You Gotta Love Spaghetti and Meatballs

Life has been non-stop since our return home from Oregon.  Work, home, landscaping, construction...all moving at a rapid pace.  Last week I felt like Henry Hill from "Goodfellas" and the infamous Sunday, May 11, 1980, (of course, without the helicopter, guns, or drugs though).  We have been go, go, go from sunrise to sunset.

Our garden is flourishing beautifully with roses, vegetables, and herbs.  We have started harvesting some and enjoying the fruits of our labor, as it were.

Watching Goodfellas got me in the mood to make meat gravy, as they call it.  I clipped some of my sprouting basil and enjoyed our Sunday pasta night!

Have a blessed, healthy, and sparkly week!

You Gotta Love Spaghetti and Meatballs
Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

10 cups of your favorite red pasta sauce

1 large egg
1 pound lean ground beef
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp dried parsley
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tsp yellow mustard
1 tsp ketchup
1/2 tsp Essence or Bam seasoning
1/2 tsp salt

1 Tbl fresh basil, chopped

Pour your sauce into a large, heavy pot.

Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally.

Place all the remaining ingredients in a large mixing bowl.  Stir well with a long-handled wooden spoon to combine.  (I used my Kitchen Aid mixer with the dough hook...worked perfect!)

Wash hands well and/or use food prep gloves, then roll 1 Tablespoon of meat between them to form meatballs.  Gently place meatballs into the sauce one by one, using a long-handled wooden spoon, giving them space in between.  Be careful, bubbling sauce splatters!

Simmer the sauce uncovered, and allow the meatballs to rest undisturbed for at least 10 minutes before stirring.  When the meatballs rise to the top, it's okay to stir.

Stir the sauce and meatballs.  Simmer for an additional 20 minutes and stir occasionally to prevent the sauce from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

Using oven mitts or pot holder, remove the sauce from the heat and serve immediately over cooked spaghetti.  Sprinkle with freshly chopped basil.

One Year Ago: Cajun-Rubbed Triangle Steaks with Shrimp & Remoulade
Two Years Ago: No Post
Three Years Ago: Peaches & Cream Prosecco Cake...Happy Blogversary!
Four Years Ago: One Skillet Tuscan Chicken
Five Years Ago:  Spaghetti Squash Fritters and White Sangria Sparkler
Six Years Ago:  Chicken and Black Bean Enchilada Bake
Seven Years Ago: For Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow

My latest sweet obsession "Blue Bell Red Velvet Cake Ice Cream"...pure bliss!!

I try to be very good with my portion control.  I put just a couple tablespoons in my smallest dish...otherwise, I will take on the entire pint in one sitting...it's that amazing!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas and BLT Slaw with Cilantro Lime Crema

I have recently returned from my summer hiatus in Sunriver, Oregon.  This is such a special place for our family and truly one of our favorite vacation destinations.  Whenever we have an opportunity to go, as I arrive I am instantly calmed and never want to leave.

I am trying to take full advantage of spending time with the girls, because before we know it, they will have their own families and busy lives.  (Although, I completely intend to smother and love their families when that time comes.)

When we leave for any extended amount of time, I take out a second mortgage to pay for the dogs' sleep away camp resort.  We learned our lesson the last time we left town, had our house sitter in charge of the dogs, and Kylo ate the drywall.  Trust me, the cost of puppy camp far outweighs the cost of home repairs thanks to these two.

Princess Brinkley and Kylo Zen clearly have the time of their lives there and never want to come home to our boring house.  We receive a report card everyday and feel comforted (as it should be) that they are in good hands.  Honestly, I look at their photos, and I want to go on summer vacation at their resort!

The downside of vacations is coming home.  It's not enough that you have to go back to your routines and work, complete 27 loads of laundry and remember that there is no food in your house because you made sure to eat and empty everything out of the refrigerator before you left.

So as I was tackling the wash, I had to leave the house to get more detergent (because of course I used it all before we left to make sure we had clean clothes for the trip).  When I returned home, I found my bra was shredded (like something out of "Criminal Minds") by someone who clearly was unhappy about not being back at their favorite camp.  Did I mention this was my FAVORITE BRA!  

Stay well and sparkly!

