With a personal goal to try new things and push the limits of my cooking, I found a fun inspiration. It seems that Ancient Fire Wines and I have something in common; neither one of us are big pasta eaters. Now that’s not to say we don’t like pasta; we just couldn’t eat it every day. Ancient Fire Wines wrote a blog called Light & Easy Pasta Bake, and it looked wonderful. Now, I didn’t have all the ingredients in the house to make Jason’s pasta dish so I started scheming my own. It is such a fun thing to be able to take a risk and try something new, especially with cooking. You know the flavors you like and usually have a general idea of what tastes good together. That’s when the magic happens: trying combinations you have never tried before and coming up with something tremendous.

Now, just like Jason’s, my wife loves, loves, loves pasta! It’s very funny to read his blog and find these commonalities. It’s also fun to note that every once in awhile we like to make our wives happy and cook a little pasta. This dish is, according to my personal critic (my wife), one of the best pasta dishes I have made to date. Her exact words were, “You can make this any time!” And you  know, when momma is happy, we’re all happy. It’s a simple dish I threw together with random ingredients, and then we devoured. I am learning a great lesson in cooking. You have to take the things that are not your favorite ingredients (in this case, pasta) and find a way to make them their own. I am not a fan of red tomato-based sauces (I prefer cream white sauces). Also, I am a carnivore by heart, so almost any dish that is loaded with meat, I can take it a long way. When you try this dish be prepared for an amazing delight.

Italian Sausage & Linguini

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/4 Box Pasta, uncooked

1 Small Onion, chopped

2 Tablespoons Butter

2 Italian Sausage Links, casing removed

1 Cup Button Mushrooms, sliced

1/4 Cup Olives, chopped

1 1/2 Teaspoons Italian Dressing Seasoning Blend (I used Good Seasons brand)

1 Cup Half & Half

Shredded Parmesan Cheese

1 Green Onion, diced

3 Slices Tomato, diced

Directions

1. Cook linguini to directions on the box.
2. In a large skillet, saute onions in butter until lightly opaque on medium-high heat.
3. Crumble sausage and cook until no longer pink (about 5 to 7 minutes).
4. Add mushrooms and cook for 1 more minute.
5. Stir in olives, Italian dressing mix, and half & half.
6. Bring to a boil; then simmer for 10 minutes or until sauce thickens.
7. Add tomatoes and mix in right before serving (you don’t want to cook them, just warm them up)
8. Serve and garnish with green onions and Parmesan.
9. Enjoy!

 

 

 

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a $50 stipend to make a recipe featuring a beer from the New Belgium Brewing Company. The New Belgium Brewing Company produces the following beers: Sunshine Wheat, Blue Paddle Pilsner, Abbey Ale, Trippel Ale, 1554 Black Ale, and the original Fat Tire Amber Ale. I have to admit that it’s been awhile since I have had any of these beers, because I have become more of a wine and liquor drinker. It was refreshing when I got the Fat Tire home and had that first taste. That was delightfully tasty. Before I go further into this post, please remember to drink responsibly.

I have made brats with beer, steaks with bear, pork chops with beer, so I wanted to make something that was out of my normal routine. My wife suggested it, so I decided to give it a go and make Fat Tire Fondue. We had a lot of fun and enjoyed some amazing flavors. Now here is a Manly Housewife Fondue cooking trick. With your fondue, forget using the little candle burner that comes with your set. Go to a big box store and get a single table top burner. You can find then for around $10 or less. These are great you can adjust the heat of the fondue and cook right in front of you and your guests.

Fat Tire Fondue

Serves a lot more than we anticipated (Probably 4 or more)

Ingredients for Fat Tire Cheese Fondue

12 Ounces of Shredded Sharp Cheddar Cheese

6 Ounces Pepper Jack Cheese, shredded

1/4 cup Onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Teaspoon Garlic, minced

1 16-Ounce Bottle of Fat Tire

2 Tablespoons All-Purpose Flour

2 Tablespoons Cream or Half-and-Half

Dash or 2 Hot Sauce (optional)

Dippers (Have fun with these)

1 Green Apple, cubed

1 Quarter Loaf of Sourdough Bread, cubed

Broccoli Florets

Green Onions

 

Directions

1. Arrange all dippers on a plate (if you wish, toast the bread in the over until lightly toasted).
2. In a fondue pot, saute onion in butter until tender.
3. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
4. Stir in beer and hot sauce Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low.
5. Add cheese and flour; stir into saucepan until melted.
6. Stir in cream and mix well
7. Enjoy!

