Where have I been? It has been almost two weeks since my last post.
I would love to say that I was somewhere fabulous. Hawaii, or the Bahamas or I don't know, anywhere. But, no such luck.
We have just been busy. It is Spring Break here, so my schedule is not normal right now. I guess I should rephrase that. It is Spring Break for Kyle this week. Since we live in Florida, Spring Break actually lasts until late April! Just try to drive out to the islands. Or back for that matter. Traffic just plain stinks this time of year.
Last weekend we spent with some friends who were in town for their daughters basketball tournament. It was fun having something a little different to do for the weekend. Plus it was great to see the whole family and spend time with them. The two youngest made soap with me. They enjoyed the process and their soaps turned out great!
Next weekend is a biggie. We will be in Tampa for the weekend with some friends for the Kenny Chesney concert. Should be a great time!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Problem with Blogging
This has been my problem with blogging lately.
The weather. I blame it all on the weather. These are photos from where Jeff and I had lunch on Sunday. Since Sundays tend to be the only day my husband gets to truly relax, this is how we choose to spend it.
We pick a table in the shade, because lets face it, even if I have sunblock 115 on, it doesn't help. I actually just had to get the windows in my car tinted because after a long drive, I came home with a farmers sunburn! True story!
Then, we each order a few items, some wine, and kick back. I think this past Sunday we were there for almost 3 hours. I do tip well so our waitress won't hate us!
And then, before we leave...
The smore's dessert. This is OH MY GOODNESS good! Brownie Sundea with graham cracker crusted ice cream, and marshmallow topping. Then drizzled with chocolate sauce and caramel. Was it any good?
I don't know. You be the judge!
The weather. I blame it all on the weather. These are photos from where Jeff and I had lunch on Sunday. Since Sundays tend to be the only day my husband gets to truly relax, this is how we choose to spend it.
We pick a table in the shade, because lets face it, even if I have sunblock 115 on, it doesn't help. I actually just had to get the windows in my car tinted because after a long drive, I came home with a farmers sunburn! True story!
Then, we each order a few items, some wine, and kick back. I think this past Sunday we were there for almost 3 hours. I do tip well so our waitress won't hate us!
And then, before we leave...
Friday, February 25, 2011
Last night
We went to see Jeff Dunham last night. The show opens with Trombone Guy. Oh My Gosh! It was hilarious. You can take a look at him in this video from America's Got Talent.
The show ran extremely late and we didn't get home until almost midnight. It was well worth the money and the lack of sleep though!
It is Friday, so lets take a look around at some other blogs!
The show ran extremely late and we didn't get home until almost midnight. It was well worth the money and the lack of sleep though!
It is Friday, so lets take a look around at some other blogs!
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Rambling On
Has anyone noticed that it is the end of February already? I feel like I just packed away all of my Christmas decorations!
Time has been going by so fast that I haven't even blogged anything for a week! Sometimes life just gets away from me.
As a Christmas present, I had purchased Jeff Dunham tickets for Jeff and Kyle. The show is tonight, and I only remembered it this past Sunday. Thankfully it was this Sunday that I realized it and not next Sunday! Done that before!
March is a busy month for us. I think we have something going on every weekend, plus a cruise at the end of the month for our birthdays. Just a quick 3 night to Cozumel. We can only take little weekends away due to my husbands work schedule, and even then, only between the months of November to March. I'm getting a little worried because it has gotten so hot here in Florida recently. This has the potential to cause his schedule to be extended. I'm hoping for one more blast of cold air from somewhere!
Speaking of the weather, what the heck is going on with it? We only had two seasons this year. HOT and COLD. Normally it gradually cools down in the late fall, winters are even cooler, then it gradually warms up in the spring and throws us into the heat of summer. Not this time. Last week we were in jackets, this week it has been in the mid 80's. It is February and we had to turn our air conditioning on last night. I'm not ready for those electric bills!
We had family pictures done at the end of January and I got the proofs this week. All I can say is WOW! They turned out fabulous, now to just make a decision. Kyle looks like a man in all of these photos! I will post them once they are completed!
Time has been going by so fast that I haven't even blogged anything for a week! Sometimes life just gets away from me.
As a Christmas present, I had purchased Jeff Dunham tickets for Jeff and Kyle. The show is tonight, and I only remembered it this past Sunday. Thankfully it was this Sunday that I realized it and not next Sunday! Done that before!
March is a busy month for us. I think we have something going on every weekend, plus a cruise at the end of the month for our birthdays. Just a quick 3 night to Cozumel. We can only take little weekends away due to my husbands work schedule, and even then, only between the months of November to March. I'm getting a little worried because it has gotten so hot here in Florida recently. This has the potential to cause his schedule to be extended. I'm hoping for one more blast of cold air from somewhere!
