Tony P's Seafood Guac-tail

A few weeks ago I had the honor of being in my step-sisters wedding out in LA. She, of course, was a beautiful bride - but that's a different story for a different time. While there, we ended up at Tony P's Dockside Grill near Marina Del Ray for a nice lunch on the coast. After debating on whether or not we wanted an appetizer, we saw they offered a Seafood Guac-tail and knew that was the one to go for since my husband is a huge Ceviche fan and I am completely addicted to guacamole - this seemed like the best of both worlds. They brought it out in a deep sundae glass with a small fork surrounded by tortilla chips. With our first bite, we knew this was a something we wanted to try at home. It was the fresh flavors of the tomatoes and avocados and the perfect addition of the shrimp and blue crab - perfect for a nice, warm, sunny afternoon! One thing to note, I used imitation crab meat in mine since I'm not sure where to find the blue crab meat - but it was still de-lish.

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/2 C Tomatoes, diced
1 T cilantro, chopped
3-4 T red onion, diced
juice of half a lemon
juice of half a lime
2 serrano peppers, seeded and diced
2 avocados, diced
4 oz crab meat
12 cooked shrimp, chopped
salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS:

Mixe all ingredients together, chill for at least 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips.

Don't be a hater!

I know, I know, I know ... it's been over a month and I haven't posted anything new - how sad! Here is where I admit I go through stages, and lately its been the one where we have either been out of the house, whether its for some sort of party or just eating out, and where dinner has been something I've already posted or not worthy of posting (ie. taco's or some other non-recipe item). The good news is once I get back into my rhythm of posting again, you know you can expect new recipes fairly often for a while ... although I hate to admit with this weeks menu, I don't think this is the week I'll be starting, although I do have some ice cream batter in the fridge we're hoping to place into the handy, dandy ice cream maker we got last summer and STILL haven't used ... so anything is possible. I know my wonderful husband wants banana ice cream, so who knows, maybe this week will be filled with all sorts of wonderful desserts.

In the meantime, we've been spending some quality time with our new camera, and here are just a few of the shots we've taken so far:

This is my best friend and I getting ready for a bachelorette party, sadly we live about 1,000 miles apart and see each other once a year if we're lucky. How I wish she'd moved closer!

This is our from our backyard - the sunsets over the lake are truly amazing!
Here, one of Texas's very own, Bluebonnets.
And for the finally - I made my poor husband play animal cop and save on the LARGEST FROG I'VE EVER SEEN! He was sitting in the middle of our road and I almost hit him driving home - but luckily I didn't and instead told my husband to go get the shovel and save his life. I'm still amazed at how big he was.

Not-Quite-Quiche Mini Muffins

Mmmmm breakfast foods! I love breakfast foods but actually don't eat them often because of the cholesterol in eggs and bacon, the sugar in pancakes and waffles, and with my husband working nights it just doesn't work well for us - but today was different. I tried this recipe last week actually and while it was okay, I knew I could do better. Plus, I'm always looking for a reason to use my mini-muffin pans or my pampered chef cookie/muffin scoops.

When originally searching, I was looking for a quiche recipe and realized I didn't have the pie crust or the patience to try and make one. I stumbled across this recipe and read the reviews - seeing that its not quite your traditional quiche, but its a quick and easy way to get something similar. I have a feeling this is going to be a recipe to stick around for a while since now only are they good fresh out of the over, they are good reheated as well - always a bonus!

INGREDIENTS

6 strips of Bacon, sliced (or half a package)
4 eggs
3/4 C Baking Mix (like Bisquick)
1 1/2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
2 C FRESHLY shredded cheese (I use cheddar and muenster)
1/2 tsp onion powder

DIRECTIONS:

Fry bacon and drain on paper towel. (I use a large skillet over medium to medium-high heat)

Mix eggs and baking mix in a bowl. Add parsley, onion powder, and cheese. Notice the stress on FRESHLY shredded cheese, it tends to mix in better than pre-packaged shredded cheese. Add bacon and mix to combine.

Scoop batter into mini-muffin tin (do not use paper inserts). Bake at 350 for 10 minutes. Do NOT over cook since the eggs will get rubbery.

