Ok I am back!

Ok I am very sorry that I have been missing for about the last week, my husband and I had some company and also he started a new job so it has been very busy around here, but I am back and ready to keep pushing forward. So how has everyone been doing? Anyone come up with any new or old yummy recipes? I would love to hear them. Ok so starting tomorrow night, I will be back on track and keeping everything up to date. Also we are coming up on the holiday season, and there is a lot of baking to be done, so lets all post on the FB page some of our favorite goodies recipes. I cant wait to hear some.

Steak with Baked Mac and Cheese

Ok this is a post for last nights dinner, sorry :) last  night was my father n laws last night here with us so I wanted to make a good manly man dinner for him and my husband, so I made T-bone steak with backed mac and cheese and salad. This is a very easy meal, but it is very important that you get a good piece of meat with the right amount of fat and marble, if you are not sure ask your meat guy at the local grocery store or meat market. This meal is perfect for kids and the big kids in your life.

What you need

steak
steak seasonings
1 box elbow noddles
3 8oz blocks of yellow cheese ( I used medium, extra and New York Cheddar)
2 tbsp stick butter
2 tbsp flour
1/4 cup whole milk
your favorite salad fixings
13*9 baking dish

Directions

Season steak to your liking and for as long you would like depending on your taste, boil noodles according to the box, meanwhile in another pan melt butter and flour together once melted had half the milk, still whisking the butter, milk and flour together, once blended slowly add cheese and whisking until blended before adding the next amount of cheese, keep on until all cheese is melted and mixed, by this time the noddles should be done, drained noddles then add hot noddles to the cheese sauce and mix until well blended, pour the mac and cheese into the baking dish, top with more cheese and bake in a 350 oven for about 20 minutes. Meanwhile grill your steaks either on an indoor grill or griddle to your temperature liking, make salad and enjoy.

Fish Tacos

So tonight I was wanting some light and heathy, yet I was wanting tacos and fish, so together you have fish tacos and WoW are they yummy. They are quick and easy and very cheap to make. Again this is a meal that you can make for 2 people or a family of 4 and when you pair it up with yellow rice and black beans you have a complete Mexican dinner Florida style.

What you need
tilapa fillets (about 1 person)
bag shredded cabbage
small taco flour shells
avocado
yellow rice
can of black beans
old bay seasoning
indoor grill pan
cooking spray

Directions
season fish fillets to your liking, heat grill pan up to about medium temperature, spray with cooking spray, place fish fillets on grill, only cook for about 3 minutes on each side or until fish flakes with a fork. Peal avocado and the slice it length wise. Cook rice according to package, about 3 minutes before rice is done dump in the drained can of beans and cook for another 3 minutes. Once the fish is done grilling, cut it into length strips and serve.

Rouldan

This is a German dish that is very yummy, and though it takes a couple hours to cook, it is fairly easy to make. You can make this dish for 2 people or 4 people and it is still the same level of easiness. It is also a whole new way to eat meat and potato's.

What you need

thinly sliced steak (normaly I plan about 3 rolls per person)
dry mustard
garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste
onion
bacon (1piece per steak)
veggie oil
beef stock (about 2 cans)

Directions

Sprinkle steaks with the dry mustard and garlic powder, cut the onion into small bit size pieces, also cut bacon in half, line onion and bacon down the center of each steak, roll steak up and then tie off with butcher string. In deep sided fry pan, heat oil in pan once hot, place the steak rolls in the pan, brown the rolls on all sides, once browned pour beef stock over steak rolls then fill with water until the rolls are covered, lower heat to low and let simmer for about 2 hours. Once rolls are down cooking take out about 1/2 cup of the juices and out into another sauce pan with 2tbsp flour and whisk until smooth for gravy.

Grandma's Lasgana

So last night I made my grandma's family lasagna, my great grandparents came over from Italy. I love the great feeling that making a big pan of a family recipe gives me. I actually made the lasagna the night before baked it half way let it cool then put it in the fridge. Then last night when it was time to start making dinner, I took the lasagna out of the fridge and let it set on the counter for about 15-20 minutes. While the lasagna is on the counter preheat the oven to 350 degrees (which is the temp that you will bake it the first time also)  when reheating the lasagna cove it with foil. This is a great family meal, serve with fresh baked bread or garlic toast and Cesar salad.

