. red wine
1/2 lb. goose or duck liver pate OR 17 oz. can liver pate
1 egg, separated
2 tsp. milk
Bordelaise sauce
Parsley for garnish
(Ask your butcher to trim tenderloin of fat).
(Available at specialty stores).
About 2 hours before serving:
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. In large oven roasting pan on rack, form tenderloin into ring so that thick end rests on thin end to hold securely. Brush beef with 1 tablespoon melted butter.
Insert meat thermometer into center of tenderloin. Roast tenderloin 40 minutes or until thermometer reaches 120 degrees F (very rare). Remove tenderloin from oven and let stand 30 minutes. Do not turn oven off.
2. Thaw pastry as label directs.
3. Meanwhile, in 10 inch skillet over medium-high heat, in 3 tablespoons hot butter, cook onion until tender. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until all liquid evaporates. Stir in red wine and cook over medium heat until mixture is dry. Remove skillet from heat; cool slightly.
4. On lightly floured surface, with floured rolling pin, roll 1 sheet puff pastry into 14 x 12 inch rectangle. Place puff pastry sheet on ungreased large cookie sheet. Center partially roasted tenderloin ring on dough. With knife, cut pastry with 1 inch border all around tenderloin.
5. Spread pate evenly over tenderloin; top with mushroom mixture. With pastry brush, brush some egg white on pastry around tenderloin. On lightly floured surface, roll second sheet puff pastry as above; place loosely over tenderloin ring, pressing pastry around base of tenderloin to seal; crimp pastry border to make a pretty edge.
6. In cup, with fork, beat egg yolk with milk; brush top and sides of pastry with egg mixture. Bake Beef Wellington 10 minutes; reduce heat to 375 degrees F; bake 20 minutes longer or until crust is golden. With 2 pancake turners, transfer roast to warm platter. Let stand 15 minutes for easier slicing.
7. Prepare Bordelaise Sauce.
8. To serve, garnish with parsley, cut Beef Wellington into wedges. Serve with Bordelaise Sauce.
Makes 10 servings.
BORDELAISE SAUCE:
In heavy 1 quart saucepan over low heat, in 3 tablespoons hot butter, cook 1 tablespoon minced onion until tender. Stir in 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour; cook until lightly browned; add 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves, and 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper.
Slowly stir in one 10 1/2 ounce can condensed beef broth (bouillon), 1/2 cup red wine, and 1/4 cup water. Increase heat to medium-high; cook mixture, stirring constantly, until sauce boils and thickens.

Buttered Broccoli With Almonds
The delicious crunch of almonds makes broccoli into some thing quite special. Broccoli does not keep well, so buy it as fresh as possible, without any signs of yellowing. Beware of overcooking it — some crispness should be retained.
An easy and appetising way with broccoli, to serve as anaccompaniment with meat or fish.
SERVES 4
700 g (1 1/2 lb) broccoli florets, trimmed
salt and pepper
25 g (l oz) butter
50 g (2 oz) flaked almonds
juice of 1/2 lemon
1. Cook the broccoli in boiling salted water for 10 - 15 minutes, until just tender.
2. Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan and cook the almonds over a gentle heat until golden brown. Stir in the lemon juice and season with pepper to taste.
3. Drain the broccoli well, then toss with the almonds and butter. Serve at once.

Menu Plan for the week

2008-06-07T09:38:00.000-07:00

MONDAY
Mushroom Pork Chops
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 35 Minutes
Ready In: 40 Minutes
Yields: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 pinch garlic salt, or to taste
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
1/2 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
DIRECTIONS:
1. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic salt to taste.
2. In a large skillet, brown the chops over medium-high heat. Add the onion and mushrooms, and saute for one minute. Pour cream of mushroom soup over chops. Cover skillet, and reduce temperature to medium-low. Simmer 20 to 30 minutes, or until chops are cooked through.

Serve with rice and brussel sprouts

TUESDAY
Grilled Chicken Teriyaki shishkabobs with rice

WEDNESDAY
Flat Iron Steak Simplicity
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 6 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 11 Minutes
Yields: 2 servings
INGREDIENTS:
2 (8 ounce) flat-iron steaks
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper seasoning, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon onion powder, or to taste
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1. Season the steaks with lemon pepper, onion powder and garlic powder on both sides. Wrap in plastic wrap and marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.
2. Preheat the grill for medium-high heat and allow the steaks to come to room temperature.
3. Unwrap steaks and place on the preheated grill. Cook to your desired degree of doneness, about 3 minutes per side for medium rare. Allow steaks to rest for a few minutes before serving.

Serve with grilled new rosemary potatoes and grilled zuchinni.

THURSDAY
Chicken and DumplingsLow Fat Recipe
Ingredients:4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (1 pound)
1 teaspoon olive oil
3 cups water (or reduced sodium chicken broth)
1 cup skim milk
1 package chicken gravy mix
3/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 (16 ounce) bag frozen broccoli, cauliflower and carrot mix
Dumplings:
1-2/3 cups reduced fat Bisquick baking mix
1/2 cup skim milk
Directions:Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in large soup pot. Cook, stirring frequently for 5-7 minutes or until browned. Add water, milk, gravy mix, marjoram and frozen vegetables to the pot and mix well. Heat mixture to boiling, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Salt and pepper to taste.
Increase heat to boiling. Mix dumpling ingredients together with fork until completely moistened and soft dough forms. Drop by small spoonfuls onto the top of the boiling chicken mixture and cook uncovered for 10 minutes.
Makes: 6 Servings. Serving Size: 12 ounces

FRIDAY
Cheeseburgers, Pasta Salad & Corn on the cob

SATURDAY
Marinated Flank Steak with rutabaga and acorn squash.
Grilled Marinated Flank Steak Recipe
Ingredients
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Other ingredients
2 pounds flank steak
Kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper
Method
1. Score the surface of the steak with 1/4 inch deep knife cuts, about an inch apart, across the grain of the meat. Combine the marinade ingredients. Place steak and marinade ingredients in a large freezer bag. Coat the steak well with the marinade. Seal the bag and place in a bowl. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
2. Using olive oil soaked onto a paper towel, coat the grill rack of your grill with olive oil. Preheat the grill with high, direct heat. The grill is hot enough when you hold your hand about an inch over it and you can only hold it there for about a second.
3. Take the steak out of the marinade bag and sprinkle generously on all sides with coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. The salt and pepper will help form a savory crust on the steak. Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill. Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.

Rutabaga Puff
This rutabaga puff is a casserole made with mashed rutabaga, eggs, butter, dill, and other seasonings.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups cooked, mashed rutabaga, about 1 large (2 1/2 to 3 pounds) rutabaga
4 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon fresh chopped dill weed or 1/2 teaspoon dried dill weed
1 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
dash paprika
4 eggs, separated
PREPARATION:
Combine mashed rutabaga, butter, dill, salt, pepper, and paprika. Blend in egg yolks. Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form; fold into the rutabaga mixture. Lightly pile into a greased 1 1/2-quart casserole.
Bake in a preheated 375° oven for 30 to 40 minutes, until set and top is golden brown. Spoon into a serving dish and serve.Serves 4 to 6.

Serve with grilled asparagus.

SUNDAY
PARMESAN BAKED ALASKA COD
3 tbsp. each flour and corn meal
1/4 tsp. onion salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
2 tbsp. butter or margarine
1 lb. Alaska cod fillets, thawed if necessary
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Combine flour, corn meal and seasonings. Melt butter in shallow baking dish. Dredge cod in flour mixture; place in dish. Turn cod to coat with butter; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake at 450 F 8 to 10 minutes or until cod flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Makes 4 servings.

ORZO SALAD
2 lb. uncooked orzo
1/2 c. chopped fresh basil
1/4 c. chopped parsley
DRESSING:
3/4 c. oil
6 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1 1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
6 oz. grated Parmesan cheese
Cook orzo al dente. Drain, rinse with cold water and drain again. Add basil and parsley. Combine dressing ingredients in jar; cover and shake. Pour over salad and toss. Refrigerate. Just before serving, add cheese and toss. Makes 20 cups.

Stuffed Tomato
Recipe courtesy of Emeril Lagasse
4 Creole/Beefsteak tomatoes, peeled and the center carved out
1/2 pound mild Cheddar cheese, grated
1/2 pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated
1/2 cup to 1 cup homemade mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped pimentos
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Salt and pepper
Season the tomatoes with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine the remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff each tomato with the cheese mixture. Place square sealable plastic container and garnish with parsley.

Schedule of things to do 5/30-06/05

2008-05-28T11:08:00.000-07:00

May 30th Friday
Walmart & Miscellenous shopping

May 31st Saturday
Grocery Shopping

June 1st Sunday
El Dorado Gold Mine
Dates of Operation

For the 2008 Season: May 13th through September 19th.

We provide daily tours: 9:45 am and 3:00 pm, except for Saturday when there is an afternoon tour only. Early and late season schedules may vary, so please inquiry to see if the tour you are interested in is available.

Rates
Adult Rates: $34.95
Child Rates (3-12): $22.95
Infants under 3: FREE

Reservations
Book Tour now
Reservations required.

Book online, email requests, or call toll-free to make reservations.
El Dorado Gold Mine
1975 Discovery Drive Fairbanks,

9709reservations@eldoradogoldmine.com
Telephone: 907-479-6673
Toll Free: 1-866-479-6673
Fax: 907-479-4613
Your adventure at El Dorado Gold Mine begins with a ride on a replica of the Tanana Valley Railroad near some of the original rail routes. You'll board at the train station and enjoy a short narrated journey to the mine. Your regular conductor and commentator is Earl Hughes, who provides lively commentary as you learn about mining from actual working hands at sites along the way. The original Tanana Valley Railroad served over two dozen gold camps scattered throughout Interior Alaska in the early 1900s. Supplies arrived in Alaska on vessels that traveled from Seattle to the mouth of the Yukon River. Freight was then transferred to sternwheelers, which hauled it up the Yukon and Tanana Rivers to Interior Alaska. From there the Tanana Valley Railroad carried supplies to the gold camps.

Gold Panning
El Dorado Gold Mine is an exciting hands-on adventure for the whole family. As part of your tour, Alaskan miners will show you how to pan for gold, and you'll receive your own poke filled with pay dirt right from the sluice box. Friendly guides are on hand to help you uncover the gold in your pan. Comfortable benches and warm water make this an easy and enjoyable experience. Everyone will share your excitement when you strike it rich-and nothing beats the thrill of taking home real Alaskan gold! Our crew will weigh your gold in the Cook Shack, and they'll show you ways to fashion it into a memorable keepsake while you enjoy complimentary coffee and fresh homemade cookies. It's all part of our famous Alaskan hospitality, and the experience is one you're sure to treasure.

http://eldoradogoldmine.com/

Confirmation Number: 25301

June 2nd Monday

June 3rd Tuesday
Santa Claus House, North Pole

©Wayne C. Grieme, DBA Frontier Foto

Santa Claus House offers an amazing assortment of Christmas decor and ornaments, apparel, collectibles, made in Alaska items, as well as a selection of unique toys. Enjoy an espresso from Santa's Coffee Cache while you browse. Many unique photo opportunities are available, including a life-size nativity scene, a 6-foot plush moose and polar bear, and many themed Christmas trees. Outside, take your picture in Santa's sleigh, which is nestled in front of our original 40-foot two dimensional Santa. Marvel at our 42-foot three dimensional fiberglass Santa and meet real members of Santa's reindeer team.

2008 Hours of Operation
May 19 - September 7
Daily 8 - 8

Santa's Hours
Santa & Mrs. Claus will be back greeting visitors beginning Saturday, May 24th.
Special Memorial weekend hours:
Saturday, May 24 - Monday, May 26: Santa will be here 10am - 7pm
Tuesday, May 27 & Wednesday, May 28: Santa is resting
Beginning Thursday, May 29 Santa's regular summer schedule will begin: Tuesday - Saturday 10am - 7pm

**Santa & Mrs. Claus take several short breaks throughout the day. Santa's hours are subject to change without notice.**

Santa Claus House,
101 St. Nicholas Drive,
North Pole, AK 99705
Toll Free: 1-800-588-4078
Phone: (907) 488-2200
Fax: (907) 488-5601
E-Mail: info@santaclaushouse.com

http://www.santaclaushouse.com/default.asp

June 4th Wednesday

June 5th Thursday
Riverboat Discovery

Dates of Operation
For the 2008 Season: May 13th through September 22nd. We provide daily tours: 8:45 am and 2:00 pm. Early and late season schedules may vary, so please inquiry to see if the tour you are interested in is available.

Adult Rates: $49.95
Child Rates (3-12): $34.95
Infants under 3: FREE

Reservations
Book Tour nowReservations required. Book online, email requests, or call toll-free to make reservations.

Riverboat Discovery
1975 Discovery Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99709
reservations@riverboatdiscovery.com
Telephone: 907-479-6673
Toll Free: 1-866-479-6673
Fax: 907-479-4613

Confirmation Number: 25189

Pioneer Park in the Evening finishing with the Alaskan Salmon Bake.

Pioneer Park
The 44 acre Pioneer Park was built for the Alaska 1967 Centennial Exposition. It was later renamed Alaskaland, a name it held until October 2001 .
Here you will find a taste of just about everything in Alaska, from a riverboat to a salmon bake to a Native village.
Pioneer Park is located near downtown Fairbanks off Airport Way. Free parking is provided while visiting or attending events. Parking for self-contained RV's is $9 a night for a maximum of 4 nights. Potable water and 24 hr restroom facilities are furnished, with a free dump station within 1/2 block.
In 1999, serious discussion began about changing the name, to better reflect what Alaskaland is. Tourists often seem to expect to find a theme park along the lines of Disneyland! Some argued it should be something on the order of Heritage Park, to reflect the native influence in the settling of Fairbanks. Finally, in October of 2001, the Borough Assembly voted to return it to its original name, Pioneer Park.
In addition to tourist attractions open from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Pioneer Park is also home to the Alaskaland Civic Center and Theatre, and the Farthest North Square and Round Dance Center, which are both open year round. There are three museums, a 40-foot antique carousel and an old-time saloon.
A total of 29 cabins were moved to the site to form Gold Rush Town. The cabins form a unique walk through Fairbanks' history. They include the Kitty Hensley House, Doc Stearn's cabin, Judge Wickersham's House, the original First Presbyterian Church, Nick or Jack? Nagengast's cabin, Skagway Jim's cabin, E.H. Mack's cabin, Bill Sherwin's home and Alex McRae's dream cabin.
Georgia Lee's house, thought to have once been an establishment of ill repute, is headquarters to the park office. The building started out in Nenana in the 1920's, but was moved to Fourth Avenue in 1928. After its move to Pioneer Park, its interior was refinished "in the stylish manner reminiscent of its heyday".
The other cabins have also been refurbished as close as possible to their original condition and are occupied by local merchants offering an assortment of refreshments, gifts, and Alaskana. For a more complete list of cabin offerings, follow this link to Alaskaland's Website.

2007 Rates

The Alaska Salmon BakeDinner is served nightly from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m.

(*Add $5.00 per person if Alaska Salmon Bake provides transportation)

Rate $31.00*
All you care to eat Carved Prime Rib, Deep Fried Halibut, Grilled Salmon and Bering Sea Cod Dinner includes all you care to eat salad bar, baked beans, rolls, dessert, and beverages.

Beer and Wine are available at extra cost.
Children 12 and under

2 Hot Dogs, salad bar, beverage and dessert $6.00

orAll You Can Eat Childs plate $15.00

Menu Plan for the week

2008-05-24T10:49:00.000-07:00

I normally would plan all the way til Sunday but since my In-laws are visiting I'm only planning out til Thursday.

Monday
Corned Beef new potatoes and baby carrots

Tuesday
Turkey burgers, macaroni & cheese & corn

*Use box mac and cheese. YUCK! Gotta be used up though.

Wednesday
Grilled Asian Ginger Pork Chops
Prep Time: 5 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 15 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon garlic chile paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
6 pork loin chops, 1/2 inch thick
DIRECTIONS:
1.In a shallow container, mix together orange juice, soy sauce, ginger, orange zest, garlic, chile paste, and salt. Add pork chops, and turn to coat evenly. Cover, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or overnight. Turn the pork chops in the marinade occasionally.
2.Preheat grill for high heat, and lightly oil grate.
3.Grill pork chops for 5 to 6 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Mesclun and Mango Salad with Ginger Carrot Dressing
Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Ready In: 20 Minutes
Yields: 3 servings
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon and 1-1/2
teaspoons sesame oil
2-1/4 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
2-1/4 teaspoons shredded carrot
1/8 teaspoon lime juice
6 ounces mixed baby greens
3/4 mango - peeled, seeded and diced
1-1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a small bowl, mix rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, carrot, and lime juice.
2. In a medium bowl, toss rice vinegar mixture with baby greens and mango. Sprinkle with sesame seeds to serve.

Serve with jasmine rice

Thursday
Korean Grilled Beef Skewers
Submitted by: McCormick® Gourmet Collection®
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes
Ready In: 55 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings
"The traditional Korean flavors of sesame seed, ginger and soy sauce combine with sweetness and heat to create a full-flavored marinade for beef. Grill on skewers and serve with Far East Summer Slaw."
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound boneless beef loin or sirloin steak
3 tablespoons lite or regular soy sauce
2 tablespoons McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Sesame Seed, toasted
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Ground Ginger
1 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Garlic Powder
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection® Crushed Red Pepper
2 green onions, sliced
DIRECTIONS:
1. Place steak in freezer 20 minutes; cut lengthwise into 1/4 inch-thick strips.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in self-closing plastic bag. Add steak; rotate bag to mix well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
3. Remove steak from marinade. Thread steak in zig-zag fashion onto skewers. Grill over medium-high heat or broil 6-8 minutes or until desired doneness.

Far East Summer Slaw
Crispy, cool coleslaw with an Asian flair makes a perfect complementary side dish for Korean-Grilled Beef Skewers.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Makes 6 (1-cup) servings.
Ingredients:
1 bag (16 ounces) coleslaw mix, or 1/2 head cabbage, thinly sliced (about 7 cups)
1 cup chopped radishes
1/3 cup rice vinegar
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection™ Garlic Salt
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection™ Ginger, Ground
1/4 teaspoon McCormick® Gourmet Collection™ Red Pepper, Crushed
Directions:
1. Toss coleslaw mix and radishes in large bowl. Set aside.
2. Mix remaining ingredients until well blended. Pour dressing over slaw; toss well. Cover.
3. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Serve with Jasmine rice

Menu Plan for 5/30 to 6/7

2008-05-18T14:07:00.000-07:00

Friday 30 May
Burgers; pasta salad & steamed corn

Saturday 31 May
Honey Bourbon Pork Tenderloin
This tenderloin is marinated and slow roasted over low heat. Make sure to boil the marinade and also thicken it with flour to make a delicious gravy.
INGREDIENTS:
3 12-ounce pork tenderloins
1 cup water
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
PREPARATION:Combine onion, lemon juice, bourbon, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Mix well. Place tenderloins in a resealable bag and pour marinade over. Seal and turn to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Preheat grill.
Remove tenderloins from marinade and pour marinade into a saucepan. Season pork with salt and pepper and grill over a low fire for about 30 minutes or until done. Meanwhile add water and flour to marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. When the tenderloin is done remove from grill and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Serve with sauce poured over top.

Sunday 01 June
Stuffed Flank Steak (Matambre)
1 (3 to 4 pound) flank steak
Marinade:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons crushed oregano
3 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
3 garlic cloves, minced
Filling:1 small bunch spinach, cleaned, stems removed
3 small carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and parboiled
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 quarts beef stock (to cover meat)
Trim any fat from the meat, split it horizontally and pound it gently with a mallet to flatten. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour them over the meat. Cover, refrigerate and marinate 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Remove the meat from the marinade, place on a flat surface and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the meat with the spinach leaves and arrange the carrots across the meat.
Carefully roll the meat jellyroll fashion, so the grain runs the length of the roll, and tie it with a string at 1inch intervals.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pan over moderate heat. Add the meat and sear until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Place the roll in an ovenproof casserole dish and pour the beef stock over to cover the meat.Place the meat in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until desired doneness. To serve hot, remove the meat and place it on a platter. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, carefully remove the strings and slice the roll into 3/4 inch slices. Serve with Salsa Criolla.

SALSA CRIOLLA
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
In a medium bowl, combine the onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Whisk together the oil and vinegar in a small bowl and pour over the tomato mixture. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Adjust seasonings before serving with the meat.about 2 cups of salsa

Serve with wild rice

Monday 02 June
SPRING CHICKEN-TORTELLINI CASSEROLE
Prep Time: 20 minutes
# of Servings: 6 (1-cup)
Ingredients:
1 (19-ounce) package frozen cheese-filled tortellini
1 (9-ounce) package Green Giant® Frozen Asparagus Cuts
1 tablespoon margarine or butter
1/4 cup Progresso® Italian Style Bread Crumbs
1 (9-ounce) package frozen diced cooked chicken breast, heated as directed on package
1 (16-ounce) jar Alfredo pasta sauce
2 tablespoons shredded fresh Parmesan cheese
Instructions:
1. Bring 4 quarts (16 cups) water to a boil in Dutch oven. Add tortellini; return to a boil. Reduce
heat to low. Add asparagus; simmer 3 minutes or until tortellini are tender. Drain.
2. Meanwhile, melt margarine in small nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add bread crumbs;
stir to coat. Cook 1 to 2 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.
3. Place cooked tortellini and asparagus in 2-quart serving bowl or casserole. Gently stir in
chicken and Alfredo sauce. Top with bread crumbs; sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve
immediately.

Serve with corn & fresh bread

Tuesday 03 June
Sauteed Kielbasa & Peppers in Tomato Sauce with pasta.

Serve with fresh bread.
DESSERT
Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
Ingredients
3 cups rhubarb stalks cut into 1/2 inch pieces (Trim outside stringy layer of large rhubarb stalks; make sure to trim away any and discard of the leaves which are poisonous; trim ends.)
1 cup strawberries, stemmed and sliced
1 cup sugar
3 Tablespoons of quick cooking tapioca
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon of grated orange peelUnbaked pastry for two-crust 9 inch pie
(If making a 10 inch pie, or just want more filling, use 4.5 cups of rhubarb, 1.5 cups strawberries, and 1 1/4 cup of sugar)
Method
Preheat oven to 400°F.
1 Mix the rhubarb and the strawberries with the sugar, tapioca, salt, and orange rind. Let sit for 10 minutes.
2 Turn into a pastry lined pan. Top with the pastry, trim the edge, and crimp the top and bottom edges together. Cut slits in the top for the steam to escape.
3 Bake at 400°F for 20 minutes, reduce heat to 350°F, and bake an additional 30-40 minutes longer. Cool on a rack. Serve warm or cold. If you do cool to room temperature, the juices will have more time to thicken.
Wednesday 04 June
Chicken Enchiladas II
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yields: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cups cubed cooked chicken breast meat
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
6 (12 inch) flour tortillas
1/4 cup milk
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chiles, cream of mushroom soup and sour cream. Mix well. Reserve 3/4 of this sauce and set aside. To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Stir together.
3. Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
4. In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Serve with mexican rice and mexican corn

Thursday 05 June
Alaska Salmon Bake

Friday
Spaghetti & Meatballs
Serve with green beans and fresh bread.

Menu Plan for the week

2008-05-17T09:12:00.000-07:00

Monday
Chicken Cordon Bleu casserole with linguine

Tuesday
ADOBONG BABOY (PORK ADOBO)
1 lb. pork loin, cut into chunks
1 head of garlic, crushed
1/4 c. soy sauce
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 c. white vinegar
1 tbsp. vegetable or corn oil
Place the pork in a medium size pot together with the garlic, soy sauce, pepper and vinegar and let stand for 2 hours. Cook slowly in the same pot until the pork is tender (about 30 minutes). Transfer the pieces of garlic from the pot to a separate pan and fry in hot oil until brown.
Add the pork pieces to the garlic and then fry until brown. Drain. Add the broth to the fried pork and garlic and simmer for 10 minutes.

Serve over Jasmine Rice

Hearts of Palm Salad (Ubod Ng Niyog)
INGREDIENTS:
one 16-ounce can hearts of palm
1 cup finely minced onion
1 head romaine lettuce
1 Chop hearts of palm coarsely. Add finely minced onion and mix well. Line salad platter with romaine lettuce. Arrange hearts-of-palm mixture on top. Serve cold with vinaigrette sauce.

Wednesday
Burgers; pasta salad & corn on the cob

Thursday
Chicken Florentine
Recipe Feedback:
Italian salad dressing is the marinade for the chicken in this simple and elegant main dish recipe.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ingredients:
1/2 cup Italian salad dressing
1 tsp. dried Italian seasoning mix
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
10 oz. container refrigerated Alfredo sauce
2 cups frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 Tbsp. olive oil
12 oz. cooked fettuccine
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:
Mix dressing and Italian seasoning in large glass bowl. Add chicken breasts, turning to coat, and cover. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Combine Alfredo sauce with spinach in medium bowl. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Remove chicken from marinade, and cook chicken in oil 7-10 minutes, turning once, until thoroughly cooked. Add Alfredo sauce mixture. Cook until bubbly. Serve over cooked and drained fettuccine and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serves 4

Friday
Marinated Steak with grilled zucchini and wild rice
Ingredients
4 Beef steaks Lean, scotch fillet or porterhouse 140g each
2 tablespoon Ketcap Manis
1 tablespoon Ginger grated
2 teaspoon Brown sugar
1 clove Garlic
2 tablespoon Tomato sauce
Instructions for Marinated Steak
1. Combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and tomato sauce, in a glass dish.
2. Add the steaks and marinate for 20-30 minutes, if time permits longer.
3. Cook on BBQ grill or health grill & add vegetables or salad for a light meal.

Saturday
SOUVLAKI
Ingredients:
1 kg/2 lb of pork meat, cut in cubes with 1 inch (2.5cm) sides
6 Pita breads
Juice of 4 lemons
Salt, pepper and oregano seasoning
6 wooden skewers
Tzaziki (see above) Put the pork meat in the wooden skewers, salt and pepper them. Cook over a barbecue fire, on a skilet or under an oven grill. In the meantime, spread some oil on the pitas and place under the oven grill, Browning slightly each side, but not drying them. When the meat is done, dip them in a long glass containing the lemon juice and then holding a pita bread in one hand empty the skewer contents in it removing the skewer. Sprinkle with oregano and salt, add tzaziki and the souvlaki is ready.

TZAZIKI
Ingredients:
500 grams (1/2 quart) of Greek yoghurt (or natural full, dairy yoghurt)
Three garlic cloves
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 sliced cucumber Put the yoghurt in a bowl. Put the garlic through a garlic press and using the edge of a knife, spread the garlic coming our of the press on the yoghurt. Take the cucumber and peal the skin. Slice it thinly, either with a knife or using a salad slicer. Mix the ingredients with a mixer (or a fork) and slowly add the oil. The oil will be absorbed, and when it is done, the tzazki is ready. Serve with a spoon and a few olives spread on the top. Tzaziki is eaten with plenty of french bread.

OKRA
Ingredients:
1 kilo (2 pounds) okra - also called ladies fingers - in a can form is OK
1/2 cup vinegar
1 cup of olive oil
2 teaspoons chopped parsley
2 chopped onions
1 can of pulped tomatoes
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt and pepper Remove the stems from Okra (if fresh). Wash, drain them and place on a dish. Sprinkle salt, vinegar and pepper. Put this to the side while you prepare the rest. Fry the onions in the olive oil till brown, add the tomatoes, sugar, parsley, salt and pepper. Simmer until the tomatoes are dissolved fully. Add the okra to the mixture, add some more water, and boil for about 30 minutes, adding water.

Sunday
Beef & Chicken Fondue

Beef Fondue ingredients list:
3 lb sirloin, cut in ½-inch cubes.
½ lb of butter.
¾ cups of olive oil.
3 tablespoons of Dijon mustard.
10 tablespoons of butter.
5 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce.
Instructions for Beef Fondue:
In a saucepan, heat up the ½ lb of butter and the olive oil.When hot, pour into a large fondue pan, so the oil is about 1 ½ inches deep.When oil start to bubble, spear beef cube with fondue fork and lower into hot oil and fry for about 3 minutes.To make sauce, combine the mustard, 10 tablespoons of butter butter and Worcestershire sauce in a saucepan. Stir until butter melts; then serve hot.

