All Is Lost but Not the Homemade Croutons!

No, All is Lost is not the name of this dish I made tonight but it is the movie we watched. Trust me, I will not be making any movie reviews on this blog but felt like I had to at least reference this movie because it was different. A good different. Let me back up a moment, I should say the movie Nate, Tyler, Zachary and I saw, Dave was fast asleep on the couch snoring! My intent was to rent Julie and Julia, highly recommended by a few friends. They didn't have it so we rented All is Lost. The movie starred Robert Redford and is about a man stranded in the middle of the ocean as a result of his yacht colliding into large shipping container. He was lost at sea for eight days trying to survive on what he had. He is the only character and there is barely any dialogue...and of the few words he does use, one of them is the "f" word, yikes!!! Luckily the boys and I laughed about it and they are old enough to understand it's a very bad word, never to be used! When we rented the movie from Redbox we had no idea there was no dialogue or only one character, the description basically said "Man lost at sea trying trying to survive, edge of your seat gripping." In hind site, luckily Dave was sleeping because he would've said "I can't believe I just wasted 100 minutes of my life watching that." I really enjoyed the movie and surprisingly the boys really did too. It reminded me of Cast Away with Tom Hanks, minus Wilson! It reminded the boys of Life of Pi. I'm not endorsing you to rent this for your kids, it was a fluke rental for us. But what was so cool about this movie is that it was so thought provoking. And since there was no dialogue the boys had so much to say during the movie like, "why is he doing that" or "I would be so angry right now" or "I would do this instead" or "I feel so bad for him." The ending could be interpreted in a few different ways...I won't say what we thought in case you plan on watching it but we also had a chance to talk about perseverance and never giving up.  If you rent this movie because of my quasi review and you don't like it, I accept no responsibility!

SO I DID MAKE DINNER TONIGHT, REALLY! I made Steak Caesar Salad with Homemade Croutons. Every time I make salad for dinner Dave thinks: not enough food. So while I was making dinner he was eating pretzels and sunflower seeds. I was like seriously Dave! This salad was plenty dinner hearty. I never ever buy store bought croutons. Let me repeat, I never ever buy store bought croutons, nor should you! Homemade croutons are the best and sooo easy to make! They are so good they can be eaten as a snack all by themselves. I typically make mine a bit larger than normal so the outside is crunchy and the middle is a tad spongy. It's a great way to use up few day old bread too. I am always buying artisanal breads from Wegmans and Dash's but the only problem is we rarely finish them before they start going bad...so making croutons out of it is ideal! There are so many variations as well, like the type of bread or herbs and spices you choose. Caesar salads scream and beg for croutons in them, so tonight I made my basic recipe. I'm surprised any of my croutons even made it to the salad because everyone kept stealing them once they came out of the oven! I couldn't help but stealing a few myself! If your family doesn't steal all of your homemade croutons and you have leftovers, they can be stored in a ziplock bag or sealed container for up to three days in the refrigerator. So toss your store bought croutons and start making your own...I promise you won't want to buy them again! Salute to All is Lost and homemade croutons!

Basic Homemade Garlic Crouton (Click to print recipe)

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes

• 2 cups day old bread, cubed 1/2 - 3/4 inch (I used day old french baguette) 
• 1/4 cup olive oil (I used Wegmans brand Basting Oil)
• 1/4 t garlic powder
• salt n pepper

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Meanwhile, cube bread and set aside. In a bowl mix olive oil, salt n pepper, and garlic powder. Add bread cubes and mix until well coated in olive oil. In a single layer place croutons on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Stir and bake for another 10 minutes or so. They should be crispy when you take them out of the oven. Let sit until cool. Add them to salads or soups.

Food Impressions:

Nate, Tyler and Zachary:  dave and I just had the salad but they devoured the croutons before, during and after our dinner. Yep, that's how much they love homemade croutons!

I'm Officially Out of the Closet...

