Great food comes from many places. Sometimes it’s an accident;
sometimes it’s a carefully planned and executed recipe. I’d be willing
to bet a lot on the fact that most great food is dreamed up out of
pure imagination. I have found, like a lot of people, that I’m a poor
meal planner, so our grocery shopping is usually pretty sporadic, with
a few essentials thrown in. Thus, our dinner menus are usually dreamed up on the drive home from work. With about a 20-minute commute, dreaming up dinner is a great way to unwind from the day.
This also gives me a chance to stop off for any last minute items I may need, or even grab that bottle of wine to have with dinner.

When do you dream up your dinners? Is it, like me, on your drive home
or is it while you’re at work? Maybe it’s watching your favorite TV
chef or cooking show. Wherever it is, dream big and go for 5-star
quality. The other day, at a great local restaurant called Chef Pointe I had had the most mouth-watering Duck a l’Orange I have ever tasted. You would not believe the flavor explosions that happened in my mouth with each bite. I have never cooked Duck, let alone Duck a l’Orange, but, lemme tell ya, it’s now on the menu for one of our upcoming dinners. If you have any good duck recipes, I’d love to see them. We also had a Canadian bacon, Colby Jack stuffed New York strip. That, I am now working on re-creating but still working on the stuffing part. I have a plan, though: a quick incision after freezing the Canadian bacon wrapped around the cheese and it should slide right in. It’s this kind of thing that makes me happy. It’s fun because it forces me to dream and imagine our next meal.

Dream each day about that next fabulous meal. If you have to, imagine you’re on stage, getting ready to prepare and dish for some very distinguished guest.

Step out of your comfort zone and dish it up!

Today’s recipe is a crowd pleaser, for sure. It’s perfect for parties
or served as an appetizer. Take it to your next company potluck-style
function, and you won’t be disappointed.

Stuffed Mushrooms

Serves 6

Ingredients
2 Small Packages Button Mushrooms
1 8-oz Package Cream Cheese
1 Log Hot Breakfast Sausage
1 7-oz Package Italian Dressing Mix
Parmesan Cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Line a cookie sheet with aluminum foil.
3. Remove Stem from all mushrooms and discard or save for another
recipe.

4. In a bowl, add cream cheese (room temperature), sausage, and
dressing mix.

5. Combine well with your hands (this is fun and messy).

6. Scoop 1 spoonful in each mushroom cap.
7. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

8. Remove from oven sprinkle with fresh Parmesan and enjoy.

One of our favorite meals here is smothered pork chops. I know that I
sometimes feature rather less-than-healthy meals that we occasionally
love to cook, and this is one that probably ranks right up there
toward the top of that list. However, for a special occasion, or just a slight deviation from your regular (hopefully) healthful diet, this is a delicious way to stray. While not a quick-fix recipe, it is still somewhat easy to prepare.
Here we go!

Smothered Pork Chops

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 1-inch Boneless Pork Chops
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼ Teaspoon Chili Powder
¼ Teaspoon Onion Powder
¼ Teaspoon Garlic Powder
Salt
Pepper
4 Slices of Thick-Cut Bacon
4 Large Button Mushrooms
½ Sweet White Onion
2 Slices Provolone Cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
2. In a non-stick, oven-safe skillet, add olive oil and turn to medium-high heat.
3. In a small bowl, or mortar & pestle mix together chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and pepper.

4. Using half the spice mixture, cover 1 side of both pork chops and
place season side down into preheated skillet. Once chops are in
skillet, sprinkle remaining spice mixture on unseasoned side.

5. Sear chops for 3 minutes on each side.

6. Place pan and all in the oven and let slow cook for 2 hours. 7. With 20 minutes left to cook on your chops, you can begin making the toppings.
8. In another non-stick skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and
turn to medium-high heat.
9. Cook bacon until crisp (4½ minutes in a microwave on a bacon
dish works well), set aside and allow to cool to the touch.
10. Slice onions and mushrooms and add to pan (with bacon drippings) and begin to sauté until onions are opaque’ (about 10 minutes).

11. Remove pork chops from oven and turn the broiler to high heat.
12. With chops still in the pan, add 2 slices of bacon to each and top with a spoonful of sautéed mushrooms and onions.

13. Cover each chop with 1 slice of provolone cheese.
14. Place pan under the broiler for 2 to 3 minutes, until cheese
melts over all the ingredients.

15. Serve with a light vegetable, such as green beans or asparagus
and enjoy… Of course we served it with deep fried green beans and smothered garlic toast both recipes coming soon!