Chicken Fondue ingredients list:
4 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.
12 oz of chili sauce.
½ cup of mayonnaise.
1 tablespoon of onion, chopped finely.
¼ clove of garlic, minced.
Salt and black pepper, to taste.
Instructions for Chicken Fondue:
Dice each chicken breast in one-inch cubes.Season the cubes of chicken with salt and black pepper.Bring the broth to boiling in a fondue pot, then maintain that temperature.In a small bowl, combine the chili sauce, mayonnaise and onion.Cook chicken cubes by skewing them on a fondue fork and dipping in the boiling broth for about 60 seconds. Use the chili/mayo/onion mixture for dipping in.

Serve with asparagus and wild rice

Menu Plan for the Week

2008-05-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

Monday
Swiss Alpine Meatballs
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Ingredients:
1 lb. frozen fully cooked meatballs
10-oz. can cream of mushroom soup with roasted garlic
3/4 cup milk
3 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 cups shredded Swiss cheese
3 cups cooked rice
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Preparation:Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

If using homemade meatballs1, place on baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes until browned. Bake frozen precooked meatballs according to package directions.
Combine cooked meatballs with soup, milk, garlic, Swiss cheese, and cooked rice in 3 quart baking dish and mix gently. Sprinkle casserole with Parmesan cheese.

Bake casserole at 325 degrees F for 25-35 minutes, until sauce is bubbly and lightly browned on top.

Serves 8

Serve with steamed veggies

Tuesday
Grilled Flank Steak Roulade
One 15 oz trimmed flank steak
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon raisins, coarsely chopped
1 oz pine nuts, coarsely chopped
2 teaspoons coarsely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley

1. Prepare grill
2. Season steak with salt and pepper, evenly distribute garlic, raisins, pine nuts and parsley over 1 side of steak. Starting at smaller end, tightly roll up steak jelly-roll fashion. Secure lengthwise with chef twine.
3. Grill steak 25-30 minutes, turning to brown well on all sides. Remove from heat; let stand 5 minutes before slicing. Remove skewer and toothpicks; carefully carve meat so that each slice stays intact. Divide evenly among 4 plates and serve.

Nutrition Information
206 Calories
11 g Total Fat
4 g Saturated Fat,
52 mg Cholesterol
201 mg Sodium
3 g Total Carbohydrate
1 g dietary Fiber
23 g Protein
12 mg Calcium

Grilled Artichokes
1 pound artichokes, cleaned and rinsed
1/2 lemon
6-8 cups ice water
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1. Prepare grill
2. Trim 1/8 off tops and bottoms of artichokes and remove any loose or discolored leaves. Slice artichokes in half lengthwise through the heart. Rub each half with cut side of lemon.
3. Bring large saucepan of water to a boil; drop in artichokes and cook 1 minute. With slotted spoon, transfer to a large bowl of ice water to stop cooking; drain when completely cooled.
4. In medium bowl, combine cooked artichokes, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper; toss well.
5. Spray grill basket with nonstick cooking spray. Place as many artichokes as will fit in single layer in grill basket. Grill over medium heat, about 9 minutes per side, until crispy brown and tender. Transfer cooked artichokes to platter; cover with foil to keep warm.
Serve with melted butter.
Serving size: 1 small vegetable
Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 4
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 140.4
Total Fat: 11.7 g
Cholesterol: 30.5 mg
Sodium: 300.7 mg
Total Carbs: 9.7 g
Dietary Fiber: 4.2 g
Protein: 2.5 g
Serve with horseradish mashed potatoes.

Wednesday
Yakitori - Skewered grilled chicken
Yakitori is grilled chicken speared on sticks. All different parts of the chicken, thighs, skin, liver, etc. can be used for yakitori. The following recipe shows one of the most popular kind which is prepared with chicken thighs and leek.
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs: without bone and skin
Japanese leek (negi*), leek, or green onion
Soya sauce
Mirin* or sake
*SugarHoney or maple syrup
Small wooden spears *
This ingredient may not be available in Western supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in Japanese grocery stores that exist in most large European and American cities.Preparation:Mix together 4 tablespoons of soya sauce, 3 tablespoons of sugar, a little bit of honey or maple syrup, a little bit of mirin and water, and heat it up until it's homogenous.Cut the chicken thighs into about 3x2x2cm large pieces.Put the chicken pieces into the already prepared sauce, and let it stand for a while.Cut the leek or green onions in about 3 cm long pieces.Spear three or four pieces of chicken and some leek on each wooden stick.Grill them, or use the oven at 200 degrees celsius. (You may want to wrap the wooden sticks with aluminium foil; otherwise, they may burn off.)
Serve over white rice

Sesame Edamame
Edamame is more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. Edamame means "Beans on Branches" . A good source of protein. Enjoy as a snack squeezed directly from the well seasoned pods into the mouth with the fingers. 16 min 10 min prep
SERVES 8
1 lb frozen edamame, in the pod (3-4 cups)
Dressing
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Garnish with sesame seeds, toasted
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and continue boiling until beans are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.Meanwhile mix remaining ingredients together.When done, run cold water over, or put in ice water, to stop cooking. Drain well; pat excess moisture off, and toss in the dressing.
Top with seeds.To eat, hold pod by stem end, and slide the individual beans out with your teeth. Discard pod.

Thursday
Orecchiette with fresh broccoli and sun dried tomatoes
1 small bunch broccoli
1 1/2 pounds fresh, ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped or 1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped.
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes; thinly sliced.
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped parsley; preferably Italian.
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Dash cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
12 oz small pasta
freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:
Cut off the thick stems of the broccoli and reserve for another use. Break the remainder into very small florets (you should have about 3 cups) and boil gently in well salted water for 3 minutes. Broccoli should be undercooked~still slightly firm. Drain well, plunge into cold water, and drain again. Set aside
In a medium saucepan combine the tomatoes, scallions, Sun dried tomatoes, basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper and cayenne. Stir in the oil.
Gently mix in the reserved broccoli and heat gently. Toss the sauce with the hot pasta and serve at once. Pass the grated Parmesan separately.

Zucchini Triflati
1 pound zucchini (3 to 4 medium zucchini)
salt
1 garlic clove
2 whole scallions
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped parsley, preferably Italian
Freshly ground black pepper to taste.

Rinse the zucchini, cut off and discard the ends, and slice into 1/2 inch rounds. Put the slices in a colander and let stand 30 minutes. Shake the colander occasionally. Cut the garlic in half lengthwise, then slice as thinly as possible.
Cut the scallions in half lengthwise, then slice crosswise as thinly as possible. There should be about 1/4 cup. Set aside.
Put the oil in a large skillet and place over medium high heat. Add the garlic and when it just begins to sizzle but is not brown, add the zucchini. Lower heat to medium and cook, tossing for 5-7 minutes until zucchini softens a bit and takes on a bit of color. Remove from heat, add the scallions, parsley and pepper. Toss gently to combine and turn out onto a platter. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Friday
Juiciest Hamburgers Ever
PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 10 Min
READY IN 35 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 8 servings
US METRIC

INGREDIENTS
1/2 pound ground beef
1/4 egg, beaten
3 tablespoons dry bread crumbs
2-1/4 teaspoons evaporated milk
1-1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 clove garlic, minced
DIRECTIONS
Preheat grill for high heat.
In a large bowl, mix the ground beef, egg, bread crumbs, evaporated milk, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne pepper, and garlic using your hands. Form the mixture into 8 hamburger patties.
Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill patties 5 minutes per side, or until well done.

Antipasto Salad
PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 15 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs 25 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 6 servings
US METRIC

INGREDIENTS
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2/3 clove garlic, minced
3/4 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 pound penne pasta
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons grated Parmesan cheese
1-1/3 cups broccoli florets
6-3/4 cherry tomatoes, halved
1 Bell pepper, chopped up.

DIRECTIONS
Cook pasta in a pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Drain.
In large bowl, stir together oil, vinegar, garlic, basil, and salt and pepper. Toss with warm penne pasta to coat well. Toss with Parmesan. Cover, and refrigerate 2 to 3 hours.
Add broccoli, bell pepper, and tomatoes; toss well. Serve.

Saturday
Roast Beef and Yorkshire Pudding with mashed potatoes and steamed carrots
PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr 30 Min
READY IN 2 Hrs
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 4 servings
US METRIC

INGREDIENTS
2 pounds rump roast
garlic powder to taste
salt to taste
freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk

DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
Wash roast and sprinkle with garlic powder, salt and pepper. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the roast, making sure it doesn't touch any bone or fat.
Bake on a wire rack inside of a large roasting pan in the preheated oven for 90 minutes, or to desired doneness. For medium-rare, the meat thermometer should read 135 degrees F (57 degrees C). Remove roast from pan, reserving drippings.
In a small mixing bowl, beat the two eggs until frothy. In another small bowl, mix the salt and flour. Stir the beaten eggs into the flour. Stirring constantly, gradually pour in the milk.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
Pour the reserved pan drippings into a medium muffin tin. Place in the preheated oven for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and pour the egg, flour and milk mixture into the hot drippings. Return muffin tin to the oven and bake for 20 minutes, or until fluffy and golden brown.

Wine Tip
Try with a California red wine like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot or Syrah.

Serve with steamed baby carrots and mashed potatoes

Sunday
Rum~Glazed Pineapple Mango, and Chicken Kebabs
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons finely chopped seeded jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lime rind
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into 30 cubes.
2 mangoes, peeled and each cut into 9 (1 inch) cubes
18 (1 inch) cubes fresh pineapple
1 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon salt
cooking spray

1. Prepare grill
2. Combine first 4 ingredients in a medium saucepan, bring to a boil. Reduce heats, simmer 5 minutes. Combine vinegar and cornstarch in a small bowl. Add cornstarch mixture to pan, bring to a boil. Cook 1 minute, stirring consistently. Let stand 5 minutes. Stir in cilantro and rind.
3. Thread 5 chicken cubes, 3 mango cubes, and 3 pineapple cubes alternately onto each of 6 (12 inch) skewers. Brush kebabs with oil, and sprinkle with salt. Place kebabs on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 4 minutes. Turn kebabs; brush with half of glaze. Grill 4 minutes. Turn kebabs; brush with remaining glaze. Grill 2 minutes, turning once.

Serve with hot cooked white rice tossed with toasted coconut.

Menu Plan for the Week

2008-05-02T11:42:00.000-07:00

Monday

Feliz el Cinco de Mayo

Chicken Enchiladas II

A great way to use leftover chicken. Even kids love these! Ole!

PREP TIME 15 Min
COOK TIME 30 Min
READY IN 45 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 6 servings
US METRIC

INGREDIENTS
2 teaspoons butter
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 (4 ounce) can diced green chiles
2/3 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1/3 cup sour cream
1 cup cubed cooked chicken breast meat
2/3 cup shredded Cheddar cheese, divided
4 (12 inch) flour tortillas
2 tablespoons and 2 teaspoons milk
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a large baking dish.
In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter and saute the green onion until tender (about 3 to 4 minutes). Add the garlic powder, then stir in the green chiles, cream of chicken soup and sour cream. Mix well.

Reserve 3/4 of this sauce and set aside.

To the remaining 1/4 of the sauce in the saucepan, add the chicken and 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Stir together.
Fill each flour tortilla with the chicken mixture and roll up. Place seam side down in the prepared baking dish.
In a small bowl combine the reserved 3/4 of the sauce with the milk. Spoon this mixture over the rolled tortillas and top with the remaining 1/2 cup of shredded Cheddar cheese. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until cheese is bubbly.

Mexican Pintos With Cactus
SUBMITTED BY: KATZ002

An honest Mexican recipe for Pinto Beans using bacon, chilies and cactus.

PREP TIME 10 Min
COOK TIME 4 Hrs
READY IN 4 Hrs 10 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 10 servings
US METRIC
INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup and 2 teaspoons dry pinto beans, rinsed
1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1-1/4 slices bacon, chopped
3/4 large flat cactus leaves (nopales)
3/8 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
3/4 slice onion

DIRECTIONS
Place the pinto beans into a slow cooker, and fill to the top with hot water. Add the bacon, 2 tablespoons of salt, jalapeno and onion. Cover, and cook on High for 3 to 4 hours, adding water as needed, until beans are tender.
Remove any thorns from the cactus leaves, and slice into small pieces. Place in a saucepan with 1 tablespoon of salt, and fill with enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water for 1 minute. Add to the beans when they are soft, and cook for 15 more minutes on High.

Serve with Mexican Rice

Tuesday

Baked Linguine Florentine

45 Minutes to Prepare and Cook
Ingredients
5 oz dry linguine

1 C low fat shredded mozzarella

3/4 C low fat sour cream

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 10oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed & drained

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 15 oz can tomato sauce -

I add 1 tsp garlic powder,

1/2 tsp onion powder,

1/2Tbsp dried oregano to the sauce
Directions
1. Cook linguine according to packaging.

2. Combine cheese, sour cream. egg, spinich, salt and garlic powder in a bowl.

3. Add drained cooked linguine amd throughly combine place in 8 by 8 baking dish and top with sauce

4. Bake in preheated 350 oven for 30 minutes this makes 8 healthy sized portions.

Number of Servings: 8

ITALIAN BAKED ASPARAGUS
1 lb. asparagus spears

3-6 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. finely chopped onion

3 tbsp. finely chopped celery

1 tbsp. Parmesan cheese, grated

1 tbsp. grated bread crumbs

4 canned Italian peeled tomatoes (diced)

Salt, freshly ground pepper, oregano, thyme
Melt butter in bottom of rectangular baking dish. Line bottom with asparagus. Sprinkle with rest of ingredients.

Cover and bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serves 4.

Serve with french or Artisan bread.

Wednesday

Yakitori - Skewered grilled chicken

Yakitori is grilled chicken speared on sticks. All different parts of the chicken, thighs, skin, liver, etc. can be used for yakitori. The following recipe shows one of the most popular kind which is prepared with chicken thighs and leek.
Ingredients:
Chicken thighs: without bone and skin
Japanese leek (negi*), leek, or green onion
Soya sauce
Mirin* or sake*
Sugar
Honey or maple syrup
Small wooden spears * This ingredient may not be available in Western supermarkets, but you should be able to find it in Japanese grocery stores that exist in most large European and American cities.
Preparation:
Mix together 4 tablespoons of soya sauce, 3 tablespoons of sugar, a little bit of honey or maple syrup, a little bit of mirin and water, and heat it up until it's homogenous.
Cut the chicken thighs into about 3x2x2cm large pieces.
Put the chicken pieces into the already prepared sauce, and let it stand for a while.
Cut the leek or green onions in about 3 cm long pieces.
Spear three or four pieces of chicken and some leek on each wooden stick.
Grill them, or use the oven at 200 degrees celsius. (You may want to wrap the wooden sticks with aluminium foil; otherwise, they may burn off.)

Serve over white rice

Sesame Edamame

Edamame is more commonly known as a soybean, harvested at the peak of ripening right before it reaches the "hardening" time. Edamame means "Beans on Branches" . A good source of protein. Enjoy as a snack squeezed directly from the well seasoned pods into the mouth with the fingers.
16 min 10 min prep

SERVES 8

1 lb frozen edamame, in the pod (3-4 cups)

Dressing
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
Garnish with sesame seeds, toasted
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add edamame and continue boiling until beans are crisp-tender, about 6 minutes.
Meanwhile mix remaining ingredients together.
When done, run cold water over, or put in ice water, to stop cooking. Drain well; pat excess moisture off, and toss in the dressing.
Top with seeds.
To eat, hold pod by stem end, and slide the individual beans out with your teeth. Discard pod.

We'll be using shelled edamame instead.

Thursday

Pork Chops in White Wine

PREP TIME 30 Min
COOK TIME 1 Hr
READY IN 1 Hr 30 Min
SERVINGS & SCALING
Original recipe yield: 4 servings
US METRIC

INGREDIENTS
2-1/2 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed golden mushroom soup
2/3 cup white cooking wine
1/2 cup water
1/2 (4 ounce) jar mushrooms, drained

DIRECTIONS
Salt and pepper the pork chops and fry in a small amount of oil until slightly browned on both sides; drain.
In a bowl mix together, mushroom soup, wine, water and mushrooms.
Combine soup mixture with pork chops. Cover and simmer on low heat for about an hour until chops are tender.

Serve with risotto and brussel sprouts

Friday

Marinated Steak Ingredients
4 Beef steaks Lean, scotch fillet or porterhouse 140g each
2 tablespoon Ketcap Manis
1 tablespoon Ginger grated
2 teaspoon Brown sugar
1 clove Garlic
2 tablespoon Tomato sauce
Instructions for Marinated Steak

1. Combine the ginger, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar and tomato sauce, in a glass dish.

2. Add the steaks and marinate for 20-30 minutes, if time permitslonger.

3. Cook on BBQ grill or health grill & add vegetables or salad for a lightmeal.

Serve with salad and mashed potatoes.

Saturday

Chicken Tagine With Potato Cheese Croquettes (Algeria)

Adapted from Mediterranean Cooking
Ingredients
3 1/2 Pounds Chicken -- cut up
2 Tablespoons Clarified Butter
2 Medium Onions -- grated
1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon
1/4 Teaspoon Cayenne
1 Clove Garlic -- finely chopped
1 Can Chickpeas -- drained
Salt And Pepper -- to taste
~~ Croquettes -- ~~
2 Pounds Potatoes -- peeled and quartered
Salt -- to taste
2 Medium Eggs
2/3 Cup Gruyere Cheese -- grated
1 Small Onion -- grated
2 Tablespoons Parsley -- chopped
1 Pinch Nutmeg
Pepper -- to taste
Flour -- for dredging
Oil -- for frying
Directions
Saute chicken in hot butter until golden brown on all sides. Add onions, spices and garlic. Cook covered 5 minutes. Add chickpeas and 1 cup water. Season with salt and pepper. Bring to boil, Simmer , covered one hour. Meanwhile, cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain and run through ricer. Allow to cool. Combine with croquette ingredients. Form into 2 inch rounds. Dredge in flour. Fry in 4-5 tablespoons of oil until golden brown. Arrange chicken in a deep bowl. Pour sauce over chicken and surround with hot croquettes.
Serves 6

ALGERIAN GREEN BEANS WITH ALMONDS
INGREDIENTS (serves 4)

1 lb fresh green beans

4 cups water, salted

3 Tbsp peanut oil

1 clove garlic, mashed

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 Tbsp slivered almonds
PROCEDURE (1) Clean and trim green beans. Simmer in lightly salted water until just tender, about 30-45 minutes. Drain and put in serving dish.
(2) Put remaining ingredients (except almonds) in a saucepan over medium heat and cook for two minutes, stirring constantly. Add the almonds and stir briefly to coat.
(3) Pour the oil mixture over the green beans and toss gently until beans are thoroughly coated. Serve warm.
NOTES Canned green beans are not an acceptable substitute in this recipe. Powdered garlic is probably OK.
RATING Difficulty: easy. Time: 10 minutes preparation, 50 minutes cooking. Precision: approximate measurement OK.

Sunday
Champagne Poached Alaska Salmon
INGREDIENTS
4 Alaska salmon steaks or fillets, 6 to 8 ounces each, skin and bones removed

2 cups champagne

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

4 slices red onion

1 tablespoon capers, optional

4 sprigs fresh tarragon

1/2 cup Honey-Dijon mustard

1-1/2 teaspoons fresh taragon, chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste
Mix together mustard and chopped tarragon, set aside.
Season salmon steaks/fillets lightly with salt and pepper. Place in a pan just large enough to hold the salmon in 1 layer. Add the champagne, lime juice and just enough water to cover the fish.
Remove the fish and bring the liquid to a boil. Return the salmon to the pan. Top each with a onion slice, capers and tarragon sprig. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover pan with foil and poach at no more than a simmer for 6 to 10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the salmon.
Remove salmon from the liquid and place on 4 warm serving plates. Top each piece of fish with 1-ounce of the mustard mixture and serve.
Makes 4 servings

Savory Gruyére Cabbage Loaf
In the deep Alaskan winters, lettuce is virtually unavailable. Cabbage is the mainstay, lasting all winter in a root cellar. This loaf can be served as a vegetable side dish or an entrée. Slice it into 2-inch wedges, dolloped with sour cream, and serve it with smoked pork chops.
INGREDIENTS
1 head green cabbage,

2 to 3 pounds

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup diced yellow onion

Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

3 eggs1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup shredded Gruyére cheese

1 tablespoon crushed caraway seeds

3/4 cup fresh rye bread crumbs
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a standard 5 x 9 x 3-inch loaf pan. Wash, dry, and quarter the cabbage. Slice the cabbage into 1/4-inch strips.
Heat the butter and oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until the onion is slightly translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the cabbage and stir well to coat the contents of the pan with the butter and oil. Cover the pan and simmer until the cabbage is wilted and has released its liquid. Remove the cover and cook over medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes to evaporate the moisture from the pan. Remove the cabbage from the heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
In a medium mixing bowl, beat the eggs and cream together. To the cabbage, add the Gruyére cheese, caraway seeds, egg mixture, and 1/4 cup of the rye crumbs.
Place the cabbage mixture into the buttered loaf pan. Press the remaining 1/2 cup rye crumbs onto the top of the loaf. Place the loaf on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The loaf should be fairly firm to the touch and golden brown on top. Let stand for 20 minutes before slicing.
Makes 6 to 8 servings

Menu Plan for the week

2008-04-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Monday~Portuguese
Portuguese Garlic Nailed Steak Sandwiches (Prego No Pao)
Added flavors such as onions and red wine give these steaks a very nice taste and the name for them are nailed steaks, they are called nailed because a mallet is used to nail the garlic into the beef meat giving it this name nail the garlic in. You don’t have to use this method the easy method is just push the garlic into the meat yourself.
Ingredients
• ½ lb Sliced Sandwich Beef Steaks ( ¼ inch thick )
• 2 to 3 Cloves of Garlic ( thinly sliced )
• 3 Tablespoons of Butter
• ½ Cup of Red Wine
• ½ Teaspoon Sea Salt ( coarse )
• ½ Teaspoon Black Pepper ( coarse )
• 2 Crusty Buns
Preparation –
1. Put the steaks out flat on the work surface and Nail the garlic into the steak on both sides, don’t forget you can just push the garlic in with your fingers if you haven’t got a mallet – I would use about one clove per steak.
2. Place about 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of butter in a heated frying pan and then fry the steak on each side for approx 3 to 4 minutes turning half way trough time.
3. Take the steak out once cooked and place on a dish and reserve.
4. Add another 1 to 1.5 tablespoons of butter to the frying pan and add the sliced onions, sauté until onions are of a golden color then transfer the onions to the same dish as the steaks.
5. Now the good part, pour the red wine into the frying pan that was used to cook the steaks and onions ( using the same pan adds flavor ) scrape up all the bit stuck to the bottom whilst pouring the wine and stir then leave to simmer over a medium heat. When the liquid is reduced to by about half of its normal content which does not take long means this stage is ready.
6. Now that the liquid is done place the steaks and onions into the frying pan then season with the salt and pepper, cook on each side for about 1 minute on each side seasoning both sides.
7. Steaks are now done so serve on warm crusty sandwich rolls.
Serves 2 and takes about 20 minutes to do.

Oven Baked Sweet Plantains
20 min 5 min prep SERVES 4
Ingredients
4 very ripe plantains
cooking spray
Preheat oven to 450°F.
Coat a nonstick cookie sheet with cooking spray.
Cut the ends off of the plantains and peel.
Cut each plantain on the diagonal into 1/2 inch slices.
Arrange in single layer and coat tops with cooking spray.
Bake, turning occasionally, for 10-15 minutes, until plantains are golden brown and very tender.

Tuesday~Danish
Halibut Cutlets with Parsley Sauce
Serves 4
1 egg
2 pounds halibut fillet -- cut in serving piece
1/3 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons salt
½ teaspoon white pepper
Butter -- for frying
¼ cup butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 1/3 cups milk
Salt -- to taste
Chopped parsley Beat egg lightly. Turn the pieces of fish in egg, then in the bread crumbs, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat butter in skillet. Fry the fish until firm and golden brown on both sides.
PARSLEY SAUCE FOR FISH:
Melt butter in a saucepan, stir in flour until the paste is smooth. Add milk, a little at a time, until gravy has the right consistency. Add salt to taste. Before serving, add finely chopped parsley.

Kommenkartofler ~ Caraway Potatoes
12 small new potatoes
1/4 cup fresh parsley -- chopped
1/2 teaspoon fresh dill -- chopped
1/8 pound butter
1 tablespoon caraway seed
Boil potatoes until tender in salted water. Drain. Peel. Garnish with parsley and dill and serve doused with melted butter to which the caraway seeds have been added.

Creamed Mushrooms
Serves 6
2 cups mushrooms -- sliced
1 tablespoon butter
½ tablespoon cornstarch
1 cup half and half
1 cup provolone cheese -- shredded
1 dash salt
1 dash cayenne
1 tablespoon dry sherry
4 toast slices -- buttered
Lettuce -- for garnish Sauté mushrooms in butter until golden brown. Mix cornstarch, and half-and-half. Add to mushrooms and simmer, stirring until thickened. Fold in cheese until it melts smoothly into sauce. Add salt, cayenne, and sherry. Serve over toast garnished with lettuce.

Wednesday~Mexican
CHICKEN ENCHILADA'S

Ingredients
Chicken Breast, no skin,
1 lb Green Onions
4 slicedCilantro, raw,
2 tbsp Jalapeno Pepper seeded and minced
Green Enchilada Sauce 3-10 oz cans
6 inch flour tortillas
8*Kraft 2% Shredded Cheddar Cheese, 1 cup

Nutritional Info
Fat: 11.6g
Carbohydrates: 47.5g
Calories:351.4
Protein: 17.3g
Preheat oven to 350*. Lightly coat 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray.Place chicken breast in large pot cover with water bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer until no longer pink in the center, about 15 min.Drain and let cool slightly. Shred cooked chicken by pulling apart with two forks and setting aside.Lightly coat a large skillet with cooking spray and place over med-high heat. Add green onion,cilantro and jalapeno; saute for two minutes add shredded chicken and one can of sauce.Cook stirring occasionally until heated through about five minutes.Place chicken mixture in tortillas and place seam side down in baking dish.Pour remaining sauce over enchiladas and sprinkle with cheese.Bake until cheese is melted about 15 minutes.
Number of Servings: 4

Chilies Rellenos Recipe
Ingredients:
12 long whole canned green chilies
1/2 pound melting cheese such as Monterey Jack, Fontina, Muenster or Danish Esrom
4 eggs, separated
1/4 cup flourSalt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Oil for Deep Frying
New Mexico Tomato Sauce:
1 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon finely chopped green bell pepper
3 tablespoon oil
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon or more chili powder
2 cups tomato puree
2 cups fresh or canned beef or chicken broth
1 bay leaf1 teaspoon oregano, crushed
Salt to taste

Directions:Lay the chilies on a flat surface. (Blot dry) Cut the cheese into long thin strips about 2 1/2 to 3-inches long and 1/2 inch wide. The size of the cheese will depend on the size and length of the peppers. Carefully insert one piece of cheese inside each pepper. In a mixing bowl, combine the egg yolks and flour. Beat to blend, Add salt and pepper.Beat the egg whites until stiff, but not dry and fold them into the yolk mixture. Spoon mixture onto a flat pan or pie plate. Heat oil to 365 degrees. Dip peppers, one at a time into egg batter and add them to the oil. Cook until golden brown on one side, turn and cook the other. Drain; serve with the tomato sauce.
Yield: 6 servings
For the Sauce: In a one-and-one-half-quart saucepan, cook the onions and green pepper in the oil until wilted. Add the garlic and chili powder; stir. Add the remaining ingredients; bring to a boil and simmer 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve with mexican rice

Thursday~Caribbean
Jerk Chicken Chunks
1 1/2 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1/4 tsp. mace
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast

Combine first 7 ingredients in a bowl. Cut chicken breast meat into chunks. Coat chicken with spice mixture. Cook on grill or broil until done (7-10 minutes).