Yes, it's true my family and friends! As of Friday, February 14, 2014, I am officially "out of the closet." I am......a Food Blogger! This was not an easy choice for me. I wasn't sure what people would think. I very timidly sent my food-impressions link on FB and that was my way of sharing my secret world of blogging. And I anxiously awaited my first likes, thank you Patti F and Andrea C! First off, I want to thank all of my family and friends for all of the amazing compliments, support and positive feedback you have given me since I shared my blog with you. If you go back to my first post "My New Years Resolution" or my About Me page you'll see that the purpose of my blog is to regularly journal my family's recipes, menus and experiences. Initially, it was just Dave and the boys reading my posts and they truly got a hoot out of them. Dave kept saying "Your posts are awesome, you should share your blog with others." It honestly didn't matter to me if Dave was the only one reading my posts but he encouraged me to at least share them with our parents, so I did. They are certainly not the most tech savvy folks so getting them to even view my blog was a HUGE challenge. Our parents loved it and besides Dave (my biggest and most supportive fan) and the boys, they became my second biggest fans! They were gushing with compliments. My mom kept trying to comment on every post she read but couldn't and Dave's dad kept texting me "Yum, make me that." Dave kept encouraging me to tell others, so eventually I shared it with my cousin Christine and my friend Christa, they also just loved it and gave me such positive feedback. Christine even posted her version of my gnudi recipe. There are so many amazing professional and interesting food blogs out there and by no means do I consider my blog professional. My gosh I use my iPhone to take pictures of my food and the food I blog about the is food I actually cooked and ate that day! However, I do feel my blog has a place out there for people to see. When I started my blog it was interesting seeing Google Stats and seeing wow, I do have an audience (it's small, ok fine microscopic) and that people from all over have viewed my blog. I even have a loyal reader from Germany...thank you whoever you are! I figured sooner or later I had to tell everyone important in my life that I have a blog....I know some of you were thinking why does she keep taking pictures of her food...now you know why! You should see me taking pictures of our crockpot meals at Holiday Valley...people were looking at me like I was a wack-a-doo (Case in point - check out the bottom photo from my post Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs, I actually shot that at the fireplace in the lodge...I had to wait until no one was sitting there trying to warm up..I even had to move people's gloves so it wouldn't be in my photo! Check out the Sloppy Joe post..I took about 40 pictures with that placemat because the lighting was bad...you should have seen the looks this skier dude at the table next to us was giving me) I hear a lot of "Stop taking pictures and just eat!" In the very short time that I have been blogging I've found that it's a lot of work but it's truly been a labor of love for me. It has also become another outlet for me besides shopping (that makes Dave happy) and running (bad thing for me, I've probably gained 5 lbs since I started this blog). So now that I'm officially out of the closet, and not that there's anything wrong with that, I feel a sense of relief! My dear family and friends thank you, thank you, thank you for your amazing support and incredible positive feedback you have given me on my blog...it means the world. Be sure to keep reading my posts because you never know when you'll be mentioned or even featured on my blog. Salute to coming out of the closet and admitting I am a food blogger!

Chicken Parmesan - A Family Favorite

Chicken Parmesan is my family's all time favorite food. If I made it everyday I don't think I would hear one complaint. Every time we go out to an italian restaurant Dave always orders Chicken Parm. Zachary is following in his footsteps because that's his number one choice now as well. The boys were very excited once they heard I was making Chicken Parm for dinner tonight. I'll admit, I do make it well but the reason it turns so good is because I don't overcook the chicken cutlets. Here are my secret steps: I make sure to generously coat the cutlets in breadcrumbs, parm cheese and seasonings; I add plenty of olive oil or canola oil to the saute pan and cook the cutlets until they are perfectly golden brown; after that I cook them through in the oven on a low temp. And they turn out crispy on the outside and moist and juicy on the inside every single time. The boys favorite thing after the cutlets have baked are scooping up the crispy tid-bits of breadcrumbs and melted mozzarella cheese from the pan and eating them. There is something so delicious about the combination of pasta, breaded chicken, mozzarella, parm cheese and a ladle of italian sauce over the top. It's a quintessential Sunday family meal. Serve it with some crusty buttery garlic bread and shazam.....delicisioso! Salute to Chicken Parmesan - our family favorite!

