Summer Grilling

It feels like forever since I have written anything.  I haven’t really been cooking anything extravagant.  Mostly hamburgers, hotdogs and simple stuff like that.  It’s been way too hot for me to enjoy being in the kitchen and spending time cooking up some good recipes.  Today I am doing something simple….yet….it can be goofed up if you don’t prepare them correctly.  RIBS!!!!!!!  Chaz is a big rib fan so I bought a nice rack and am grilling them as I type.

For me personally, I get the most tender ribs when I prepare them the following way: Clean your ribs off and pat dry.  Add your dry seasoning.  I used McCormick Grill Mates “Garlic & Onion”.  This is the first time I have used it and it smells delicious.  I put it on both sides of the ribs then wrapped them in aluminum foil.  I put the temperature on the grill at 300.  I only have two sides of the grill going.  The ribs are on the side that isn’t lit.  Every hour I turn them around so they get evenly cooked.  At hour 3 I took them out of the foil and set them directly on the grill (unheated side) and will continue to cook for another hour or so.  The last 30 minutes I put the bbq sauce on.

I also think taking little short cuts is okay when you don’t want to spend too much time in the kitchen.  I also made a caesar salad.  I used fresh Romaine lettuce, fresh grated parmesan cheese, my favorite dressing is Cardini’s Caesar dressing.  I buy it at Costco because it’s a very good price for 2 big bottles.  You throw it all together and you have a great meal.

As the summer winds down I will be in the kitchen more….hopefully that is really soon.  I live in a mobile home and let me tell you when it gets hot in here….its extreme.  Outside at 80 degrees is usually at least 90 inside!!!  We have a/c in our bedroom but Chaz sleeps days so that leaves me out here to battle the heat! LOL

Don’t those ribs look yummy!!! BTW the garlic and onion seasoning was off the hook!!! Glad I used it.  If you buy 3 or more right now at Safeway you only pay $0.99 a piece. That is a great deal!

Have a great weekend. 🙂

Kabobalicious!!!

I love love love kabobs.  They are healthy, delicious and the meat cooks faster!  You can put virtually any type of sauce on them, grill em and you have perfection.  We have had them 4 times in the past 2 weeks.  They are so easy to make and they fill you up.  This year I have only used fresh-cut pineapple on them.  Usually I get the chunk in the can but I thought it would taste better to grill fresh pineapple. 

I marinated the cut up chicken breast in Lawry’s Szechuan Sweet & Sour BBQ marinade for a few hours.  It’s very yummy.  There is a little but of a chinese taste to it, but not over powering.  I only put in on the meat and added salt and pepper to the vegetables.  We like the taste of the grilled veggies without anything added to them. And just what you see in the picture was 525 calories for the whole meal!!!  That is a great healthy and low-fat feast for us. 

There really is no recipe for kabob’s as I am sure you know.  I buy all of mine and Chaz’s favorite vegetables plus pineapple then cut them in to chunks and put on the skewer, grill and I am done with dinner!!  If you decide to make any this summer let me know what you use for seasoning or marinades.  There are so many out there to choose from and I imagine a ton more of homemade marinades.

Happy Wednesday to you all!!

Easy Stuffed Peppers

Today I am making stuffed green peppers for my dad.  They are one of his favorite things that I make for him.  I usually make it the short cut way.  It saves me time and they are still delicious.  I grew up on Rice a Roni (The San Francisco treat).  Now as an adult I rarely eat it because I am trying to be healthy about my food choices.  So every once in a while I will buy some for Chaz and I to enjoy.  I made these about 5 years ago and had left overs so I took the rest to my dad.  He loved them and from then on I was the pepper maker. 🙂

Stuffed Green Peppers                                                               Preheat oven: 350 degrees

1 Package Spanish Rice a Roni  1 14oz can diced tomatoes  Follow directions on back of package.  In a separate pan cook 1 pound italian sausage or ground beef.  Drain and set aside.  When rice is almost cooked add the meat and stir well put lid back on and cook the rest of the way.  Cut the tops off of 8 green peppers and clean out.  Set aside.  Take a 1/2 pound brick of cheddar cheese (or whatever type you prefer) and cut into 8 blocks. 

Add some rice mixture to pepper, add cheese then fill the rest of the way with the rice. Do this until all peppers are full.  Add about a half an inch of water to the bottom of a cake pan, place peppers in the dish, cover with aluminum foil and bake for 30-40 minutes depending on how crunchy or soft you want the pepper to be.

It’s a very simple yet delicious meal for working families.  This falls in my comfort food category and I am so happy that my dad enjoys them.  I love making him happy with my food! 🙂

Have a great weekend all!!