Steamed Cabbage
INGREDIENTS :
1 medium cabbage
2 tablespoon margarine
1 scotch bonnet pepper (cut up and add for spicy)
2 sprig tyme
1 crushed garlic or 2 teaspoons garlic powder
2 or 3 small slices of a sweet green pepper.
1 medium chopped onion or 2 table spoon onion powder
black pepper
salt to taste
1/4 cup water Shop Now for Jamaican recipe ingredients & seasoning in our online store.
METHOD:
Wash cabbage
Cut up/slice cabbage leaves in pieces.
Sauté onion, garlic, pepper, tyme in margarine.
Add cut up cabbage water and stir.
Cover saucepan and cook cabbage are tender.
Add whole scotch bonnet pepper
Sprinkle with pepper and salt.
Simmer then serve with avocado pear.

Boil Dumpling
INGREDIENTS :
2 cups flour
1.5 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup cold water

METHOD:
Sift the flour,cornmeal, and salt together into a large mixing bowl. Add the water 3 teaspoons at a time, just enough to bring the dough together with a firm consistency.
On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough well, for about five minutes.
Boil a pot with water
Break off pieces and form the dough into slightly flattened biscuits, about 2 inches across. For spinners roll the pieces between your palms into a pen shape.
Place the pieces, uncrowded, into the pot of hot water --(Approx 5 -8 minutes)
Service hot with other food (Serves 6-8)

Friday
Bratwurst, fried apples & buttered pasta

Saturday~British
Braised Beef And Musrooms Recipe
Ingredients:
1 lb Chuck steak cutInto 2 inch pieces
1 1/2 oz Butter
1/2 lb Small onions
1/2 lb Flat mushrooms
1/2 ts Mixed herbs
1 Bay leaf
1 tb Flour
2 Wineglasses of port wine
1/2 pt Beef stock or water
Salt and pepper
Directions:
1.Set oven to 350/F or Mark 4. Using a flameproof casserole dish, melt 1 oz. of the butter and brown the meat on all sides. Remove from the dish and set aside. 2.Peel the onions melt the remaining butter in the casserole and cook the onions for a few minutes. Stir in the flour, blend in the stock and continue stirring until boiling. Return the steak to the pan and add the port wine, herbs, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Stir until boiling. 3.Put the lid on the casserole and cook in the oven for l 1/2 hours or until the meat is tender. Slice the mushrooms and add to the casserole; cover again and cook for a further 1/2 hour. Serves 4.

Caramelised Onion Mashed Potato
Method
Cook the potatoes in a pan of lightly salted boiling water.
Cover with a lid and simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.
Drain the potatoes and return to the pan.
In another pan bring the milk to the boil.
Pour the milk over the potatoes and mash until smooth.
Add caramelised onions to a bowl of mash to serve with beef casserole,
Season to taste and serve immediately.

STRAWBERRY FRUIT FOOL:
1 cup (240 ml) strawberry purée
1 cup (240 ml) heavy whipping cream
1 tablespoon (12 grams) granulated white sugar
Strawberry Purée:
1 pound bag (454 grams) frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons (90 grams) granulated white sugar

For the purée: Thaw the strawberries (this will take a few hours). Place the strawberries in a food processor, fitted with a steel blade, and process until the berries are puréed. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the sugar. Taste and add more sugar if necessary. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
For Strawberry Fruit Fool: Place mixing bowl and whisk attachment in the refrigerator or freezer for about 15 minutes or until very cold. Whip the cream until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue to whip until stiff peaks form. With a rubber spatula gently fold in the strawberry purée, leaving some streaks of the white whipping cream. Pour the fool into four - individual long stemmed parfait or wine glasses. Cover and refrigerate until serving time. Can be made about 4 hours before serving. Garnish with a fresh strawberry.

SUNDAY
CRISP ROAST DUCK WITH PORT WINE GLAZE
Serves 2 TO 3
Pekin ducks, also called Long Island ducks, are the only choice in most supermarkets. Almost always sold frozen, the duck must defrost in the refrigerator for at least one day before cooking. To feed six people, steam one duck after the other and then roast all the pieces together in an oversized roasting pan or a large jelly-roll pan.

PORT WINE GLAZE
• 1 1/4 cups port wine
• 2 medium garlic cloves, peeled and cut into thin slivers
• 4 fresh thyme sprigsCRISP ROAST DUCK
• 1 whole Pekin duck (about 4 1/2 pounds), neck, giblets, and all visible fat discarded, and rinsed
• Salt and ground black pepper
1. FOR THE GLAZE: Bring all ingredients to boil in small saucepan. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened and reduced to scant 1/4 cup, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove and discard garlic and thyme; set glaze aside until ready to use.
2. FOR THE DUCK: Meanwhile, set V-rack in large, high-sided roasting pan and position duck, breast side up, on rack. Add water to just below bottom of duck. Bring water to boil over high heat, cover pan tightly with aluminum foil (or pan cover, if available), adjust heat to medium (to maintain a slow, steady boil), and steam, adding more hot water to maintain water level if necessary, until skin has pulled away from at least one leg. For duck with very moist, tender meat and slightly crisp skin once roasted, steam about 40 minutes. Steam 10 minutes longer for somewhat denser meat and very crisp skin after roasting. Transfer duck to carving board and, when cool enough to handle, cut into six pieces, two wings, two legs, and two breast halves. (Cooled duck, either whole or cut into pieces, can be wrapped in foil and refrigerated overnight. Reserve back and carcass for another use.)3. Adjust oven rack to bottom position and heat oven to 425 degrees. Season pieces on both sides with salt and pepper to taste and position skin side down in lightly oiled roasting pan. Roast, carefully pouring off fat if more than two tablespoons accumulate in pan, until skin on breast pieces is rich brown color and crisp, about 25 minutes. Transfer breast pieces to platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Again, pour off excess fat from pan, turn leg/thigh and wing pieces skin side up, and continue roasting until skin on these pieces is deep brown and crisp, 15 to 20 minutes longer. Again, pour off excess fat from pan. Return breast pieces to pan and brush both sides of every piece with glaze. Roast until glaze is hot and richly colored on duck pieces, 3 to 4 minutes. Serve immediately.

Provencal vegetable and goat cheese terrine
Ingredients
2 red bell peppers
1 large eggplant, cut lengthwise into 3/8-inch-thick slices
2 large zucchini, cut lengthwise into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 11-ounce package soft mild goat cheese (such as Montrachet), room temperature
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
1 large bunch fresh arugula, chopped
1/2 cup chopped pitted brine-cured olives (such as Niçoise or Kalamata)
Fresh arugula leaves
French bread
Preparation
Char peppers over gas flame or in broiler until blackened on all sides. Place in bag and let stand 10 minutes. Peel and seed peppers. Cut into 1/2-inch pieces.
Preheat broiler. Brush both sides of eggplant with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until cooked through and golden, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. Brush both sides of zucchini with oil. Season with salt and pepper. Broil until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
Puree cheese in processor until smooth. With machine running, add 3 tablespoons oil through feed tube. Add bell peppers; process using on/off turns until peppers are coarsely chopped and cheese mixture begins to color. Add thyme. Season with salt and pepper.
Line 9x5-inch glass loaf pan with plastic, leaving 4-inch overhang. Place single layer of zucchini in bottom of pan, covering completely and trimming to fit. Spread 1/3 of cheese mixture over. Top with 1/3 of chopped arugula and 1/3 of olives. Cover with single layer of eggplant, trimming to fit. Spread 1/3 of cheese over, top with 1/3 of chopped arugula and 1/3 of olives. Repeat with remaining zucchini, cheese, chopped arugula and olives. Finish with layer of eggplant. Fold plastic over to cover; press down gently on eggplant. Cover; chill until firm, at least 6 hours.
(Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving.)
Line platter with arugula leaves. Open plastic wrap on top of terrine. Unmold terrine onto platter, lift off pan and peel off plastic. Serve with bread.

Creme Brulee

Menu Plan for the week

2008-04-23T09:27:00.000-07:00

Thursday
Bahamas Baked Mahi-Mahi Fillets

Serves/Makes: 4
Ingredients:
4 mahi-mahi fillets (6-8 ounces and 1-inch thick each)
1/2 cup lime juice (fresh)
2 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup rum
2 onions, sliced into rings
1 lemon sliced thin
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
Black pepper to taste
Hot pepper to taste
How to cook:
Place the mahi-mahi filets in baking dish, season with rum, lime juice, spices, and onions.
Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F, bake marinated mahi-mahi fillets covered for approx 20 - 30 minuets.
Dish is done when fish flakes easily with a fork.
Notes:
If desired, use King fish, Redfish or any other beefy fish, instead of mahi-mahi.
This recipe for Bahamas Baked Mahi-Mahi Fillets serves/makes: 4

Bahamian Macaroni and Cheese (Bahamas)
Keys : Pasta Bahamian Vegetable Dish Bahamas Central American Carribean Bahamian
Ingredients :
8 oz elbow macaroni, cooked
1 tbl onion, finely chopped
1 tbl green pepper
1 can evaporated milk
1 tbl celery, finely chopped
6 oz Cheddar cheese
1 dsh pepper
salt to taste
Method :
Add the onion, green pepper and celery to the macaroni; stir. Add one half of the cheese and stir over low heat until melted. Season and stir in evaporated milk. Spoon into a well greased baking pan and sprinkle remaining cheese evenly over the top. Bake in a preheated oven at 350:F for 20 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes and cut into squares to serve.
Serves 4.

FRIDAY
BELIZEAN RICE & BEANS
INGREDIENTS:
½ pound red kidney beans
2 cups rice
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 medium onion (sliced)
½ bell (green) pepper
1 clove garlic (optional)
1½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon dried thyme
METHOD: Cover beans in water, and soak overnight. Put beans in pot, add onions, bell pepper, garlic, and enough water to boil until beans are tender and whole. Add coconut milk, and seasonings. Add rice to beans, and cook over gentle heat until liquid is absorbed. Stir gently with a fork, and add a little water as necessary, until rice is cooked.

Plantains.
1. Choose plantains that are really ripe. (If these were bananas, they'd be ready to throw away.)
2. Slice them into long skinny slices. There are lots of ways to do this, and I am still experimenting.
3. Fry them on the grill or in an iron skillet in a) real butter, b) extra virgin olive oil or c) margarine. Fry them until they are brown on both sides. This doesn't take long, and they can burn or overcook if you don't pay attention.
4. [Rix Secret] Serve them with sour cream. Sour cream is certainly a luxury in Belize, but you can get it at Reyes in Corozal, or Brodie's in Belize City. It is worth the extra cost, because Plantains and Sour Cream is a dish fit for the gods. Fried Plantains are good; Plantains and Sour Cream are GREAT, as Tony, the Tiger would say.
After plantains are soft, splash them with orange juice and honey or Orange Squash. Yum, Yum!

SATURDAY
Garlic Pepper Baked Salmon with Risotto & Baked Stuffed Tomatoes

The Garlic Pepper Salmon was bought with the seasonings already so nothing needs to be done there.

Baked Stuffed Tomatoes
Ingredients:
4 medium tomatoes
6 Tbsp. fresh chopped Italian parsley
1 clove garlic finely chopped
4 Tbsp. fresh ground parmesan
3 Tbsp. dried ground bread crumbs
extra virgin olive oilsalt to taste

Instructions:
1. Wash the tomatoes and then cut them in half horizontally making 8 small bowls.
2. Scoop out the insides with a spoon, then salt them with a couple of pinches evenly distributed. 3. Turn the tomato halves with the opening downward so the the liquid can flow out. Leave them for thirty minutes.
4. Meanwhile, in a bowl, mix the bread crumbs, parmesan, 1 1/2 Tbsp. olive oil, garlic, parsley and 1/4 tsp. salt.
5. When the tomatoes are ready set them in a baking dish and fill them with the bread filling.
6. Once filled top each one with approximately 1/2 tsp. olive oil.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 350° degrees for 30 minutes.
8. The move them to a broiler or set your oven to the grill setting if you have one and continue cooking the tomatoes until they start to brown on top.
9. Remove from the oven and serve them when they cool a bit.

SUNDAY
Cheese Crisp a la Grandma! (Kicked up a notch though)

Menu Plan for the week

2008-04-05T10:10:00.000-07:00

Man is this week EASY

Monday
Use up leftover turkey chili & leftover rice

Tuesday
Use up leftover rotisserie chicken & leftovers from sunday nights meal
Use up small baby carrots

Wednesday
Marinated Flank Steak with roasted potatoes and salad
*use up bell peppers; scallion; arugala & tomatoes

Thursday
Salad with grilled turkey cutlets.
*use up avocados; bell peppers; onions; scallions & tomatoes

Friday
Subway night

Menu Plan for the week

2008-03-29T09:29:00.000-07:00

Monday
Lemon Grilled Salmon

Ingredients
2 tsp fresh dill

3/4 tsp lemon-pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/2 lb salmon fillet

1/4 cup brown sugar

3 tbsp chicken broth

3 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp lite soy sauce

3 tbsp finely chopped green onion

1 small lemon thinly slices

2 onion slices, separate into rings

Nutritional Info
Fat: 11.5g
Carbohydrates: 14.2g
Calories:270.7
Protein: 28.1g

Sprinkle dill, lemon pepper, and garlic powder over salmon. Place in a large resealable plastic bag. Combine brown sugar, broth, oil, soy sauce and green onion; pour over salmon. Turn several times. Seal bag. Place in a shallow pan. Refrigerate (turn several times), marinate at least 2 hours.Drain, discard marinade. Place salmon, skin side down on grill over medium heat. Grill 10-12 minutes, turn, grill another 10-12 minutes. Place lemon and onion slices on the last 7 minutes of cooking time, or until fish flakes easily with fork.

Number of Servings: 6

Serve with Risotto and steamed frozen veggies

Tuesday

We're going to try this one again since we never did eat our Ham on Easter Sunday

CHICKEN CORDON BLEU CASSEROLE
Printed from COOKS.COM
1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1" cubes

1 1/2 c. chopped or sliced ham

2 c. grated Swiss cheese

1 can cream of chicken soup

1/2 c. water

Finely crushed bread crumbs

Butter a 2 quart casserole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs on the bottom. Add half of the cubed chicken. Sprinkle half of the cheese over the chicken. Then pour half of a chicken soup/water mixture over. Repeat chicken, cheese, soup mixture. Sprinkle bread crumbs on top and season with salt and pepper. Bake, covered at 350 degrees for 40 minutes.

Serves 4.

Serve with microwaved frozen veggies.

Wednesday
Grilled Steak

Ingredients
2 1lb Steaks (grilling quality, 1/2 in thick)

2 T Olive Oil

Kosher Salt

Crushed Coarse Black Pepper

2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce

Nutritional Info
Fat: 10.3g
Carbohydrates: 0.9g
Calories:243.4
Protein: 34.3g
Put olive oil on a dinner plate and add black pepper and worcestershire sauce. Mix gently with a fork. Poke holes in steaks on both sides.Rub steaks with salt and then dip both sides with olive oil mixture.Place on a very HOT grill. Grill for 5 minutes on 1st side. Flip steaks. Grill for 5-8 more minutes to desired doneness.

Number of Servings: 6

Serve with pasta & sauteed mushrooms

Thursday
Ranch Roasted Pork Chops & Red Potatoes

Ingredients
4 boneless pork chops (I use 2 butterfly-cut chops, split down the middle to make 4 chops)

400 grams red potatoes (8-9 small)

5 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 oz. pkt. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing & Seasoning Mix

3 tbsp diced pimentos

onion, sliced, 10 rings

1/4 cup water

Nutritional Info
Fat: 25.0g
Carbohydrates: 17.7g
Calories:401.6
Protein: 22.3g
Preheat oven to 350*1. Rinse and slice potatoes into bite-size chunks.2. Mix olive oil and Ranch seasoning packet in a bowl.3. Dip pork chops in olive oil mix to coat both sides and place in a baking dish.4. Put potatoes into olive oil mix, shake to coat, and place around pork chops. 5. Place onion rings over the chops and potatoes.6. Sprinkle pimentos over the top.7. Add water and cover dish.8. Bake at 350* for 40 - 45 minutes or until chops are cooked through and potatoes are tender inside. I removed the cover after about 30 minutes to allow the potatoes to get a little crispy.

Number of Servings: 4

Friday

Seared Ahi Tuna Recipe

2 (6-8 ounce) ahi tuna steaks (3/4 of an inch thick)
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
2 Tbsp soy sauce (or 2 teaspoons of wheat-free tamari for gluten-free option)
1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
1 green onion (scallion) thinly sliced (a few slices reserved for garnish)
1 teaspoon lime juice

1 Mix the marinade ingredients together and coat the tuna steaks with the marinade, cover tightly, and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2 Heat a non-stick skillet over medium high to high heat. When the pan is hot, remove the tuna steaks from the marinade and sear them for a minute to a minute and a half on each side ( even a little longer if you want the tuna less rare than pictured.)
3 Remove from pan and slice into 1/4-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with a few green onion slices.
Can serve plain, with white rice, or over lettuce or thinly sliced cabbage or fennel. Shown served over sliced fennel salad.

Shaved Fennel Salad Recipe

1 fennel bulb, shaved paper thin with a mandoline or meat slicer
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon of chopped fresh thyme leaves
1 Tbsp chopped flat-leafed parsley
2 Tbsp shaved Parmesan cheese
Mix all ingredients together.

Serve with white rice

Saturday

We're going to try this yet again since we didn't have it last week either.

White Chili with Ground Turkey

Prep Time: 15 MinutesCook Time: 30 MinutesReady In: 45 Minutes

Yields: 4 servings

"Browned ground turkey and cannellini beans are combined with green chilies, onion and garlic in this chicken stock based soup seasoned with cumin, oregano and cinnamon. Serve with grated jack cheese."

INGREDIENTS:

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 pound ground turkey

1 (4 ounce) can canned green chile peppers, chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin

1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

ground cayenne pepper to taste

ground white pepper to taste

2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans

2-1/2 cups chicken broth

1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

DIRECTIONS:1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic and ground turkey and saute for 10 minutes, or until turkey is well browned. Add the chile peppers, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne pepper to taste and white pepper to taste and saute for 5 more minutes.2. Add two cans of the beans and the chicken broth to the pot. Take the third can of beans and puree them in a blender or food processor. Add this to the pot along with the cheese. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Serve with white rice.

Sunday

Rotisserie chicken

Cook on rotisserie. Brine ahead of time. Brine recipe follows:

Poultry Brine Recipe:

3/4 cup coarse kosher s alt

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup boiling water

1 gallon cold water

1 tablespoon pepper
A heavy-duty plastic tube, stainless-steel bowl, or resealable plastic bag can work as a brining container, as long as the poultry is fully submerged. Weight with a plate, if necessary, to keep the meat fully covered by the brine.
To determine how much brine you'll need, place the meat to be brined in your chosen container. Add water to cover. Remove the meat and measure the water.
Dissolve salt and sugar in the boiling water. Add it to the cold water; add pepper and stir to combine. Chill brine completely in the refrigerator before adding poultry. Place your poultry in the water and place in the refrigerator for the time required.
Rinse poultry twice after removing it from the brine solution; discard brine. If you are not ready to cook at the end of the brining time, remove and rinse the meat. Refrigerate until ready to use.
Do not salt brined meat before cooking. Cook poultry according to your favorite recipe. Do not overcook your brined poultry. Once brined, the poultry cooks faster so be careful and use a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat.

Asparagus Recipe

Preparation time: 10 minutes.
1 bunch of medium sized asparagus, about 1 lb
2 Tbsp of the most exquisite extra virgin olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 teaspoon lemon zest - freshly grated lemon rind
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Prepare the asparagus by rinsing them thoroughly, break off any tough, white bottoms and discard. Cut into 1 to 2 inch sections, slicing the asparagus at a slight diagonal.
2 Fill a medium sized saucepan half way with water, bring to a boil. Add the asparagus and reduce heat slightly to a simmer. Parboil the asparagus for exactly 2 minutes. Drain the hot water. While the asparagus are still hot, toss them in a bowl with the olive oil, Parmesan, and lemon rind. Salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm or room temperature.
Note that when you are working with so few ingredients, it's important to make sure they are of the highest quality.

Serve with mashed potatoes and gravy

Menu Plan for the week

2008-03-21T11:08:00.000-07:00

Monday
Portabella Mushroom Bake

Ingredients
3 large Portabella mushroom caps
1 cup roasted red pepper pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
2 cups instant brown rice
1 cup black beans
3 oz shredded mozzarella, part skim
Garlic to taste

Nutritional Info
Fat: 10.5g
Carbohydrates: 39.0g
Calories:288.8
Protein: 11.6g
Brown peppers in oil and garlic until soft. Add mushroom caps and heat through. Boil rice per instructions.Mix black beans with rice in a casserole dish, add whole mushroom caps, top with roasted red peppersand mozzarella cheese.Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.
Number of Servings: 4

Serve with Garlic Sauteed Broccoli

Tuesday
Almond crusted Tilapia

Ingredients
4 Tilapia fillets
4 Tbsp Fat Free Mayo
2 Tbs Honey
3 tsp Mustard - any kind, I prefer stone ground or brown.
1/2 Cup Almonds, ground

Nutritional Info
Fat: 7.6g
Carbohydrates: 13.3g
Calories:212.2
Protein: 23.7g
Mix Mayo, honey and mustard.Place tilapia in pan coated with cooking spray.Spread half of the mayo mixture over the tilapia.Sprinkle half of the almonds on top and pat down into the mayo.Flip fillets over and cover with remaining mayo mixture and almondsbake at 350 for 15 minutes.Serves 4I have also made this with boneless skinless chicken breasts - just adjust the bake time to 30 minutes - depending on thickness of the chicken breasts.
Number of Servings: 4

Serve with sauteed snow peas. Wild rice cooked with chicken broth or vegetable broth.

Wednesday
Marinated flank stead with roasted potatoes and baby veggies.

Thursday
Leftover night

Friday
Champagne-Sauteed Sea Scallops

Ingredients
1 tbsp reduced-calorie margarine
3 small garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup champagne
1 1/2 pounds sea scallops
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp dill or basil
4 lemon wedges

Nutritional Info
Fat: 1.9g
Carbohydrates: 22.8g
Calories:158.7
Protein: 7.3g
Melt the margarine in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until just golden, about 2 minutes. Pour in the champagne and cook until warm, 1 minute. Add the scallops and cook until just opaque throughout, about 3 minutes per side, sprinkling each side with the salt and pepper during cooking.Transfer to a platter or plates and spoon some of the cooking liquid over the top. Sprinkle with basil or dill and serve with lemon wedges for squeezing. These taste fabulous over angel hair pasta (you'll need 2 cups cooked, which is about 4 oz dry). To moisten and flavor the pasta, toss it with the cooking liquid from the scallops.

Number of Servings: 4

Serve with steamed baby veggies.

Saturday
White Chili with Ground Turkey
Submitted by: Donna Nugent
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 227 members
Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 45 Minutes
Yields: 4 servings
"Browned ground turkey and cannellini beans are combined with green chilies, onion and garlic in this chicken stock based soup seasoned with cumin, oregano and cinnamon. Serve with grated jack cheese."
INGREDIENTS:
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 pound ground turkey
1 (4 ounce) can canned green chile peppers, chopped
1-1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
ground cayenne pepper to taste
ground white pepper to taste
2 (15 ounce) cans cannellini beans
2-1/2 cups chicken broth
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
DIRECTIONS:
1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the onion, garlic and ground turkey and saute for 10 minutes, or until turkey is well browned. Add the chile peppers, cumin, oregano, cinnamon, cayenne pepper to taste and white pepper to taste and saute for 5 more minutes.
2. Add two cans of the beans and the chicken broth to the pot. Take the third can of beans and puree them in a blender or food processor. Add this to the pot along with the cheese. Stir well and simmer for 10 minutes, allowing the cheese to melt.

Serve with white rice.

Sunday
SundayBaked Whole Ham With Pineapple Glaze

1 whole ham with bone in Select ham with the bone in according to the number of guests allowing 1/3 pound of ham per guest.Wash the ham and place in a shallow roasting pan with the fat side up 10 to 15 pound ham insert a meat thermometer so that the tip is in the center of the thickest part of the ham but does not touch the bone or the drippings.Do not cover bake in oven at 325° F. until the thermometer reaches 140° F. The last 30 minutes take the ham out of oven and remove any skin from top. Score top of ham lightly, cutting uniform diamond shapes. Place a whole cloves in each diamond. Then cover with the pineapple glaze below. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes

Pineapple Glaze
1 cup dark brown sugar, packed
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 can (8 1/2 ounces) crushed pineapple, with syrup
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
In a small sauce pan, place the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt. Then stir in the pineapple, lemon juice, and mustard. Cook over medium heat. stirring constantly. until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour over undrained ham. Baste 2 time while finishing the baking process. Remove and place on a platter to server.

Scalloped Potatoes
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern Food.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
A basic scalloped potatoes recipe baked in the oven.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, about 6 to 8 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups scalded milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
PREPARATION:In a buttered 2-quart baking dish, place a layer of about 1/3 of the potatoes. In a cup or small bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the potatoes; repeat with another layer of potatoes and the flour mixture and top with remaining potato slices.Dot with butter then pour hot milk over potatoes. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until scalloped potatoes are tender and cheese has melted. Scalloped potatoes serves 6 to 8. Serve with glazed carrots.

Menu Plan for the week

2008-03-14T22:58:00.000-07:00

Monday

Corned Beef & Cabbage & Carrots with boiled potatoes

Tuesday
Leftover night

Wednesday
Sauted Kielbasa & Pasta with steamed veggies

Thursday
Marinated Flank Steak with horseradish Mashed potatoes and grilled zuchini

Friday

Chicken Escondido

Ingredients
1 lb chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
15 oz can black beans, drained
16 oz jar salsa verde
1/3 cup sundried tomatoes
2 cloves garlic
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Nutritional Info
Fat: 9.1g
Carbohydrates: 32.7g
Calories:352.9
Protein: 36.2g
Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Saute' tomatoes and garlic in olive oil and vinegar until tender. Add chicken and cook until done. Add salsa and black beans. Simmer 5 minutes. Serve over brown rice.Number of Servings: 4

Serve with either white or wild rice and homemade mexican corn.

Saturday

Grilled Halibut with Jicama Salsa

Ingredients
Ingredients for salsa:
2 cups peeled and chopped jicama
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 medium cucumber, peeled and chopped
1 medium orange, peeled and choppedBasic ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
1/8 teaspoon dried rosemary
3 (6 oz.) halibut flietsNutritional Info
Fat: 7.2g
Carbohydrates: 7.9g
Calories:192.2
Protein: 23.5g
1. Mix all jicama salsa ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
2. Place fish filets in a large, shallow glass baking dish. Whisk together olive oil, lime juice, and herbs. Pour marinade over fish, cover, and refrigerate 2 to 4 hours.
3. Preheat barbecue or gas grill.
4. Oil grilling rack, and adjust height to between 4 to 6 inches from heat. Remove fish from marinade, and place on grill. Cook 10 minutes per inch of thickness, or until fish flakes with a fork. Turn once to brown both sides.5. Serve fish with jicama salsa.

Sunday
Baked Whole Ham With Pineapple
Glaze 1 whole ham with bone in Select ham with the bone in according to the number of guests allowing 1/3 pound of ham per guest.
Wash the ham and place in a shallow roasting pan with the fat side up 10 to 15 pound ham insert a meat thermometer so that the tip is in the center of the thickest part of the ham but does not touch the bone or the drippings.
Do not cover bake in oven at 325° F. until the thermometer reaches 140° F. The last 30 minutes take the ham out of oven and remove any skin from top. Score top of ham lightly, cutting uniform diamond shapes. Place a whole cloves in each diamond. Then cover with the pineapple glaze below. Return to the oven for another 30 minutes
Pineapple Glaze 1 cup dark brown sugar, packed 1 tablespoon cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 can (8 1/2 ounces) crushed pineapple, with syrup 2 teaspoons lemon juice 1 teaspoon prepared mustard In a small sauce pan, place the brown sugar, cornstarch, salt. Then stir in the pineapple, lemon juice, and mustard. Cook over medium heat. stirring constantly. until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir for 1 minute. Pour over undrained ham. Baste 2 time while finishing the baking process. Remove and place on a platter to server.