Chicken Parmesan (Click to print recipe)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 6 chicken cutlets
• 1/4 cup olive oil or canola oil
• 1 cup seasoned italian breadcrumbs
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
• 1 tb minced garlic
• salt n pepper
• 1 egg
• 1 lb spaghetti
• 6 slices of mozzarella cheese
• 4 cups of your favorite italian sauce

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. In a large saute pan heat olive oil and garlic in a pan on medium heat. Meanwhile, whisk egg in a small bowl and set aside. Place breadcrumbs, parm cheese and salt n pepper on a large plate. One by one dip chicken cutlet in whisked egg and then generously coat the cutlets in breadcrumbs. Once all of the cutlets are coated, place them in the saute pan. Cook on one side until lightly browned, 3-5 minutes, then flip over and cook for another 3 minutes. Now place cutlets on a baking pan and cook in oven for 15 minutes. While cutlets are in the oven cook the spaghetti until al dente and warm your italian sauce in a small pan. When cutlets are done place one piece of mozzarella on each and bake in the oven until melted, 1-2 minutes. Plate your spaghetti, add a spoonful of sauce. Add one chicken cutlet to top of spaghetti and add a generous spoonful of sauce over the top. Add some grated parm cheese and salt n pepper to taste. 

Food Impressions:

Nate: Surprisingly did not eat any chicken because he said he wanted to load up on pasta.

Tyler: "Super good and tasty. I don't just like it, I love it."

Zachary: "Yummy, this chicken is my favorite and I love the crunchy stuff."

Dave: "As always, absolutely delicious."

Andrea: Even though I've made this hundreds of times, it's always delicious and never a boring. 

Bloody Mary Sunday

"Bloody Mary Sunday" was the name Christopher and Stephanie titled the party they hosted this weekend. For whatever reason Dave and I couldn't help but referring it to "Sunday Bloody Sunday" all week. The funny thing is I kept singing it all week too but luckily for my loved ones I was just singing it in my head because I don't sound anything remotely like Bono. Let me tell you, the Bloody Mary party they hosted was such an awesome idea and soooo "Pinterest" worthy. There was every kind of fixing to make every kind of Bloody Mary! Between the celery, beef sticks, olives, peppers, and tomato juice, the drinks were sufficient enough to be considered a meal. When Chris and Stephanie throw a party they do it right and never fall short of pulling out all of the stops! Chris and Stephanie are very good friends of ours and we see them almost every weekend in Ellicottville; they have a ski house too. One of the best things about their ski house is the Budweiser and Michelob neon signs that hang on their cathedral ceiling wall. The signs can be seen very clearly from outside their windows. So whether you are walking in front of their house, driving past their house or heck, skiing on the slopes across the street from their house, you can see these ginormous bright neon lit signs. But here's the best part, if they are lit, the party is on! And they are lit almost every weekend, hence why we see them every weekend. Whenever we are driving home from the ski slopes and see that neon sign on, it's always an errrrk kinda turn into their driveway and we are knocking on their door. I'm sure when they hear the knock on their door they say "oh, it must be those Ski'wics again!" You're probably wondering, why do they have these huge neon beer signs hanging? Well, they own an Anheuser-Busch distributor. Totally cool for us because every time we go to their place we get to taste test a new beverage and many times it hasn't even hit the shelves yet. Chris is always introducing us to amazing tasting beverages. So this afternoon the beverage was Taste of Florida Bloody Mary Mix. Even though it was pre-mixed, it had a made-from-scratch taste. They were out of this world especially with all of the extra fixings they had. So what ended up being a party we thought we would be at for just a couple of hours, turned into an all day affair! It's hard to leave once your'e there! Salute to an incredible Bloody Mary Sunday!

So Pinterest worthy

Just some of the fixings

Bloody Mary Cocktail

• 5 oz Taste of Florida Bloody Mary Mix
• 1 1/2 - 2 oz good quality vodka
• celery stalk, large spanish olives, beef sticks, tabasco, or any other garnish you prefer

In a large glass add ice cubes. Add vodka and then add bloody mary mix. Stir well and add garnish.

Food Impressions:

Andrea: Every Sunday should start with a Bloody Mary. Delicious!

And the neons are on!

The Bloody Marys were as happy as us!

Enjoying a second glass 

The kids and Stella also always have a blast
when the neons are on! 