 

I often speak of taking risks in the kitchen. Taking a chance in the kitchen is like taking a chance in life. How often do you try something new or unique, a new recipe or style of cooking? I have decided to eat my own words and pick up a new segment on this blog. Once a week I will try and make something I have never made before, something from a different cuisine to a different style of cooking. What has inspired me to take such a leap? I was recently introduced to Jason Bahamundi from the blog <a href=”http://cooktraineatrace.com/”>CookTrainEatRace</a>. Jason’s blog and my blog could not be more different if you tried. Where I cook mainly somewhat unhealthy, meaty, and fun dishes, made from things I find in the pantry, Jason’s approach is healthy, amazing-looking, well-planned, vegetarian dishes. We both write about the things we love and our passions. His running in marathons and training and my goals and achievement and getting what you want in life. Although our food choices differ, we are united by our desire to tell a story centered around good meals.

His blog has inspired me to do more and set higher goals on my cooking. If you read his <a href=”http://cooktraineatrace.com/about/”>About Page</a>, you can see how is life has unfolded and the risks he has taken. That is exactly what you have to do get what you want out of life. Do what you have to do to follow your passions and desires. Make the sacrifices you need to make to accomplish your goals. Jason chose a vegetarian lifestyle to help get better at something he loves to do. What are you willing to give or take on that would help you get were you want to go?

Inspired by Jason’s passion, I have decide to up my game on this blog. Each week I will roll out a different cuisine or dish style. I will push myself to make dishes that take me further outside my comfort zone. Here is a list of styles I will work on. Please add more styles to help me out.

1. Vegetarian
2. Vegan
3. Gluten Free
4. Raw
5. Kosher
6. Organic
7. Ethnic (Italian, Polish, German, Chinese…etc)

This is a short list but I am sure there are styles of cooking (or not cooking) I don’t know about. Please let me know. Also, with many of these styles of cooking, I am going to have to do a lot of research so if you have recipes or links to recipes for any of these styles, I will take that, too.

Jason and I talked via Twitter (@cooktraineatrace and @manlyhousewife) about taking one of each other dishes and doing it in “our” style, which for me was a huge challenge. I took his recipe for Buffalo Tempeh and Black Bean, Zucchini and Olive Tacos and did The Manly Housewife way. Check it out and let me know what you think.

Round Steak Tacos & The Manly Housewife Hot Wings

Serves 2

Ingredients: Tacos

4 Corn Tortillas

2 4-Ounce Eye of Round Steak

1 Avocado

1/8 Cup Onion, chopped

1/4 Jalapeno, seeded and chopped

1 Green Onion, chopped

1 Tablespoon Cilantro, chopped

Shredded Cheese

Couple of Black Olives, chopped (optional)

Lime Juice

Taco Seasoning (for the Manly Housewife version click here)

Olive Oil

Ingredients: Hot Wings

6 Hot Wing Drum Sticks

1/4 Cup Butter

1/4 Cup Hot Sauce (Cholula or Franks)

1 Tablespoon Honey

Season Salt

 

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Sprinkle frozen hot wings with season salt and cook for 45 minutes. Finish, by turning heat up to 425 for another 15 minutes.
3. To make wing sauce, mix together butter, hot sauce, and honey and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes, add hot wings; cook and addition 5 minutes and ready to  serve.
4. For the tacos, season both sides of the meat with taco seasoning.
5. Heat a pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.
6. Place steak  in pan and cook 2 minutes each side; remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, then dice.
7. Warm tortillas in oven or microwave; then layer steak, onion, jalapeno, cilantro, olives, lime juice, and cheese.
8. Garnish plate with avocados.
9. Enjoy!