Honey Lime Chicken Enchiladas

Courtesy of The Girl Who Ate Everything

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup lime juice

1 Tbl chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 pounds chicken, cooked and shredded (about 3-4 cups, rotisserie chicken works great)

8-10 soft taco size flour tortillas

4 cups shredded Monterey jack or cheddar cheese

2 cups green enchilada sauce

1 cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 pan with cooking spray.

Mix the honey, lime juice, chili powder, and garlic powder together (reserve 1 Tablespoon of marinade for slaw - recipe below), and toss with the shredded chicken.  Let it marinate for 1/2 hour in resealable bag, or up to 8 hours.

Pour enough green enchilada sauce on the bottom of baking pan to create a thin layer on the bottom, about 1/2 cup.  Fill flour tortillas with the chicken mixture and a generous amount of shredded cheese, saving about 1 cup of cheese to sprinkle on top of enchiladas.

Mix the remaining enchilada sauce with the heavy cream and any leftover chicken marinade.  Pour sauce on top of the enchiladas.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes until brown and crispy on top.  Add the reserved 1 cup of cheese on top for the last 5 minutes of baking.

BLT Slaw with Cilantro Lime Crema

Courtesy of Carlsbad Cravings

Cilantro Lime Crema:

1 cup sour cream

2 Tbl mayonnaise

1/4 cup loosely packed cilantro leaves, minced

1 Tbl lime juice, or more to taste

1/4 tsp EACH ground cumin, garlic powder, and salt

Whisk together all of the ingredients.  Add one Tbl Cilantro Lime Crema to a large bowl for BLT Slaw.  Refrigerate remaining Crema.

BLT Slaw:

6 slices cooked bacon, crumbled

2 cups thinly sliced cabbage

1 large roma tomato, chopped

2 Tbl diced red onion

1 Tbl lime juice

1 Tbl Cilantro Lime Crema

1 Tbl reserved marinade (from honey lime marinade, above)

Add all ingredients EXCEPT bacon.  Toss until evenly coated.  Refrigerate.  Toss with bacon just before serving, so it stays crispy.

One Year Ago: Lemon Angel Cake Bars

Two Years Ago: No Post

Three Years Ago: Raspberry Crumb Muffins

Four Years Ago: Chicken, Spinach, and Goat Cheese Pizza

Five Years Ago: Artichoke Gratin

Six Years Ago: Turkey Chili

This year's traveling ornament selection for 2020.

Wonka Vision Cookies

The other day I needed to run out and do a few work errands.  While driving my iPad (let's face it we no longer have cars...we are all now driving computers), my daughter, Baby A, called me.

I touched my dashboard screen and answered her call.  I could hear her voice perfectly and I greeted her.  She immediately says to me, "Am I in your purse?"  It took me a minute for my brain to process what she was saying, and to figure all of this out.  Apparently, what I didn't realize was that she was face-timing me, but I couldn't see her since indeed, my phone was buried in my purse somewhere.  So there she was, "lost" in my purse and able to see everything in it. 

And then, without missing a beat, she says, "I feel like the kid from Willy Wonka and The Chocolate Factory."  I nearly lost it right there in my car from laughter.  You must be a kid from the 70's (or a kid whose parents were from the 70's and made you watch the movie all the time, because it's all about parenting).  Baby A was referring to the infamous scene of Wonka Vision, Mike Teavee,  and his demise in the movie.  It's a classic scene and my daughter nailed it with her clever comment!  This is a fantastic movie that everyone must see at least once in their lifetime.

I definitely needed that good laugh for a few moments.  Given everything that is happening in our world right now, a little humor is much needed medicine.  Things have been very challenging with work and life.  When I think it's just a tough day, that seems to turn into a week.  This too shall pass and will get through it.

Until then, I honestly feel that chocolate makes everything better.  To brighten my day, I baked cookies because it makes me happy.  It's comforting to know that with a little butter, some chocolate chips, and 10 minutes, life is good.

Stay well, healthy, and sparkly this coming week!

Wonka Vision Cookies

In Honor of Mike Teavee

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup peanut butter chips

1 cup old-fashioned whole grain oats (aka, uncooked oatmeal)

1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Sift and combine flour, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl, set aside.  In a large bowl beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.  Gradually beat in flour mixture.  Stir in chocolate chips, peanut butter chips, dried oatmeal, and pecans.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto a prepared baking sheet.