This is definitely for a hefty appetite, but you won’t be
disappointed.

Inspired by a blog I read yesterday about Crispy Parmesan Cheese Rosemary Cups with Spinach Strawberry Salad , I learned how to make Parmesan Cups. They were really cool and easy to make. I stuffed them with salad and served them as a side, along with Italian chicken breasts. They came out amazing! Here is the recipe:

Parmesan cups

Ingredients

1 Cup of Shredded Parmesan Cheese
1/4 tablespoon dried basil

Tools
Non-Stick Skillet
Muffin Tin
Wide Spatula

Directions
1. Heat a non-stick skillet to medium-high heat (You want it warm enough that when the cheese hits the skillet it begins to melt.)
2. In a bowl, mix parmesan and basil.
3. Take 1/4 cup of parmesan and drop it in the center of the heated skillet. Make sure you spread it out a bit and let it melt down about 1 minute.
4. With a wide spatula, flip the cheese to cook the other side for another minute.
5. Remove the melted cheese from the pan and insert into 1 space in the muffin tin, bending the warm cheese into a cup shape.
6. Repeat with the rest of the melted parmesan rounds.
Let the crisps cool and set up.
I promise these are very easy!

Filling the Parmesan Cups was fun. Since we were having parmesan, we decided to fill our cups with a Ceasar salad mixture. (No need to add extra parmesan cheese to the salad mixture itself.)

Ceasar Salad Filling

Ingredients

2 Cup Spring Mix Lettuce (We love the colors)
3 Tablespoons Caesar dressing
1/8 Cup Diced Tomatoes
1/8 Cup chopped white onion

Directions
In a bowl mix all ingredients
Add 1/8 cup of mixture to parmesan cups
Serve

We paired this up with Italian chicken breast. This gave a quick, brilliant finish to a nice, light dinner.

Italian Chicken Breast

2 Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts
1/2 tablespoon Emeril’s Essence Seasoning
1/2 Tablespoon Italian Seasoning
1 Tablespoon Canola Oil

Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Heat non-stick skillet to medium-high heat and add canola oil.
3. Combine Emeril’s Essence and Italian Seasoning in a small bowl.
4. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the unseasoned chicken breast and sear for 3 minutes.
5. Flip breasts over and sprinkle the seasoning mixture over the top. Make sure you completely cover the breast on the seared side with the seasoning mix.
6. Sear for 3 minutes.
7. Place pan in heated oven and let it finish cooking for 5 minutes.
8. Remove and set aside to allow the juices to flow.

Add to plate with the stuffed parmesan-salad cup and enjoy.

Quick simple dinner we really enjoy. Let me know what you think. Try it with this dressing on found on Yankee Pantry Blog

Also Check out This Blog My Little Space the picture says it all

An article published in the New York Times stated that in Santa Clara, California, there is now a ban on promotional toys in kids’ meals because “they make them fat.” The county claims that kids choose the meal because of the toy that comes with it. Ken Yeager, the board president, said the new law would “level the playing field by taking away the incentive to choose fatty, sugary foods over healthier options.” Wait a minute! Shouldn’t we take away the incentive for parents to choose the fast food restaurant? This is where I get really confused. I don’t understand how a toy makes a kid obese. Well, let me restate that. . . I DO but it has nothing to do with the toy in the box. It has nothing to do with food in the box. It has nothing to do with the box. It has everything to do with the fact that the PARENTS are taking the kids to the fast food place every day of the week. The parents are choosing to allow their children to eat these meals. The PARENTS are the ones that are CHOOSING obesity for their kids.
These days, Happy Meals now come with changeable options. You can substitute milk or apple juice for soda and apples for fries.You can choose chicken nuggets instead of a hamburger/cheeseburger. Check out McDonalds Kids Choices.I am not saying that these meals are good for kids, but they’re better with the healthy options, and a special treat now and then is okay. Growing up, I loved a great happy meal or any fast food I could get my hands on. As I get older, all of this is catching up to me. But it has always been my choice, or, when I was a kid, my parents’ choice, as to where and what I would eat. Quit blaming the fast food industries for our obesity issues. We make a mental choice to eat where we eat and a mental choice to drink where we drink. If you’re worried your kids are overweight, here’s a thought. . . . Make them a salad! It’s cheaper to make than buying a happy meal, and a whole lot healthier. Tell your kids to get off the games and go outside and play something physical.

Great Kids Recipe Giving to me by a Friend!