 

I have always enjoyed cooking; however, other than for my parents and occasional family, I never really cooked for someone regularly until after I got married. I had tons of ideas in my head that I wanted to create and try. Each one a twist of  ideas and flavor blends that could tempt many palates. The problem I have had to overcome is that I have forgotten more ideas than I have created. I can watch a show and see something that  sounds and looks delicious and I think, man, that would be fun to make. I can mentally see the dish and run through ingredients in my head, planning on a wonderful dinner. Then life happens. You know what I mean. We would have to run to the store to get something for the dogs, mow the grass, or buy my wife another set of scrubs. If we were going shopping, then we have to hit all the stores (cause you can’t hit just one). Then we hit the home-improvement store, looking for more things to bring into our home. We then eat lunch out, whatever sounded tempting. We can do all these activities and a lot of times finish our day out at the grocery store. By this time, all the thoughts I have about making dinner are long gone. I’m so tired I have forgotten what show I was watching that inspired the dinner idea I HAD in my head. Heck, sometimes I forgot I even watched a particular show. We  inevitably do our typical, standard grocery shopping for the essentials. Now, all these ingredients can make some pretty fun meals, but the original meal that I had been inspired to make is long gone.

It became frustrating at times and, although I could pull of some pretty cool dinners, there are more I would have loved to try. So how did I fix it? Simple. I write it down. That’s it. Its just as soon as a thought about dinner occurs, I write it down. Why does this work? It makes me actually take an action. See, if I don’t right it down my mind thinks it not very important there for files it in the ever famous file 13. However when I write down what I want then the mind kicks it up a notch and says hey I should remember this. I put the paper in my pocket; then, when I hit the grocery store later, it’s right there what I wanted it. Pretty cool, huh?

This works in life as well as in the kitchen. Think about it. You have things you want to get done at work. . . write it down. You have lots of projects to complete around the house or in the office. . . write them all down, and cross them off as you complete them. Make it a game to write down everything you want; then cross it off as you complete each one. You can do the small things and the big things. Want a better job, a new car, to pass a test, or get to sleep by 8 o’clock? Whatever it is, make a habit of writing it down. You will be amazed how easy it is to accomplish things once you adopt this method.

Carne Picada with Strawberry Mango Salsa

Serves 2

 

Ingredients

1/2 Pound Carne Picada (Which means ground beef but looks like stringy strips of beef)

2 10″ Flour Tortillas

3 Tablespoons Caribbean Jerk Seasoning

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil

 

Ingredients For Salsa

1 Cup Water

1/4 Cup Sugar

1 Teaspoon Vanilla

1/4 Cup Mango

1/4 Cup Strawberries

1/4 Cup  Onions

1/2 Tablespoon Dried Oregano

 

Directions

1. Heat saucepan and a skillet to medium-high heat.
2. In the saucepan, add water, sugar, and vanilla and bring to a boil; then simmer for 5 minutes, making a simple syrup.
3. Dice mango, strawberry, and onion, place in a small bowl, sprinkle on oregano and mix well.
4. Cover salsa with simple syrup; stir well and refrigerate  for 20 minutes to an hour (the longer it sits the better the flavor).
5. Mix Carne Picada with jerk seasoning.
6. Add olive oil to skillet; once oils begins to smoke, add seasoned Carne Picada.
7. Cook for 7 to 10 minutes until meat is cooked through.
8. Warm Tortillas (we usually place them 30 seconds in the microwave).
9. On each tortilla, scoop the cooked Carne Picada; top with salsa, roll, and serve.
10. Enjoy!

 

 

Right now is my favorite time of year for the weather. You wake up to a cool morning in the mid-50s, and it usually doesn’t go above the high-70s for the day (actually, it was 88 yesterday!). This coming weekend is a family tradition my wife and I just love, First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas. This is the one event you can guarantee that my family will always be attending, year after year on Halloween weekend. It’s like a garage sale on steroids. Heck, it’s like a flea market on steroids. You can get crafts, collectibles, and the junk all put on about a bazillion acres and, and they serve the crazy fair food that we all love. We have been doing this trip for going on 10 years. The RVs come out, and we set out to shop like nobody’s business. This is where we start our Christmas shopping each year. It’s almost guaranteed that you will find something for everyone on your shopping list. It might be the latest gadget on the market or that unique, silly metal sculpture of a donkey you just can’t resist (ugly damn donkey, Mom!). It’s amazing the things you can see and the silly things you sometimes buy. My wife and I have bought tons of decorations out there for our home, because, oh yeah, it’s like Kirklands, Marshalls, Ross, Hobby Lobby and Michaels on steroids,as well. It’s is so much fun, like a mini vacation each year, where you know you’re gonna spend more money than you can afford. . . and every dime will be worth it!