Speaking of the weather, what the heck is going on with it? We only had two seasons this year. HOT and COLD. Normally it gradually cools down in the late fall, winters are even cooler, then it gradually warms up in the spring and throws us into the heat of summer. Not this time. Last week we were in jackets, this week it has been in the mid 80's. It is February and we had to turn our air conditioning on last night. I'm not ready for those electric bills!
We had family pictures done at the end of January and I got the proofs this week. All I can say is WOW! They turned out fabulous, now to just make a decision. Kyle looks like a man in all of these photos! I will post them once they are completed!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Recipe Review
For Valentine's Day dinner, I had decided to try my hand at Braised Short Ribs. I had a recipe picked out and figured it would be as good of a day as any to test it on my family. Then we ended up having friends coming for dinner as well. I don't know about you, but the last thing I wanted was to test a completely new recipe out on friends!
I had everything purchased though, so Braised Short Ribs were still on my menu. I just needed a recipe from a trusted source! Who else other than The Pioneer Woman could fill that need?! I just knew that she had to have made these at some point and placed it on her website. So, I went digging around and sure enough, Bingo, Braised Short Ribs.
One thing that I love about The Pioneer Woman's Cooking section has to be her photographs. She shows a photo of every step, and her cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl
, is the same as well. If you click on the short rib link above, you will understand what I mean, if you have been living under a rock somewhere and have no idea who The Pioneer Woman is.
So, with my laptop in hand in the kitchen, I set off to make my first ever batch of braised short ribs.
Well, let me back up just a step. I knew I needed a larger dutch oven for this adventure. My Le Creuset just wasn't large enough. And since I'm not currently working, purchasing a larger Le Creuset was not going to happen. I ventured off to Walmart and found this Better Homes and Gardens version. I have used it a for a few other recipes and I am quite pleased with it!
The recipe has multiple steps that actually move rather quickly once you get started. For that reason, I gathered, chopped, prepared and dredged everything before I was ready to cook.
I added the pancetta to the pan to fry until it was crispy. With these enamel dutch ovens, they heat quickly and my kitchen got quite smokey until I was able to get the heat regulated. Medium worked just fine for me!
Once the pancetta is crispy, remove it from the pot, leaving the rendered fat that is left behind. Add in some olive oil to the pan and add the ribs to brown them on all sides. I worked in batches of 4 since I had 12 ribs that I was cooking and I didn't want to overcrowd the pan.
I had everything purchased though, so Braised Short Ribs were still on my menu. I just needed a recipe from a trusted source! Who else other than The Pioneer Woman could fill that need?! I just knew that she had to have made these at some point and placed it on her website. So, I went digging around and sure enough, Bingo, Braised Short Ribs.
One thing that I love about The Pioneer Woman's Cooking section has to be her photographs. She shows a photo of every step, and her cookbook, The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl
, is the same as well. If you click on the short rib link above, you will understand what I mean, if you have been living under a rock somewhere and have no idea who The Pioneer Woman is.So, with my laptop in hand in the kitchen, I set off to make my first ever batch of braised short ribs.
Well, let me back up just a step. I knew I needed a larger dutch oven for this adventure. My Le Creuset just wasn't large enough. And since I'm not currently working, purchasing a larger Le Creuset was not going to happen. I ventured off to Walmart and found this Better Homes and Gardens version. I have used it a for a few other recipes and I am quite pleased with it!
The recipe has multiple steps that actually move rather quickly once you get started. For that reason, I gathered, chopped, prepared and dredged everything before I was ready to cook.
Carrots and Onions, chopped
Sprinkle salt and pepper on ribs then dredge in flour
Slice up pancetta
Now I was ready to start cooking!
Once the pancetta is crispy, remove it from the pot, leaving the rendered fat that is left behind. Add in some olive oil to the pan and add the ribs to brown them on all sides. I worked in batches of 4 since I had 12 ribs that I was cooking and I didn't want to overcrowd the pan.
Okay, well this photo shows 3, I must have removed one before taking this photo. You only need about a minute on each side. Not really cooking them here, just browning to seal in the flavor.
Once all the ribs are done, place them aside and add carrots and onions to the pot. Cook only for a few minutes.
I then added red wine to deglaze the pan. Make sure you scrape around the bottom of the pan to get all of the good stuff. I let this come to a boil and then added in beef stock.
After all liquid is in, place ribs back into the pot, put the lid on it and put it in the oven for an hour and a half at 350 degrees. Then turn down to 325 degrees for another half hour.
I really wish they would create scratch and sniff computers. I'm telling you these smelled fabulous! The flour from the ribs allowed the liquid to thicken a bit, and the ribs just fell off the bone!
I made potatoes and broccoli to go along with it. Then made up a huge thing of strawberry shortcake with homemade whip cream for dessert. I'm still stuffed!