Scalloped Potatoes
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern Food.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
A basic scalloped potatoes recipe baked in the oven.
INGREDIENTS:
4 cups thinly sliced potatoes, about 6 to 8 medium potatoes
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3 tablespoons butter
2 cups scalded milk
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
PREPARATION:
In a buttered 2-quart baking dish, place a layer of about 1/3 of the potatoes. In a cup or small bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper. Sprinkle about half of the flour mixture over the potatoes; repeat with another layer of potatoes and the flour mixture and top with remaining potato slices.
Dot with butter then pour hot milk over potatoes. Cover and bake at 375° for 45 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle cheese over the top. Return to the oven and bake, uncovered, for an additional 15 minutes, or until scalloped potatoes are tender and cheese has melted. Scalloped potatoes serves 6 to 8.

Serve with glazed carrots.

Menu Plan for the week

2008-03-08T08:39:00.000-08:00

So since we barely ate any of our planned meals last week we're just going with the same recipes so that we can use up some of the ingredients we have on hand.

Monday
Maple Pecan Chicken
Submitted by HEATHER121

A sweet and crunchy taste for this terrific chicken dish.

Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into six pieces)
1/2 cup halved pecans
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup reduced calorie syrup
DirectionsPreheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Put the pecans and bread crumbs into a food processor. Combine until all of the pecans are chopped into the same consistency as the bread crumbs. Put into shallow bowl.Put the syrup into a bowl.Put the chicken into the syrup, coating both sides completely.Put the chicken into the pecan and breadcrumb mixture. Coat each side completely.Lay the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet.Coat the rest of the chicken pieces.Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until all of the chicken is cooked through.

Number of Servings: 6
*We are going to spice this up a bit by sauteing some pecans in a bit of butter and then pour over the baked chicken. We'll serve this with wild rice and steamed veggies.

Tuesday
Leftover night. Use up Cassoulet with some pasta.

Wednesday
Decadent Stuffed Tilapia
Ingredients
8 tilapia fillets (approx. 2 oz. each)
4 oz neufchatel cheese
1 cup imitation crab meat
4 oz cooked shrimp
1 cup sliced mushrooms
dash of garlic powder
Nutritional Info
Fat: 8.0g
Carbohydrates: 8.9g
Calories: 243.6
Protein: 32.8g

Saute' mushrooms.Soften cheese. Pat dry fillets. Spread 1/4 cheese on one side of 4 fillets. Evenly distribute mushrooms, crab, and shrimp over cheese. Top with remaining fillet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with rice or pasta.

Number of Servings: 4
We will serve with Risotto and Aspargus.

We will be substituting Flounder for the Tilapia.

Thursday
Asian Beef & Noodles
Ingredients
1 1/4 lb ground beef (We'll use stir fry beef instead)
1pkg Azumaya Asian Style Wide Cut Noodles
1 Pkg tofumate Szechwan Stir Fry Seasoning
2 cups frozen oriental vegetable mixture
1/2 tsp freshly ground ginger
4 tbs green onion cut in matchstick size pieces
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tbs garlic, minced
1 tsp soy sauce

In skillet brown beef over medium heat 8-10 minutes. Add garlic and onions after beef has been browning 5 mins. Remove beef with slotted spoon. Cook noodles as directed. Rinse with cold wwater. Place noodles in skillet. Add vegetable mixture, 2 cups water or beef broth, soy sauce. ginger, and seasoning. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer several minutes. Add beef to skillet once more. Cook for 1-2 minutes.

Friday
Herbed Chicken in Pastry

Thaw time: 30 minutes
Prep time: 20 min
Bake time: 25 minutes

Ingredients:
4 boneless chicken breast halves
1/2 pkg Pepperidge Farm Frozen Puff Pastry Sheets
1 egg
1 tbsp water
1 container Allouette Garlic & Herbs Spreadable Cheese
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

Season chicken with salt and pepper if desired. Melt butter in skillet. Add chicken and cook until browned. Remove chicken. Cover and refrigerate 15 min or up to 24 hours.

Thaw pastry sheet at room temperature 30 minutes. Mix egg and water. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Unfold pastry on lightly floured surface. Roll into 14" square and cut into 4 (7") squares. Spread about 2 tbsp of the cheese spread in center of each square. Sprinkle with 1 tbsp parsley and top with cooled chicken. Brush edges of squares with egg mixture. Fold each corner to center on top of chicken and seal edges. Place seam side down on baking sheet. Brush with egg mixture.

Bake 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves 4

*Make chicken ahead of time and refrigerate to save time.

Serve with tuscan veggies

Saturday
Lapin Forestiere (Rabbit)

Recipe #142816by winter rowand

2 hours 15 min prep

SERVES 6
Ingredients
4 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 lbs rabbit, quartered
8 slices bacon
20 button mushrooms
20 white pearl onions
3 celery ribs, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup tomatoes, peeled seeded, and chopped
2 cups red wine1 cup beef stock
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces chanterelle mushrooms
Heat the oil in a large kettle. Add rabbit and brown. Dice bacon and add to rabbit along with veggie; suate for 3 minutes sprinkle with flour and cook for 3 minutesadd remaining ingredients, except butter and chanterelles.cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hour.heat the butter in a skillet and saute the chanterelles.place rabbit over rice or noodles, and sprinkle with chanterelles.
Serve with Wild Rice

Creme Brulee
Submitted by: Karen
Rated: 4 out of 5 by 63 members
Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Cook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 40 Minutes
Yields: 3 servings
"It may surprise you that such few and simple ingredients, egg yolks, sugar, cream and vanilla extract, make this favorite dessert. Plan ahead. You'll need to refrigerate the custard twice before serving!"
INGREDIENTS:
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons
1-3/4teaspoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon and
1/2 teaspoonbrown sugar
DIRECTIONS:1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).2.Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.3.Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.4.Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.5.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.6.Preheat oven to broil.7.In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.8.Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

Sunday
SINIGANG NA BABOY (Pork in Sour Broth)
Serving Size : 4
Ingredient
1 1/2 lb Pork riblets or pork ribs, -country style,cut to pieces
5 c Water
4 md Tomatoes, sliced
1 md Onion, sliced
1 1/2 ts Salt
1 md Icicle radish, cut into -1″ pieces -(or 10 red radishes, pared)
1/4 lb Green beans
1/2 lb Spinach (or cabbage,-mustard greens or-watercress)
5 md Sampaloc (tamarind)-[available as powdered pkg]
1. In a large pot, bring water and pork to a boil. Add tomatoes, onion, salt and tamarind. Simmer 1 hour or until pork is tender. 2. Optional: Remove tamarind and mash with some broth. Strain juice back into pot. 3. Taste for seasoning. Bring to a boil. Add green beans and radish. for 10 minutes. 4. Add spinach, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minute to finish cooking spinach. Variations: Beef (stewing, brisket, shank or plate) may be used in place of pork. Adjust cooking time for each. Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Serves: 4

Menu plan for this week

2008-03-01T09:48:00.000-08:00

Monday
Cheesy Spinach Enchiladas
Fish/Vegetarian Mexican Gluten Free Dinner
Submitted by SCAR3245 Minutes to Prepare and Cook
Ingredients
1 package frozen raw spinach, thawed
2 cups shredded cheese
1 onion chopped
1 Tbs Cilantro
large can of Enchilada Sauce
12 corn tortillas
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 c cheese
Directions
mix onion, spinach,cilantro and cheese. Pour small amount of enchilada sauce in the bottom of a 9x13 pan and the rest in a 8x8 pan. Coat the tortillas in enchilada sauce by dipping them in the 8x8 pan. Scoop spinach and cheese onto dipped tortilla and roll. Place rolled tortillas side by side in 9x12 pan. Pour remaining enchilada sauce over rolled tortillas. Sprinkle with 1/2c cheese. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 30-40 minutes.
Number of Servings: 12Recipe
submitted by SparkPeople user SCAR32. Number of Servings: 12

Frijoles Charros
Fish/Vegetarian Mexican Dinner
Submitted by AERIEA085
Ingredients
1 can Bush's Pinto Beans
1 oz Canadian Bacon
1 small onion, diced
2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped
1 medium tomatoe, diced
1/4 cup Herdez salsa casera
Pam cooking spray
Directions
1. Spray a medium pan with pam, fry canadian bacon, onion, cilantro, and tomato until onion is translucent.2. Add pinto beans, fill pinto beans with water and add to your pot.3. Add salsa and bring to a boil.4. Simmer for 20 minutes or until water is mostly absorbed.
Serves 33 WW points per serving
Number of Servings: 3

Tuesday
Maple Pecan Chicken
Poultry Dinner
Submitted by HEATHER121
A sweet and crunchy taste for this terrific chicken dish.
Ingredients
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (cut into six pieces)
1/2 cup halved pecans
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1 tsp pepper
1/2 cup reduced calorie syrup
Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.Put the pecans and bread crumbs into a food processor. Combine until all of the pecans are chopped into the same consistency as the bread crumbs. Put into shallow bowl.Put the syrup into a bowl.Put the chicken into the syrup, coating both sides completely.Put the chicken into the pecan and breadcrumb mixture. Coat each side completely.Lay the breaded chicken on the prepared baking sheet.Coat the rest of the chicken pieces.Bake for 30 - 35 minutes, or until all of the chicken is cooked through.
Number of Servings: 6

We are going to spice this up a bit by sauteing some pecans in a bit of butter and then pour over the baked chicken. We'll serve this with wild rice and steamed veggies.

Wednesday
Decadent Stuffed Tilapia
Ingredients
8 tilapia fillets (approx. 2 oz. each)
4 oz neufchatel cheese
1 cup imitation crab meat
4 oz cooked shrimp
1 cup sliced mushrooms
dash of garlic powder Nutritional Info
Fat: 8.0g
Carbohydrates: 8.9g
Calories:243.6
Protein: 32.8g
Saute' mushrooms.Soften cheese. Pat dry fillets. Spread 1/4 cheese on one side of 4 fillets. Evenly distribute mushrooms, crab, and shrimp over cheese. Top with remaining fillet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve with rice or pasta. Number of Servings: 4

Serve with Risotto and Aspargus. We will be substituting Flounder for the Tilapia.

Thursday
Low-Fat Vegetarian Stuffed Shells
Ingredients
12 jumbo shell pastas
4 oz fat-free cream cheese
6 oz fat-free cottage cheese
1 cup fat-free shredded mozzerella
1 cup chopped mushrooms
2 cups marinara sauce
3 tsp granulated garlic
1/2 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tbsp dried parsley
1 tsp dried rosemary
Nutritional Info
Fat: 1.7g
Carbohydrates: 38.6g
Calories:281.0
Protein: 27.4g
Set oven to 350 degrees before beginning prep-work.Cook jumbo pasta shells until they are nearly done-- al dente. Drain and rinse under cold water. Set aside.In a mixing bowl, combine cream cheese, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese, mushrooms and spices. Mix well.With clean hands or spoons, pack pasta shells with cheese mixture. Place each stuffed pasta shell into an oven-safe high sided container.Pour marinara evenly over stuffed shells.Cover with foil and place into oven for about 20 minutes.Number of Servings: 4

Serve with bread and salad

Friday
Easy Light Cassoulet
Ingredients
2-1/4 cup parsnips, thinly sliced (about 3 parsnips)
1-1/2 cup celery diced, including tops
1 cup onion diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp sea salt
8 oz lean ground pork
1/4 cup red wine or port
2 cups chicken stock
28oz can peeled Italian-style tomatoes
19oz can Cannellini beans, drained & rinsed
1 tbsp Herbes de Provence or Italian herbs
3/4 cup Italian-style bread crumbs
Nutritional Info
Fat: 11.2g
Carbohydrates: 43.6g
Calories:352.8
Protein: 19.2g
Saute' parsnips, celery and onions with olive oil and salt on medium heat until the vegetables begin to soften. Add the pork and continue to saute' until the pork is well browned and the onions are translucent. Deglaze the pan with red wine being sure to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken stock and tomatoes. If the tomatoes are whole, break them into small pieces using a spoon or spatula. Add the beans and herbs and slowly bring to a simmer. Simmer for 20 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by 2/3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Transfer mixture to a large casserole (you can skip this step if you started with a dutch/french oven instead of a sautee pan) and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 35-50 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly and the bread crumbs are a deep golden brown.Serves 6-8 people and is a one dish meal.For variation, 3/4 cup of parsnips can be replaced with sliced carrots.

Saturday
Lapin Forestiere (Rabbit) Recipe #142816
by winter rowand
2 hours 15 min prep SERVES 6
4 tablespoons oil
1 1/2 lbs rabbit, quartered
8 slices bacon
20 button mushrooms
20 white pearl onions
3 celery ribs, diced
3 carrots, diced
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup tomatoes, peeled seeded, and chopped
2 cups red wine
1 cup beef stock
2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons butter
8 ounces chanterelle mushrooms
heat the oil in a large kettle. add rabbit and brown.
dice bacon and add to rabbit along with veggie; suate for 3 minutes sprinkle with flour and cook for 3 minutes
add remaining ingredients, except butter and chanterelles.
cover and simmer gently for 1 1/2 hour.
heat the butter in a skillet and saute the chanterelles.
place rabbit over rice or noodles, and sprinkle with chanterelles.

Serve with Wild Rice

Creme Brulee
Submitted by: KarenRated: 4 out of 5 by 63 members
Prep Time: 10 MinutesCook Time: 30 Minutes
Ready In: 2 Hours 40 MinutesYields: 3 servings
"It may surprise you that such few and simple ingredients, egg yolks, sugar, cream and vanilla extract, make this favorite dessert. Plan ahead. You'll need to refrigerate the custard twice before serving!"
INGREDIENTS:
4 egg yolks
3 tablespoons and 1-3/4
teaspoons white sugar, divided
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon and 1/2 teaspoon
brown sugar
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
2.Beat egg yolks, 4 tablespoons sugar and vanilla in a mixing bowl until thick and creamy.
3.Pour cream into a saucepan and stir over low heat until it almost comes to boil. Remove the cream from heat immediately. Stir cream into the egg yolk mixture; beat until combined.
4.Pour cream mixture into the top of a double boiler. Stir over simmering water until mixture lightly coats the back of a spoon; approximately 3 minutes. Remove mixture from heat immediately and pour into a shallow heat-proof dish.
5.Bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for 1 hour, or overnight.
6.Preheat oven to broil.
7.In a small bowl combine remaining 2 tablespoons white sugar and brown sugar. Sift this mixture evenly over custard. Place dish under broiler until sugar melts, about 2 minutes. Watch carefully so as not to burn.
8.Remove from heat and allow to cool. Refrigerate until custard is set again.

Sunday
Honey Bourbon Pork Tenderloin
From Derrick Riches,Your Guide to Barbecues & Grilling.
This tenderloin is marinated and slow roasted over low heat. Make sure to boil the marinade and also thicken it with flour to make a delicious gravy.
INGREDIENTS:
3 12-ounce pork tenderloins
1 cup water
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
PREPARATION:Combine onion, lemon juice, bourbon, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Mix well. Place tenderloins in a resealable bag and pour marinade over. Seal and turn to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.Preheat grill. Remove tenderloins from marinade and pour marinade into a saucepan. Season pork with salt and pepper and grill over a low fire for about 30 minutes or until done. Meanwhile add water and flour to marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. When the tenderloin is done remove from grill and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Serve with sauce poured over top.

Wine Baked Potato
Submitted by: MBATMTRated: 4 out of 5 by 19 members
Prep Time: 10 MinutesCook Time: 1 Hour
Ready In: 1 Hour 10 MinutesYields: 1 servings
"A delicious baked potato that has a wonderful aroma while cooking."
INGREDIENTS:
1 medium baking potato
1/2 medium onion, sliced
1/4 teaspoon butter
1/4 cup cooking sherry
DIRECTIONS:
1.Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
2.Make several cuts crosswise across the potato, about 1/2 inch apart and not quite all the way through. Place half of an onion slice, and a piece of butter into each cut. Place the potato onto a sheet of aluminum foil, and form a bowl. Pour the cooking wine over the potato, and fold the foil around to seal, turning the ends up like a boat to keep the wine from spilling out.
3.Place the potato onto a baking sheet, and bake for 50 to 60 minutes, depending on the size of the potato. When done, cut through foil, and top with your favorite potato toppings or just salt and pepper.

Menu plan for this week

2008-02-23T08:57:00.000-08:00

Monday
Thai Seared Scallops
Ingredients
12 oz Sea Scallops, raw (frozen is fine)
2 Baby Bok Choy, sliced (celery or swiss chard make good substitutes)
2 cups Broccoli, chopped
1 large Red Repper, slicedBrown Rice, cooked, 3 cups (about 1 cup dry)
Sauce:
1 can Lite Coconut Milk (Taste of Thai is good)
Fresh Mint & Cilantro leaves, chopped
Hot peppers to taste (jalapeno, red chilis, or habaneros could all work, depending on your tolerance)
Nutritional Info
Fat: 7.9g
Carbohydrates: 45.8g
Calories:336.5
Protein: 23.1g
Thaw scallops under cold waterPrepare rice according to package instructions (remember brown rice takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, so you can prep everything else while the rice cooks)Slice vegetables and stir fry in a VERY hot pan, preferably non stick (but about 2 tsps of oil should do it)Meanwhile, start the sauce - simmer 1 can of lite coconut milk with the fresh herbs and hot peppers, if using. If desired, thin with chicken or vegetable broth.Last, the scallops:Preheat a good skillet on high heat. Place scallops in a single layer in the pan, being careful to leave enough room for flipping.Sear for about 90 seconds, not allowing the scallops to cook through (they'll turn opaque), then flip and sear other side for equal amount of time.The scallops should be slightly charred and just done. Don't overcook - they'll get rubbery.Divide rice into four servings, top with stir fried vegetables, and place 3 oz each of the scallops on each. Top with sauce and hot peppers if using.Enjoy!Number of Servings: 4

Tuesday
Kotmis Satsivi (Roast Chicken with Walnut Sauce) recipe -
Cuisine: Georgian?, Yield: 4
· Ingredients
3 to 3 1/2-pound chicken
4 tablespoons of melted butter
1 tablespoon of vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon of salt
Freshly ground black pepper

Walnut Sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
2 tablespoons of finely chopped onions
3 teaspoons of finely chopped garlic
1 tablespoon of flour
1 1/ 2 cups of chicken stock, fresh or canned
2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon of cloves, powdered
1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
1 bay leaf
1/8 teaspoon of powdered saffron
1 tablespoon of finely chopped parsley
1/4 teaspoon of salt
3 ounces of shelled walnuts, pulverized
*Note: If some of the units or abbreviations look unfamiliar to you, click here.
· MethodWhile the chicken is roasting prepare the sauce. In a heavy 10 to 12-inch skillet, melt 2 tablespoons of butter over high heat. Add chopped onions and garlic, lower the heat and, stirring occasionally, cook uncovered for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft but not brown. Stir in the flour, mix to a paste, then pour in the chicken stock. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens lightly. Stir in the vinegar, cloves, cinnamon, cayenne, bay leaf, saffron, parsley, salt and walnuts. Lower the heat and simmer uncovered for about five minutes. Taste for seasoning. Carve the chicken into quarters and arrange them attractively on a deep serving platter.

Russian Potato Casserole with Caramelized Onions

Keys : Potatoes Side Tubers Root Vegetable Russian Russia
Ingredients :
6 Sweet onions, thinly sliced
5 tbl butter
4 tbl Olive oil
1 tbl Sugar
4 lb Russet potatoes
Chicken stock
1 stk butter, (do not substitute)
1 cup Heavy cream
1 cup Sour cream
4 Eggs, beaten to blend
1tsp Dill weed
2 cup Sour cream
Method :
Melt the 5 tablespoons butter in a large skillet or Dutch oven. Add the oil and heat. Add the onions, stir to coat and reduce the heat to low. Cook the onions, stirring occasionally, until they turn a deep brown color. Sprinkle with the sugar and continue cooking for a few more minutes. The onions will take about an hour.
Meanwhile, boil the potatoes in enough chicken stock to cover. (Cook potatoes until slightly underdone) Drain the potatoes completely, reserving the chicken stock. Mash the potatoes. Add the butter. Stir the beaten eggs into one cup of the sour cream. Add this to the hot potatoes, stirring quickly to distribute the egg evenly. Stir in the cream and the dill weed.
Add enough of the reserved stock to make a very loose mashed potato consistency. You do not want them to be stiff because they will dry out in the oven.
Butter a casserole dish and add half the potatoes. Spread the caramelized onions in an even layer over the potatoes. Carefully cover the onions with the rest of the potatoes, sealing them in. Cover the top with the remaining 2 cups of sour cream. Bake at 350F for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned.

Wednesday
Steak, horseradish mashed potatoes & steamed veggies

Thursday
Chicken Marsala
Ingredients:
60g (2 oz) butter
1.25kg (2 ½ lb) chicken pieces
flour
salt, pepper
2 onions
1 tablespoon grated green ginger
2 cups water
2 chicken stock cubes
¼ cup marsala
¼ cup cream
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Method:
Lighly coat the chicken pieces in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Melt the butter in a hot pan. Lightly brown the chicken pieces then remove them from the pan. They will cook in the Marsala sauce! Add peeled and finely chopped onions and ginger to the pan and sauté them over medium heat until the onions are transparent. Add water, crumbled stock cubes and Marsala wine. Bring the sauce to the boil; reduce the heat; return the chicken pieces to the pan, cover; simmer, stirring occasionally, for 30-45 minutes or until the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken from the pan, bring the sauce to the boil, stirring until it has reduced slightly. Reduce the heat, stir in the cream and parsley and pour over the chicken.
Serve with your favorite side dishes - from pasta, bread to potato with vegetables or salad.

Friday
Wiener Schnitzel
Submitted by: CarolinRated: 4 out of 5 by 72 members
Prep Time: 20 MinutesCook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 35 MinutesYields: 2 servings
"Translation of the name: 'Wiener' this word comes from the word 'Wien', which is the Austrian city called Vienna. 'Schnitzel' means basically meat in a crust. I'm German and hope you can understand my English description."
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound veal
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 eggs
3/4 teaspoon vegetable oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
1-1/2 teaspoons oil for frying
DIRECTIONS:
1.Cut the veal into steaks, about as thick as your finger. Dredge in flour. In a shallow dish, beat the eggs with 1 tablespoon oil, salt and pepper. Coat the veal with egg mixture, then with bread crumbs.
2.Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Fry veal until golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

German-Style Spinach
Submitted by: Joan Hutter
Prep Time: 5 MinutesCook Time: 15 Minutes
Ready In: 20 MinutesYields: 2 servings
"'GRANDMA'S spinach dish is flavored with her Austrian heritage. It's tasty and always looks so pretty on the plate. We children never had to be told to eat our spinach at Grandma's house!'"
INGREDIENTS:
1 (10 ounce) package frozen
chopped spinach
1 large onion, chopped
1 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons butter or
margarine
2 bacon strips, cooked and
crumbled
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
pepper to taste
DIRECTIONS:
1.Cook spinach according to package directions. Drain well and set aside. In a large skillet, saute onion and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in the spinach, bacon, nutmeg, salt and pepper; heat through.

Saturday
Coffee Spiced Lamb with Minted Coffee Sauce
8 double-thick lamb chops
Coffee Marinade
2 teaspoons g arlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon dark roast coffee, finely ground
¼ cup o live oil
½ cup Pinot Noir w ine
½ teaspoon whole mixed peppercorns
½ teaspoon fennel seeds
½ teaspoon cumin seeds
½ teaspoon mustard seeds
½ teaspoon coriander seed
2 teaspoons fresh t hyme, chopped
½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt

For the sauce:
1 cup chanterelle mushrooms (or best variety available), sliced
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon o live oil
1 ½ cups Pinot Noir w ine
2 tablespoons fresh mint leaves, chopped
2 cups chicken stock (use lamb stock if available)
¼ cup freshly brewed espresso coffee
½ teaspoon honey
1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water
1 ½ tablespoons butter, at room temperature
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Prepare the marinade:Grind the dried spices for the marinade in a spice grinder, allowing the spices to settle before removing the lid. Mix with the rest of the marinade ingredients in a non-reactive bowl.Place lamb in large non-reactive dish and cover with marinade, rubbing spices and liquids into the meat. Cover and refrigerate for approximately 3 to 4 hours. Bring to room temperature before cooking.For the sauce:Sauté the mushrooms and shallots in butter and olive oil over medium-high heat until shallots are translucent and mushrooms have given off their liquid. Add the wine and bring to a boil; boil for 2 minutes. Stir in mint, chicken stock, espresso coffee, and honey: reduce the sauce by half. Stir in cornstarch mixture bit by bit to thicken sauce to desired consistency. Remove from heat and add butter. Adjust seasoning (salt and pepper) to taste. Keep the sauce warm until service.Grill the lamb:Remove lamb and wipe off most of the marinade. Cook lamb for 7 to 8 minutes per side or until medium-rare and an internal thermometer registers 125°F (use a meat thermometer to test for doneness). Remove from grill and tent with foil, allowing meat to rest for 5 to10 minutes before serving.To serve:Place 2 lamb chops per serving on the serving plates, with bones crossing. Spoon warm sauce over the lamb chops, and garnish with a sprig of mint.Chef’s Note: This dish would go well with a side of flavored mashed potatoes and steamed baby vegetables. Mound the potatoes in the center of the plate with the lamb leaning against them and spoon sauce over the chops. Place vegetables opposite lamb and garnish the plate with a sprig of mint.

Sunday
SINIGANG NA BABOY (Pork in Sour Broth)
Serving Size : 4
Ingredient
1 1/2 lb Pork riblets or pork ribs, -country style,cut to pieces
5 c Water
4 md Tomatoes, sliced
1 md Onion, sliced
1 1/2 ts Salt
1 md Icicle radish, cut into -1″ pieces -(or 10 red radishes, pared)
1/4 lb Green beans
1/2 lb Spinach (or cabbage,-mustard greens or-watercress)
5 md Sampaloc (tamarind)-[available as powdered pkg]
1. In a large pot, bring water and pork to a boil. Add tomatoes, onion, salt and tamarind. Simmer 1 hour or until pork is tender.
2. Optional: Remove tamarind and mash with some broth. Strain juice back into pot.
3. Taste for seasoning. Bring to a boil. Add green beans and radish. for 10 minutes.
4. Add spinach, cover and remove from heat. Let stand 5 minute to finish cooking spinach. Variations: Beef (stewing, brisket, shank or plate) may be used in place of pork. Adjust cooking time for each.
Preparation Time: 10 minutes Cooking Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes Serves: 4

Menu plan for this week

2008-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

Monday

Rotisserie Chicken with Garlic Mashed Potatoes and steamed corn.

Tuesday

Mediterranean Salmon

Ingredients
4 four oz. pink salmon fillets
2 med. tomatoes, sliced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 med. red pepper, cut in thin strips
2 tbsp pesto sauce
lemon juice, to tasteblack pepper, to taste
4 cups whole wheat spaghetti, cooked

Nutritional Info
Fat: 9.2g
Carbohydrates: 44.9g
Calories:407.5
Protein: 38.7g
1. Preheat oven to 200C (400F). Spread out 4 large sheets of aluminium foil.2. Place a salmon fillet in the center of each sheet. Spread 1/2 tablespoon pesto sauce on each fillet. 3. Divide the veggies into 4 equal portions and spread on and around fish.4. Sprinkle freshly ground black pepper and lemon juice (to taste) over each fillet, and fold the aluminium foil closed to form 4 packages.5. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until fish is done. Serve over cooked pasta. Number of Servings: 4

Wednesday

Shabu-Shabu

2 pounds prime quality, well-marbled beef, cut into paper-thin slices, each slice measuring
8 by 3 inches (freezing the meat for 20 minutes will facilitate slicing meat)
12 shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and wiped clean, halved, if large
6 long onions, or 8 to 10 scallions, cut diagonally into 1 1/2-inch lengths
2 cakes tofu, cut into 1 1/2-inch squares
6 leaves Napa or Chinese cabbage, shredded
1 cup grated giant white radish
1/2 cup minced scallion
1 1/2 quarts chicken stock

BASIC DASHI:
3 quarts cold water
3 ounces giant kelp, (kombu)
3 ounces dried bonito flakes
Combine the water and kelp in a large pot. Bring the water to a boil, removing the kelp just before water boils since it emits a strong odor. If the fleshiest part of the kelp is still tough, return it to the water for a few more minutes, along with a little cold water. (Soft kelp means sufficient flavor has been extracted.) Remove the kelp and bring stock to a full boil.
Add 1/4 cup cold water to bring the temperature down quickly and add the bonito flakes. Bring to a boil, and then immediately remove from the heat. (If bonito flakes boil too long, the stock becomes bitter.) Allow the flakes to settle to the bottom of the pan, then filter the stock through cheesecloth.
About 2 quarts
DIPPING SAUCE #1:
2 cups basic dashi
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
White vinegar to taste
Combine the dashi, soy sauce, and mirin in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Let boil for a few minutes to reduce by 1/3, then remove from heat and cool. Stir in vinegar to taste. Pour sauce into individual cups.
DIPPING SAUCE #2:
1/2 cup white sesame seeds
1/2 to 1 cup dashi
1/4 to 1/2 cup dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon sake
Cayenne pepper to taste
Toast the sesame seeds in a heavy pan until lightly browned. Transfer warm seeds to a mortar and grind to a paste, or whirl in a blender. Add the dashi, soy sauce, mirin, sugar and sake, and mix well, using a spatula to blend and smooth the sauce. Add cayenne to taste. Pour sauce into individual cups.