We serve ours with Sirachi hot sauce to add a little kick to it. I was a little hesitant at first, but learned quickly that this is in fact GREAT, and is the only way I'll eat them now.

Quaker Granol Bites

Yum. I received my free trial of these Quaker Granola Bites in the mail and set them on the counter for a few days, basically forgetting about them. Until Yesterday. As I stated in my previous post, my husband was up late, meaning he would sleep late, leading to dinner being later, and ultimately causing me to snack - which brings us to these little morsels of GREATNESS. I have to admit these were far better than I imagined, and I will in fact be purchasing these for work snacks.

The little pouches have 90 calories per pack, 0g of trans fat (3.5g total fat though), and have 10% of your daily value of fiber - and fiber is good.

I tried the chocolate ones and loved them, my stepsister told me the peanut butter ones are also de-lish (I am not a huge peanut butter fan, but I might be will to give these a whirl anyhow), and I can only image the cinnamon ones are addicting too.

So, go out and get yourself a box!

Slow Cooker Brats

Here we have a perfect example of using ingredients for more than one dish to ensure we don't waste the leftovers. What makes this dish even better is that you make it in the slow cooker so you can be busy doing other things or you don't have to have a specific dinner time - which was our case. My husband works nights and normally gets up about the time I get home, but on this day he had a hard time sleeping and ended up mowing the lawn in the middle of the day, meaning he slept past our normal dinnertime. Rather than forcing him to get up and eat or have to deal with leftovers, I just popped this into the slow cooker so it was ready once he wanted to eat (and luckily he's not much of a breakfast person, so this for his first meal is a-ok with him).

This is also one of those easy meals you can get all the ingredients for and not worry about the fresh items going bad - just freeze the brats, buy the sauerkraut you can keep in the pantry and if you're like us and normally have beer on hand, great, if not, omit the beer.

*Note: I was excited one day finding Boar's Head sauerkraut, however I was disappointed in the flavor, or rather lack there of. I love their cold cuts, but won't be getting their sauerkraut again.

INGREDIENTS

5-6 Brats
1 Jar of Sauerkraut
1 bottle of dark beer (again, I suggest Shiner Bock)

DIRECTIONS

(This is the easy part!) Place Brats in slow cooker, cover with sauerkraut and beer. Cook for 4-5 hours on low.

Serve with mustard on a place, in a bun, in a tortilla, or any other way you'd like!

I did put these one more morning before I left for work and we had them when I got home, the flavor was find but the brats feel apart when trying to remove them with a fork. The flavor was fine but I prefer them to hold their shape a little better.

Roast Beef Reubens

This is one of those recipes I had to make my own since I'm not a big fan of the normal Reuben ingredients - I'm picky about corned beef and really only like it the way my mother makes it, I'm not a big Thousand Island dressing gal, and I pretty much loathe rye bread (wow - I've talked a lot lately about things I DON'T like!). What's even more is I couldn't STAND sauerkraut as a kid and in fact opened all the windows in the house to get the smell out - yet now I like it in certain situations but shhhhh, don't tell my mom!

I decided to try these sandwiches for my wonderful husband who has ordered a Reuben at various restaurants and thus far has only found it at one place where he really likes it - and that just happens to be a bar: The Flying Saucer. This is actually one of our favorite places to go, but that's another story for another day. On to the goods:

INGREDIENTS

***These are all done by personal preference so I don't have measurements.

Bread - I used 9 grain bread because I couldn't find pumpernickel. I think any heavier bread will work.
Deli Sliced Roast Beef
Swiss Cheese slices
Sauerkraut
Spicy brown mustard (or other of your choice)
Olive oil

DIRECTIONS

Place sauerkraut in small saucepan over low to medium heat.

Heat a grill pan over medium to medium high heat.

Assemble sandwich such that there is a slice of cheese on each slice bread, then top with roast beef, mustard, and sauerkraut. Combine halves to make full sandwich and brush the top side of one piece of bread with olive oil.

Place the sandwich oiled side down in the grill pan and place another pan or panini press on top. Cook until cheese begins to melt and bread has been toasted.

Brush olive oil on the top side of the bread and flip sandwich (fresh oil side is now down). Again place weight on sandwich and cook until cheese on bottom melts. Serve immediately.

