Showing posts with label food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label food. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Breakfast For One

Good morning!  I have been wanting to share my tips and tricks for Breakfast For One for a while.  I truly wanted someone else to take the pictures, mainly because I'm kind of busy during this process.  But alas, today is the day and it's up to me.  So here goes.

This Breakfast For One, as I call it, isn't because I'm single, because I'm not, but only because I cook breakfast for Shaun on the daily and I eat something else.  He needs a more "stick to your ribs" kind of start to his day.  So, I am sharing one of many breakfasts that I cook for him.  

This is for scrambled eggs, toast, and sausage gravy which today also features onions and mushrooms.

First... a tip.  It makes more sense to me to cook the eggs first.  Mainly because your pan is pretty full after the gravy.  So, I first get a bowl, pour some water in it and heat it on two minutes in the microwave.  When my eggs are cooked I pour the water out and put the eggs to rest in their warm bowl inside the microwave while I cook the sausage and gravy.

  Well thank goodness my microwave is semi clean.

Next I go ahead and chop up my onion and mushrooms while my pan is heating with a little butter in the bottom.  Even though I use a copper skillet I have little faith in "nothing" sticking, especially when I cook eggs.


And on to my next tip... I use a rubber spatula for this whole process.  It is so much easier to scrape around the sides of the pan.  And since I'm not flipping anything over it just makes more sense.

I always whisk my eggs with a little water in a measuring cup or bowl and pour them in when the pan it decently heated.  The spatula also helps to scrape around the sides of the eggs.  To scramble well I gently pull from the center while also working around the edges and turn over when necessary.  It truly only takes a couple of minutes to cook eggs.






 Look Ma!  I love my birthday mug from Cracker Barrel!!

When they're done, pour your water in the sink and place them in the bowl in the micro until you're ready to serve.

Now... on to the good stuff... gravy for one.

I precooked my mushrooms and onions in butter for just a minute then added my sausage.  I find it easier to twist the bottom of the tube of sausage and pinch off how much I need.  Let it cook until lightly browned.

You can see it really doesn't make a whole lot of grease if you use a decent quality sausage.

Here's what I use for my gravy, plus milk.

Toss in a tablespoon or a little more of flour right onto your sausage.

I like to throw in a pinch of chicken bullion and black pepper.  Toss it around with your spatula until you can't really see the flour anymore.

Then add your milk.

If I had to guess how much it's probably about a cup of milk.  Let it come to a boil.


Scrape around the sides.  I tried to get a picture of this next step.  Did not work.  When my gravy has begun to change colors to more of a tan than white and feels like it is thickening I like to take my spatula and drag it from the side inward.  When the gravy comes together slow then it's done.

Put your piece of toast on your plate next to your warm eggs and pour the sausage and gravy over the toast.  And WaaLaa!  Breakfast for one!

Kiss Kiss Hugs Hugs Have a good day!!

Thursday, November 19, 2015

holiday food

As I was sitting here making my grocery list and thinking of what I was making for Thanksgiving, which is coming up, I started getting really excited as some of my favorite dishes came to mind like this....
 
BAM... Jalapeno Dip!
BAM... Strawberry Salad!
BAM.... Sweet Potatoes!
 
 
I literally gasped out loud when I thought of the jalapeno dip that I must have made five times during the holidays last year because it is that good.  I immediately starting thinking of ingredients that I needed to have on hand for the weeks ahead.  It's funny that you are allowed to make any and all of this stuff all throughout the year but usually don't.  I think it's what makes holiday eating special.
 
Here are some of the things that are on my list to make.
 
 
I have made these several years now and they are wonderful.  The only thing I do differently is that I throw my sweet potatoes on the smoker while we are making the meats.  It gives them a yummy flavor.
 
 
 

Best jalapeno popper dip recipe
By ABeautifulMess.  Seriously one of my very favorite dips in the world as of last year.  Very easy to do and not as hot as one might think.  Just hot enough to be addictive!
 
 
 
Grandmother Brown's Strawberry Salad
 
By Me.  I love cranberry relish.  There's just something about that tiny bite of tanginess on the side.
 
 
 
 
pie
I have made this gem countless times and it is so delicious.  I always have to hide a piece for later.
 
 
 
Talk about easy and on hand.  All you need for these is a box of cake mix, a tub of Cool Whip, an egg and powdered sugar.  Yum.... these are a must!  I've made just about every kind there is but the lemon will always be my favorite!
 
 

Friday, June 5, 2015

salads



I have always been a salad lover but never really stuck to eating salads as a meal.  Lately, in an effort to get rid of what I call and am not afraid to admit "the winter beginnings of a beer gut" I have been eating fresh salads for lunch.  My lunch salad is lovely and contains only a little bit of dressing and no meat.  I have wanted to get Shaun on the salad wagon too, at least for some of our suppers, as he complains about the "BG" too... on himself... not me!  In an effort to do this I have tried to come up with salads that have meat added to them.  The problem I find is in the dressings.  Mexican or Tex-Mex salads are easy.. just throw on some salsa to counter act the dryness along with some chicken.  I love it but it will get old and you can't just throw ranch dressing on everything.  So I employ the help of my beloved library.  I found tons of books to grab online and have sent to my local library plus a few extras that had salad in the name and seemed fun enough to place on hold too!