Thursday

Tomato and Spinach Chicken

Ingredients
2 skinless chicken breast
1 can diced tomatoes with juice
1/2 package of spinach
salt/pepper
onion powder to taste
garlic powder to taste
1 slice of bacon
2 cups cooked rice

Nutritional Info
Fat: 3.1g
Carbohydrates: 59.8g
Calories:369.7
Protein: 24.3g
Mix together tomatoes and spinach.Place chicken breast on top of mixture.Season with onion and garlic, salt & pepper.Lay bacon strip on top of chicken.Cover with foil and place into 350 degree oven.Cook until chicken is tender.Plate rice and put one chicken breast on rice and spoon over with the tomato and spinach sauce.Serve with a garlic roll. Enjoy!
Number of Servings: 2

Friday

Thai Seared Scallops

Ingredients
12 oz Sea Scallops, raw (frozen is fine)
2 Baby Bok Choy, sliced (celery or swiss chard make good substitutes)
2 cups Broccoli, chopped
1 large Red Repper, sliced
Brown Rice, cooked, 3 cups (about 1 cup dry)
Sauce:
1 can Lite Coconut Milk (Taste of Thai is good)
Fresh Mint & Cilantro leaves, chopped
Hot peppers to taste (jalapeno, red chilis, or habaneros could all work, depending on your tolerance)
Nutritional Info
Fat: 7.9g
Carbohydrates: 45.8g
Calories:336.5
Protein: 23.1g
Thaw scallops under cold waterPrepare rice according to package instructions (remember brown rice takes 45 minutes to 1 hour, so you can prep everything else while the rice cooks)Slice vegetables and stir fry in a VERY hot pan, preferably non stick (but about 2 tsps of oil should do it)Meanwhile, start the sauce - simmer 1 can of lite coconut milk with the fresh herbs and hot peppers, if using. If desired, thin with chicken or vegetable broth.
Last, the scallops:Preheat a good skillet on high heat. Place scallops in a single layer in the pan, being careful to leave enough room for flipping.Sear for about 90 seconds, not allowing the scallops to cook through (they'll turn opaque), then flip and sear other side for equal amount of time.The scallops should be slightly charred and just done. Don't overcook - they'll get rubbery.Divide rice into four servings, top with stir fried vegetables, and place 3 oz each of the scallops on each. Top with sauce and hot peppers if using.Enjoy!Number of Servings: 4

Saturday

Edward is making homemade chili.

Sunday

Stuffed Flank Steak (Matambre)

c.1997, M.S. Milliken & S. Feniger, all rights reserved
1 (3 to 4 pound) flank steak
Marinade:
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons crushed oregano
3 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and crushed
3 garlic cloves, minced

Filling:
1 small bunch spinach, cleaned, stems removed
3 small carrots, peeled, halved lengthwise and parboiled
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 to 2 quarts beef stock (to cover meat)
Trim any fat from the meat, split it horizontally and pound it gently with a mallet to flatten. Place meat in a shallow glass dish. Combine the marinade ingredients and pour them over the meat. Cover, refrigerate and marinate 4 to 5 hours or overnight.
Remove the meat from the marinade, place on a flat surface and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover the meat with the spinach leaves and arrange the carrots across the meat.
Carefully roll the meat jellyroll fashion, so the grain runs the length of the roll, and tie it with a string at 1inch intervals.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Heat the oil in a Dutch oven or large pan over moderate heat. Add the meat and sear until browned on all sides, 5 to 7 minutes. Place the roll in an ovenproof casserole dish and pour the beef stock over to cover the meat.
Place the meat in the oven for 1 to 1 1/2 hours, or until desired doneness. To serve hot, remove the meat and place it on a platter. Let the meat rest for 10 minutes, carefully remove the strings and slice the roll into 3/4 inch slices. Serve with Salsa Criolla.

SALSA CRIOLLA
2 medium onions, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
2 jalapeno chiles, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon coarse salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
In a medium bowl, combine the onions, tomatoes, jalapeno, garlic, parsley, salt and pepper. Whisk together the oil and vinegar in a small bowl and pour over the tomato mixture. Mix well, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Adjust seasonings before serving with the meat.
about 2 cups of salsa

Recipes for this week

2008-02-09T10:32:00.000-08:00

MONDAY

Mango Curry Chicken

Ingredients
2 tsps olive oil8 chicken thighs, skin and bones removed1 large mango, in 1cm cubes1 medium onion, chopped1 454g can chopped tomatoes1/2 cup coconut milk1/2 cup natural yogurt Nutritional Info
Fat: 14.8g
Carbohydrates: 17.2g
Calories:319.9
Protein: 30.6g
Heat oil in non-stick saute pan/wok till hot. Fry chicken pieces till browning; add onions and stir inh curry powder. Cook on a medium heat till onions are soft. Add mango, tomatoes and coconut milk and cook for 25 minutes. Stir in yogurt until heated through.Serve on a bed of brown or white rice and with a raita, made with 1/2 cup natural yogurt, 1 tsp dried mint, 2 finely chopped cloves garlic and a pinch of chilli powder, and a mixed salad, seasoned with lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Quick Okra(Jhatpat Bhindi)

Serves: 2

Cooking time (approx.): 7 minutes

Style: North Indian Vegetarian

150 grams (about 6 oz.) okra cut into small (1/4") pieces

½ medium onion(s) sliced finely

1½ tablespoon(s) oil

½ teaspoon(s) each of red chilli, coriander and cumin powders

¼ teaspoon(s) each of turmeric powder and hot spice mix (garam masala) powder

1 green chilli(es) slit

a squeeze of lemon and salt to taste
Heat oil on medium level in a pan for about 1 minute(s).
Add onions, and stir fry on medium level for about 3 minutes or till they are very lightly browned. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala. Fry again for a few seconds.
Add the okra and the slit green chilli(es). Add a dash of lemon and sprinkle salt to taste. Mix well. Cover and cook on low heat for about 3 minutes or till the okra is cooked but firm.
Serve hot with: Green Peas Rice (Matar Pulav), white rice or Indian bread (Roti).

Dessert

MANGO MALAI

1/2 lb. fresh mango, flesh only (I use the jarred stuff, guys)
1 cup non-fat plain yogurt
2-3 tbsp sugar (or as desired, or artificial)
2 tsp lemon juice
pinch nutmeg
pinch salt
2 oz. black grapes

Put mango, yogurt, sugar, lemon juice, nutmeg and salt into blender and
process until smooth. Spoon into 4 serving dishes, halve grapes, discard
seeds, and decorate dessert with them.

TUESDAY
Black Thai Pork
Ingredients
18 oz pork chops, cut into stir-fry strips

1 cup salsa OR picante sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon molasses

1 tablespoon water

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 tablespoon sesame seed, toasted if desired

2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onions

3 cups hot cooked rice

Nutritional Info
Fat: 18.5g
Carbohydrates: 32.8g
Calories:421.7
Protein: 31.9g
1. For sauce, in a medium saucepan combine salsa, peanut butter, soy sauce, vinegar, molasses and water. Bring to boiling, stirring often. Keep warm. 2. Meanwhile, in a plastic or paper bag combine chili powder, ginger, garlic salt and pepper. Add pork strips; shake until pork is coated with spice mixture.3. In a large skillet heat vegetable oil over medium-high heat; cook and stir pork strips for 2-3 minute or until cooked through. 4. Spoon the sauce onto individual plates. Arrange the pork strips on top of sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seed, then top with green onions. Serve with noodles or rice.Serves 6 (3 oz pork and 1/2 cup cooked rice)

Phak Thong Het
This is a more complicated vegetarian squash stir-fry dish with delicate sweet overtones, and it takes just perfect with fresh jasmine rice.
Ingredients:

2/3 lb bite-sized pieces of peeled squash (can be any variety)

20 shiitake mushrooms, seasoned (see below)

6 ounces canned rice straw mushroom, sliced1 fresh Thai chile pepper, sliced

1/2 cup fresh thai basil leaves

1 teaspoon sugar

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1/4 cup water

2 tablespoons cooking oilMethod:Heat the oil in a wok then stir-fry the squash and at the same time add a bit of water. When the squash is cooked, add the sugar and soy sauce, continue to stir. Add the seasoned shiitake mushrooms, rice-straw mushrooms and the chile, and stir-fry until everything is done. Serve on a plate garnished with the basil or mint leaves.Seasoned Shiitake MushroomsBegin with 20 dried shiitakes and let them soak overnight in water to soften them up. Squeeze the water out until they're damp and set aside both the water and the shiitakes. Heat 2 cups vegetable oil in a wok add the mushrooms and fry until fragrant. Remove all but about two tablespoons of the oil. Add 3/4 cup light soy sauce, 3 tablespoons sugar, and one cup of the water in which the mushooms were soaked. Stir-fry until almost all of the water has evaporated, and remove from heat.

WEDNESDAY
Decadent Stuffed Tilapia

Ingredients
8 tilapia fillets (approx. 2 oz. each)4 oz neufchatel cheese1 cup imitation crab meat4 oz cooked shrimp1 cup sliced mushroomsdash of garlic powder Nutritional Info
Fat: 8.0g
Carbohydrates: 8.9g
Calories:243.6
Protein: 32.8g
Saute' mushrooms.Soften cheese. Pat dry fillets. Spread 1/4 cheese on one side of 4 fillets. Evenly distribute mushrooms, crab, and shrimp over cheese. Top with remaining fillet. Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes.

Serve with rice and steamed veggies.

THURSDAY

Creamy Bay Scallops over Saffron Rice

Fish/Vegetarian Dinner Submitted by NORMSNAN
Ingredients
2 pkgs Mahatma Saffron Yellow Rice

1 T. olive oil1 garlic clover, minced

1 shallot, minced

1 c. dry white wine

1 c. seafood stock (I used vegetable broth when I couldn't find seafood stock)

1 lb. fresh bay scallops

1/2 c. light sour cream

1/3 c. fresh parsley, choppedGreen and/or red peppers

1c. green peas

Directions
Prepare rice mix per directions and keep warm. Heat a large heavy bottomed saute pany over medium high heat. Add olive oil and saute garlic and shallot for one minute. Increase heat to high and add stock and wine. Bring to a boil and reduce liquid by half. Add scallops and saute 5 min. Remove from heat and stir in light sour cream and parsley. Serve over warm cooked rice. Serves 6

Nutritional Info
Servings Per Recipe: 6
Amount Per Serving
Calories: 339.1
Total Fat: 5.5 g
Cholesterol: 32.8 mg
Sodium: 1,135.5 mg
Total Carbs: 47.1 g
Dietary Fiber: 2.7 g
Protein: 18.6 g

*Serve with steamed vegetables

FRIDAY

Sukiyaki

INGREDIENTS:
1 pound thinly sliced beef * It tastes better if the beef slices are very thin.
A handful of shirataki noodles (made from yam cakes) or cellophane noodles
7-8 shiitake mushrooms
1 block enoki mushrooms
1 medium negi
1/2 Chinese cabbage
1 yaki-dofu (grilled tofu)
For sukiyaki sauce:
1/3 cup soy sauce / 3 tbsps sake (Japanese rice wine) / 5 tbsps sugar / 3/4 cup water
For dipping: 4 eggs
PREPARATION:
Cut all ingredients into bite-sized pieces. Arrange all ingredients on a large plate and place the plate at the table. Mix soy sauce, sake, sugar, and water to make sukiyaki sauce. Set an electric pan or a skillet at the table.
*After this point, everything is done at the table as you eat. Heat a little oil in the pan. Fry some beef slices, then pour sukiyaki sauce in the pan. Add other ingredients when the sauce starts to boil. Simmer until all ingredients are softened. Dip the cooked sukiyaki into the raw, beaten eggs and begin to eat. As the liquid boils away, add more sukiyaki sauce.
*Makes 4 servings

*We are going to fry this all up and then serve over white rice. Plus we won't be using the raw eggs as a dipping sauce.

SATURDAY

Golden Winter Soup Leeks and potatoes provide the base for this hearty vegetable soup, and butternut squash adds a hint of sweetness. Gruyère toasts add a salty note.

2 tablespoons butter

5 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled butternut squash (about 1 1/2 pounds)

2 cups (1/2-inch) cubed peeled russet potato (about 12 ounces)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups sliced leek (about 2 medium)

4 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth

1 cup half-and-half

12 ounces baguette, cut into 16 slices

3/4 cup (3 ounces) shredded Gruyère cheese

3 tablespoons chopped chives

Freshly ground black pepper (optional)Preheat broiler.
Melt butter in a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add squash, potato, salt, and pepper to pan; sauté 3 minutes. Add leek; sauté 1 minute. Stir in broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes or until potato is tender, stirring occasionally. Place half of potato mixture in a blender. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Pour into a large bowl. Repeat procedure with remaining potato mixture. Stir in half-and-half. Cover and keep warm.
Arrange bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet; sprinkle evenly with cheese. Broil bread slices 2 minutes or until golden. Ladle 1 cup soup into each of 8 bowls; top each serving with about 1 teaspoon chives. Serve 2 bread slices with each serving. Garnish with freshly ground black pepper, if desired.

Wine note: This is one vegetable soup that can easily handle a lighter red wine. Stick with the French theme and look for bargains from Burgundy, like Louis Jadot Pinot Noir 2005 ($20). This wine has pretty red berry fruit, great balance, and gentle tannins that make it ideal for lower-fat dishes. The underlying earthy, leathery flavors bring out the rustic nuances of the potatoes and squash. —Jeffery Lindenmuth

Yield: 8 servingsCALORIES 329 (30% from fat); FAT 10.9g (sat 6.2g,mono 3g,poly 0.9g); PROTEIN 12.8g; CHOLESTEROL 30mg; CALCIUM 217mg; SODIUM 813mg; FIBER 4.8g; IRON 3.2mg; CARBOHYDRATE 46.7g Cooking Light, JANUARY 2008

Veggie recipe to go with tonights dinner

2008-01-07T13:21:00.001-08:00

Braised Belgian Endive
This is a delicious side dish, and goes well with meat or poultry. If you can find it in your area, give it a try.
INGREDIENTS:
4 whole heads of Belgian Endive, trimmed and cored*
1 tablespoon butter
juice of 1/2 lemon, about 1 to 1 1/2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon salt
dash pepper
1 teaspoon sugar
PREPARATION:
*To core the endive, slice about 1/8 to 1/4-inch of the end off and cut out the small core with a sharp paring knife.
In a saucepan over medium heat, saute endive in butter, turning several times. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes. Serve with beef, pork, lamb, or chicken.Serves 2.

Okay I admit, our dinner tonight is not the best for the diet we are now on (Herbalife) but we've got to use up leftovers. So we're having turkey casserole leftover that is super yummy but high in calories and then endives. We've got at least 2 more days of eating turkey and then we'll be on low fat-low calorie dinners from then on.

Leftovers for tomorrow nights dinner.

2007-12-25T11:47:00.000-08:00

Pork and Rice Casserole
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern Food.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Use lean pork in this pork and rice casserole.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound lean pork, cut in cubes
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 1/2 to 2 cups cooked rice
1 can (10 1/2 ounces) cream of chicken soup
3 tablespoons soy sauce
PREPARATION:
Heat oil over medium heat; brown pork cubes then add onion and celery. Continue cooking until onion is golden. Add remaining ingredients; mix to blend. Pour into a lightly greased shallow 2-quart casserole.
Cover and bake at 350° for 1 hour.Serves 4 to 6.

Recipe for Christmas Dinner

2007-12-24T08:35:00.000-08:00

Glazed Baked Ham
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern Food.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Prepare the marinade the night before or early in the morning and let ham marinate for several hours in the refrigerator. Scroll down to see more baked ham recipes.
INGREDIENTS:
1/3 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup honey
1/3 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
1 fully cooked ham, about 6 pounds
PREPARATION:
In a large bowl or large food storage bag which will hold ham, combine the brown sugar, honey, wine, pineapple juice, and minced garlic. Place the ham in the marinade, turn to coat well, and let marinate for 6 hours or overnight in refrigerator.

Turn frequently to keep ham coated with marinade.
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the ham on a rack in a roasting pan, reserving marinade for basting. Bake the ham, basting frequently with the reserved marinade, until a meat thermometer (not touching the bone) reads about 140°, or about 10 minutes per pound.
Serves 8 to 10.

Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Copyright 1999, The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook, All rights reserved
Show:
Barefoot Contessa
Episode:
Thanksgiving
This recipe is available for a limited time only. Why?

1 1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts 3 tablespoons good olive oil 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Cut off the brown ends of the Brussels sprouts and pull off any yellow outer leaves. Mix them in a bowl with the olive oil, salt and pepper. Pour them on a sheet pan and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until crisp on the outside and tender on the inside. Shake the pan from time to time to brown the sprouts evenly. Sprinkle with more kosher salt ( I like these salty like French fries), and serve immediately.

Stupid stomach bugs!

2007-12-02T16:36:00.000-08:00

Okay so last week, my employee, Jennifer and I were sick. Both of us had the stomach bug.
Come mid-week, Edward was sick too (but he kept claiming it was dinner last night that upset his tummy, not some virus) so Edward got better.
Then yesterday, Saturday I felt miserable most of the day. By late evening~dinner time I was really not feeling well but I still ate my fajita with everyone else.
I ended up going to bed at 8pm, read a book for about 30 minutes and then zonked out, only to awaken about 30 minutes to an hour later because my stomach felt horribly. Turn out I caught it yet again!!!! This time it was with everything. vomiting, diarrhea, headache, sore and achy joints. YUCK!
Why damn it can I not get well and stay well!
So because of all this we have put off the Santa Claus visit until next weekend. (Hopefully we will all be healthy by then) Then I have to race like a mad woman to get all the cards and Christmas presents sent out!

Victoria's Secret - The VS flannel pajama

2007-11-18T18:00:00.000-08:00

Victoria's Secret - The VS flannel pajama

2007-11-17T16:34:00.000-08:00

I'm not superfound of green bean casserole but I'm trying to think of things that Nick would eat/like so.....

Green Bean Casserole
From: Campbell's Kitchen
Prep: 10 minutes
Bake: 30 minutes

Serves: 6
This traditional classic features green beans and Campbell's® Cream of Mushroom Soup topped with savory, crunchy French fried onions.

Ingredients:

1 can (10 3/4 oz.) Campbell's® Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup (Regular, 98% Fat Free or 25% Less Sodium)
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp. soy sauce
Dash ground black pepper
4 cups cooked cut green beans
1 1/3 cups French's® French Fried Onions

Directions:

MIX soup, milk, soy, black pepper, beans and 2/3 cup onions in 1 1/2-qt. casserole.

BAKE at 350°F. for 25 min. or until hot.

STIR . Sprinkle with remaining onions. Bake 5 min.

TIP: Use 1 bag (16 to 20 oz.) frozen green beans, 2 pkg. (9 oz. each) frozen green beans, 2 cans (about 16 oz. each) green beans or about 1 1/2 lb. fresh green beans for this recipe.

For a change of pace, substitute 4 cups cooked broccoli flowerets for the green beans.

For a creative twist, stir in 1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese with soup. Omit soy sauce. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup additional Cheddar cheese when adding the remaining onions.

For a festive touch, stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with soup.

For a heartier mushroom flavor, substitute Campbell's® Condensed Golden Mushroom Soup for Cream of Mushroom Soup. Omit soy sauce. Stir in 1/4 cup chopped red pepper with green beans.

Browse Vegetables/Side dishes

Killer Cranberry Sauce

From: noon@lamont.ldgo.columbia.edu (maureen noonan)
Date: Fri, 29 Oct 1993 19:43:22 GMT
This is the best cranberry sauce I have ever had...

1-1/2 C sugar
1 navel orange
1/2 t grated ginger
4 C cranberries
1/2 C (2 oz.) toasted pecans

Grate the orange peel and add to a pot with the sugar and ginger.
Add the juice from the orange into the pot and simmer over
medium heat until the sugar is dissolved.
Add cranberries and cook until they pop - about 5 minutes.
Add pecans and cool sauce.

Thanksgiving......

2007-11-16T22:13:00.000-08:00

Gourmet Sweet Potato Classic Submitted by: Heather
Rated: 5 out of 5 by 596 members Prep Time: 20 Minutes
Cook Time: 1 Hour 5 Minutes Ready In: 1 Hour 25 Minutes
Yields: 2 servings

"Once you taste this, you won't ever go back to the marshmallow-topped variety! I have peeled and cooked in the microwave, and also boiled the sweet potatoes. They taste the same no matter how you cook them. So, use the technique that works best for you!"
INGREDIENTS:
1-1/4 sweet potatoes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 eggs
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2 tablespoons white sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2-1/4 teaspoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped pecans

DIRECTIONS:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking dish.
2. Bake sweet potatoes 35 minutes in the preheated oven, or until they begin to soften. Cool slightly, peel, and mash.
3. In a large bowl, mix the mashed sweet potatoes, salt, 1/4 cup butter, eggs, vanilla extract, cinnamon, sugar, and heavy cream. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.
4. In a medium bowl, combine 1/4 cup butter, flour, brown sugar, and chopped pecans. Mix with a pastry blender or your fingers to the consistency of course meal. Sprinkle over the sweet potato mixture.
5. Bake 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until topping is crisp and lightly browned.

Recipe for tomorrow nights dinner

2007-11-08T19:33:00.000-08:00

This is from Tysa:

I like to throw pinto beans in the pot (soak em overnight first or boil for 2 minutes and let sit for half an hour first). Add water (about 2 times more than beans) and then garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper (ham or salt pork can also be added). Then when you get home make some cornbread and serve with some chopped onions and ketchup if desired.

Yup it's happened

2007-10-30T20:19:00.000-07:00

I've gotten out of the habit of blogging. It's not that much of a big deal for my blog but it is (at least in my book) a big deal for Nick's.
So jeez, where do I begin?

About 5 weeks ago I got a cold, turned into sinusitis. I think I wrote that before. Next about 1 1/2 weeks later I catch yet another cold. This one has now turned into bronchitis. I just went to the hospital today. Monday I took off simply because I knew my body needed a break, today I took off from work because I felt I should go to the hospital for all this, and I still felt I needed a break. Well obviously my subconcious was working overtime today because I ended up having to pick Nick up from daycare. He had a supposedly high fever.
That landed us right back in the ER but this time for about 2 1/2 hours at which point I stood up and said "NOPE!" So now tomorrow I have to yet bring Nick in again to the hospital to see what's up. For now we'll be surviving on Motrin and Tylenol.

Cookie recipe

2007-10-20T17:45:00.000-07:00

These are for Nick's class for Halloween. I still of course have to ask Ms. Kim, Nick's AM teacher if this is okay for me to make these for Halloween. If I can't I figure I can always make these for Nick's B-day coming up.

BABY OATMEAL CEREAL COOKIES
Printed from COOKS.COM
2 c. flour
1 tsp. soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking powder
2 1/2-3 c. baby oatmeal cereal
2 eggs
1 c. white sugar
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. oil
1 tsp. vanilla
Mix eggs, sugars, oil and vanilla. Add dry ingredients and mix well. Bake at 350 degrees about 15 minutes.

Dinner Tonight

2007-09-29T12:08:00.000-07:00

Savory Herb Sirloin Tip Roast
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!

This flavorful roast beef is rubbed with garlic and herbs then covered and refrigerated for an hour or two before roasting.
INGREDIENTS:
1 sirloin tip roast, about 3 to 4 pounds
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium cloves garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 to 1 1/2 teaspoons cracked black pepper or about 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or about 1/2 teaspoon crumbled dried leaf rosemary
1 tablespoon grated onion
1/2 teaspoon dried leaf thyme
PREPARATION:
Remove roast from any netting and place in a foil-lined roasting pan. Combine remaining ingredients in a small bowl, mixing well. Rub roast all over and tie with twine to keep it together if necessary.
Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
Heat oven to 325°. Uncover the beef and place in the oven. Roast for about 25 minutes per pound, or until the roast is tender and done as desired. For medium-rare, the roast will register about 140° F.. Remove from the oven and cover with foil. Let stand for 15 minutes before carving.Serves 6 to 8

What a horribly, hellish 2 weeks

2007-09-22T17:35:00.000-07:00

For the past two weeks now Nick and I have both been sick non-stop!!! Either with the flu, a cold, Nick got the croup again, I got a sinus infection, and as a grand finale, Nick got a horrible ear infection in both ears. Since Edward's been out in the field for the past two weeks I've had a horrible time fighting off anything. Trying to get 8 hours of sleep has been tough.
So now it's Saturday. I've managed to get two loads of my laundry done, I mowed the lawn, managed to track grass stains all across the carpet at one point, so then proceeded to steam clean the carpets. Again.
I have beef stew cooking in the crock pot which Nick and I will have for dinner along with some garlic bread. I just felt like we needed a good homecooked, hearty meal for dinner tonight. Hopefully Nick will eat it.

So the trees are just about done changing here. They've all turned that yellow brown color that trees turn to when they're just about done. We've had some flurries on Friday. Next week promises even more snow.
I've managed to get both Nick and my costumes for Halloween this year. We're both going to be pirates. I dressed Nick up in his today and he's so cute!!!!
I figure we'll get the pumpkin about 3 weeks from now and Nick and I will carve it up.

I've already been doing my circling in toy catalogs for Nick for Christmas. Just want to get a head start on that.

I get my new employee Jennifer on Monday. God I hope Nick is okay by then. I figure it'll take at least a full month to train her fully. Then I can start working on getting my next person.
I had to leave somewhat unexpectedly on Friday when the daycare called me at 1130am to tell me Nick had a 103 fever. We spent the remainder of the day at the ER. I did manage to get a hold of Edward and tell him. Of course I'm not suprised in the least that they didn't let him out of the field. Sick wife and sick kid, not a good enough excuse. I know that but now I feel horrible for even calling Edward to tell him about Nick simply because it makes me seem like one of those types of wimpy wives. You know the type who says "My husband can't get deployed because then I don't have anyone to take care of me" I'm not that type of person.
However that said I would've loved to know that I had someone taking over so I can get healthy again. I've been more or less sick for the past 2 weeks. It's tough managing an office with employee issues, taking care of a sick little guy, taking care of the house AND being sick yourself.

Yesterday, pushed me to the limit. I sat in the ER waiting room with Nick for 2 1/2 hours. In the beginning his fever was only 99 when we first checked in. By about 2.15 minutes of waiting it was obvious his fever was spiking. Dramatically. I grew more and more concerned, scared, worried.
Finally they called us in and as they did I warned them that Nick was SUPER hot. Take his temperature NOW please. They did. 106. ......106
Any parent out there most likely knows how you feel when you see a thermometer with your childs temperature read that. So totally scared, totally panicked.
Right away the staff moved to action. The nurse ran to our examination room with a full syringe of tylenol and another one of motrin. Next the doctor. He did the normal examination. Ear infection.
Next was the shot of Ampecillin. That was the worst. Poor Nick was already feeling miserable and then this ER tech sticks him with a really large needle. I was leaning over him holding his arms, the other tech holding his legs. Nick's face grew extremely red and he then started screaming bloody murder. It was so much easier to go through shots with him when he was younger. I swear. I felt so horrible that this was happening to him.