Chipotle and Black Bean Soup

This is the kind of soup that makes you feel healthier after eating it. It is chock full of nutritious vegetables and loaded with black beans.  This is a hearty vegetarian soup that will satisfy even the hungriest carnivore. We love our meats but every once in a while nothing is better than treating our bodies to the healthiest ingredients. Dave and the boys didn't ask once where the meat was....so if that's the case I know I did a good job choosing the right vegetarian dish. I made this crockpot recipe to take with us while we were skiing this weekend with our friends Heather, Michael and their daughter Ani. The ski lodge was packed today because it was President's Day weekend, plus it was a Canadian Holiday as well. So trying to find a table to eat lunch was not an easy feat. People get all crazy trying to save seats in the lodge especially on crowded weekends like this. Families who ski will sometimes bring along a family member who doesn't ski just to save tables! This one woman was sitting at a 10 person table with 100's of pictures scattered about trying to scrapbook!!!  I wanted to say "honey go join a Creative Memories group and do your scrapbooking. These tables are for skiers not for scrapbookers!" So ridiculous! Luckily Dave spotted us a table and sprinted to it before anyone else could. So the eight of us were able to sit down and enjoy our warm Chipotle and Black Bean Soup. Everyone loved it! And rather than a ski meal making you feel full and sluggish, this meal made you feel full of energy! And it's the easiest crockpot recipe! Salute to a Chipotle and Black Bean Soup that make you feel healthy!

Chipotle and Black Bean Soup (Click to print recipe)

Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

• 3 15 oz cans of black beans and liquid in can
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 yellow pepper diced
• 1 medium onion diced
• 1 tb minced garlic
• 1 15 oz can diced tomatoes
• 3 tb tomato paste
• 4 t ground cumin
• 8 cups of vegetable broth
• 1 small can diced chipotle chilies
• 1 small can of diced jalapeño pepper

Garnish:

• fresh minced cilantro
• plain greek yogurt or sour cream
• shredded cheddar cheese

In a crockpot add all of the ingredients and cook on high for 4 hours. Yes, it's that simple! When ready to serve add a dollop of greek yogurt, cheese and cilantro.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "Zesty and delicious." Had 3 bowls!!!

Tyler: "Mommy everything you make is so good." (He has been telling me this a lot lately...he knows it makes me smile)

Zachary: "Pass the cheese please." (Yes, he loaded his soup with cheese..don't forget he is my cheese lover.)

Dave: "Delicious, hearty and satisfying." 

Andrea: This was a meal that you don't feel guilty having seconds or even thirds. It's truly a recipe that makes you feel good. After everyone said how much they liked it, I felt compelled to tell them how incredibly healthy it was too!

Michael: "Wow this is fantastic. Soooo good."

Heather: "This is so delicious. A perfect lunch while skiing."

Nate coring a strawberry with a straw!
Our entertainment at the ski lodge

Nate, this ingenious idea of yours has made us
very very proud parents!

A Valentine Hangover!

Seared Scallops over Lemon Shrimp Risotto

I am totally hungover from Valentine's Day last night, and I'm not talking about the drinking-way-too-much alcohol hangover. I'm talking about being hungover from batches of valentines cookies, tiramisu, chocolate, strawberries AND the one thing that really put me over the edge... the Seared Scallops over Lemon Shrimp Risotto I made! Yumm-oh I say! The hangover I have is the kind that anyone would want...amazing! And if I could do a repeat performance tonight I would! I'll admit, the fabulous gin & tonic and petite sirah wine may have contributed just a scoach to my hangover! I had a very romantic night with Dave and the boys. Nothing beats dining at home and creating your own unique experience and that's just what we did. Having a valentines dinner at home has become a special tradition of ours. And I must add, Dave  and the boys did not disappoint in the romance department! I didn't get the Alex and Ani bracelet I hinted at in a previous post, I got something even better...a gift certificate for a massage! Much needed, thank you honey! So back to the Seared Scallops over Lemon Shrimp Risotto that was so irresistibly delicious! This is a recipe I've had in the archives and have made a handful of times over the years. It's light and refreshing and is so good any time of the year. And it was the perfect choice for our Valentine's Day dinner. Salute to an amazing Valentine's hangover!