 
Does this not sound like fun in a jar?!? 
And goodness knows I've got the jars to do it!
 
 
On the list for this one.  It's on order.
 
 
The thing I love about the warmer months is that it is never too late to throw some seeds in a pot of dirt and before you know it... fresh greens!
 
 
 
 
My spring mix growing at the day care.  Lovely to be able to snip a few leaves to go with my romaine for lunch.

Made into a healthy lunch for me.
 
Hey... here's an idea... check out a book from the library instead of staring at your phone or kindle or whatever you choose to stare at.  It will probably reduce your stress level not to mention get your eyes off of the blue glowing screen. 


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Around Here

Around Here... it's been cold... icy... and snowy... finally!  Not the cold.. I could do without that.  But if it's gonna be cold it might as well snow.  It's Wednesday and I finally have kids arriving at the day care.  I was honestly ready to come back to work after five days off.  Here's a few pics from around here.


This is chicken salad.  Not like the chicken salad that goes on croissants.  This salad is for the chicken!  Since she has finished molting and is looking a lot healthier her appetite has become a lot healthier too.  This sis really mainly scraps of lettuce, spinach and wheat grass with chopped tomato, blueberries, kidney beans and torn whole grain bread ends.  She's been gobbling it up!  Today I included brown rice for her.  Shaun said "all this needs is a little salad dressing."

I was getting all set up to read in front of our warm gas logs that ran for a whole minute before cutting off.  My awesome brother-in-law came over and fixed them for us.  A broken source of alternate heat is not good is the electricity goes off.

Believe me... as pitiful as she looks she did this to herself.  Her whole back is covered in ice and snow from tossing toys around and diving for them.  I think her hair under her chin looks like a catfish.  She had a thawing out in the warm shop before coming back in the house.

I bit of snow falling.  Not as much as they were predicting but enough to play in.

Play hardly ever ceases with this girl.

Put cruising around.

Looking for a barn for my fair picture this year.  I think this is a good one.  For sure a unique one.

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

On The Menu

Don't you just love popping around the web, especially on Pinterest, and finding all sorts of yummy treats to make?  I certainly do!  And here is where I share them with you!


OK with Valentine's day coming up, and lucky me who gets to celebrate at home and at the day care with the kiddos, I found an idea or two that I can't get out of my head!

Sugar-Free Valentine Snacks | Two Kids Cooking and More
Photo found on Pinterest linked to twokidscooking.com           

 I love the idea of everything heart shaped and also a lunch where the kids could put their own meal together however each one chooses!  This certainly will not be limited to these for treats.  That's a lot of heart cutting!  And the crackers....


Photo linked to thekitchn.com                 

The crackers look simple and fun to make.... now let's talk about a dip shall we??


Photo and recipe credit: allisoneats.com        
      
I would like to confess that I am trying my very hardest to enjoy kale.  Maybe I haven't had it in the right recipe or combination yet although I've tried many.  This dip however may just do the trick for me!  It will be perfect for little ones to dip their Valentine lunch hearts into don't you think?  

And let's not forget that sweet tooth!  


Chocolate Cherry Smoothie - Ingredients - FamilyFreshMeals.com
Photo and recipe credit familyfreshmeals.com                   

I am a big fan of chocolate, cherries and smoothies.  Why wouldn't this be the perfect Valentine dessert go to?  It's healthy and looks delicious.  I've kind of always been partial to raspberries with my chocolate... or lemon with my dark chocolate... but this one I will definitely give a try!


I absolutely love the title of this blog post featuring a good looking, healthy smoothie.

Show Yourself Some Love With A Berry Beet Smoothie
Beet Smoothie
I admit, when I used to go and have lunch with my Grandmother at her assisted living facility, she would always have beets on her plate and I wondered why.  "They can't be good", I thought and truthfully to me they're not.  Dr Yim once told me to add raw celery and beets to my diet to help cleanse my liver.  So I bought the pickled kind which have sugar added.  They're something to get used to.  I believe totally that I will brave, for my liver's sake, the beets and try this beautiful smoothie.  Love your liver... eat beets!

What about you?  Got any special Valentine recipes on your list to try?

Wednesday, January 28, 2015

On The Menu

On The Menu: Comfort food.  Sometimes there's just nothing better.  A warm bowl of soup or chili to warm you from the inside out is all you need after coming in from the cold.  These two recipes are for sure on our menu for the next couple of weeks.  Shaun's not a bug soup person so I have to spread the time between recipes.  The black bean soup, I have already thought, would be perfect for lunch with maybe a green salad or quesadillas. Yum!
As always, click on the picture or the title of the recipe to be directed right to the source.


DSC_0716
Photo and Recipe Credit: thewaytohisheartblog.com                       



Easy Black Bean Soup via A Beautiful Mess
Photo and Recipe Credit: abeautifulmess.com                                  



Photo and Recipe Credit: thepioneerwoman.com    



Photo and Recipe Credit: me! peppysis.blogspot.com