Memories

It’s been a little too hot lately to really do any cooking.  I have been making the basic easy to prepare meals. Thank god for my grill!!!! I love the sound it makes when you put a steak on in.  The grill marks almost make me giddy with joy!

I was sitting here the other night watching cooking on tv and it got me to thinking about my favorite foods as a child.  We didn’t have a lot of money so we ate a lot of hamburger helper, rice a roni and cheap and easy to prepare meals.  The weekends were my favorite because my mom would make us scrambled eggs with bacon bits and cheese and toast with a lot of butter.  It’s a very basic meal but something about when my mom made it….man it was good.  When I was about 10 she started putting the eggs on english muffins and making sandwiches for us.  10x better than McDonalds was all I could say.  When I would stay with my grandma Yvonne we would go to the store and buy Snickers bars and freeze them.  She would make Miracle Whip sandwiches (yep bread and miracle whip) and we would have Tab soda with it.  I loved it.  She also introduced me to liver and onions.  I always loved it when she would call our house and tell my mom to bring me up because she was making it.  I loved it cause the meat was so sweet.  GOD…..if I had known then what I was eating.  You couldn’t pay me enough money to eat that now.  I am a way picky eater and am a texture freak.  I also loved having breakfast at my grandpa Moe’s house.  He used to make SOS over toast and I thought it was the best thing ever.  After all this time, it’s great to have all of these memories.  I think it makes growing up and being an adult not so bad.

Well I will be looking for more recipes this next week.  I am anxious to try and make some healthy dishes for us.  There are so many vegetables right now in season that I need to explore them all and see if I can make them taste delicious for my favorite guy. 

Have a great weekend all!

Sharing stories of my family

I wanted to take a few minutes and tell you about a truly AMAZING cook and woman. Karen is my sister-in-law’s mother-in-law.  Angie(best friend/sis-in-law) just calls her mom…and me well I would love it if she was my second mom!!! When Karen cooks you get a fully set table (like going to a fancy restaurant) and the smell of her food makes your mouth water.  The first time I ever ate at her house was a birthday dinner they were having for Angie.  She made sweet and sour chicken, fried rice and egg rolls.  I remember thinking holy hell…. this is just as good as going out to a restaurant. From that point on everytime we went to Angie & Berry’s I secretly hoped we would get to go to Karens for dinner!

Chaz and I were invited awhile after that and of course I was totally stoked that I was getting to go there for dinner.  She started our dinner out with a salad that had strawberries and bacon in it.  Chaz was very hesitant about it and almost didn’t try it.  Well he tried it and loved it and we both wanted more.  That salad would have been enough for the both of us.  We had a pork roast with potatoes and asparagus with hollandaise sauce.  I have never been an  asparagus eater….that changed.  Her hollandaise sauce is freaking delicious.  Okay I just have to say I know I have been saying delicious and amazing an awful lot, but honestly that is the only way to describe how her food tastes.  Her cooking gets me just as excited and I used to get when I would go to my grandma Eva’s for dinner!

Any food can be good.  You follow the directions and it turns out good.  When you cook with love the food takes on a whole different flavor.  My grandma Eva told me that her food is good because she puts her heart and soul in it.  Everything she ever made was because she wanted to see the smile on all of our faces when we ate.  When I really started cooking I did the same thing.  I put everything into my food.  I want everyone to leave my kitchen table happy and full.   I know this is how Karen is too.  She has such a big heart and is so caring you just can’t help but to feel the way she does.  I admire Karen so much and always feel so honored when she cooks for us.  It might sound totally cheesy but learning to appreciate the effort put into cooking at a young age has made me realize that not just anyone can cook. Let me tell you…. if she had a restaurant it would be packed from open to close every single day!!

I feel like I could go on forever and ever about the wonderful K.  I will finish with I love visiting with her when we are down at Angie and Berry’s.  She is a breath of fresh air and I get a kick out of her. So I will end with this, Shannon and Berry I am totally jealous of you both (I love my mom with all my heart-so don’t get me wrong) I just really really love your mom!!!

P.S. Hopefully Shannon will show this to Karen and she will make me something to eat the next time I am down there!!! lol

Curry Curry…Yum Yum Curry!!!!

Yesterdays dinner was Curried Ground Beef.  Years ago I bought a book called Stews: 200 earthy, delicious recipe by Jenna Holst.  It’s a great stew book with recipes from around the world.  Chaz and I tried the curry beef a long time ago and it was a hit with him.  Chaz had never really been an international eater until I came along.  Chinese and Mexican restaurants don’t count!! LOL  This recipe only uses curry powder there is no coconut milk involved.  I love creamy curry and fell in love back in 1998 when I lived in Redmond and went to my first Indian and Thai restaurants.  I had no idea food could taste so good.  If I could eat Thai food every day I would.  It’s my favorite type of food.  The flavors are so amazing.  I swear they do a happy dance in my mouth when I eat it. 🙂 Enough about that.  Below is the recipe and if you try it please be sure to let me know what you think.