Preparing the risotto is an art in itself, but the results are divine

Pan searing the scallops is also an art and perfected by Dave 

The lemon adds a perfect flavor to the seafood

A Valentine's Day Toast

Seared Scallops over Lemon Shrimp Risotto (Click to print recipe)

Serves 6

Ingredients:

2 8 oz bottles of clam juice
3 cups chicken broth
3 tb olive oil
12 uncooked large shrimp peeled, deveined, and diced
1/2 onion
2 tb minced garlic
1 1/2 cups arborio rice
2 tb butter
12 large sea scallops
2 tb chopped scallions
1 lemon
salt n pepper

Bring clam juice and chicken broth to a simmer in a small sauce pan. Keep warm. Heat olive oil in medium saucepan and sauté garlic and onion until softened. Add rice and salt n pepper and stir for 2 minutes. Add 1 cup of clam broth to rice and stir. When broth has absorbed add another cup until absorbed and keep doing this until rice is tender but still a little firm. When you are about to add your last cup of clam broth add the diced shrimp and cook until its pink and cooked through. Add half of lemon juice to rice and stir. Meanwhile, generously salt and pepper scallops and make sure they are dry. In a cast iron pan or saute pan heat olive oil over medium to high heat. Pan sear scallops until golden brown and cooked through. About 2 minutes per side. Add a squeeze of lemon to scallops. Divide risotto among plates and add scallops on top. Sprinkle scallions over top. Serve.

Food Impressions:

Nate: "So lemony. The scallops are scrumptious and are so tender like a McDonalds Chicken Nugget" (Thanks Nate, I'll take that as a compliment I guess!)

Tyler:"You're the best cook mommy. It's so lemony and delicious."

Zachary: He had second helping and also wished there were more scallops.

Dave: "Perfect dinner with the perfect wife." (Ok Dave didn't say the perfect wife part, I did!)

Andrea: Yumm-oh. This dish was spectacular and I will continue making this dish for years to come. Perfect dinner with my husband and boys. Best Valentine's Day I could ask for...and best hangover!

Best place to buy seafood 

I wanted to buy every piece of seafood

Cocktails before dinner,
Gin & Tonic with a splash of cran and Gin Martini 

I can't wait to use this!

Tiramisu - An Invigorating Pick Me Up!

Tiramisu means "pick-me-up" or lift-me-up." Tiramisu is a rich creamy italian dessert made with mascarpone cheese, ladyfingers, expresso/coffee, and cocoa. It's one of my all time favorite desserts. I'm not sure if it's the strong coffee or the sweet luscious taste, tiramisu picks me up every single time I take a bite! It actually picks me up just thinking about it! There are short cuts and different variations to making tiramisu but today I'm sticking with an authentic version. Plus, I'm making this special dessert for Valentine's Day. Tiramisu is best eaten the next day or even two days later because time gives the ingredients a chance to congeal and meld together. Assembling tiramisu is a lot like assembling a lasagna except there is no baking involved. When it's done being assembled you just stick it in the refrigerator. Gotta love that! I know I'm going to have a hard time waiting until tomorrow evening to eat this! Salute to tiramisu - the best pick-me-up!

The mascarpone mixture is so creamy and fluffy!

The ladyfingers dipped in the coffee and rum
smelled like a barista!

Look at the layers of italian deliciousness!
What a Valentine's day treat this will be!

I couldn't resist! I had to take one bite before tomorrow.
No regrets!

Tiramisu (Click to print recipe)

Ingredients:

• 6 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 16 oz mascarpone cheese
• 1 t vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups strong coffee or expresso
• 3 tb rum
• 24 ladyfingers
• 1/2 cup cocoa powder
• chocolate syrup

In a large mixing bowl beat egg yolks, sugar, cheese and vanilla with a mixer until smooth and fluffy. Add 1 tb rum and beat until mixed through. Combine coffee and 2 tb rum in a bowl. Dip each ladyfinger in the coffee to make sure each side is absorbed. Do not oversaturate. Line 12 ladyfingers in an 8 x 8 dish then squeeze chocolate syrup over them. Then spoon half of the cheese mixture over the ladyfingers. Sprinkle 1/2 of the cocoa powder over the cheese mixture. Now layer the rest of the ladyfingers over top and squeeze chocolate syrup over top. Now add the rest of the cheese mixture over the top and add the rest of the cocoa powder. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Preferably overnight. Slice and serve. Add chocolate syrup if desired.