Bake for 9 to 11 minutes or until golden brown.  

One Year Ago: No Post

Two Years Ago: No Post

Three Years Ago: No Post

Four Years Ago: Rustic Chicken Marsala Bake

Five Years Ago: Alma's Mac and Cheese and Maddy's Mighty Minions

Six Years Ago: Grilled Caesar Salad with Shrimp

My baking assistant Princess Brinkley doing her recon for morsels.

Meal Train Manicotti

This week I got to visit my friend and her recovering husband again in the big city.  I was scheduled for my final meal train to them and was excited to cook for their family and see her beautiful, smiling face again...not to mention their Golden Retriever puppy that I am so in love with.

Since my last visit I prepared a Fiesta Dinner for them, this time I thought I would take the Italian approach.

Dinner

Caesar Salad

Tuscan Garlic Bread

Sausage and Cheese Manicotti

Brownie Desserts (which I had to confess I didn't actually bake these)

Breakfast

Fresh Fruits

Ham and Hash Brown Breakfast Casserole

This Manicotti is so incredibly easy and came to me from my friends Doug and Lois, who also gave me the Empanada recipe.  Doug taught me a trick to making these that is seriously a game changer (plus I came up with my own culinary hack)!  I have always been intimidated by manicotti and struggled with stuffing them...not any more!

Sausage and Cheese Manicotti

Courtesy of Doug and Lois

1 lb. ground Italian sausage

2 cloves minced garlic

2 cups creamed, small curd cottage cheese, pureed

24 ounces Mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup mayonnaise

28 Manicotti noodles (1 box = 28 noodles)

16 ounce jar of your favorite spaghetti or marinara sauce

1 tsp dry oregano leaves

4-6 ounces Parmesan cheese, finely shredded

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Brown Italian sausage and garlic, drain fat.

In a large bowl, mix cottage cheese, Mozzarella cheese, salt, and mayonnaise.  Add sausage mixture and blend well.

Boil noodles according to package directions.  Drain and lay on a non-stick sprayed foil sheet to cool.

***Cut each cooked and cooled noodle in half, width-wise.

Prepare a 9x13 baking dish with non-stick spray.  

Hold noodle flat side down, flush with hard surface prep area.  Fill each noodle with the stuffing mixture by hand or **use a small cookie scoop. You will use about 2 Tablespoons for each noodle.

Pour about half of the spaghetti/marinara sauce in bottom of prepared baking dish, just to cover.

Place the stuffed shells in sauce.

Cover shells with remaining sauce.  Sprinkle with oregano and Parmesan cheese.

Cover with foil and bake for 15 minutes.  Remove foil and bake another 15 minutes, until sauce is bubbling.

Enjoy!  Be healthy, well and stay sparkling!

In order for the most sanitized cooking area, after mopping the floor, I had to quarantine myself in the kitchen.  I pulled out our 2 largest baby gates and trapped myself in (or trapped the dogs out), however you choose to look at it.  Needless to say there was much pouting involved with the two of them and Kylo Zen thought he could mesmerize me with those brown puppy eyes.

One Year Ago: No Post

Two Years Ago:  No Post

Three Years Ago:  No Post

Four Years Ago: Strawberry Banana Smoothie Popsicles and Strawberry Moon

Five Years Ago:  Alma's Mac and Cheese and Maddy's Mighty Minions

Six Years Ago: Grilled Caesar Salad with Shrimp

Creme Brulee French Toast and Father's Day

I know that Father's Day has commercially been all about BBQ, Beer, Tools, and Hammocks.  Well, last year I my husband received a hammock.  This year, I don't have a clue, but I'm sure we'll figure something out.

What I do know...is breakfast!

We do love a good French Toast around here.  Some of our favorites are Double French Toast, one of my personal favorites Croissant French Toast, and of course there is Blueberry-Raspberry French Toast Bake.

So if French Toast wasn't good enough, you throw it down with some Creme Brulee!  Are you kidding?!?! Utopia!!!

Creme Brulee French Toast Recipe

Courtesy of Sara Lee

8 slices Sara Lee Artesano Brioche Bread

4 eggs

1/3 cup milk

1/3 cup half & half

3/4 tsp vanilla

1-1/2 Tbl orange juice

1/3 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt 

4 Tbl butter, melted

1/3 cup brown sugar

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together eggs, milk, half & half, vanilla, orange juice, nutmeg and salt in a bowl until well combined.  Dunk each slice of bread in the egg mixture and place in a 9x13 baking dish.