Serious issues at work and at home

2007-09-13T17:43:00.000-07:00

God where do I begin? It's been so long since I posted so I just don't know where.
Shelby, my employee, put in her two weeks notice 2 weeks ago. Her last day was supposed to be 14 Sept but it ended up being Tuesday, this Tuesday, instead.
Nick's been on again off again sick. Cold's, Roseola, Croup, etc. Not fun.
Also 2 weeks ago I was trying like mad to get the house ready for winter before Edward headed out to the field had me running like a mad woman.
Thankfully we are full into fall so now there's not much left for outside chores.
I just wish Nick would get healthy and that so would I! Last week I came down with a fever of 102.7, at one point it got to 103 but then promptly fell. Doc's said it was just a run of the mill flu. Nothing to be concerned about. Plenty for me to be concerned about though because it's my paycheck and my work that is suffering!!!!!!
I have managed to get things moving smoother and smoother and yet I always feel as it's not enough. There have been some noticeable improvements at work. Our office just got recognized as making the most progress in Alaska in the Auto ticketing issue. Our office is looking more and more friendly and welcoming. I moved to Shelby's desk yesterday and it doesn't really look that bad.
I still have loads to do though.
At home Thursday and Friday managed to put a damper in my plans since I came down with the flu. I did manage to get some sim time in. That was neat.

I'm so tired tonight. I think that's part of the reason why I cannot think of what I need to post here. I'm just rambling, rambling, rambling.

A productive weekend and more auroras

2007-09-02T15:50:00.000-07:00

This weekend we've managed to get quite a bit of things done which is suprising since we've got a sick little guy running around. Yesterday I managed to wash the downstairs floors, Edward mowed the lawn, I vacuumed the downstairs and also managed to get tons of loads of laundry done. Oh also I managed to get some homemade tomato sauce canned.
Today we vacuumed upstairs, cleaned up the garage some more in preparation for winter, I put away Nick's swimming pool in a large plastic bag, cleaned up the closet upstairs since I took it apart looking for the missing dreamcatcher that we purchased in Sedona for Nick. (still haven't figured out what happened to it). Plus on top of all this I cleaned the oven. Tomorrow we're planning on going to Pioneer Park.
All in all productive weekend. A lot of work, some relaxation time.

So last night we had to get Nick up again. He had a 103.3 fever so at 1am we gave him some motrin, put him in a lukewarm bath and while Edward was watching him in the bathtub I took a look outside. Northern lights were out again. These ones were green and silver. The color was nothing special but they were especially active which always makes it a pleasure to watch. They certainly were not lazy! I tried to take video of them but I think my camera is just not up to it. Still I'll post the video here. Never mind about that video, you can't see a thing. However I just realized my camera has a nightshot option so if Munchkin gets me up tonight and the auroras are out again I'll give it a try.

A recipe I have finally REfound and Northern Lights

2007-09-01T21:12:00.001-07:00

Pearl Onions in Cream Sauce
1 6-oz. pkg. Frieda's Gold, Red or White Pearl Onions, peeled according to
package directions 3 tbsp. butter or margarine 3 tbsp. flour
1 1/2 cups milk, heated almost to boiling point
2 tbsp. cream sherry (optional)1 drop tabasco sauce
Dash ground nutmeg
White pepper and salt to taste
Chopped parsley for garnish
To cook pearl onions, drop peeled onions into boiling water. Cook for 10 minute: and drain. To make cream sauce, melt butter or margarine over medium-high heat When melted, add flour, stirring constantly with wire whisk, until all butter

I've made this before and it's super delicious!

So last night, like I wrote in Nick's blog we had to go to the hospital. Nick had a horrible fever which has me worried sick since he's still fighting it off. Do other Mom's feel like this I wonder? I feel like I just want to attack whatever it is that is hurting my little boy, if I could I would fight them off with a sword, a gun, or something. Instead I just sit here and administer Motrin and give cool bathes in hopes that this will soon be just a memory.
So as we were heading off to the hospital Edward noticed Aurora Borealis out! Very pretty but I've seen nicer. The ones in NY were totally cool. All beautiful red and pinks and lavenders. These were just green. Still though it was neat to see it out.
Nights are getting definetely cooler now. That said, that reminds me I need to move the fan into our bedroom. I convinced Edward that it would be a better idea for us to just use the fan from now on since the Air conditioner freezes up and shuts off so early now. I think it should work. Heck it did last year.

My game The Sims2 Bon Voyage comes out next week! Whoopee! Can't wait.

A recipe for tonight.

2007-08-26T13:25:00.000-07:00

GRILLED SWORDFISH WITH GARLIC BUTTER
Printed from COOKS.COM

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

4 tbsp. sweet butter
1/3 c. extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp. Balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. oregano
2 lg. swordfish steaks, about 1-inch thick (1 1/2 lbs. to 2 lbs.)
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp. dried parsley
Pepper to taste

One day in advance, soften the butter with a wooden spoon and mix in the crushed garlic. Using a piece of waxed paper, roll into a log and return to the refrigerator until firm.
In a small bowl mix the olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, parsley, oregano, and vinegar. Liberally brush the olive oil mixture on one side of the swordfish and place brushed side down on preheated medium grill. Brush olive oil on the other side and cook for about 5-10 minutes.

Turn swordfish over, brush more olive oil, and cook an additional 5-10 minutes or until fish flakes easily and is cooked to desired doneness. DO NOT overcook.

Remove fish from the grill and place a piece of garlic butter on top of each piece of fish. Makes 4 servings.

Note: Tuna or Mahi Mahi can be substituted for the swordfish. If using a broiler rather than a grill, use a lower rack setting and brush the olive oil on both sides of the fish before putting under the broiler.

We're using Mahi mahi instead for this one.
.
Later......It's best to use fresh fish on this one. If you use frozen like we did the fish turns out super dry.

What a hectic weekend

2007-08-19T20:24:00.000-07:00

Due to the fact that next weekend we're going to Denali this weekend we've been so darn busy.
Also add on the fact that Autumn is very VERY close to being here so we had to prepare the outdoors for it all. So we managed to apply Thompson Sealent to the fence, the front porch and the back deck. Then we painted the pillar outside since the builder obviously just used primer and that's it.
We went shopping some at Fred Meyers, I ran three tickets this weekend for my own home business, we cleaned up the plants and prepared some of them for the oncoming season change. I harvested some coriander and planted some of it. I'm hoping that for the first few months of spring I'll have some nice fresh cilantro to remind me of the sunny days of summer.
Of course we also had loads and loads of laundry to do, vacuuming, I had labels to sew on Nick's clothes (which I finished by the way). This evening I fertilized the lawn, Edward mowed it on Friday. It's looking good so far.
God, when I list it all like this it doesn't look like much but it felt like we were constantly running, constantly busy, nonstop.
Tomorrow, of course, is work. Tuesday I have an interview to conduct and one of the days this week I've got to get my nails filled since I won't be around this weekend to get it done. Friday I'm taking off a few hours early so we can head out to Denali. I hope we all have fun!

My life, in a nutshell

2007-08-12T19:38:00.000-07:00

Sooooo where do I begin? Well I guess I could start at tonight and work my way backwards, huh? We had Cheese fondue but even though Edward and I liked it alot Nick totally detested it. Don't know if it was just the taste or just the fact that he's still got that darn bloody cold. Before dinner, I managed to get my pants ironed, before that I ordered our bluetooth headsets for both Edward and I. Mine is in "Spa Blue" and Edward's is in "Pumpkin Orange". Before that, uhhh let me think. Oh yeah we went shopping at Fred Meyers for some cheese and wine for the fondue, I got a Sims 2 EP H&M Fashion stuff (not that I'm super excited about it or anything as from what I've seen this EP sucks royally. It's just clothes and that's it. We also went to Sears to get an estimate on the brakes for the jeep and we went to ValueVillage. Got some nice thick mittens for Nick to wear this winter for only $2.99. Before that, I played on the sims a bit but unfortunately the game got all screwed up (my fault I used the boolprop testingcheatsenabled true cheat so it screwed up one of the families) And before that shopping again at Fred Meyers. This time it was for tons of other stuff that I had forgotten the previous day.
So that's today in the Readers Digest form.
We've definetely noticed that fall is most definetely here. The leaves are changing and the temperatures are becoming cooler. Plus the sun now sets at 1130pm. It doesn't rise until about 1:30 to 2:00 am. Whenever I wake up in the middle of the night I've been trying to make sure I look outside to the sky to see if Aurora borealis is present. Still nada.
Yesterday we managed to work on that salsa. It seemed pretty tasty. I can't wait to see how it tastes after sitting for a little while! Plus I was non-stop busy with tons and tons of other junk (that I can't seem to remember just now)
I just have to say right now. I'm tired! Soooo pooped! And tomorrow I go back to work again. Back to the daily grind. I just hope Nick recovers completely soon!

Hopefully this will tempt our sick little guy

2007-08-12T14:23:00.000-07:00

Classic Cheese Fondue
Traditionally, fondue is made with a blend of Swiss Emmentaler and Gruyere cheeses. Emmentaler is very mild and Gruyere, especially well-aged Gruyere, is very pungent. A half and half mixture is pleasing to most, but feel free to adjust the proportions to your liking.
2 tablespoons cornstarch or potato flour
1/4 cup kirsch (cherry brandy)
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 cups dry, white wine
12 ounces shredded Emmentaler cheese
12 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Combine the cornstarch and kirsch. Set aside. Slice the garlic in half lengthwise and rub the cut side over the inside of a medium, heavy saucepan. Discard the garlic. Pour the wine into the saucepan and bring it to a boil over a medium-high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low. Add the cheese to the wine by handfuls and stir slowly until the cheese is just melted. (Stirring in a figure-8 or zigzag motion prevents the cheese from clumping.) Stir in the cornstarch mixture, pepper, and nutmeg. Simmer for two or three minutes until it begins to thicken, but do not let it boil. Transfer to a warmed ceramic fondue pot and serve immediately. Keep warm over a very low flame.
This original/traditional cheese fondue recipe is still best served with the original dipper; serve with 2 to 3 loaves of crusty French bread, cut into 1” cubes. Serves 6.
Variations:
After seasoning the saucepan with garlic, sauté either 2 cloves of garlic or 2 shallots, finely chopped, in 1 tablespoon of butter and proceed with the recipe.
Tip: Purchase a trial-size bottle of kirsch if you feel the remains of a full bottle will just sit on the shelf.

By the way, first thing, definetely need to cut this recipe in half. It's too much for just Edward, Nick and I. Also Nick did NOT like this one. Anytime we dipped the bread in the cheese and offered it to him it promptly landed on the floor.

Need to do some canning this weekend

2007-08-10T13:10:00.000-07:00

Salsa Recipes for Canning
Guide E-323Martha Archuleta, Extension Food and Nutrition Specialist
College of Agriculture and Home Economics New Mexico State UniversityThis Publication is scheduled to be updated and reissued 7/05.
CAUTION: Most salsa recipes contain a mixture of low-acid foods, such as onions and chiles. Acid, such as vinegar or lemon juice must be added to prevent the bacteria, Clostridium botulinum, from growing. This bacteria produces a deadly toxin that can cause serious damage to the central nervous system or death when eaten in even small amounts. These salsa recipes have been tested to ensure that they contain enough acid to be processed safely in a boiling water canner.
INGREDIENTS
Tomatoes
The type of tomato you use often affects the quality of salsas. Paste tomatoes, such as Roma, have firmer flesh and produce thicker salsas than large slicing tomatoes. Although both types make good salsas, slicing tomatoes usually yield a thinner, more watery salsa than paste tomatoes.
Canning is not a good way to use overripe or spoiling tomatoes. Use only high quality tomatoes for canning salsa or any other tomato product. Do not use tomatoes from dead or frost-killed vines. Poor quality or overripe tomatoes will yield a very poor salsa and may spoil.
Where recipes call for peeled or skinned tomatoes, remove the skin by dipping tomatoes into boiling water for 30-60 seconds or until skins split. Dip in cold water, then slip off skins and remove cores and seeds. You may substitute green tomatoes or tomatillos for tomatoes in any of these recipes.
Chiles
Chiles range from mild to fiery in taste. Very hot chiles are usually small (1 to 3 inches long); mild chiles are usually bigger (4 to 10 inches long). Anaheim, Ancho, New Mexico 6-4, Big Jim, Chimayo, and Hungarian Yellow Wax are mild chile varieties. Choose a mild chile when the recipe calls for long green chiles.
Small, very hot chiles provide a distinct taste to salsas. Jalapeño is the most popular hot chile. Other varieties include Serrano, Cayenne, Habanero, Chile Piquin, and Tabasco. Use rubber gloves when you cut or dice these chiles because they cause extreme irritation to the skin. Do not touch your face, particularly the area around your eyes, when you are working with hot chiles.
You may substitute bell peppers for some or all of the long green chiles. Also, different chile varieties will have different flavors. Canned chiles may be used in place of fresh.
Use only high quality chiles. Do not increase the total amount of chiles in any recipe. However, you may substitute one type of chile for another.
The skin of long green chiles may be tough and can be removed by heating the chiles. Usually when chiles are finely chopped, they do not need to be skinned.
Hot chiles, such as the jalapeño, do not need to be peeled, but seeds are often removed.
If you choose to peel chiles, slit each one along the side to allow steam to escape. Peel using one of these two methods:
Oven or broiler method-Place chiles in a hot oven (400 °F) or broiler for 6-8 minutes until skins blister.
Range-top method-Cover hot burner (either gas or electric) with heavy wire mesh. Place chiles on burner for several minutes until skins blister.
After heating, place chiles in a pan and cover with a damp cloth. (This will make peeling the chiles easier.) Cool several minutes; slip off skins. Discard seeds and chop.
CAUTION: Wear plastic or rubber gloves while handling hot chiles.
Tomatillos
Tomatillos are also known as Mexican husk tomatoes. They do not need to be peeled or seeded, but the dry outer husk must be removed.
Acids
The acid ingredients used in salsa help preserve it and prevent botulism poisoning. You must add acid to canned salsas because the natural acidity may not be high enough. Commonly used acids in home canning are vinegar and lemon juice. Lemon juice is more acidic than vinegar, but has less effect on flavor. Use only vinegar that is at least 5% acid and use only bottled lemon juice.
If you wish, you may safely substitute an equal amount of lemon juice for vinegar in recipes using vinegar. Do not substitute vinegar for lemon juice. This substitution will result in a less acid and potentially unsafe salsa.
Spices
Spices add flavoring to salsas. Cilantro and cumin are often used in spicy salsas. You may leave them out if you prefer a salsa with a milder taste. For a stronger cilantro flavor, add fresh cilantro just before serving the salsa.
IMPORTANT: Follow the directions carefully and exactly for each recipe. Use the amounts of each vegetable listed in the recipe. Add the amount of vinegar or lemon juice listed. You may decrease the amount of spices, if desired. Do not can salsas that do not follow these or other research tested recipes. (They may be frozen or stored in the refrigerator.) Do not thicken salsas with flour or cornstarch before canning. After you open a jar to use, you may pour off some of the liquid or thicken with cornstarch.
Filling the Jars
Follow manufacturer's directions for pretreating lids. Fill hot clean jars with the hot salsa, being careful not to leave any salsa on the rims. Wipe jar rims with a clean, damp paper towel. Put on lids and screw on metal bands.
PROCESSING
Processing in a Boiling Water Canner
Use a rack to keep jars from touching canner bottom and to allow heat to reach all sides of the filled jars.
Put jars into a canner that contains simmering water.
Add boiling water if needed to bring water 1-2 inches above jar tops. Don' t pour water directly on the jars. Place a tight-fitting cover on canner. (If you use a pressure canner for water bath canning, leave the cover unfastened and the petcock open to prevent pressure buildup.)
Bring water back to a rolling boil. Set a timer for recommended processing time. Watch closely to keep water boiling gently and steadily. Add boiling water if necessary to keep jars covered.
Remove the jars from the canner immediately after timer sounds. The food could spoil later if jars are left in hot water too long.
Cooling Jars
Put jars on a rack or cloth so air can circulate freely around them. Don't use a fan and avoid cold drafts.
Do not retighten screw bands after processing.
Testing for Seal
Test each jar for a seal the day after canning. Jars with flat metal lids are sealed if:1. Lid is curved down in the center. 2. Lid does not move when pressed down. 3. Tapping the center of the lid with a spoon gives a clear, ringing sound (this is the least reliable method).
If a jar is not sealed, refrigerate the contents and use soon or reprocess. Reprocess within 24 hours. When reprocessing, the salsa must first be heated to a boil before packing in hot jars. Wipe jar rims clean. Use a new lid and process for the full time listed.
Storing
Wipe jars. Label with the date and the contents of the jar. Remove the screw bands to avoid rust.
Store jars in a cool dark place. For best eating quality and nutritive value, use within one year. Heat, freezing temperatures, light, or dampness will decrease the quality and shelf life of canned food.
Before Using
Before opening each jar, look for bulging lids, leaks, or any unusual appearance of the food. After opening, check for off-odor, mold, or foam. If there is any sign of spoilage, destroy the food.

Tomato/Green Chile Salsa
Yield: 3 pints
3 cups peeled, cored, chopped tomatoes
3 cups seeded, chopped long green chiles
3/4 cup chopped onions
1 jalapeño, seeded, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups vinegar
1/2 tsp ground cumin*
2 tsp oregano leaves*
1 1/2 tsp salt
Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and heat, stirring frequently, until mixture boils. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Ladle hot into pint jars, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Adjust lids and process in a boiling water canner 15 minutes at 0-1,000 feet altitude; 20 minutes at 1,001-6,000 feet; 25 minutes above 6,000 feet.
*Optional

I'm so tired.

2007-08-08T19:16:00.000-07:00

I am just not the type of person who can operate well on just a few hours of sleep. Just can't do it. Last night I got about 4 hours total of sleep all told. Totally unsatisfactory.
In fact I seriously need to end this entry in my blog for two reasons. First I'm too tired to think of much and second, Nick keeps going after the computer like crazy so that makes it hard to write. Maybe I'll write later?

As usual now a days

2007-08-06T20:15:00.000-07:00

I have to make this quick. Edward is upstairs giving Nick a bath so I figured once I cleaned up the kitchen from dinner I'd write really quick. Especially since I so rarely have the time now.
Got a lot of things done in the office today. I'm getting the estimate for our new phone system tomorrow, I'm thinking I'm going to also work on my ILE group and then call Sabre to see about changing the font on our invoice and hardcopy printer. I think it's a somewhat hardware issue but also something in Sabre itself that needs to be adjusted for our office.
That's all I'm going to plan for myself because I know other junk will probably come up.
Fall is officially here. It's been rainy ever since Saturday and now the highs are averaging at about 55 and the lows at about 45 or so. Summertime is over. We may have a day or two at 75 or so but that's about it at this time of year. Edward and I are both very happy about the season change though. It's time.
Got to run. Darn! Nick's done with his bath!

Dinner Tonight

2007-08-04T12:39:00.000-07:00

Cinnamon Apple Pork Tenderloin
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
INGREDIENTS:
1 to 1 1/2 pounds pork tenderloin
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons brown sugar, packed
2 cooking apples, peeled, cored and sliced
2 tablespoons dried cranberries or raisins
PREPARATION:
Preheat the oven to 400°. Place the pork tenderloin in a roasting pan or casserole dish. Combine the remaining ingredients in a bowl and stir. Spoon the apple mixture around the pork tenderloin.
Cover and bake 30 minutes. Remove the lid and spoon the apple mixture over the tenderloin. Return to the oven and bake 15 to 20 minutes longer, or until pork tenderloin is browned and cooked through. A meat thermometer in the center should register at least 150° to 160°.Serves 4.

You can't have it both ways

2007-08-02T07:33:00.000-07:00

I'm discovering this of course again just recently. I'm finding I miss Nick more and more throughout the day and yet it's wonderful to be back at work. Sometimes, most of the time actually. Yesterday was supposed to be a wonderful day but it turned sour quickly. Mom left for home yesterday of course so I got up, said goodbye to her and kissed Edward and told him I'd see him later on. Then went upstairs, readied myself, ate breakfast and then went upstairs to get Nick. This should have warned me that today was going to be a horrid day. On our way downstairs I slipped as I was carrying Nick and slid all the way down the stairs. I'm still feeling somewhat bruised but I'm better now than what I was yesterday. Next I drop Nick off at daycare. No problems there. I get to work. Shelby is walking around the office, moaning and crying that she feels horrible. I feel horrible but I keep trudging along. Finally before lunch I tell her to just go. She calls back later to say she's going to stay home after going to see the doctor. Okay no problem. We've got 27 PNR's on Queue 198 but I'm sure we can take care of them. Well then all hell broke loose. Let's just say that I did not even get out of work until almost 6pm. I was so angry, so pissed. It's not that I had to stay late it's just that something, many things really irked me. Unfortunately I don't have time to go into it all right now as I've got to get Nick up and again drop him off at daycare. I just felt like I now have so little time with Nick and this idiot customer in front of me is taking that time away from me. My time with my son. My time with my husband.
Oh well, like Scarlett O'hara once said "After all, tomorrow...is another day" And tomorrow is now today. Lets see how different it is. Please God, let it be a good one!

What a mess....

2007-07-27T07:23:00.000-07:00

Thank God it's Friday. Thank God. Yesterday was one helluva day. I came in and discovered that many of the issues I've been tackling have now been approved by the big boss, (not just my boss's boss but her my boss's boss's boss) In fact she was suggesting them in an email to me and my boss. Too funny. I really had to giggle when I saw that and thought to myself "yup great minds think alike!" This office has really been filthy, disorganized, unproductive for far too long. I've more or less made it my goal to turn the place around and make it a good place to work, it'll have good equipment, good phones, a somewhat predictable place, etc. You get the idea right? So anyways yesterday from mid morning on was non stop hectic. I did a spectra to get all the PNR's that will need to be ticketed from 27 July to 30 August. Then I changed all the TAW lines to start using AT, then I did QC on all of the pnrs, etc. 110 PNR's were worked. Then I got more refunds done, then I did more shredding, I vacuumed with our neighbors awesome vacuum cleaner cause our does horribly. I found some 5 ply invoice paper as we're very close to being out. I moved the 3 ply to a more visible spot so that when we run out of 5 ply we'll have that handy. I of course also did all the normal junk of a travel agent. Make reservations, answer questions, etc. God I got home and I was so tired! I ended up making myself a martini as soon as I got changed. I haven't been drinking a lot lately mostly because first it's not good to go to work with a headache and second I'm trying to lose some weight but last night I was just so darn stressed. I even bought a bag of cheetos yesterday! They made me feel yucky though after I ate them. (I didn't eat the whole bag)

Then last night was a blur. We ate dinner, Nick just ate the pasta but no chicken and no artichoke. Edward gave Nick a bath, I sat downstairs sipping my whiskey sour talking with Mom. I don't think Mom knew how close she was to getting yelled at from Edward during dinner. Mom was doing her "Oh you used to look so good honey, so skinny" which totally gets Edward annoyed as Edward constantly says he likes the way I look now over how I looked when he first came home. I went upstairs to help Edward put Nick to bed but obviously Nick wasn't interested in Mommy last night. He kept telling me bye bye and nite nite so I went back downstairs.
Edward then came downstairs and insisted that we must look at the eruptions on Mittens chin. She scratched the heck out of my right knee so I said enough. We then went upstairs and killed zombies on RE4 The Mercenaries while I also finished up Nick's daycare sheet and did a few other things on the computer. Oh I also shredded some. Then bed. I was so tired that it didn't take long for me to fall asleep last night. As it is I did not want to wake up this morning. The most I could do on the whole sit ups, lifting weights bit was do 20 reps with 5 lb weights with my arms. I didn't do any sit ups or anything. I'm still tired and that's after taking my diet pill this morning, drinking a coke and eating breakfast. Maybe I'll get an espresso at work?

I've decided that not this weekend but next I'm going to get my nails done. Acrylic or silk nails. Finally my hands won't look horrible anymore. My nails are a mess and like I've told my Mom giving myself a pedicure or a manicure is just a chore that takes more of my valuable time. It's not a necessary chore like cleaning the bathroom or watering the lawn or taking care of Nick. Therefore that is at the very VERY bottom of the list of things to do. So it just doesn't get done. So instead every other weekend I'll have my ME time for about 30 minutes. That's not too much to ask I think.

What to say?

2007-07-22T20:53:00.000-07:00

Earlier today I had tons to say but now....nothing. Let's just say I've been increasingly frustrated, angry, stressed out, etc. I've had so little time just to sit and think. To sit and do nothing more than type out my thoughts. Between my job, my Son, my Mom, and any other issues that come up I've had about enough time to go to the bathroom. Even then I'll sit down to do my business when suddenly my Mom will call out "oh hey tam, this needs to be done...."
Let me just say the thought of getting a spa treatment keeps me going each day. Isn't that horrible!?

Run, run, run

2007-07-15T21:04:00.000-07:00

Darn am I running fast enough? Can I get it done before this certain time? The housework, Nicholas, office work, etc. No time, no time. What the hell am I going to wear tomorrow? I haven't a clue. I still have to compose that stupid letter to NWA advising them that we need credit for our flight to PHX. Can you believe that I did not put our Frequent flier numbers in our PNR? Jeez!
Plus, it's 8pm at night and I still need to read the email that Irene forwarded me on Friday about the airlines needing "cleaner" PNRs. It was forwarded to all the managers for us to take care of and then pass the message down to our employees but I have yet to even read the dang thing.
I did manage to vacuum in our office on Friday with our horrible vacuum cleaner but all it managed to do was throw dust and pieces of paper in the air. We have 6 bags of trash in our office. We're about to run out of water, we're about to run out of paper. We have filing that needs to be done, we're delinquet on our FEDEX account, jeez. What else? Too much. All this is way overdue. And yet I inherited it seems.
Saturday I had to run into the office in between a hair cut gone wrong and watching Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix to run a ticket that had been forgotten late Friday afternoon. Unfortunately Shelby, my employee, and I had other issues. She discovered that she cannot run an etkt with a check or cash as FOP. It was an emergency leave res so we had no time to do anything more than run a paper ticket and have her run it over to the pax.
God I hope this week is better. Please God.

So yesterday started with eat breakfast, take Nick to swim class, get my hair done at Regis (never gonna go to that lady again), rush to the office, issue a ticket, rush home while snacking on popcorn that I bought at the Bentley Mall, pick up Edward, go to the movie theater. Now rush home after the movie and pick up Nick. Go a mini grocery shopping, cook dinner. Bed time. Today cook this elaborate breakfast off the FoodNetwork that Edward saw, then do a little yard work, get more housework done. Work on my HR paperwork that is due tomorrow, print out my ticket numbers from our PHX trip, watch Edward play for a few minutes on RE4 The Mercenaries, then go downstairs, prepare Lasagna, garlic bread and butter, salad.
Clean up some more. Mow the lawn, clean up some more. Work on more office junk. Quick, run, run, run.
Now it's 8pm and I seriously need to go to bed just for a break. Maybe I'll read for a bit.
Oh before I end this, have to add, AF decided to grace me with it's presence today.....how lovely. At least it wasn't last week. Last week I ended up with a UTI, a fever blister and a stubborn zit.

This mornings Breakfast

2007-07-15T12:31:00.000-07:00

Ricotta Pancakes with Roasted Golden Delicious Apples and Roasted Prosciutto
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007
See this recipe on air Friday Jul. 20 at 11:30 AM ET/PT.
For the topping: 12 slices prosciutto Salt and freshly ground black pepper, optional 4 Golden Delicious apples 1/2 stick butter, melted 1/4 cup maple syrup
For the pancakes: 2 cups ricotta 4 large eggs, separated 1 cup buttermilk 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon lemon zest 1 cup all-purpose flour 3 tablespoons sugar 1 teaspoon baking powder Pinch salt Butter, for cooking Confectioners' sugar, for dusting, optional 1 cup maple syrup, warmed on stove-top
For the topping: Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
On 1 tray lay the slices of prosciutto out in a single flat layer. Season with some salt and freshly ground black pepper, if desired, and pop into the oven. Roast the prosciutto until crispy, about 10 to 15 minutes.
Cut each apple into thirds, remove the cheeks and discard the core. Slice each piece into 4 and toss with butter and maple syrup in a large bowl. Transfer to a roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast the apples until they are fork-tender and slightly caramelized on the top, about 30 to 45 minutes depending on ripeness of the fruit.
For the pancakes: Combine the ricotta, egg yolks, buttermilk, lemon juice, and lemon zest in a large mixing bowl. Sift the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into the ricotta mixture and stir until fully combined. In a separate bowl whisk the egg whites until stiff peaks form and then gently fold into the batter. Heat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and add a little butter. Cook 2 to 3 pancakes at a time using a 6-ounce ladle or measuring cup to pour the batter into the pan. The trick to perfect round pancakes to carefully pour all the batter in the same spot and let it roll out to a complete circle. Cook the pancakes on 1 side until they set. When small bubbles appear on the uncooked surface, flip the pancakes and cook until golden on both sides, about 6 minutes. Keep the pancakes on a plate set at the back of the stove under a dry towel to keep warm while you make the rest.
To serve, lay the pancakes on a plate and dust with confectioners' sugar. Serve with roasted apples, crispy prosciutto strips and warm maple syrup.

