My first giveaway!!!!

It's long overdue, but it's finally here.... my very first giveaway! To celebrate a year of blogging and to show my appreciation to all of you readers out there. I thought about what to give you guys and I knew I wanted it to be a cookbook, but which one? After much deliberation, I decided on...

Foodista Best of Food Blogs Cookbook: 100 Great Recipes, Photographs, and Voices

 ... to honor all of the fellow food bloggers out there! I can only dream that one day one of my recipes would end up in this cookbook. Oh, to dream a little dream.

 

To enter the giveaway you must:

1. Become a follower of this blog and leave me a comment, so I can check out your blog too, or let me know if you already are!

For an extra entry:

2.  Leave a comment telling me what your favorite cookbook is and why.

3.  Blog about this giveaway and post the link to it.

(Separate comment for each)

That's all!

Be sure to leave a way to contact you, by email or your blog. This giveaway is open to US citizens only (sorry international friends!). It will remain open from today, July 7th until July 16th at midnight EST. Once the giveaway has ended, I will select a winner randomly. I'll then email the winner who will have 48 hours to respond, and if not then I will choose another winner.

I haven't gotten a chance to go through my own copy of the cookbook yet, so [winner] let me know how you like it!

Tell all your friends :)

*****GIVEAWAY NOW CLOSED*****

Peace, and bacon grease!

Patriotic Taco Salad

I know I am bringing this to you after the 4th of July. And I apologize. But I didn't make it until the 3rd and haven't gotten around to posting about it until now. So make it for the 4th next year, or for any other patriotic holiday! Or just make it minus the flag presentation.

You could arrange the beans (or olives, if you use those) in the shape of stars if you like. I thought that was too much work, so I just piled them in the top left corner. The half-assed way to do things!

I would recommend using more chips for dipping if you are eating leftovers the next day, because the chips in the taco salad get soggy by then. But if you are eating it that day then you should be fine. You can also prep and assemble everything for the taco salad ahead of time if need be, and just serve with chips when ready.

Patriotic Taco Salad

adapted from Taste of Home

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained (save some for star garnish)
• 1.5 cups water
• 1 can (6 oz) tomato paste
• 1 recipe Homemade Taco Mix
• 3 cups Tostitos chips with a hint of pepperjack, plus more for dipping
• 4 cups shredded lettuce
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 2 cups cherry tomatoes, halved
• sour cream for garnish, if desired

In a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink. Drain if necessary. Stir in the water, tomato paste, and taco mix. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Drain all liquid.

Meanwhile, microwave black beans in a bowl according to directions on the can.

Place 3 cups of tortilla chips in an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. dish. Spread beef mixture evenly over top. Then add the drained, heated beans, but leaving some to make the stars garnish. Cover with lettuce. Add beans to top left corner, making stars. Spread cheese evenly over top. Then arrange tomatoes to make stripes on top. Top each portion with sour cream, if desired.

Printable Recipe

It was tasty, I'll tell ya. We really enjoyed this meal. The flavor of the meat was nice, since I used a homemade taco mix. It did need some kind of sauce to moisten it up a bit, that's why we added the sour cream. Ranch dressing would also work. You can't go wrong with taco salad, can you?

Peace, and bacon grease!

Menu Planning - Week of 7/4/11 (a day late...)

Happy 5th of July! Oops, did I get that wrong? I mean, happy belated 4th of July! I hope everyone had a fun and safe 4th of July weekend. I enjoyed a little cornhole with family, and some grillin out and fireworks with my love. Are you guys like me... where it is even harder to go back to work after a long weekend? I didn't want it to end!

But here we are, back to the usual. Menu planning. And as you can see, I'm posting my menu plan on a Tuesday. We grilled out yesterday for the 4th, and since we have some leftover burgers, metts, and brats, we are going to grill out this evening too. Can't complain about that. Grilling out is one of my very favorite things about summertime. I'll take any reason to whip out the grill. And tomorrow I may be going out to eat with a friend while she is in town for the week. If not, me and Peej will just pick something up, or grill out again :)




Tuesday 7/5/11:  grill out


Wednesday 7/6/11:  out to eat with Kac?


Thursday 7/7/11:  Chicken Lettuce Cups with Avocado Bacon Dressing with rotini

Friday 7/8/11:   Parmesan Cod with Easy Creamy Baked Asparagus


The usual: Menu Plan Monday ...

... and Marvelous Menus.

Let's start the week off right, eh?


Peace, and bacon grease!

4th of July Toast, a Healthy Holiday Breakfast or Snack

There's still time! Make this super simple breakfast or snack for your loved one this weekend for the holiday. You've got a few days left, or there's always next year, of course.

I love the blend of cream cheese and jam on this toast. I wasn't sure how I would feel about the cream cheese, but it really does add a nice element. I also enjoy the additions of fruit, which again I never really would think about doing. And of course it is a pretty snack. Love the red, "white", blue, and yellow. And it can be a filling breakfast or snack, since bread is usually filling anyway and the addition of two different kinds of fruit completes it.

Did I mention it's super easy? Just cut strips with the banana to represent the stripes, use 6 blueberries to make the top left corner to represent the stars. And then just slice your bananas, lengthwise, into long strips and make to fit the length of the toast. I probably could have added another banana "stripe" to the bottom of the slice of toast.

I cut my banana differently than Deborah, more like long strips than half moons. Leave enough white cream cheese showing underneath the red strawberry jam. Next time though, I will get seeded jam. I used Smuckers seedless strawberry jam and I wasn't amazed by it. 