Curried Ground Beef

2 tbsp veg oil  2 medium onions chopped  1 inch piece fresh ginger, minced  2 fresh cloves garlic, minced  2 tbsp curry powder  1 1/2 pounds lean ground beef  2 medium tomatoes peeled, seeded and chopped  1 medium potato peeled, diced into 1/2 inch cubes  1/2 tsp salt  1 1/4 cup frozen peas  2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

In a deep skillet over medium heat, heat the vegetable oil.  Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until they are translucent, about 5 minutes.  Add the ginger, garlic, and curry powder and cook, stirring constantly for 2 mins.

Add the ground beef and cook stirring occasionally, until browned. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes.  Add the potatoes, reduce heat to med-low cover and simmer until potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes. Add the salt and the peas until cooked through, about 5 minutes.  Serve and add cilantro to the top. 

I serve this over rice.  It’s very good.  We also always use Sriracha sauce as well.  It’s a great flavor that adds depth to the dish.

Enjoy!!!

Lovin on the Chili

Chili con carne (often known simply as chili) is a spicy stew. The name of the dish derives from the Spanish chile con carne, “chili pepper with meat”.

Chili is an american staple for me.  Even though it’s not originally from here we have managed to make it ours.  From chicken, turkey, vegetarian to the original bean less chili is American (now I know there are those who would disagree and that is okay.  This is just my opinion) I made my very first chili 8 years ago when Chaz and I got our own place.  I wanted to be totally domesticated and cooking fit the bill.  The recipe I chose to use is from the Top Secret Recipes cookbook.  The knock off Wendy’s chili recipe is what I made.  It tasted really good.  Not exactly like Wendy’s but I didn’t expect it to taste the same.  It is a knock off after all.  Everyone who has tried it has loved it and of course that totally boosted my ego. 

Chaz is ready for something new.  So we discussed recipes last night and I finally chose one that I could change in order to make it the way I wanted it to be.  I have to say it smells delicious in here.  I am glad I went with this recipe and made the changes I did.

Angie’s Chili con Carne

1 pound lean ground beef  1 can black beans drained  1 can pinto beans drained  1 can kidney beans drained  1 29 oz can tomato sauce  1 14.5 oz diced chili ready tomatoes  1 4 oz can green chilis  3 cloves garlic minced  1 green pepper chopped  1/4 cup diced pickled jalapeno’s  1 large onion chopped  2 tomatoes diced  2 tbsp olive oil  1 1/2 tbsp chili powder 1 1/2 tbsp ancho chili powder  1 1/2 tbsp brown sugar  3 tsp dried oregano  2 1/2 tbsp ground cumin  1/8 tsp ground cloves

Place oil in a large stockpot and heat to medium heat.  Add ground beef, and cook with stirring until the meat just loses its red color.

Add green chilis, garlic, green bell pepper, jalapeno and onion to the meat.  Saute until the onions are translucent.

Stir in chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin and cloves.  Add all tomatoes and tomato sauce. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

Add black beans, pinto beans and kidney beans.  Cook for an additional 20 minutes.

If you prefer simmering this all day do the following: after cooking the meat add all the ingredients bring to a boil, stirring often then put on med low heat and let simmer all day.

It turned out delicious.  Chaz loved it so I know it’s good!!!

Who is the world is Angie

I didn’t prepare anything over the weekend that was in need to be shown off to the world.  I made easy things and spent time looking through my cookbooks and reading.  I want to take a few minutes to tell everyone about me.

I am an extremely happily married woman.  Now some of you might think that isn’t possible but I must tell you my husband ROCKS.  I have married my exact opposite and in the time we have been together he has managed to open my eyes when it comes to love, friendship, family and so many other things.  He is the light of my life.  I live to take care of him (yes I do complain at times 🙂 ) but I wouldn’t change it for the world.  He has shown me the type of love you read about in romance novels.  The Lord blessed me 10x over.

I have two amazing parents.  My dad is my hero.  Two years ago he survived cancer, open heart surgery and below the knee amputation.  The doctors told us twice they didn’t think he would make it through the night.  He showed them!!!!  My mom not only works a full-time job but she works full-time in caring for my dad.  She loves to bake for everyone.  She is the cookie queen in our family.  She has a lot of weight on her shoulders but you would never know.  She holds her head high and takes care of business.  I have a half older sister whom I have betting getting to know over the past 2 years.  It’s been great having a chance to enjoy the company of her family.  Last but not least I have a baby brother (only by 4 years).  He doesn’t come around much but I love him like crazy.