This sandwich goes GREAT with a darker beer - our favorite is of course Texas' own Shiner Bock.

7 Random Foodie Facts

In response to my new place on the Foodie Blogroll and my new search obsession, it appears there has been a challenge for all members to list 7 random facts about themselves - so here goes!

1. I won't eat anything that is looking at me and I was ooged out the first time I had to peel LEGS off a shrimp - and I LOVE shrimp. What this means is I won't go into a seafood restaurant and pick out my lobster - if Snapper (he now has a name) is alive when I walk in, then I need to believe he is alive when I walk out. This does NOT mean I am a vegan or refuse to eat meat, I just can't be made to feel guilty while doing in. This also means if my husband catches dinner in our lake, he MUST turn it into meat before asking me to cook it. Yes, I am a little bit crazy, and he loves me anyway.

2. On the same topic, I don't eat meat that is still on the bone - and this has nothing to do with the "animal-likeness" it has. This comes from me being picky and the fact that meat on the bone has too much stuff that appears as something OTHER than meat to me - ie grisle, etc. So, in fact I WILL eat it, but I end up eating about half of it because the remaining portion is questionable in my eyes. This also holds true for buffalo wings, but I don't like buffalo sauce, celery, or the blue cheese dressing - so this snack is completely lost on me.

3. I can make an entire meal out of potatoes - and often did as a kid. A trip to a buffet-style restaurant ended up with a plate of roasted new potatoes, mashed potatoes, french fries, and a baked potato. Oh - and a roll, so I guess my love is carbs more than potatoes, but still.

4. I have a cat, well, actually 2 cats, but I have one cat that barks. At night. About 15 minutes after I go to bed. I will be just about to sleep and I'll hear her, dragging her toy down the hallway and barking. This cat can NOT meow and earned her name Squeakers. But, she can bark. Loudly. It is quite possibly the funniest cat noise I have ever heard.

5. I have a job where I cannot wear perfume, make-up, scented lotions, hair products, or contacts. I love it. I also find it quite humorous when I meet another lady who hears this and claims that she could NEVER have a job like that. Strange I think since it shortens my morning, allows me to go to the gym at lunch and shower without the extended time to finish myself, as well as saves LOADS of money since I don't go through this stuff so fast. On the other hand, it makes me lazy on the weekends and I have to admit I wear make-up less than every weekend. Luckily, my husband loves me and knew this to begin with.

6. I can touch my tongue to my nose. No further explanation needed.

7. I have no idea if I am allergic to poison ivy - which my dad tells me means I'm not, but still. My mother is HIGHLY allergic and my dad is not, so it seems like I have a 50/50 chance - but who is going to PURPOSELY play in poison ivy just to find out? Not I.

So, there you go. Now you know a little more about me and my quirkiness. And - you also know why you will not see a lobster recipe or a chicken leg recipe any time soon.

Mediterranean White Fish and Couscous

After my husband and I got married in October, we vowed to do "China Sunday's" to encourage us to 1) sit down to dinner together at the table and 2) use the wonderful china we received at our wedding. We are also hoping this catches on to more days of the week and becomes a normal evening dinner before we have children since I don't want to raise them with eating out all the time or eating in front of the TV. This routine of China Sunday went to the wayside for the past month or so due to a variety of circumstances, but we are eagerly trying to start it up again - and while today is Monday, it was a holiday so we considered it our Sunday.

With this in mind and not feeling manwich and taco's are China worthy, I made a menu for the week and this seafood dish was the winner for today - partly because I felt it had the best presentation potential and partly because I didn't want to freeze the fresh fish. Knowing that my husband loves olives and fish, and my doctor (as well as the rest of the health world) has told me to eat more fish, I felt this would be a great addition to our normal meal rotation - and it was a hit.

As with all recipes, feel free to substitute and alter as you see fit, but remember that changing what is listed may not always yield satisfactory results. I hope you enjoy!

COUSCOUS
INGREDIENTS

1 C water
1 C couscous
1 C halved grape tomatoes
1/4 C chopped olives (I used green, although the recipe called for kalamata)
3 Tbl chopped red onion
2 Tbl chopped fresh parsley
Juice from half lemon
1 tsp dried oregano
1 large clove crushed garlic
1 Tbl olive oil
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Bring 1 C water to boil. Add couscous, stir, cover, and remove from heat. Allow to sit for about 5-6 minutes then fluff with a fork.