No measurements here, people. I personally like a good amount of jam and cream cheese. You will use about 6 blueberries though, that is about the perfect amount for the corner star.

4th of July Toast

from Taste and Tell

• Bread
• Cream cheese
• Strawberry or raspberry jam
• Blueberries
• Bananas

Rinse blueberries and allow to dry completely. Toast bread. Spread with cream cheese to the edges. Then spread with jam, allowing cream cheese to still show underneath. Slice bananas lengthwise into long strips, fitting the length of the toast, making the stripes. Place 6 blueberries in the top left corner, making the stars. 

Printable Recipe

I am linking up to Itsy Bitsy Paper's Red, White, and Blue Linky Party. 

There you have it... red, white, and blue toast. Such an inventive way to be patriotic. And it's tasty, adorable, kid-friendly, and super easy. Everyone will be impressed, and it will only take you minutes.

How about everyone have a safe and fun-filled holiday full of family, friends, good food, grillin, and fireworks  :)



Peace, and bacon grease!

Happy Blogiversary to Me!!!! [a day late]

Guys!!! Guys!!! I just realized that yesterday, June 29th, was the one year anniversary of the start of this blog. Wow. Time really does fly by. It has truly been a wonderful experience, meeting new people who share my love of food, learning about food photography and improving on it, trying new restaurants, and branching out of my comfort zone by making new recipes. I don't ever want to stop! So happy one year blogiversary to this little blog that started as a way for me to review restaurants... and has turned into so much more. Now I have an idea of some of the things that make me happy in life, and blogging and FOOD are two of them.

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So.... I'm thinkin.... maybe a little giveaway???? You guys up for that? I thought you might be :) I wanted to back when I reached 100 followers. But that didn't happen. So this is the perfect opportunity for my first giveaway! I'm excited, and a little nervous, not gonna lie. I don't really know why, lol! 

Now I just need to think about what to giveaway. Stay tuned!

And thanks for all of you amazing followers. Your comments, your advise and suggestions, and your thoughtfulness have been so appreciated. It's been a pleasure getting to know all of you. Thanks for reading :)

Peace, and bacon grease!

Monterey Ranch Bread

By now, you know that I am slightly obsessed with Cassie's blog. Not the stalker kinda way. Just the kinda way that I swear by all of her recipes. I will make anything that she recommends on her blog. I seriously have a list of over 100 recipes of hers that I must make! Here's one to cross off the list.... her Monterey Ranch Bread. Because everyone needs a high caloric yet delicious side item here and there! Ok yes, this recipe uses a few fatty ingredients. But hey if you add some parsley for garnish, that can count as being a healthy, right? - it's green and a veggie :)

Anyways, high in calories or not, this bread is also high in flavor. Can you really go wrong with ranch and cheese-covered crusty bread? Exactly.

The original recipe comes from Taste of Home, and I am usually a fan of their recipes, so I figured it would be a keeper if both TOH AND Cassie say so!

Monterey Ranch Bread
slightly adapted from Cassie Craves and Krista's Kitchen , who adapted it from Taste of Home

• 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese
• 3/4 cup ranch dressing
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• Loaf of French bread, split in half lengthwise (use however much you need, we didn't use the whole loaf)
• Fresh parsley, for garnish
  

In a bowl, melt butter and stir in garlic powder. Brush on the bread with a pastry brush. Place bread under broiler until it's slightly brown and crispy.

Combine cheese and ranch dressing and divide evenly over bread. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes.

Sprinkle with parsley for garnish. Let sit 5 minutes before slicing.


Printable Recipe

Next time I think I will make it with the parsley, because it makes the picture just a little more colorful and pretty.

And as you can see, we served this bread with some White Chicken Chili. I'll have that recipe for you one of these days. Perfect for chilly fall or winter evening.

Peace, and bacon grease!

Menu Planning - Week of 6/27/11

I was off today. But not for fun. My face is kind of in pain and swollen. I had to get some tag removed from my nose! So for the next week or so I'm going to look awful! Ok not to that extent maybe, but the pimple-like thing on my nose will be red and swollen, and then will eventually scab up and turn black and ugly. Ew. I'm not looking forward to this. But I'll be happy when it's gone. I was going to slap the next person who told me I had something on my nose, handing me a tissue, as if it were a booger or something. No people, I'm sorry my face isn't perfect. I'll try to live up to your standards next time. So now that it will be red and swollen and black and scabby, maybe they will notice that it's actually my skin and not comment on it. Or maybe I'll wear one of those little circular bandaids on the tip of my nose. At least three people have said something to me about it, two of which were strangers. Rude much? Ok maybe they were just trying to help a sista out, in case I did need a tissue or somethin. I just want my face to be back to normal! Ok enough about my face :) Are you grossed out yet?

So since I was at home I had plenty of time for menu planning. Last night we were supposed to make that evil chicken dinner, but we ordered Dominos instead. So we made that tonight since I bought all of the ingredients at Kroger yesterday.

Monday 6/27/11:  Evil Chicken Dinner

Tuesday 6/28/11:  out to eat with family

Wednesday 6/29/11:  Lemon and Oregano Rubbed Grilled Chicken

Thursday 6/30/11:  Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie

Friday 7/1/11:  BBQ Beef Shepherd's Pie




Linking up to Menu Plan Monday. 

And this upcoming weekend is already 4th of July weekend. Holy smokes! How does the time fly? Be safe, everyone!

Peace, and bacon grease!