I always remember wanting to cook.  I was given the opportunity to do just that when I was 18.  I moved to New York to become a nanny.  The parents worked an hour away so they let me cook often.  I was able to try so many things.  It was a wonderful experience.  They even let me make Thanksgiving dinner one year.  That was a bust!  I crammed the stuffing in the turkey and it was hard as a rock!!! Oh well, everything is a learning experience.

Doing this blog is a way for me to share all of the memories I have of my family.  For me there is a recipe and a song for every part of my life.  I love that I can share with everyone.  I hope that those who read this try my recipes and love them.  I want to become a part of your life through food. I want to touch your heart and have you love my food. 🙂  What more could a girl ask for.

This week I will be trying a new Chili recipe.  I will also be making curry beef which is another recipe of mine that Chaz loves.  It’s not your typical curry.  I will also be trying reuben chicken.  I wanted to make dishes that I can share with you and be proud of. 

Once again, thank you for taking time to be a part of my world.  It means the world to me.

Here are a few pics.  Enjoy! Angie

 

I love Pizza…….and Pizza soup

When I was a little girl my parents would take my brother and I to Spud’s Pizza here in Tacoma.  I loved walking in there and smelling the wonderful aroma of pizza.  The upside for my brother and I was they used to have a game room.  We would get to go in there and play games until our pizza was ready.  I can’t leave out the jukebox.  I loved playing Whip It by Devo, Vacation by The Go Go’s and of course any Michael Jackson song.  The upside for my parents: the pitchers of beer!!  It was essentially the perfect Friday night.  It was so nice to go out as a family. It was even better when I didn’t torture my brother and we got along.  Seeing my parents enjoying themselves and playing Pac Man with my brother was so much fun.  I never liked leaving that place.  It was a little piece of (pizza) heaven!!!

Spud’s has this amazing thick crust. Their Canadian bacon and pineapple is amazing.  They put on tons of Canadian bacon and even more crushed pineapple.  To me it is the perfect pizza.  Their salads are just as good.  I think there is 2x more provolone cheese and olives then there is lettuce.  If you want great pizza then Spud’s is definitely the place to go.

A while back when I was on my soup kick I wondered if there was a soup that tasted like pizza.  I thought it was a long shot and when I searched the web I was astounded by all the recipes floating out there in cyber space.  I looked for at least a week for something to catch my eye.  I wanted to find something that I could refer to yet use my ingredients and make it suitable to my taste.  I found one and have made it my own and Chaz loves it.  If I made it 7 days a week he wouldn’t complain once.  When we make our weekly menu he throws pizza soup in there quite often. 

PIZZA SOUP (slow cooker)

2 cans 14oz stewed italian tomatoes (I prefer great value)  2 cups beef broth  1 tbsp tomato paste  1 cup sliced olives  1 small onion diced  1lb hot italian sausage (Johnsonville is GREAT!) 1/4 tsp salt & pepper  Mozzarella cheese

Cook the sausage until done.  Add beef broth and tomato paste to the slow cooker and mix together with a spoon.  Then add the rest of the ingredients except for the mozzarella to the slow cooker. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.  Dish into bowls then add mozzarella to the top.  You can be creative and add diced peppers, mushrooms, pineapple or any other pizza topping.

This is such a great recipe.  It’s cooking in my slow cooker right now and my place smells so good.  I always get compliments from my neighbors about the smells that come from my place.  This is definitely a smell that takes me back to my childhood.   If I close my eyes I can see my brother and I running to the game room and begging our parents for quarters on the way.  I love those memories. I also love sharing them with you!

Chicken Taco Soup (slow cooker)

I’ve always loved the idea of using a crock pot or slow cooker.  It’s so nice to be able to put everything in the cooker, cover it and let it cook all day.  When you get home your house smells so good.  All you have to do is set the table (a must in my place), dish up and eat.  I was searching the web for hearty healthy soup ideas and I came across this one.  I have tweaked it to make it mine and Chaz loves it.  As I’ve said many times I love cooking for my husband.  He loves that I cook for him.  We eat dinner at the table every night.  I grew up eating dinner at the table and feel that it is very important to keep that tradition going.  It keeps us close and we get to share a good meal together. Please enjoy!

Chicken Taco Soup

1 can chili beans  1 can black beans  1 can corn drained  1 8oz can tomato sauce  2 cans Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with chilis  12 oz water or beer or chicken broth  1 onion diced  1 packet taco seasoning  3 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts

Add all ingredients into the slow cooker and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high 4 hours.  Twenty minutes before serving pull out chicken and let cool a few minutes, with 2 forks shred the chicken into bite size pieces then add back into the slow cooker.

Serve with sour cream, tortilla strips, shredded cheese, cilantro or whatever else your heart desires.  Play around with the ingredients to make it what you want it to be.