Mix couscous with remaining ingredients in large bowl, ensuring it is mixed well. Set aside while you prepare the fish.

WHITE FISH

INGREDIENTS

4 white fish fillets such as Mahimahi or tilapia
Olive oil
Salt
Pepper
12 Lemon slices (about 1 1/2 lemons)

DIRECTIONS

Prepare parchment paper for fish fillets. I use the Cooking Light method of cutting a large heart shape into the paper, placing the fillet in the center and fold paper over it, then begin rolling the edges together starting opposite the point, then using the point end to seal it.

Sprinkle both sides of the fish with salt and pepper and place onto the parchment paper. Drizzle about a Tbl of olive oil and top with 3 lemon slices. Seal the parchment paper and place on a baking sheet.

Bake for about 12-13 minutes at 425. Remove and serve immediately with couscous.

Slow Cooker BBQ Pork

Wow. This is one of those recipes you wonder how you got along without. Simple and yet so amazing. You can bet this will be added to our standard rotation. We served this up with a side of potato salad and come fresh corn on the cob and it was the perfect spring dinner following a busy day. I have a feeling this is going to make some absolutely marvelous left overs as well.

INGREDIENTS

~3 lb pork loin

1 can beef broth

1 bottle BBQ sauce

Onions (optional)

Buns

DIRECTIONS

Trim fat form pork loin and place in slow cooker. Top with beef broth and add water until entire loin is submerged. Depending on how it fits, you can always add another can of beef broth. Cook on low for about 4-5 hours.

Remove from cooker and shred meat with forks. Since this is to be sued as sandwich meat, use this to determine how much you'll need to shred the meat.

Drain broth into separate bowl and place shredded pork back into cooker. Mix in bottle of BBQ sauce and add broth if you feel it needs more juice. Cook on low for 1-2 hours.

Serve on buns, topped with onions or your choice of other toppings.

Mom's Chocolate Oatmeal No Bakes

These are great cookies to make, especially when you have something else baking and can't use the oven but still want to make cookies. These are also some of my favorite cookies from my childhood - and remain that way today. They don't have your typical cookie dough texture and remind me more of a fudge mixed with oatmeal, so how can you go wrong? These are perfect for those cookie exchanges or gift tins at Christmas, or even just satisfying a sweet tooth on a weeknight.

INGREDIENTS

1/2 C Butter

*Add a pinch of salt if using unsalted butter

1/2 C Milk

2 C white sugar

1/2 C peanut butter

1/4 C cocoa

1 Tbl Vanilla

3 C Oats

DIRECTIONS

Combine all ingredients except oats in saucepan, bring to a boil and cook for 1 minute to ensure sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add oats and mix well. Spoon mixture onto wax paper and allow to cool. Store in air-tight container.

Hokie Hope

While I am not VT alum (MSU Spartan actually) and don't know anyone that attends this school, I still want to show my support to those who have been impacted by this horrible tragedy. So rather than reflect one what's happen or talk more about this awful event, I will leave you with this - a chance to show your support with something as simple as wearing a t-shirt, a hat, a sweatshirt, etc. We are all part of the Virginia Tech family at this time.

Fresh Veggie Pizza

This is one of those meals I crave in the spring and summer when the weather is nice and the fresh veggies are great. It's something my mother used to make for us and was an easy way for her to get us kids to eat our vegetables. Also, several of the items I use come in low-fat or non-fat options, helping to make it healthier. The only downfall is that it doesn't save well so leftovers aren't that great - of course we never end up with any leftovers anyhow!

INGREDIENTS

1 can crescent rolls

4 oz cream cheese

8 oz sour cream

powdered ranch mix

shredded cheddar (or other cheese of your choice)

diced fresh veggies

DIRECTIONS

Roll out the crescent dough onto a cookie sheet and make sure to press the pre-cut edges together to form your pizza crust. Bake it according to the directions and allow to cool.

Mix cream cheese, sour cream, and ranch mix together to form the sauce of the pizza. Spread it on the cooled crust. Top with your shredded cheese and fresh veggies.