Peach Ginger Bellini
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence, 2007
See this recipe on air Friday Jul. 20 at 11:30 AM ET/PT.
For the ginger simple syrup: 1/4 cup sliced fresh ginger, with skin 2 cups granulated sugar 2 cups cold water
For the peach puree: 10 ounces semi-frozen peaches 1/2 cup ginger simple syrup
For serving: Ice cubes 1 bottle Champagne
Begin by making the ginger simple syrup. Peel and grate the ginger. Add it together with the sugar and cold water to a saucepan. Bring it to the boil and stir until the sugar dissolves. Cover and let steep for 15 minutes. Strain, discard ginger pieces and set simple syrup aside.
In a blender add frozen peaches and ginger simple syrup. Blend until completely pureed then place into the refrigerator to cool.
For serving: Add ice cubes to a cocktail shaker and fill half way with peach puree. Top off with Champagne and shake vigorously to combine. Pour into Champagne glasses and repeat process as needed.

I made it!

2007-07-13T07:31:00.000-07:00

To the end of my first workweek that is as a Manager. I actually survived. At least so far being that it's Friday morning for me right now so I have yet to see what this day holds. I do know I have a problem Manila ticket on NW to issue since the darn thing didn't want to issue yesterday and I'm sure we'll be busy simply because we closed at 11am yesterday due to transportation's company picnic but I'm keeping my fingers crossed!
On Monday I came in and had to get going immediately as none of my HR stuff, my Sabre login, my CWT/Sato login were set up. So had to do that myself. That and still help customers, attempt to recall exactly how everything works again, learn the new stuff that Sato has put in place and so on and so forth. Jeez, Monday I came home so tired. So overwhelmed.
Tuesday and Wednesday? More of the same and yet things are getting better. A little at a time.
Yesterday since we got off early I went out and bought some things for the office to make my desk a little more efficient as well as make the office just a little nicer. Mom stayed home while Nick took a nap.
I feel like I'm losing weight. No suprise there as my breakfast each morning has been fruit and toast. Lunch has been a quickly eaten sandwich and maybe a pretzel or two. I have a granola bar in my desk that I've been munching on since Tuesday. There is still about 1 1/4 left of it.
By the time I get home for dinner, I'm hungry but my mind is still racing so I really have no drive to eat much then. I can say this, I have a feeling that at least for a while this job will be really good for my weight!

1 more weekday left

2007-07-05T18:33:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow will be my last weekday at home. Monday I start work. I purchased some new clothes at Gottschalks today. $280 worth. I expected it to be much more expensive though so it was a pleasant suprise.
Tomorrow I have to do my last minute wrapping up of things, go to my new office to meet my employee, I need to contact Open Arms and make sure they've got everything they need, plus of course I have to type up some information for Miss Kim, Nick's teacher. I gave a rather abbreviated version of Nick's likes and dislikes when I visited recently.
Plus I've been trying to get somewhat of my fill of The Sims 2 since I won't be able to play it here soon. Of course when Mom is here we won't be able to play any of the games we normally play when Nick's asleep. (RE4. We've been stuck on the Mercenaries. And my game. The Sims 2)
Still though I'm glad I got this job. It's getting me out of the house, it's getting me back into my old world of travel, travel issues, customer problems, creating, working, doing what I do best. Travel.

Why is Edward always so clumsy!!

2007-07-03T20:14:00.000-07:00

Almost every day he manages to drop something, break something, spill something, etc. Tonight it was my wine glass that was full of red wine because he had just emptied the bottle into his and my glasses. He walked by and "WHOOPS!" Red wine all over the table, the placemats, the new camera at the end of the table, everything. Thankfully it didn't get on the floor. I swear I wish I could get it through to him that he needs to be more careful. Was it his upbringing? I wonder?
Today we managed to drop off the Jeep at Sears. It's been having problems starting lately. Then we headed over to The Salvation Army and dropped off some stuff for them. Next was Bright Beginnings Learning Center. That place is so great! Last was Fred Meyers to pick up some things for dinner. We made Prigipisa's Eggplant stew. This (Edward and I decided) would be even better if served with pork chops. I'm going to freeze the leftovers and use it like that. Saute some Pork Chops in olive oil and fresh garlic. Then add the Eggplant stew and let it simmer. I'd imagine it would be really YUMMY served over rice.
I'm almost done with my "signing dictionary" for Mom. I just gotta send it to her tonight. I also have to burn a CD with all the pictures and video that I now have on this pc. I have some filing to do and I need to print out the magnet that will be going on the fridge that will have all of Edward and my contact info. That way Mom always has that easily available.
Tomorrow we're going to clean, clean, clean. And then have BBQ Ribs for dinner. I'd love to have traditional Macaroni Salad but I'm not absolutely certain that Fred Meyers will be open. I do know we have to pick up the Jeep tomorrow. God I hope it'll work now.

Well the 3 week solution didn't work

2007-07-02T17:20:00.000-07:00

Damn! We were trying to get Nicholas in with Carolyn for 3 weeks but today Carolyn more or less said "Nope, I cannot take a child for so short a time" I do understand where she's coming from but there is not many options for us now. So I've called on my Mom. My parents are now trying to get my Mom to fly up here but since it's tourist season it's VERY tough. There are like no seats. I just looked on Sabre and there was nothing there. Absolutely nothing. I feel horrible that I'm asking Mom to do this. That they'll be spending possibly 1500 or more to fly Mom out here last minute but we don't have many other options.
So for right now, I have decided the only thing to do is sit down with a Martini and enjoy some cheese and crackers with it. SH*T! Damn it all to hell!!!!

So we're back and we're starting a hectic week!

2007-07-02T13:53:00.000-07:00

This is my last free week before starting my job next week. I start the 9th of July as the Lead Travel Counselor (aka Site Manager) at Sato/CWT. I'm looking forward to it but of course I'm worried about how Nick is going to do. Plus it'll be adding some extra work load onto me. That's okay I'm ready, more than ready actually to go back to work. I'm tired of being around the house all day with just Nick.
So our Jeep hasn't been starting lately. The battery keeps going dead. We're going to bring it to Sears tomorrow to see what can be done. This afternoon we have the interview with Carolyn the childcare provider we'll be using for Nick for 3 weeks until he gets into Open Arms Daycare.
Then tomorrow is the Jeep first, then a walk through at the Bright Beginnings Preschool, then I need to go through all my clothes to see what fits and what doesn't.
I still need to wash the floors, vacuum, dust, and wipe down the bathrooms. I'd love to clean the carpets before I head off to work but I don't know if I'll have time. Maybe on Wednesday? I just want to head off to work knowing that the house is more or less clean so that way all it will take is simple clean ups during the week, nothing extensive. We're going to use the cloth diapers only on the weekend. I have a feeling that once Nick sees all his little friends using the potty that maybe he'll be more interested. He's showing signs that he knows he's going pee or poop but he shows no interest lately in going potty on the toilet. At least for me.
We've got a new water timer for outside that goes off in the morning at 6:20 am and I'm still trying to see what time it will go off this afternoon. My plan is every night to go out there and move the sprinkler here or there so different parts of the grass and plants get water. Edward and I are trying to get a good lawn started in our fenced area before winter hits. That reminds me, I've noticed more fireweed blooming. Soon we'll start the 6 week count down. (for those Cheechakos who don't know, when the fireweed blooms it's said here that you know from that point you have 6 more weeks till the snow flies)

I'm still hoping we get a good crop of tomatoes and peppers. The herbs will be a little harder to cultivate simply because now I won't have as much time. I'd love to go berry picking but of course that will have to be reserved for the weekends only. Oh and Edward and I have been wanting to plan a weekend getaway with Nick to Denali. Try out my camera some there.
Well I must stop this and get up and get moving. I'm tired due to my 45 minute walk from our house to the Open Arms childcare center but I need to get the floor washed. If I do it when Nick is awake then he tries walking all over it and slips and falls constantly because he's not very good at walking on slippery surfaces yet.

Dinner recipe to make soon

2007-06-30T13:47:00.001-07:00

This is Prigipisa's Eggplant stew recipe from Sparkpeople. I'm going to make this on Monday.

Cut it into cubes (with the skin intact) and soak it in salt and water for atleast 3 hours. This takes the bitterness out of it. I think wind up steaming it until it just begins to wilt since I'm always pressed for time. Quickest way to get it soft. As it's steaming I sautee onion, scallion, garlic, red and green peppers and diced tomatoes in olive oil in a skillet. Once the tomatoes start to make everything juicy I add in about a can of tomato sauce (unsalted plain variety). I let that stew on the oven top for a few minutes. I add in the steamed eggplant and let that get coated. I then transfer everything to a covered baking dish in the oven (pre-heated to about 375) for about half an hour. If the tomato I used wasn't ripe enough I add in about half a cup of water to this mixture. After half an hour I uncover and let everything get crispy on top. Only takes about 10 minutes more. YUMMMYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY

One hot safari!

2007-06-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Grand Canyon day. Yesterday I think proved to many of our family (except for Paul as he still thinks he knows everything) that Nick needs naps. Good naps. Not just naps in cars that last for 20 minutes here or 30 minutes there. Nick at about 1pm began throwing a fit so we quickly ran back to the car, turned on the AC, and told Edward's Mom we were going. We managed to make it back by 330pm and were able to take Nick swimming at the pool here.
Last night we had a simple rotisserie chicken, some pasta, and some mushrooms. It was slightly a hit with Nick. Good news is that we did get him to bed by 7:30 pm.

Today we went to the Out of Africa Safari outside of Cottonwood. All I can say was it was hot, it didn't seem like it was worth the money and we had an okay time. I say okay only because it was kind of neat to see all the animals up close but I've seen many of those animals up close before and in a much better climate. I almost passed out on one of the tours due to the extreme heat. (when I say "extreme" it was actually on 90 something degrees but to me that is very hot, especially since we live in Alaska)

Then we came back to our timeshare, had a quickie (if unhealthy Mickey D's) lunch and then went swimming for a bit to allow Nick some down time. He always loves swimming.
Then it was time for pictures. Edward's Mom insisted that she must have a picture of all the grandchildren in Country Western Garb. I was very relieved as Nick did very well.

Tomorrow we head back to PHX. Thank God! We're going to stop at some of the wineries on the way but then we'll be back in PHX. Friday morning we fly back home. I'm definetely looking forward to that! Seriously.
In the past I don't look forward to flying with Nick but now I am. Just so we can get back home to Alaska. God how I miss Alaska!! I miss the cool air, the mountains, our home, my plants, the everyday grind. Everything.

Weird relatives....or so it feels like to me

2007-06-24T16:02:00.000-07:00

This morning we had everyone over for breakfast at our timeshare. We had eggs, reindeer sausage, regular breakfast sausage, toast, bagels and hash browns. All the while I was cooking and preparing food Edward's Dad went on and on about how global warming is a joke, it's all stupid science. Next was how their church is doing. Then Paul told me how I was insane to make breakfast for so many people. Hey, he's offered to make dinner for everyone on Tuesday! So who's insane again? We did get many compliments on our timeshare however Paul looked at us like we're nuts when we said it's okay but we're not super impressed by it. Hey we've stayed at alot of places, seen alot of things so we're not awestruck by a place like what we're staying in. We're spoiled I guess.
So we all finally ate. The only thing we were short on was the eggs. I should've added more milk to those eggs darn it! Oh well, no worries. It just meant that Edward, myself and Angie had very little eggs. Edward and I made a point not to tell everyone what type of sausage they were eating. They would've been grossed out to find out they were eating reindeer sausage. :)
Then Edward and I packed our bags, cleaned up the kitchen and dining area (with Angie's help, she's such an awesome sister in law!) and then left to go to Slide Park in the Coconino National Park. Unfortunately there was a monstrous line and there wasn't enough parking so we weren't able to do that.
Instead we stopped at a parking area. At first I thought it was just to take pictures but it turned out into a full blown hiking expedition. We hiked all the way down to a meandering, peaceful stream where the kids could relax and play and the adults could cool off a bit. It was rather nice but I got tired of it shortly. Paul suggested along with a few of the others that we should eat lunch down there but I wasn't too thrilled about the suggestion. It's tough enough to feed Nick in a high chair, I didn't want to do it with him running around in the water. The appearance of a king snack among the rocks ended all debate as the children announced they were not going to stay or eat in the vicinity of a snake. I didn't have the heart to tell them that this is wilderness so there are probably snakes everywhere, they just don't see them.
So we hiked back up. Yuck! It was too damn hot, I'm out of shape and the elevation (5000 ft) was making it harder to breathe. We did finally of course get to the top though and Edward and I drove home as quickly as we possibly could, fed ourselves and Nicholas lunch and then took Nick swimming in the resort swimming pool. Our relatives loved the pool. I had a feeling that Paul was daydreaming that "he" was staying at a high class resort somewhere as he was lounging on a chair, sunning himself. Too funny. Hey they got a free place to stay. All they paid us was $200 and $140 of that I consider to be used towards the fee that we paid to transfer the points. So they got off with a week stay at a 3 star timeshare resort for $60. Not bad. Not bad at all.
We brought Nick downstairs after the pool and put him to bed. He was so tired. In fact he's still sleeping now even though I said we'd get him up at 4pm. The little guy needs his sleep.
Tonight we've got dinner and Edward's Mom and Dad's resort. Can't wait to see the hodgepodge of food we'll have. Please tell me that Edward's Mom is not going to combine some sort of Fettucine Alfredo, hamburgers, chicken and broccoli casserole and all and serve it to us. If so we'll be leaving. YUCK!
Tomorrow night is free day so I think the evening we'll go out to a restaurant nearby. I'd like to try out one of those. We were going to go to the wineries but most of them are closed. Oh well.
We're going to go shopping instead. I'd love to get some nice authentic Native American jewelry. Something maybe with the red rocks of Sedona. Or maybe something equally as nice to put in my curio cabinet.
By the way I have a horrible headache that I'm trying to shake. I hate headaches with a passion. I almost feel like this one is all sinus. I wonder if there is something here that I'm allergic to.
Lastly let me just add. Edward and I forgot to pack many things: toothbrushes, our game that we wanted to play on the computer, etc. (etc this time meaning I can't remember what else we forgot but I know we forgot more) Next vacation we gotta pack better. This one of course I wasn't really looking forward to so I don't think I really cared how we'd pack.

More news those without blinders can use......

2007-06-24T15:38:00.000-07:00

This was in the NY Times. I've always liked the NY times when they report on this stuff simply because they tend to post many views.

June 24, 2007
General’s Iraq Progress Report Has Competition
By DAVID E. SANGER and THOM SHANKER
WASHINGTON, June 23 — Last month, Congress set a deadline for the American commander in Iraq, declaring that by Sept. 15 he would have to assess progress there before billions more dollars are approved to finance the military effort to stabilize the country. The commander, Gen. David H. Petraeus, said in recent days that his report would be only a snapshot of trends, strongly suggesting he will be asking for more time.
But even before he composes the first sentences of the report, to be written with the new American ambassador in Baghdad, Ryan C. Crocker, the administration is commissioning other assessments that could dilute its findings about the impact of the current troop increase. The intent appears to be to give President Bush, who publicly puts great emphasis on listening to his field commanders, a wide range of options.
The assessments are likely to conclude that the Iraqi government has failed to use the troop increase for the purpose the president intended, to strike the political accommodations that he said would stabilize the country. That and other views expected in the various reports could also provide some rationale for beginning a reduction of troops in Iraq under conditions far short of the “victory” Mr. Bush, for the past four years, has said was his ultimate goal. He has used that word with far less frequency recently.
American intelligence agencies, according to senior administration and intelligence officials, are already preparing to submit their own assessment of Iraq’s progress. That is expected to include a judgment about whether Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is willing or capable of striking the kind of Shiite-Sunni political balance Mr. Bush said was the ultimate objective of the American strategy, and whether the passage of political compromises, none of which have yet cleared Parliament, have any hope of reducing the violence. That report will begin circulating, officials said, around the time that General Petraeus and Mr. Crocker arrive in Washington to testify about what the troop increase has accomplished.
Congress has also asked for an independent commission to report on whether the Iraqi security forces are ready to take on the greater role in stabilizing the country that Mr. Bush has talked about since soon after the 2003 invasion. But lawmakers did not mandate who would conduct the assessment, and tellingly, the Pentagon assigned that task to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a bipartisan Washington policy institute that has regularly published some scholars’ stinging evaluations of strategic blunders in the administration’s strategy.
The commission will be led by Gen. James L. Jones, the retired former supreme allied commander in Europe, who has made little secret of his doubts about whether the current course will succeed, and John J. Hamre, a former deputy defense secretary who led a study mission to Iraq four years ago that offered recommendations that were largely ignored by the White House.
Little doubt remains that General Petraeus will argue for continuing the troop increase. His deputy, Lt. Gen. Raymond T. Odierno, told reporters on Friday that Iraqi forces were “getting better,” “staying and fighting,” “taking casualties” and adding to their numbers.
“If you ask me today, I think by the spring, or earlier, they will be able to take on a larger portion of their security, which means I think potentially we could have a decision to reduce our forces,” General Odierno said. But he also acknowledged that such claims have been made many times in this war, only to be reversed as chaos spread.
Several officials around Mr. Bush, none of whom would speak on the record about internal White House deliberations, said they wanted to make sure the president was given dissenting viewpoints as he made decisions that would determine whether troop withdrawals began in his last year in office.
“The issue now is when do we start withdrawing troops and at what pace,” one senior administration official said. “Petraeus wants as much time as he can get,” the official said, but added that “the president may not have the leeway” to give him that time.
The reality, officials said, is that starting around April the military will simply run out of troops to maintain the current effort. By then, officials said, Mr. Bush would either have to withdraw roughly one brigade a month, or extend the tours of troops now in Iraq and shorten their time back home before redeployment. The latter, said one White House official, “is not something the president wants to do” and would likely become a centerpiece of the 2008 presidential campaign.
Advisers to Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates and senior members of Congress who have discussed the issue with Mr. Gates have described one of his central goals as trying to turn down the heat in Iraq, transforming the war from the central national security crisis confronting the nation to an important but manageable long-term foreign policy and military issue. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice has expressed similar views, but it is unclear whether Vice President Dick Cheney or President Bush will try to squeeze every possible month out of the troop increase.
It is difficult to predict how the assessments will play out in the next three months. Congressional Democrats, who wrote the Sept. 15 deadline into war-financing legislation, envisioned General Petraeus’s report as the moment they would have enough solid information to decide whether to continue financing for the so-called surge. They say that it could provide the opportunity to peel away enough nervous Republicans to create a veto-proof majority in favor of a withdrawal. An earlier report, due next month, is expected to be less significant.
But with the proliferation of assessments, there may also be a proliferation of contradictory views. That is exactly what the White House sought to create last December, when it ordered other studies to offset the findings of the Iraq Study Group, led by former Secretary of State James A. Baker III and former Representative Lee H. Hamilton. Mr. Bush rejected much of the group’s advice — until recently, when he declared that it was his intention to get back to the group’s plan. He did not say which parts, but the plan includes a call, filled with caveats, for gradual withdrawal of all combat brigades by the end of March 2008.
Within Mr. Bush’s inner circle of advisers, Mr. Gates and Gen. Peter Pace, the departing chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said this week that they intended to use the report from General Petraeus and Mr. Crocker as just the foundation for their own, formal recommendations to the president.
Already, Mr. Bush’s aides are anticipating that General Petraeus’s report will be met with anger in Congress from Democrats and some Republicans who have expressed skepticism that Iraq can achieve real political progress.
In recent days, General Petraeus has sought to manage expectations in Congress and among the American public by emphasizing that his September report should be viewed as a snapshot of trends for an offensive that has recently gotten under way.
A range of officials have said that the military operations in Iraq are operating on a different clock than the effort at reaching political reconciliation under Prime Minister Maliki, and that both of those are on a different clock than the one marking time on Capitol Hill. But a series of deadlines loom.
The first, preliminary report demanded by Congress is due from the administration on July 15, just as Congress is in the midst of further debate on a bill that would authorize military spending for Iraq for the fiscal year that begins in October. The main benchmarks assessment, due on Sept. 15, will arrive on Capitol Hill as Congress is debating legislation to appropriate that money, the second part of the budgeting process. Any of those bills could serve as vehicles for members to try to legislate troop levels or timetables for the Iraq mission.

First day of vacation at Sedona Arizona

2007-06-23T15:28:00.000-07:00

Happy Anniversary!!! NOT!
Yesterday of course we flew into PHX Sky Harbor Airport. Picked up our car, did the 3 hour drive to Sedona. Edward and I are not impressed with this area. Yeah sure it’s pretty but it’s so darn touristy that it almost looks fake. The mountains are nice enough but they’re not the same majestic type that are in Alaska. I once heard someone say that our mountains in Alaska are like Colorado Mountains but on steroids.

It’s so DAMN hot here! HOW in the HELL do people live here? I guess one could ask that about where we live (you know about the cold and all) but seriously, yesterday when we got here it was 114 degrees! TOO HOT! Stay outside for too long and you’d be baked like a chicken.
So off the weather, onto family. We arrived at the timeshare last night and Edward called his Dad. His Dad of course wanted to see Nick but Edward agreed that Nick was just too tired, this wasn’t the right time for Nick to have visitors clamoring all over him, so Edward insisted that we should all wait till tomorrow. At this point Edward’s Dad got all upset saying that this is his grandson and he MUST see him! Edward again reiterated that Nick’s tired, he’s not feeling well and that they can see him tomorrow.
Well later after getting up to our room, we got our dinner at the Wildflower Bread Company and I decided that it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to eat there for breakfast with the rest of the clan so Edward called his Dad. Well, then his brother gets on the phone and invites Edward over at about 830pm. Look we’re both tired. (as of right now I’m almost falling asleep at the keyboard) We need to get some rest, we need to put some more of our things away. Everyone else got here into Sedona 4-5 hours ago. We didn’t. We got in (by that point) about 2 hours ago. We’re hungry, we’re tired, we need a break.
So after a large argument Edward called everyone to say he wouldn’t make it that night.
We both slept horribly. Thankfully we do have a king bed but there’s a hard mattress on it, the sheets are scratchy and I wasn’t exactly looking forward to this morning.
This morning we woke up at 5am, 6am we actually got up after talking quietly in bed for a while, and then at about 620 or so Nick got up. We took a shower soon after, realized we had forgotten all our toothbrushes, realized we had forgotten our face soap, and then got ready. I made some coffee earlier so we drank that in hopes that we would get some much needed energy. It didn’t work out that well but oh well.
Then we headed over to Edward’s parents place. You can tell this place is much cheaper. The furniture is very cheaply made. All pressed wood.
Edward’s Dad was waiting for us outside on the corner with a camera. Right after we got Nick out of his car seat he insisted that he must have a picture taken with Nick, the golden Grandson, the prized calf, the heir to his lineage. I swear you’d think we were royalty or something by how Edward’s Dad goes on and on about his grandson and such. Sometimes I almost wish I had a girl just so I wouldn’t have to put up with such BS! Still though I love my little boy dearly so I’d never trade him in just to make things easier on me. All the while during the whole reunion this morning I just smiled, made chit chat, etc. Edward, Paul and I got into a big argument about the military, the war in Iraq and all. Let’s just say it got heated and I finally told Paul he had no idea because he’s not in the military we are and that we have more inside information than what he’d ever have.
Just pissed me off to the extreme. He even did the “Well you volunteered for it!” bit. Oh how I love that line. Hey soldiers, those who volunteered, yes you, I’m sure you’re also volunteering to be treated like shit, to be jerked around, to be killed, etc. Just love it. I could tell it infuriated Edward too.
After we left Edward just made the remark “Yeah well some people just like to wear their blinders on is all”
Paul suggsested we all go hiking after Nick gets up from his nap but seriously I’m thinking it would be better if maybe we go swimming or something. We’re still trying (unsuccessfully) to get used to the heat. I don’t think it would be the best idea to go hiking during the hottest part of the day. At least not for an Alaskan family.

Oh by the way, got to add this before I end it for today. I got a bottle of St Francis Merlot and Benzinger Merlot!!!! We loved Benzinger Winery!

I GOT THE JOB!!!

2007-06-18T16:25:00.000-07:00

Lead Travel Counselor aka Site Manager at Sato Travel (owned by Carlson Wagonlit Travel) on Fort Wainwright! I start on 9July.
I have got approved for childcare for Nick at the Lutheran Child Care center starting August 1st. I'm looking into temporary childcare for the 3 weeks that I'll need it.
$18.00 per hour! That adds up to $2800 per month!!! I can not believe it!!!! I'M FREE! I'M FREE! I can be a working woman again!

Possible job coming to me soon?

2007-06-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday I supposedly have a phone interview with CWT. They're supposed to call me tomorrow to schedule it. God I hope I get this job! Then next, God I hope I can get childcare!!!!

Relaxin at home and working on.....the SIMS!

2007-06-13T19:11:00.000-07:00

Yup just like my title here says, I've been taking it easy, relaxing, not doing much and working on the Sims. Mostly building lots as that's all I have time for. I don't have the endless hours like I used to to work on families. I miss that but oh well. Hey at least I can still build. I just uploaded a nice community lot with cabins. Not like they'd be much use to any of the sims other than the opportunity to woohoo in private, they still can't sleep in them without a cheat.
Still though it has some beautiful scenery and some nice restaurants and even a bar.
Around the house, I've been doing a little each day. Nothing like what I do when Edward's home. Today I managed to get the upstairs and downstairs vacuumed, did a diaper wash, folded Edward and my laundry, and more or less cleaned up. Oh of course, dinner tonight. It's a simple affair. chicken and dumplings (I started the dumplings too late which is the reason I've posted this so late, I'm waiting for those stubborn dumplings to cook)

2007-06-10T18:07:00.000-07:00

HUSH PUPPIES
Printed from COOKS.COM
1/2 cup flour, sifted
1 1/2 cups white cornmeal
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 cup milk1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 small onion, chopped fine
1 egg, beaten
Combine all ingredients. Drop into hot oil, 1 teaspoon at a time, until golden brown. Serve while hot with fish.
Serving Size: 4

We're having this along with shrimp and Alaskan King Crab tonight. Thanks to those brave fishermen in the Bering Sea.
I'm doing the shrimp like my parents used to do. Beer, water, old bay, salt and pepper. You simply can't ever go wrong with shrimp. Mmmm. That and King Crab. Still though I miss Maryland Blue Crab. That and Clams. sigh. Oh well.