Lite Summer Salad

2 Grilled Chicken Breasts, Sliced
1 Bag of Mixed Greens
1 C Raw Veggies (slivered carrots, celery, radish, peppers, tomato, whatever your family likes)
1 Small Can Mandarin Oranges (natural juice, drained)
1/2 Can of Garbanzo Beans (well rinsed and drained)
1/8 C Toasted Almonds
2 T Toasted Sunflower Seeds or Pine Nuts
2 T Dried Cherries

Light Lime Vinaigrette Dressing
1/4 C Fresh-Squeezed Lime Juice
1/2 t Lime Zest
2T Balsamic Vinegar
1T Dijon Mustard
1T Honey
1 T Fresh Finely Chopped Garlic
Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Serves 4

Oh to be able to think like a child, where you can be and do anything you want. You could be fighting dragons or be an miltary hero, or maybe a racecar driver or a horse jockey. The imagination of children is so vivid and carefree.
Imagination doesn’t have to be limited to becoming someone new. It can be used to inspire new ideas. We use our imagination each time we think about what to make for the evening meal. You use your imagination to determine what you can do with a veggie that will make it extra good. As kids growing up, my siblings and I wouldn’t touch anything green, often times referring to them as UGOs (Unidentified Green Objects). They were THAT scary. Using our imagination and the desire to taste all the flavors combinations, we, eventually, tempted fate and tried new things. It’s the funny things you can do that can make your meal edible. I found this trick some time back, and, once its been implemented, there is no turning back. What’s the trick? BACON! You will marvel at the ability of how that one ingredient can change the taste-flavor combination and take an UGO to divine inspiration. The amazing thing from our childhood is that we already knew this trick every time we ate pork and beans. But take this flavor a little further and expand it to other veggies; then, WOW! Watch out!
It take a little courage and a lot of creativity to figure what flavors pair well together, so always try something new. A great way to get inspired is poetry. Check out these Haiku and get inspired.

Bruscetta-Topped Steak, Bacon-wrapped Asparagus

Steak Topper

Ingredients

2 large Tomatoes
4 Large Cloves of Garlic
2 Tablespoons of Chopped Fresh Basil
3 Ounces of Olive Oil
Salt to taste

Directions

Mix all ingredients in sealable bowl and place in fridge
Chill for at least and hour the longer the better
Serve over steaks, potatoes or garlic toast

Bacon-Wrapped Asparagus

Ingredients
• 10 spears fresh asparagus, trimmed
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 10 bacon strips, halved lengthwise

Directions

Coat asparagus with nonstick cooking spray. Sprinkle with pepper; turn to coat. Wrap a bacon piece around each spear; secure ends with toothpicks. Grill, uncovered, over medium-low heat for 8-12 minutes or until bacon is crisp, turning occasionally. Discard toothpicks.

Trying new things doesn’t always work. In your mind, you may have thought you had a brilliant recipe, only to find out it turned to mush in the end. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Millions of people have begun to have a go at life only to hit a roadblock and call it quits. It’s the same in cooking, especially if you cook a lot, and, once in awhile, you’re going to make something that tastes absolutely horrible. That’s okay! Did you learn something new? You should have. At least you know that what you attempted to cook doesn’t work. Now, try and figure out why not. I have made some horrible dishes in my time. Ultimately, I discovered what I did wrong and how to correct those errors next time. Too much garlic (yes there is such a thing), not enough salt, all things that CAN happen sometimes DO. . . and all that can be fixed the next time.

That’s what is great about cooking; there is always a next time. Each day you get a chance to offer something up that’s your very own creation. Add a little of this; add a little of that. It doesn’t matter if it comes from a boxed complete meal or from a can. You throw in a few extra spices or other ingredients, and, Presto! You made a simple dish into something better and new. Life is like any recipe you are attempting; just change one ingredient, and it can go from bland to brilliant! Remember that any time life gets dull or boring, try something new to spice it up. Get outside the normal and create new things. Each day, open your refrigerator and cupboards and figure out what you have in there. Then decide what to make. Don’t let the  world pass you by. You are your own unique recipe, so add a little spice!

Our Favorite Spice!

Taco Seasoning

Ingredients
2 Tablespoons Chili Powder
5 Teaspoons Paprika
4 1/2 Teaspoon Ground Cumin
3 Teaspoon Onion Powder
1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt
2 1/2 Teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/8 Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper

Directions
Mix all seasoning in a mortar and pestle preferred but not required
This makes enough seasoning for 1 pound of ground beef.