Another option is to top it with the ranch sauce, then cut it into pieces and allow everyone to top it with the cheese and veggies as they like.

WARNING - this can be messy if you load it down like we do, so make sure to have forks and napkins handy!

Simple Apple Crisp

Image from Eagle Brand

What could be better than old fashion Apple Crisp? Simple - a quick version of apple crisp with vanilla bean ice cream on top! My husband's family was coming over for dinner and I needed some sort of easy dessert (since my dinner plans were a little more involved) - this recipe was PERFECT! Of course, my husband also loves cinnamon apples, so this took that into account as well.

INGREDIENTS

2 cans apple pie filling
1 tsp cinnamon

1 C quick oats
1 C all-purpose flour
1C brown sugar
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 C butter, melted
honey

DIRECTIONS

Combine the pie filing and 1 tsp cinnamon - spread evenly in a baking dish. In a separate bowl, combine all remaining ingredients except honey - mix well. Spread topping evenly over pie filling and drizzle with honey.

Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes. Allow to sit for about 10 minutes, then serve with vanilla ice cream.

Blueberry Crumb Muffins

In my search for something slightly different than normal blueberry muffins, I came across a recipe for these - Blueberry Crumb Muffins - and I have to admit they are great. I made a few changes to try a healthier version, and the end result was nothing to be disappointed about.

INGREDIENTS

Muffins

2/3 C all-purpose flour

2/3 C whole wheat flour

1/3 C brown sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/3 C vegetable oil

3 egg whites

1/2 C milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 C blueberries

Crumb Topping

1/3 C whole wheat flour

1/4 C butter, softened (not melted)

1 tsp cinnamon

1/3 C brown sugar

DIRECTIONS

Combine flours, sugars, salt and baking soda. Add oil, egg whites, milk, and vanilla until thoroughly mixed. Gentle fold in blueberries, being careful not to smash them.

Fill muffin cups about 2/3 full (into either baking cups or greased muffin tins).

Combine the crumb topping using a fork. Place a small amount onto each filled muffin.

Bake muffins at 375 for 22-25 minutes (11-13 for mini muffins).

Macjak Chicken

This is one of those recipes I've heard raves about from a variety of people, so we're renaming it for them - a combination of Mackie and Divjak (Macjak) - this recipe is also lovingly known as Garlic Cheddar Chicken. I was truly amazed at just how easy this was, which I think we'll all agree is a GREAT thing, especially for week nights. Whats even better is how delicious the house smells while cooking this, if you like garlic of course. We served this with asparagus (steamed and top with butter, garlic powder, and sea salt) and a doctored up version of Kraft's Caesar Pasta Salad. This pasta salad is one of my favorites since its not a mayonnaise base. I try to use either Enova oil or olive oil with it. Tonight, I added some fresh dill (left over from the egg salad) and some diced tomatoes and red onions - which my wonderful husband stated added a great freshness to the salad. If you haven't tried this salad, I highly recommend it for any occasion you want something quick - and as always, feel free to doctor us as you like.

On to the chicken!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 C Butter

4-5 Cloves Garlic, minced

1/2 C grated Cotija (or regular Parmesan)

3/4 C Bread Crumbs

1 1/2 C Shredded Cheddar

1/4 tsp dried parsley

1/4 tsp dried oregano

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp salt

8 skinless, boneless chicken breasts

***I use Italian Seasoned Breadcrumbs and omit the parsley and oregano.

DIRECTIONS

Melt butter in a shallow fry pan over low heat, add minced garlic and mix well. Heat at least 5 minutes for garlic to soften.

In a shallow bowl, mix breadcrumbs, cheeses, and spices (including salt and pepper).

Dip each chicken breast in the butter mixture, coating on both sides. Then dredge through the breadcrumbs to again coat on both sides. Place in an oven safe dish. Repeat for each chicken breast. Drizzle any remaining butter over chicken breasts and top with any remaining bread crumbs.

Bake for 30 minutes at 350 degrees.

Eat.