Mix together butter and brown sugar and spread this mixture on each slice of bread, on both sides.

Bake for 20 minutes and flip each slice of bread.  Bake another 5 minutes.  

Enjoy!

One Year Ago: No Post

Two Years Ago: No Post

Three Years Ago: No Post

Four Years Ago: Grilled Lemon Chicken Flatbread Wraps and Happy Father's Day

Five Years Ago:  Alma's Mac and Cheese and Maddy's Mighty Minions

Six Years Ago:  Grilled Caesar Salad with Shrimp

Maui Wowie Shrimp Salad...Wow Did You Really Say That?

I suppose that even after 20+ years, my husband and I still have to work on our communication skills.  I don't think that challenge ever goes away no matter how long you have been married.

I admit that during our three months of quarantine (thus far) that I may have become a little slack in my work dress code attire on most some days.  My husband however, sticks to the code!  His sleep hours are the same, shower and coffee prep same time each morning, and he is impeccably dressed for work (at home) every day.  Me...not so much.

So, yesterday I thought I would get a little "dressed up" for my work day.  I had to make a quick stop in the morning to Sam's Club for Father's Day food before they ran out of everything this week.  It was 97 degrees, so I figured I would put on something light and airy. 

Back at work, in my fifth office remodel I did last weekend, my desk now sits over our HVAC vent in the floor.  Since it was so hot, our A/C was running a lot...on my feet and legs.  The air flow from the vent had me doing my best Marilyn Monroe flying skirt from "The Seven Year Itch" .  By late afternoon my toes had frostbite.  To avoid going into complete hypothermia, I needed to change clothes.  My work day was almost over, so I put on my cropped sweatpants, fuzzy Crocs, and my favorite cardigan to try and warm up.

My husband walked into our home office.  He said, "What happened to your pretty Sunday dress?"  Now mind you, what he was calling my "Sunday dress", which I would never wear to church, was an old Costco skirt from 15 years ago paired with my latest Target tank top and my nude Laura Conrad sandals from Kohls.  Given what my attire has been the past few months, I guess this was definitely a step up.  I said jokingly, "What's wrong with my outfit?"  He said, "It looks like Grunge!"  And there the words floated in the air....I went from my Sunday best to Grunge in 6.5 seconds flat.

My husband also says that I make shrimp too much.  I tell him he golfs too much.  Know this now, if he makes one more comment about my work attire, I will cook every single item from Bubba Gump Shrimp Company's restaurant menu for dinner for the rest of the year.

I would imagine that you could use really any shrimp you would like for this salad.  I chose to make last month's Maui Wowie Shrimp and it was an excellent compliment.

Please continue to be safe, healthy, and...sparkling!

Maui Wowie Shrimp Salad
Inspired by Roy's Hawaiian Fusion Cuisine
Courtesy of Food.com
Makes 4 Servings

Dressing:
2 tsp minced shallots
1 tsp capers
1/4 frsh lime juice
1/2 cup plus 1 Tbl olive oil
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbl honey

Salad:
4 vine ripened tomatoes, sliced very thin
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese
2 Tbl capers
1/3 cup finely chopped sweet onion
12 large cooked shrimp, each cut crosswise into 3 pieces (grilled shrimp works great)
1/2 medium avocado, diced into pieces the same size as the shrimp
4 butter or bibb lettuce, cut into 1/8 inch strips
4 popcorn shoot mixed sprouts (optional)

For the dressing: Combine shallots, 1 tsp capers and lime juice in a blender and puree until smooth.  Add olive oil and mustard and blend until well combined.  Stir in honey.

For the salad:  Arrange 5 slices of tomato on each of four plates, overlapping them to form a circle with a hole in the middle.

Combine shrimp and avocado in another bowl, drizzle with some dressing and salt and pepper to taste and toss well.  Drizzle lettuce with a little dressing and salt and pepper to taste and toss well.

Mound 1/4 of the lettuce in center of tomato ring.  Spoon one 1/4 of the feta and shrimp mixture on top.  Drizzle tomatoes and salad with some of the remaining dressing.  Garnish with popcorn shoot sprouts, if desired.