What you need

box of lasagna noddles
2lb jar of marina sauce
2lb container of ricotta cheese
4 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese
1.5lbs of ground beef
2 egg

directions

boil 6 noddles at a time for 10 minutes, cook ground beef until the pink is gone, once beef is cooked pour half the jar in pan with beef and let simmer for about 15 minutes on low heat, meanwhile mix the ricotta cheese and the eggs together in a large bowl. Once first 6 noddles are cooked remove them from the water and add 6 more noddles to the boiling water. Pour a small amount of sauce into the bottom of the deep sided casserole dish, lay 3 noddles in the bottom of the pan spread a good amount of the ricotta cheese mixture then sprinkle with about a cup of the shredded cheese then 1/2 the meat sauce and repeat layers with rest of noddles, once at the top pour sauce from the jar on top and rest of the shredded cheese, bake and enjoy.

Cinni Minni French Toast

Good Morning!! I thought it would be great to post a breakfast recipe also. So I came up with this one about 8 months ago, when one morning I wanted Cinnamon rolls and my husband wanted french toast, so I came up with these. Its very simply and easy and very yummy. I started with a can off regular Cinnamon rolls, take 3 eggs and mix about 3 tbsp of milk together, now you want to preheat a griddle or griddle pan to about 350 degrees, dip flattened Cinnamon rolls into egg mixture then place on the heated surface, grill about 3 mins on each side. Now meanwhile take the frosting that comes with the rolls and mix it with about 2 tbsp of maple syrup, once rolls are done pour frosting over top and enjoy. I also like to serve these with a fresh fruit salad.

Fried Shrimp w/ Hushpuppies

So every night my husband and I have stay at home date night, and we always rent a movie and I make a "take out" meal. So this Friday I made fried shrimp with hush puppies, cheesy garlic biscuits and cole slaw. Now being that I am from the south, I love to fry everything especially seafood. When frying in your kitchen, you have to be very careful, especially if you don't have a firer and you choose to use to pan fry. I used a high sided pan, with only about an inch of oil. I started out with fresh shrimp (that you can get from your local grocery store) I used medium size ones, laid them out a paper towel lined baking sheet to absorb the extra moisture. For the coating I used an egg wash (a couple eggs and a splash of milk) and seasoned flour, I also had some fresh coconut for some of them. Once your oil is hot but NOT smoking (a good way to check your oil is to drop a bit of flour into it and if it sizzles then its perfect or if you have a food thermaitor than your oil should be NO hotter than 300 degrees. And for the hush puppies I used cornmeal and celery, also fry them in the same pan and oil has the shrimp (but not at the same time please). For the cheese biscuits, its just 2 cups Bisquick, 2/3 cups milk, 2 tbsp garlic powder and 2 tbsp Old Bay seasoning, mix all together and bake in a 425 degree oven  for about 10 mins. And for a special dipping sauce I used about 1/4 cup pina coloda mix and 5 tbsp fresh coconut. This meal turned out wonderful and we both enjoyed in very much. Unlike frying or cooking fish your house will not smell like fish.

Left Overs

We all have those nights where we don't want to cook or have so many left overs from the nights past, and don't want to just throw the food away, so I over time I have come to put different meals together to make one good meal, or just reheat everything and make a mini buffet on the dinning room table (that's my husbands favorite).  Now I have asked around to friends, family and on the facebook page for different ideas with left overs. And I always seem to get the same response back, as long as you always have rice, pasta or potato's you can remake a meal in no time. Now also with left overs depending on how much left overs you have you can always freeze them in an air tight tuber wear and reheat at a later date, and with some foods they are better the second time around. But I am always up for new ideas for left overs. So let me know.

Grilled Chicken Brushetta

For tonights dinner I made a grilled chicken with garlic noodles and grilled toast. I seasoned the chicken breasts with extra virgin olive oil, garlic powder, salt and pepper then grilled them over meduim heat ( time depending on the size of chicken) meanwhile boiled water once water is at a rolling boil season with salt then add pasta. I took a french bagette and cut diagille brushed with olive oil and placed on the grill along with the chicken. Once pasta was done about 10 minutes tossed with olive oil and fresh minced garlic. Also I cut grape tomatos in half along with some fresh mozzerola cheese and lightly tossed with a light itailin dressing. Once chicken is done pour mozzerola and tomato mixture over top of chicken, side with the garlic noodles and toast.

This meal was light and heathy, my husband loved it. I really enjoyed making this meal, I felt good about feeding it to my family. Also clean up is very easy. I really hope that you all have a chance to try this out.

First Entry

I want to welcome everyone to my blog page. Also for now I am gonna keep the facebook page too, so that way I can post pictures of everything that I make. The whole point for this blog is to help me share my love and gift for food. I have had NO formal training, everything that I know I have learned from my parents and grandmother, Food Network but mostly making and trying things out for myself, it also helps that I have a husband that supports me and my dreams (I think he loves the food tastings). So in close I really hope that everyone gets something out of this.