Egg Salad with Dill

While discussing what to eat for brunch this morning, we had the Food Channel on (of course). Ina was making a variety of items and one happen to be her Smoked Salmon and Egg Salad Tartines. My husband and I looked at each other and the debate was solved - we wanted egg salad! I normally make this by just mixing hard boiled eggs with Miracle Whip and voila! - but this was better, it has stone ground mustard and fresh dill - how can anything with fresh dill be bad? This was so quick and tasty it will replace my boring old egg salad recipe (unless of course I don't have dill).

INGREDIENTS

12 Large eggs

1/2 C Miracle Whip

2 tsp Stone Ground Mustard

1 Tbl Fresh Dill, chopped

1 tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 tsp Black Pepper

Wheat Bread

DIRECTIONS

Since I hate recipes that don't include ALL cooking instructions, I'm including my egg boiling as well.

Place eggs in bottom of pot and fill with cold water to ensure eggs are completely submerged with a little extra water. Bring water to a rolling boil and boil for 1 minute. Remove from heat, cover, and let eggs cook for 20 minutes. Once time is up, transfer eggs to an ice bath to cool (and help prevent yolk form turning green). Let eggs cool at least 10 minutes.

In large bowl, mix Miracle Whip, mustard, dill, salt, and pepper.

Peel eggs and process in food processor until all crumbly. Transfer eggs to large bowl with Miracle Whip mixture and combine. Feel free to adjust amount of Miracle Whip for egg salad consistency you like. Then - Make Sandwiches! I prefer toast, but its fine on regular bread too. Enjoy!

Fresh Salsa Cheat

I love salsa almost as much as I love my husbands guacamole and over the years I have made several different batches. I use to chop everything by hand - ughh! To make it worse, I enjoyed the salsas, but the flavor was never quite what I was looking for, it was always missing layers of flavor so I kept trying. And trying. And trying.

Then I found what I was looking for - my husband's mother and uncle both made a homemade salsa with the layer of flavors I was looking for so of course I asked for the recipe. I about fell out of my chair when they told me the secret. "Start with a jar of Pace" *GASP* What? So they told me again, start with a jar of pace and add your own ingredients, them mix them all in the blender and Voila! Fresh flavored salsa in a matter of minutes. This solved so many issues for me it was unbelievable - part of the reason I don't like jarred salsas is the chunks of cooked (I DO NOT like chunks of cooked tomatoes in anything - odd, I know) AND it allowed me to have that fresh flavor I enjoy so much. Add to that how easy this is and I knew it was the end to my "homemade salsa in a flash" search. Plus, you can change the flavors by changing the salsa you start with as well as the fresh ingredients you add, but here is my basic method.

INGREDIENTS

1 average size jar of your favorite salsa

2-3 roma tomatoes

1/2 - 1 red onion

2-3 fresh peppers (Serrano, Jalapeno, etc)

Handful of fresh cilantro

DIRECTIONS

Chop tomatoes and onions into manageable pieces to add to blender / food processor. Seed peppers. Combine all ingredients in blender / food processor and process until smooth. Serve with your favorite tortilla chips.

Matty's 'mazing Guacamole

Normally Sunday night is reserved for a grand dinner served on our china and enjoyed at the dining table ... well, not yesterday. We were all set to get our surround sound set up after being in our house for almost 2 years so we spent the day in the attic ... and lost our battle, which really doesn't matter here other than it explains why we wanted a quick dinner. Sooo - we decided on Taco Night which is one of my FAVORITE'S, especially when my wonderful husband makes his oh-so-tasty guacamole. Yum. Seriously, yum! And to think growing up I never ate guac - how crazy was I!?!?! And what makes this even better is when served with the lime Tostito chips - let's just say perfection.

***Note: all measurements are approximates, we never measure for this. Feel free to add as much or as little as you want - I like mine chunky with lots of stuff besides avocados.

INGREDIENTS

2-3 avocados
1/4 C diced red onion
1/4 C diced roma tomato
1/8 C fresh cilantro
1-2 Serrano peppers, seeded and diced (can use jalapenos)
juice of 1 lime, fresh
pinch of salt
1/4 tsp garlic powder

DIRECTIONS

Peel and seed avocados and place flesh into a bowl. Use 2 forks to chop / smash avocados until desired consistency. Add onion, tomato, Serrano, and cilantro and mix well. Squeeze limes to add juice, watch for seeds. Add garlic powder and salt to taste. Serve with tortilla chips.