One Year Ago: No Post
Two Years Ago: No Post
Three Years Ago: No Post
Four Years Ago: Grilled Lemon Chicken Flatbread Wraps and Happy Father's Day
Five Years Ago: Asian Shrimp Salad, Age Spots and Angeline Wine
Six Years Ago: Grilled Caesar Salad with Shrimp

Empanadas and Meal Trains

For a time that I am 95% at home between working and daily life, this has been one amazingly busy week.  I feel like I have been on the go (all for good reasons) and really packed a lot in...including rearranging my home office for the fourth AND fifth time this weekend.

A friend of mine from college also lives here in Colorado.  I learned that her husband was receiving a kidney transplant from her sister.  What an incredible miracle and blessing to have in her family.

Another friend of hers started a meal train calendar and asked people to sign up to deliver meals to her family, so she wouldn't have to worry about that while tending to her recuperating husband.

But of course, I said...sign me up!

The hardest part with the thousands of recipes I have was trying to decide which would work best, would travel well and would be easy for her to warm up for dinner.  I also wanted to make breakfast for her family, so I included a breakfast casserole and fresh pastries for them as well.  I supplied everything in caterers foil containers, to save her from having to dishes and also included the recipes for everything.  Here care package included:

Dinner

Chips, Salsa, and Fresh Guacamole

Sour Cream and Chicken Enchiladas

Spanish Rice and Pinto Beans

White Trash Cookies

Breakfast

Bear Claw, Cream Cheese Croissant, Apple and Cherry Turnovers

Chile-Cheese Egg Bake

During the week, I gathered up some girlfriends for an evening of outdoor Barre Yoga Fitness Class and Wine (my family decided it was really a chick night of "Drunk Yoga").  One of our favorite wineries Sweet Heart Winery offered this event.  It was so beautiful, out on their lawn during sunset.  However, I thought it was going to be a simple yoga stretching class.  It kicked my butt!  Now I know what a barre fitness class actually is.

I wrapped up my week for a date night with my husband at Hale & Bradford Stillhouse.  It finally reopened with limited hours and we got lucky to find a table for us that night to just unwind for a couple hours.  This place has a great ranch vibe and I love the architecture of this old building with all the original works.

Luckily for an easy dinner, I try to always have a tray of these on hand in the freezer for a quick go-to.  One of my other (drunk yoga friends') husband turned me on to these and we LOVE them!  I hope you all have a blessed, healthy week and keep on sparkling!

Empanadas
Courtesy of Douglas
Makes 20 Empanadas

1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. of ground chorizo
3 cloves pressed fresh garlic
1 cup pitted green olives, chopped
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp chili powder
Goyo Adobo all purpose seasoning to taste.  Start with 1/4 tsp.

2 packs Goyo Empanada Shells (in frozen section of grocery store, pack of ten). 
***If you cannot find the Goyo shells, I have also used the prepared/rolled refrigerated pie crusts.  You will need 4 rolls of them (2 double packs).  Cut these in 4-1/2 " diameter circles.

1 cup shredded Mexican/Taco blend cheese
1 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese

1 egg (for egg wash), slightly whisked
1 tsp. water

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large frying pan, combine ground beef, chorizo, garlic, green olives, salt, pepper, cumin, chili powder, and Goyo Adobo seasoning.  Cook until ground beef and chorizo are completely cooked through.

Remove meat mixture from pan and place in large mixing bowl.  Add the Mexico/Taco Blend and Monterey Jack cheeses.  Mix well.

Before putting the meat in the shells, put egg wash around the inside edges of the empanadas so they get tacky.

Add approximately 1 Tablespoon of meat mixture to the empanada shell.

Fold over and press together with a fork.  Egg wash the remaining shell.  Do not do the edges again.

Bake on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy with Chimichurri Sauce, your favorite salsa, or guacamole.

One Year Ago: No Post

Two Years Ago: No Post

Three Years Ago: No Post

Four Years Ago: Basil, Bacon and Peach Baked Brie and "The Bee Sting"

Five Years Ago: Asian Shrimp Salad, Age Spots and Angeline Wine

Six Years Ago: Grilled Caesar Salad with Shrimp