This meal was a huge success and I strongly urge you to visit The Pioneer Woman recipe page to take a gander at her photos. They make mine look like a 4 yr old took them!
I found the recipe to be easy to follow and comprehend. And the final result was super delicious. I have made numerous recipes from both her website and her cookbook and haven't had anything bad yet!
Tuesday, February 15, 2011
Cookbook Tuesday, Well Wednesday this week
Have you seen the T.V show on OWN called Anna & Kristina's Grocery Bag? It has become a fixation for me. I love the premise of the show. I also love the fact that not everything they cook turns out FABULOUS! Here's the deal, they choose recipes from a cookbook, cook them in a certain amount of time and then serve them to a chef. Anna cracks me up because they constantly have to "bleep" her. Meaning she curses in the kitchen. I feel normal when I watch these two. Messes in the kitchen and everything.
What I love about the show is that they are not trying to create their own recipes. They use what is out there and let you know the results. Not sure if you have noticed lately, but cookbooks are expensive. Have you ever looked at a cookbook, bought it, got it home and never cooked anything out of it? It is frustrating. They also will take everyday kitchen items that you need to use for the recipe and test a few to let you know which ones are the best. Some of these come in extremely handy, others, not so much. Like the episode where they tested chopsticks. Didn't understand that one!
Anyhoo, the point I'm trying to make here is that I love to cook. And I typically can cook really well. I have a few recipes that have been born out of some section of my brain, that are actually good. But mostly, I turn to cookbooks, online recipes and magazines for inspiration and information. Anna and Kristina make me feel that it is okay for me NOT to be a chef and create my own recipes.
So, with that being said, that is what Tuesdays will become. Maybe Thursdays too. We'll see. I will take recipes out of varying cookbooks, make them and report here what I have uncovered. I'm not promising miracles. But I do hope to help the average person out there who wants to cook, discover the joys of cooking and that it isn't that difficult.
(Ooh, Ooh, did anyone see the episode of America's Worst Cooks where the girl had to make poached eggs, so she cracked the egg and dropped the whole thing, shell and all into the water! It made me laugh, it made me feel better about having to look up how to hard boil an egg a few years back! I hate eggs, so I try very hard not to cook them!)
I have plenty of cookbooks here, but if there is a recipe you are interested in, let me know! Can be drink recipes as well. I love making martini's and mixed drinks, so I'm always up for a challenge. The first recipes will be posted here tomorrow. I know tomorrow is Wednesday, but goodness gracious, how long do you want this post to be?
See ya all tomorrow!
What I love about the show is that they are not trying to create their own recipes. They use what is out there and let you know the results. Not sure if you have noticed lately, but cookbooks are expensive. Have you ever looked at a cookbook, bought it, got it home and never cooked anything out of it? It is frustrating. They also will take everyday kitchen items that you need to use for the recipe and test a few to let you know which ones are the best. Some of these come in extremely handy, others, not so much. Like the episode where they tested chopsticks. Didn't understand that one!
Anyhoo, the point I'm trying to make here is that I love to cook. And I typically can cook really well. I have a few recipes that have been born out of some section of my brain, that are actually good. But mostly, I turn to cookbooks, online recipes and magazines for inspiration and information. Anna and Kristina make me feel that it is okay for me NOT to be a chef and create my own recipes.
So, with that being said, that is what Tuesdays will become. Maybe Thursdays too. We'll see. I will take recipes out of varying cookbooks, make them and report here what I have uncovered. I'm not promising miracles. But I do hope to help the average person out there who wants to cook, discover the joys of cooking and that it isn't that difficult.
(Ooh, Ooh, did anyone see the episode of America's Worst Cooks where the girl had to make poached eggs, so she cracked the egg and dropped the whole thing, shell and all into the water! It made me laugh, it made me feel better about having to look up how to hard boil an egg a few years back! I hate eggs, so I try very hard not to cook them!)
I have plenty of cookbooks here, but if there is a recipe you are interested in, let me know! Can be drink recipes as well. I love making martini's and mixed drinks, so I'm always up for a challenge. The first recipes will be posted here tomorrow. I know tomorrow is Wednesday, but goodness gracious, how long do you want this post to be?
See ya all tomorrow!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Happy Valentine's Day!
Happy Valentine's Day!
My plans for this evening are simple. I'm cooking dinner for my husband and my son. What is on the menu?
Braised Short Ribs in a Cabernet Sauce
Mashed Red Potatoes
Sauteed Broccoli
Fresh Berries and Cream
It is 6:30 in the morning and if you set that in front of me right now, I would be a happy person! Make sure you come and visit tomorrow. I will be sharing the recipes I used and you won't believe how simple the potatoes are!
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