NOTE:

Avocados should be slightly soft to the touch, enough to give way when pressed but not super soft. I think of it almost like chilled cream cheese.

Roma tomatoes are best since they remain firm even after being diced.

If using garlic SALT, omit the remaining salt.

Mardi Gras Hooray!

Three years ago today, my cousin and I (pic above) made the trek to New Orleans for the great celebration of Mardi Gras. On our first full day there, we found a balcony along Bourbon that you could pay to be on for a few hours, so for anyone who hasn't been, the balcony's basically run the crowds so they are the place to be.


There were a few other people up there, one of who we ended up talking to and quickly learned his uncle owned the place - GOOD PERSON TO KNOW! We chatted for a while and he invited us back later that evening, so of course we came back and spent the night indulging in free beverages and the greatest entertainment of throwing beads at people (yes AT them, not necessarily TO them). Anyhow, to make a long story short, 3 years later I am now married to the guy who's uncle owned the business with the balcony we met on and Mardi Gras has special place in our hearts.

On to the food! I know I said I was going to post a Jambalaya recipe but I have to admit, it was less than I hoped for so I'm not posting the recipe. However, we have made Shrimp Etouffee on several occasions and while I haven't made it lately, I still have the recipe to post. I was amazed at how simple this one is and how good it came out, so I hope you enjoy it to!

SHRIMP ETOUFFEE

INGREDIENTS

1 lb shrimp, devined
1/4 lb butter
1 onion, diced
1 bell pepper, diced (I do red for color)
1 rib of celery, diced
2 tsp cornstarch
1/4 C water
1/4 C parsley, chopped
1/4 chives, chopped
Salt and pepper to taste
Creole or Cajun seasoning to taste (start with a tsp and go from there)
Cooked white rice

DIRECTIONS

Saute onions, peppers, and celery in butter until soft. Stir in shrimp, seasoning, parsley, and chives and cook thoroughly.

Dissolve cornstarch in water and add to pan, stirring constantly. Let simmer for about 5 to 10 minutes, adding salt and pepper to taste. Serve over white rice.

***Note: water and cornstarch can be adjusted to create a thinner or thicker sauce depending on personal taste. Crawfish can be substituted for shrimp.

Lemon Spritz Cookie Press Cookies

For Christmas, I received a cookie press kit and I have to admit I had NO idea what to do with it. Luckily, it came with a few recipes, one of which I tried tonight. These are light cookies that are good plain or would be even better with a little lemon frosting - or filling if you make them into sandwich cookies. I would add the frosting, but I don't need to extra sugar! While making these cookies, I've learned a few things about my handy dandy little cookie press:

1) If the recipe calls for zest, make sure to use one of the discs with larger holes. My first attempt ended in the zest getting stuck in the holes and then the cookie wouldn't form correctly.

2) You have to clean the grease off the cookie sheets between batches. If there is the grease (butter) from the previous set, the dough won't stick to the cookie sheet.

3) Don't refill the cookie press if there is still a seal of dough at the disc - you end up with a big air pocket in the middle and the cookies again don't form correctly.

4) This is totally my fault - if your cookie sheet comes with instructions to reduce ALL recipes by 25 degrees, don't forget. My first batch got a little OVER baked. Oh well.

INGREDIENTS

1 C Butter, softened

3 oz Cream Cheese, softened

1 C Sugar

1 egg yolk

1 tsp Vanilla

1 1/4 tsp lemon zest (I used 1 lemon, will use at least 2 next time)

3/4 tsp Lemon Extract

2 1/2 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

DIRECTIONS

Cream together butter and cream cheese. Add sugar and mix until fluffy. Add egg yolk, vanilla, lemon zest, and lemon extract. Mix well. Gradually add flour and salt and mix completely. DO NOT CHILL DOUGH.

Set up cookie press (select disc) and put dough into press. Press cookies onto UNGREASED, COOL cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes.

***Extra's: dough can be colored by any food coloring, or you can use a mix of colors by creating various small colored logs that are placed into cookie press together. These will be great around holidays or other events where you can play with various shapes and colors.