Busy, busy life

2007-06-05T10:31:00.000-07:00

I've decided to take a moment out of Nick and my busy, busy day to record a bit of what is going on currently with our lives. This will have to be quick though because Munchkin is showing signs of getting bored and I still have a diaper wash to start and loads of clothes to list on Ebay.
Today thankfully it's raining out but that has triggered my arthritis in my knees so I'm hobbling like an old lady today. I'll have to make myself some tea. I've noticed that my German Chamomile plants have some flowers that can be harvested. I've noticed that Chamomile works great on Edward to help him relax. I always need something stronger so I prefer Valerian. My tomatoes are doing good, the roma have tomatoes starting on them, the others are just either starting to bloom or haven't bloomed at all yet. I do have blooms on my pepper plants.
We planted a nice little ornamental garden right outside of our living room window. I think the plants will do really well there. This one doesn't do much other than look pretty and smell good. I didn't want much there. I have my hands full with all the tending of the other plants.
Then onto other projects. Edward and I put up the storm door on the front door. Edward kind of screwed it up but I've been painting it to hopefully hide some of the boo boos. Leave it to me to come up with creative ways to hide his boo boos. :)
This morning he called me to thank me for fixing his remote car starter. He had broken a part of it that had made it where he could no longer put it on his key chain so I just took some plastic, some super glue and "hey presto!" it's fixed.
Also the fences are finally almost up. Ours is, Ken just needs to finish the other neighbors fences. Something kind of hard to do when you keep getting this moist weather like this. We don't have a gate yet but as a temporary gate we block the opening with chairs. We should have our gates soon which will allow us to go out in the yard with Nick and not have to worry about him so much. The worst thing that could hurt him out there is a bee once the gates get put up.
We also installed the side planters off the deck. I painted them black to hide some of the rust. I've installed a temporary screen that will be used only during the summer. During the winter I'll roll it up and put it away. It does a very good job at keeping the bugs out and lets a breeze in. I tried installing the cabinet organizers but unfortunately they're too big. So I either have to return those and order a smaller size or just return those and say forget it about installing any type of organizer.
I still need to paint the post outside on our front porch. I've noticed that it's looking rather yucky. I think all they used on it was primer orignally, I don't think Kent, our builder, actually had them truly paint it. Like all the borders to the doors and such. Edward and I have to buy some Thompsons Water seal and do the decks and the fence now. We plan to do that next month though.
I've been non-stop busy with the childcare hunt. We went to one place on Friday to check it out and I was NOT impressed at all. This woman had a pit bull, purple hair, piercings in her face, most of the kids were in the age range of 4-8 yrs old, this womans house was rather dirty, the tv was on, there was an old fashioned trampoline out back, ....well you get the idea. Not very impressive. Nick would be run over there by the kids and then bitten most likely by the dogs.
I checked out the Lutheran Open Arms Daycare Center down the road from us and was pretty impressed by it. There was a little too much "The Bible says this and that" for my taste but they had good security to keep the kids safe, they prepare good homecooked style meals, they provide structure and schedules, and they honestly seem to love the kids. All positives in my book. Plus like my Mom said Nick does need to learn some about the Bible, God, Jesus and all of that. I just don't want to shove it down his throat.
Edward told his Mom yesterday that we found the Open Arms place and she said "Good, maybe that will mean you guys will go to church" HA! I knew she'd say something like that.
I filled out the paperwork but unfortunately they don't have space right now, so we're on yet another list. I've contacted the place on post and we're still low on the list. Thank God I registered Nick in February! I only wish I had done it just a bit sooner!
Nothing yet from Carlson/Sato. I'm still waiting for their call.
I've been listing many of the clothes that Nick no longer fits in on Ebay. Originally I thought "Heck this won't take me anytime at all!" Well that was totally incorrect. I'm planning now on just combining alot of things that are all the same size and same type of outfit and selling them as a lot to just get rid of them! Each posting takes me approximately an hour or so as I have to edit the pictures, created the listing, write about the items, etc. If this junk doesn't sell I might just give it all to Salvation Army.
Yesterday was so darn hot, it's such a relief that today is so much cooler. And on that note it's time to end this for now. Nick has more or less hit that "I'm really REALLY bored Mom!" state.

Burgers tonight

2007-05-27T11:21:00.000-07:00

Buffalo Burgers
From Diana Rattray,Your Guide to Southern U.S. Cuisine.FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!
Buffalo burgers are made with ground buffalo or use ground beef.
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 green onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
1 small hot red pepper, finely minced
2 pounds lean ground buffalo meat
PREPARATION:
Combine butter, cilantro, parsley, and hot red pepper. On foil or waxed paper, form mixture into a thick cylinder, about 1 inch in diameter. Wrap and freeze the butter cylinder.
Shape ground buffalo into 6 large balls.
Cut frozen butter into six 1/4-inch lengths. Freeze remaining butter for use another day.
Make a depression in the center of each meatball. Place a frozen butter patty into each meatball and seal inside. Shape into patties about 1-inch thick, taking care to deep the butter sealed. Broil on grill or under broiler about 4 inches from heat. Cook 4 to 6 minutes on each side, to desired doneness. Serve on buns with fried peppers and

Tonights dinner

2007-05-25T10:56:00.000-07:00

Honey Bourbon Pork Tenderloin
From Derrick Riches,Your Guide to Barbecues & Grilling.
This tenderloin is marinated and slow roasted over low heat. Make sure to boil the marinade and also thicken it with flour to make a delicious gravy.
INGREDIENTS:
3 12-ounce pork tenderloins
1 cup water
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup bourbon
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon gingerroot, minced
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
PREPARATION:
Combine onion, lemon juice, bourbon, honey, soy sauce, ginger, garlic and olive oil. Mix well. Place tenderloins in a resealable bag and pour marinade over. Seal and turn to coat. Let sit for 30 minutes.
Preheat grill. Remove tenderloins from marinade and pour marinade into a saucepan. Season pork with salt and pepper and grill over a low fire for about 30 minutes or until done. Meanwhile add water and flour to marinade and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until thickened. When the tenderloin is done remove from grill and cut into 1/2 inch slices. Serve with sauce poured over top.

So I haven't written lately. Many things going on, I'm preparing for the possibility of me working at CWT, we're preparing the house and plants for the full onslaught of summer, and of course we're preparing for our vacation in Sedona a few weeks from now. I've had some customers lately here and there with my own home based travel agency, but I've had no drive to work on my website lately. Unfortunately.
Summer is definitely approaching as the days have been hotter, longer and the house rarely cools down at night. It takes constant opening and closing windows, the garage, the blinds, etc to keep the house at 70 something degrees. Last night in fact I had to take a shower simply because I was sweating like a pig at 10pm.
My Mom and Dad are proposing that we all go on a cruise together next year in either March, April or May. Edward and I want to but of course with world events and all it's hard to plan that far in advance. It's much easier to plan when the guys are deployed and preparing to come home. Wait, well not quite considering what happened to us in July 07 with the extension of the 172nd Stryker Brigade. But hopefully that will all be behind us.
Edward has had some interesting things happen to him at work as well. 1sgt attempted to put Edward on the Rear D command which would have effectively stalled Edward's career in the military as well as ensured that Edward stay as far away from him as possible. 1sgt and Edward have not really ever got along. I guess the 1sgt is a kissa$$ who has his little "group" of friends that he gives little benies to and if your not in the "group" you don't get anything. His wife is almost as bad as she's extremely fake. Too many times has she said things that are so blaringly obvious that I almost burst out laughing at the idiocy of it. Oh well.
Edward's parents don't seem to be putting as much pressure on Edward and I about Nick. Edward thinks it's simply because his parents know now that they will be seeing Nick in about 3 weeks so they don't have to bug us as much.
Our plants are doing awesome! This year we have 3 varieties of tomato, 1 bell pepper, 2 different varieties of chili peppers, majoram, spearimint, apple mint, thyme, golden sage, cilantro (that is going nuts and is trying to go to seed already!!), dill, oregano, basil, german chamomile, garlic, 2 different varieties of squash (acorn and butternut), 2 different varieties of parsley, rosemary, lavender, catnip, garlic chives, 1 strawberry plant, 2 artichoke plants, nasturiums and tons of marigolds (that I'm waiting to see if they come up. I sowed the seeds a while ago but we've seen very little come up.)
I'm hoping that I can put away some tomatoes, some nice, homemade spicy salsa, and Edward and I want to go berry picking so we can put some jelly away. We've got about 4 jars of currant jelly from Anchorage left as well as 2 of the chocolate mint jelly.
Oh and I forgot to add, our Aeroponic grower is doing well with the lettuce. We hope to be able to start harvesting that within the next week. I've told Edward that while we're on vacation we'll have to ask Jamie if she can water our plants and in return she can take any tomatoes off the plants that are ripe.
So that's our life lately in a nutshell. Edward's trying to potty train Nick. So far we have had no success. :(((

2007-05-18T10:47:00.001-07:00

BUTTERFLIED EYE ROUND ROAST

3 1/2 lb. beef eye round roast
3/4 c. dry red wine
2 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 tbsp. coarse grain mustard
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tsp. cracked black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
Trim all visible fat and butterfly the beef eye round roast by cutting horizontally through the center (parallel to the surface of the meat) the length and width of the roast. Do not cut through the opposite side. The meat should lay flat.
Combine wine, vinegar, garlic, mustard, pepper and sugar. Place beef roast in utility dish or plastic bag, add marinade, turning to coat. Cover dish or tie bag and marinate in refrigerator 6 to 8 hours or overnight. Remove roast from marinade; reserve marinade. Place roast on broiler pan and broil for 20 minutes, turning and basting with reserved marinade occasionally.

Nicholas's dinner

2007-05-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

SWISS CHEESE FONDUE
Printed from COOKS.COM
3 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
Dash of nutmeg
3 c. milk2 (8 oz. each) pkgs. processed Swiss cheese
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 loaves crusty French or Italian bread, cut into cubes with a piece of crust on each cube

In a fondue pot (or pan) over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in next 5 ingredients. Add milk gradually and cook until sauce is smooth and thickened. Lower heat and add cheese by handfuls, stirring until cheese is melted after each addition. Stir in Worcestershire sauce. To eat, spear bread with a long handled fork and dunk in fondue - keep hot over flame during serving.

We're going to adapt this somewhat for Nick tonight. We're just going to reduce a lot of it.

I'M LOCKED OUT!

2007-05-10T18:26:00.000-07:00

Or at least I was. Out of the Jeep.
I've spent the past few days preparing the house for Mom and Dad's arrival. Today I've managed to get almost all of the laundry done (just gotta do Nick's diaper wash), I cleaned the bathroom downstairs, I steamcleaned the carpet near the dining room table where Nick threw up Babybel gouda all over the place, went to Nick's swim class. Then this afternoon I got Nick up, we had lunch and then headed over to Fred Meyers for a few things before Mom gets here on Saturday. Well it turned out that after doing our shopping, Nick started playing with my keys. Next thing I know he engages the remote car starter which auto engages the locks. So I promptly took the keys away from him, threw them into my seat up front and gave him the key chain that Edward and I made out of all the cards we've collected from the casinos in Tunica and Las Vegas. Then I proceeded to close the door and realized right afterwards that the doors are now locked and the keys are inside as well as Nick.
I tried and tried and tried calling Edward however he had his cell phone off, he wasn't at his normal duty number simply because he had duty so I almost succumbed to panic. Almost. I very nice lady (many people here in Alaska are just SOOOO NICE! GOD BLESS YOU ALASKA!) offered to go inside and contact security for me. All the while I called many different numbers hysterically almost screaming into the phone because no one was answering. Then inspiration struck. I suddenly remembered the phone number that Edward gave me yesterday to the duty desk. Thank God I remembered it!! So I called it. But it was busy. And busy, and still busy. Finally after about 15 minutes of waiting out in the cold rain I got someone and almost screamed into the phone to please get my husband and NOW! I also almost yelled to them to tell him to turn on his Mother f*CK&N cell phone but I managed to control myself enough to avoid embaressing myself that much. Thankfully Edward finally did come to the phone at which point I more or less SCREAMED AT HIM! Lesson learned DEAR! TURN ON YOUR FRIGGIN PHONE! Finally I did get home with Nicholas and now an hour later I'm feeling like I've gone nuts. I know I still have junk to do to prepare for my Mom's arrival but hell, after the afternoon I've had it can wait for a while. As it is, I need to prepare dinner. At least dinner is easy tonight. Pasta and garlic herb sauce and fresh bread from Fred Meyers. Tonight I think I'm going to make the bed in the guest bedroom, clean up that room and work on the hall bathroom. The rest will be reserved for tomorrow when Edward is here to watch after Nick.

So off of this. Onto another fun subject. The IN LAWS.
For the trip to Sedona his brother made it clear that they simply couldn't afford to pay for a place to stay so they'd have to stay with family. (btw, his brother and wife make WAY more money than we do) So Edward and I got an extra time share that we paid for by using our points so that way each family will have their own place to themselves at night. plus it made certain that we wouldn't have any family camping out in our living room with Nick. So Edward calls them yesterday to see if they've gotten a certificate that will allow them to check in to their place without us being there at which point we discover that they're on a week long vacation to Disneyworld. They just got back from vacation in December and February by the way. So they don't have enough money for a place in Sedona, nor do they have enough for a rental car(mil and fil are paying for that) or whatever else but they do have enough money to go to Disneyworld now? Heck they've more or less had their vacation paid for, my other sister and brother in law had their vacation to Sedona completely paid for (airline tickets, rental car, place to stay. This is a family of 5 btw) by my mil and fil however Edward and I have had to pay for our place to stay, our airline tickets (almost 2 grand there) our rental car, etc. And we are living off of more or less 1 income right now!!!!!

I'm uncharacteristically lazy right now

2007-05-07T13:47:00.000-07:00

I've got tons of junk to do but have no drive to do it right now. Isn't that awful? I'm just sitting here thinking "hhhmmm what could I do?" all the while I'm also thinking about all the food that I cannot eat right now because I'm dieting. Yup I know that's bad. So far I've done good though. I've only cheated by having some beef boullion and also two small pieces of cheese. That's much better than Friday when I went all out and had the leftover chinese food. Then for dinner I had steak and king crab legs at the Roundhouse restaurant. Plus I had a martini there too.
So I just need to get some motivation. Hhhhmmm? What can I find to motivate me to clean? Maybe I should take one of Edward's Hydroxycuts?

My life is calming down somewhat

2007-05-06T14:51:00.000-07:00

I wouldn't really say "truly calm" but Edward and I have become more settled about me working again.
So now I'm racing my little race. Calling all the numbers that need to be called, making all the appointments that need to be made before I start to work again. Now I'm working on a time limit and the clock is very audibly tick tocking. I know I have limited time to get this junk done.
My appointment for my shoulder, Nick's eye appointment, Mittens Vet appointment.
Numerous garage sales need to be held, house needs to be organized, plants need to be tended to ensure maximum health since I won't be as available to tend them. Oh the list just gets longer each time I think of it.
Side note,
Edward got me a Aerogrower and Nick got me some salad seeds for it for Mom's Day. That's my first ever REAL Mother's Day present. Thank you guys! So we'll have fresh salad within about 2 to 3 weeks for the next few months. Yum. I told Edward this present is almost enough to get me back to eating healthy again! In honor of the wonderful gift I started some more bean sprouts. Broccoli sprouts, daikon radish and crunch mix.
On Monday we're starting our 3 day diet again. I know this is not a very good diet but I need to lose weight and fast. I can already hear it now. Mom's going to step off the plane and tell me "My Tammy you've gained so much weight. You're so fat now"

OMG!

2007-05-04T16:26:00.000-07:00

Sato called/emailed me today. They want to hire me for the managers position at the FTW office. This was a position I tried for a long time ago and yet couldn't get. Now I'm going to be getting it and I'm simply shell shocked. I just told Edward on the phone that I feel like I'm a planet that has just been hit by an asteroid and has been shattered into a million pieces. Now I'm on clean up duty.
I know this sounds like I'm ungrateful, like I'm not happy about all of this which is actually totally not the truth. I'm ecstatic! It's just so unexpected. Kind of like a lifequake
Plus I'm finding that now I watch Nick run around the house and think I'm going to miss seeing him everyday.
That brings up an entirely different concern. Childcare. Thankfully when I called the childcare center they bumped my name up to a different list so it shouldn't take long for us to get Nick into the CDC but when I say "it shouldn't take long" that means it'll take about a month to a month and a half. It sounds like Sato/CWT will probably need me by the end of the month. Possibly. We'll see.
I was supposed to be doing the 3 day diet starting today but in light of this I finally gave in and helped myself to the leftover chinese food. Next will be a coca cola. I told Edward I seriously need a glass of wine or a slut slushie.

Busy day!

2007-04-30T21:13:00.000-07:00

This morning started out hectic. Got myself up, showered, then got Nick up. Then brought us downstairs, cooked breakfast, realized just as we were about to eat that Nick had a poopy diaper so quickly ate breakfast even though it smelled horrible near him and then promptly took him upstairs to change his diaper. Then ran right back downstairs, got Nick in the Jeep and ....the Jeep's battery was dead. So called Edward to save us, he arrived approximately 20 minutes later. While waiting I scheduled my Optometrist Appointment, reconfirmed Nick's Dentist Appointment tomorrow, and cleaned up the kitchen some more while Nick took apart the living room.
Next, Edward gave the Jeep a jump and then we all headed off our seperate ways, Edward to work and Nick and I to Jiffy Lube to get the oil changed. While they did that for us we went to OfficeMax to find out if anyone had turned in my lost eyeglasses, no luck there, as well as to exchange the printer cartridge that didn't fit our printer. Next on the list, Safeway. Picked up some miscellaneous groceries, resisted the urge to buy some pretty fresh cut flowers, and then headed over to Micheals for a flower arrangement for the dining room table. Didn't find anything I liked so we then headed back over to Jiffy Lube to pick up the Jeep. On the way home I decided I was in the mood for KFC (or PFK as it's known to French Canadians) so I stopped off there. I noticed Gallo's Mexican Restaurant is having a big Cinqo de Mayo celebration on well Cinqo de Mayo so I made a mental note and then headed home. Halfway home I got a call on my business line from a new customer. Got home, got Nick in bed, got my computer up and running, called the customer. He also handed the phone off to a coworker who also needed travel reservations. Finally I decided I needed a break from all that and called Belinda from the agency that is helping me start my website up www.us1travelvacations.com
and told her that yup, I want them to help me out so commissioned them to start it up for me.
Next back to reservations. Oh wait, it's almost 2pm, I still haven't finished eating my cold KFC and it's just about time to get Nick up from his nap. Darn!
Oh by the way, I forgot to mention, I put in two loads of laundry this morning.

Next, feed Nick. Then put his hawaiian fruit salad in baggies in the freezer, bring the laundry upstairs, make the marinade for the tuna (I wasn't too thrilled with the tuna as in my opinion it was rather dry), brought Nick upstairs so I could work on one SA itinerary. Phone rang again. This time it was my host agency with info. Next thing I know I'm talking to Bobby and looking at the clock going "Oh my God! It's already 5pm!? Cool I'm off the clock now!"

Tomorrow will be an equally busy day. I've got all the normal junk plus swim classes tomorrow AM for Nick and then Nick's dentist appointment. I'd love to get some normal household crap done but I simply don't think I'm going to have the time. We'll see though. I do need to remember to put the windex and armor all wipes in the Jeep so I can wipe it all down from time to time. It's getting pretty dusty.

A busy day coming up

2007-04-29T10:12:00.000-07:00

Recipe for Nick (and us somewhat)

2 or 3 very ripe bananas, mashed
1/3 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar2 eggs
1 3/4 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1 cup nuts, chopped (optional)Grease a loaf pan and set aside. Preheat oven if necessary. Mix ingredients in the order listed, then bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for about an hour, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. This Banana Bread is delicious beyond words slathered with butter right out of the oven, and makes a great snack when topped with almond butter and raisins!

Yesterday we got so much done but today we've got much more to do because of Mom and Dad visiting in 2 weeks from now. We've still gotta vacuum upstairs, clean the air cleaners, Edward's gotta fix the fan that he messed up in Nicholas's room and I think I'm going to make this bread today for Nick. Plus I still have to finish a few things online and I just noticed a bit ago that I haven't updated Nick's blog in some time.

California Avocado BurgerCategory: Sandwiches
Serves: 3

Ingredients
¼ Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
¼ Tbsp salt
1/8 Tbsp pepper
5/8 Pounds lean ground beef
1 onions, sliced
1 tomatoes, sliced
¾ California Avocados, seeded, peeled and mashed
lettuce leaves as needed
3 Sesame burger buns
Instructions
Combine Worcestershire, salt and pepper and ground beef.
Scale into 5 oz. portions. Shape into patties. Refrigerate at least 30 minutes.
Broil, grill or pan fry to desired doneness.
Serve on bun with lettuce, sliced tomatoes and onion.
Place approximately 2 oz. of California Avocado on top of each patty.

Am I a Bad Mommy?

2007-04-27T14:31:00.000-07:00

Just got back from the hospital. It appears that Nick has a fracture in his upper humorous bone. Not bad enough to put in a cast or splint but still there. As I'm typing this I'm very upset and vowing that I will not leave Nick and Edward alone again for a while. Last night I rushed upstairs with the kitchen still a mess because I didn't want Edward to accidentally hurt Nick again. It's not like he means to of course hurt him, he just overlooks things like "Oh I should be watching Nick" or "I should be careful with Nick cause he's just a little guy". I'm so sorry Nick.

We're having fondue tonight so I thought I'd do something a bit different and add some dipping sauces we can use. Edward wanted to go out to eat but Nick's having such a crappy day so I said we'd wait till later.
Mild or WildHorseradish Dipping Sauce
Next time you want to have a fondue party, make this wonderful horseradish dipping sauce and watch it disappear before your eyes. It gets gobbled fast, so make more than you think you'll need.
What you'll need:- 1 cup sour cream- 2 to 2 tsp prepared horseradish (to taste)- 1/2 tsp lemon fresh lemon juice- a few drops of Worcestershire sauce- dash of salt and pepper
This sauce is great with both meat or seafood fondue and other dishes. You can make it as hot and spicy as you and your guests can take it, or make it mellow by adding a little less of the prepared horseradish. Either way, it helps bring out the flavor of your meat or fish.
Stir all the ingredients together. Adjust the seasonings to taste. Refrigerate it until ready to serve. This recipe makes about 1 cup. How easy is that?

Aloha Burgers tonight!

2007-04-26T16:25:00.000-07:00

Okay first thing, I've made hawaiian burgers or Aloha burgers before but never as fancy as this recipe. I think the only thing I'll be omitting from this recipe is the bacon. Oh and we'll be using Provolone rather than swiss cheese.
Aloha Burgers
From Derrick Riches,Your Guide to Barbecues & Grilling.
The true Hawaiian classic burger.
While many people might think twice about topping a hamburger with pineapple, this is a great burger that everyone who tries it loves.
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound ground beef
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 small can pineapple slices
1 large onion, sliced
4 lettuce leaves
4 buns
4 slices swiss cheese
4 strips bacon, fully cooked
1 tablespoon butter
PREPARATION:
Drain pineapple juice in a bowl. Add teriyaki sauce and mix. Place pineapple slices and 3 tablespoons of pineapple teriyaki mixture in a resealable plastic bag. Turn to coat and set aside. Shape hamburger into 4 patties and spoon remaining pineapple teriyaki sauce over top.
Preheat grill. Butter buns. Place burger patties on hot grill and grill until done. Place buns on grill cut side down to toast lightly. Remove pineapple slices from bag and place on grill and cook until slightly browned and warmed through. Assemble burgers with patty, pineapple slices, lettuce, onion slices, Swiss cheese and bacon.

We're also having tater tots done on the grill and corn on the cob. I'm going to make Nick some yummy corn with butter and honey. (Always one of my favorites)
Today I've been so busy but with just house junk. I fixed Nick's curtains some more to allow less light in, I sewed Nick's pillow cases, which in my opinion I did great! Especially considering that I haven't used sewing machine to do anything in about 20 years. I did the usual clean up bit and am about to start putting prices on all the junk that we'll be selling at our garage sale. We may hold it this weekend but I'm more inclined to think that we'll have it either next weekend or after my parents leave. Edward says he wants to do it on Memorial Day weekend which always has a big turnout but I'd just love to get rid of all the junk!

I've noticed all my plants are looking FABULOUS! They're all turning that nice, rich dark green color. A sure sign of a good and healthy plant. Yesterday at the greenhouse the employee who I like alot (I've never gotten her name) told me I could try to plant a peony outside near our living room window and see if it'll come back next year. Kind of like a gamble. I just love Peonies so much! They smell so good on hot days. The thought of a warm day and the smell of peonies brought in by the warm breeze just makes me happy all over.
Edward and I have noticed that almost in every planter something is coming up that we didn't plant. Obviously last year the plants all went to seed and sent that seed everywhere. Oh well. I'm not overly concerned. I can't wait to plant the marigolds and other flowering plants but we're going to have to wait at least another month before we can do that.
Oh last thing. I got a grill basket for the grill so when we do things like fish or veggies they don't fall through. Nothing better than grilling on a spring or summer night. The food just always seems .....tastier.
It has been so warm out lately. Just lovely! I think Spring has sprung! I hear the geese returning every morning at about 6am or so as they fly over our house in small groups and bid them welcome before turning over to fall asleep for just a few more moments.

Business is picking up

2007-04-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

Which is good and bad. Good because I'm finally making money but bad because I've barely had time to get any of the normal stuff around the house done. Especially with Mom and Dad visiting here soon. Plus Nick is sick, I'm sick, so that causes me to have to really take time outs with Nick a good portion of the time as he's constantly collapsing in heaps around the floor hysterically crying.
This morning he woke me up at 6am, so I got him up finally at 630am when I realized he wasn't going to go back to sleep, gave him some cold medicine, and then we headed back to my room where we snuggled in bed while watching the Incredibles. Pretty much the entire time he would throw an all out "end of the world" fit if I didn't hold onto him tight and cuddle with him. Not that I mind that exactly as it feels good to just hold him but at the same time I was tired and getting cold.
Throughout the past two days he's been clinging to me (and Edward when he arrives home from work) like saran wrap. If I do manage to dislodge him he throws the "end of the world" fit. This left me getting really stressed out and a tad bit impatient as I knew I needed to hurry up and get dinner started and all. Today he's been worse but the good news is I don't have any new customers requesting reservations today so my time is a bit more open. That said, I still need to get to sewing up one of Nick's torn waterproof mattress pads, plant the new plants I got (Lavender, my FAVORITE!, dill and Cedronella, a good remedy for repelling misquotos naturally), work on Nick's curtains and possibly make some pillow cases for Nick's new pillows in his bed. I swear lately there hasn't been enough time in each day to get everything done! Oh and I need to walk down to the end of the street and put up Garage Sale signs for the garage sale we're going to have this weekend. Oh the list just keeps getting longer.

Now I'm late talking about this but better late than never, right? So Edward talks to his Mom and Dad on Sunday to wish them a Happy Anniversary. Edward's Dad (as usual) starts going after Edward telling him that "Now that you're a family man you need to get you and yourself off to church". This of course upset Edward because I'm sure he's upset that his parents are not approving of his behaviour and it upset me because first it upset Edward and second I so just want to tell them to just STUFF IT! We are adults and it is up to us to live our lives the way we wish to live them. And going to church every Sunday is just not part of our life. I have no desire to sit in church for hours listening to a Preacher/Pastor/Father/ETC drone on about issues that I don't really care about. Look I try treat each person as I'd like to be treated. With respect, honesty, etc. You know the whole "Golden Rule" bit but I'm just not a church going gal. Nothing is going to change that. I've been raised Roman Catholic. I went to Sunday School and Sunday Service for years and years and now that I'm an adult I just have no wish to do that anymore.
PERIOD.

Edward and I have decided that we are going to drive down to Phoenix the day before our flight back and stay at the Embassy Suites so that we don't have to get up so early. I suggested to Edward that it would be best to wait until we get to Sedona to tell family that. I don't want them "inviting" themselves. There are actually three benefits to doing this. First, we can drive to Phoenix maybe after lunch time so Nick can have some relaxing time at the pool and we can have one last day of vacation just to ourselves. 2nd, we can turn in the car early therefore cutting that cost as well as making it easier the next day when we check in for our flights. 3rd, It's closer so we won't have to get up at O dark one hundred to make our flight since Sedona is 2 or so hours away.
In Edward speak "It's all Ice cream"

By the way we tried this tonight and it was really tasty. I think it would be even better if we added some salt to it though.
Marinated Grilled Tilapia
4 Tilapia fillets
MARINADE
¾ c. olive oil
½ lemon, juiced
1 Tbls. oregano
½ tsp. black pepper
¼ c. red wine/balsamic vinegar
½ c. finely chopped parsley
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 dashes Tabasco
Combine all ingredients, except fillets, in a large jar and shake well. Marinate fish in the marinade for 30 minutes. Remove fillets from marinade. Place fillets on hot grill elevated above coals. Cook 2-3 minutes per side. Makes 4 servings. SHORT CUT: Use your favorite Italian dressing or barbecue sauce in place of the marinade recipe.

This one I got from Tysa on Sparkpeople and it looked tasty.
You add salt and pepper and brush them with Adobo sauce and sprinkle brown sugar on the top. While they are broiling, cut up 1 mango, 1/2 of a small red onion, and 1 jalapeno ribs and seeds removed. Mix together with salt, pepper and 2 T lime juice. then serve on top of the cooked pork chops.