If you plan to camp out there like we do, take some friendly advice. Plan on working the phones for a long time to reserve a spot. When the phone lines open up for the RV spots, my mom and dad, with two phones each, begin tackling the task of securing our spots. Through non-stop dialing and constant busy signals, it’s a frenzy to make sure you get a spot. In fact, it’s so crazy that this year we didn’t even make it to our normal camping spot. It sold out within 10 minutes, so we had to settle for a secondary spot. The second spot is not bad; it is just a little further from the grounds, so a little further to carry all your stuff. If you ever get a chance put Canton, Texas, on your radar for the weekend before the first Monday of each month. This is when the First Monday Trade Days in Canton, Texas, happens. Bring some money and comfortable shoes and prepare to shop like nobody’s business.

Today’s recipe is something I was having fun with. I got a little creative and tried to make and a little breakfast package. It worked well, and I decided that I will make some mini frittatas this way, as well. Test

Bacon-Wrapped Egg Cups

Serves 2

Ingredients

6 Strips Bacon

5 Eggs

Mexican Cheese Blend

Manly Housewife Seasoning

Milk

Cooking Spray

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large skillet, cook bacon over medium heat for 2 minutes on each side. You want the bacon to set up but not  be crispy.
3. Coat 4 muffin tins heavily with cooking spray.
4. Wrap bacon around the inside of the cup, 1 1/2 strips per cup.
5. Fill each cup with 1/4 of the egg mixture.
6. Top with cheese.
7. Bake for 20 minutes or until egg is completely set.
8. Enjoy!

I haven’t done a lot of breakfasts on here, which I need to do more of I’m told. I do have some pretty good recipes and enjoy cooking breakfast, so I will work on getting more breakfast recipes up here. I usually make a lot of frittatas for me and my wife. They are simple to make, and you can add so many different flavors that the possibilities are endless. Sunday morning, I wanted to try and make something a little more fun. I pulled some of our cookbooks, of which we have many, cookbooks from everywhere and featuring almost every food type. Any time we go to Marshalls department store, that’s where I find myself spending the most time, the book section, hunting cookbooks. If you didn’t know, they always have a little book section that is usually filled with different varieties of cookbooks. The prices are great and usually a fraction of the original cost. We have found some wonderful cookbooks there and at Half Price Books. As I browsed through a bunch of different books I couldn’t find anything that was fun enough to make. There were plenty of waffles and crepes and the like but nothing that really piqued my interest. As I usually do, I put the books back on the shelves and started opening cabinets. While taking inventory of ingredients, I began formulating a plan and came up with French toast with a twist (of course). Why not try and stuff it? I had heard of it before but had not ever tried to make it. Luckily it turned out wonderful and goes into the keeper file.

Stuffed French Toast

Serves 2

Ingredients

4 Slices of Bread (I used regular bread but french bread would have been great.)

1/2 Cup Cream Cheese

2 Tablespoons Peach Preserves

2 Egg Whites

1 Whole Egg

1 Teaspoon Apple Pie Spice (mixture of cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice)

1 Teaspoon Good-Quality Mexican Vanilla

1/2 Cup Peach Preserves (For Syrup)

Directions

1. In a bowl, cream together cream cheese and 2 tablespoons preserves.
2. Combine well and spread on two slices of bread covering with the second slice.
3. In a shallow bowl whisk together eggs, apple pie spice, and vanilla.
4. Dunk each cream cheese filled sandwich into the egg mixture until both sides are well coated.
5. Spray a non-stick skillet with a cooking spray and heat to medium-high heat.
6. Cook the bread on both sides for 3 minutes.
7. While toast is cooking, in a saucepan heat up the 1/2 cup preserves until they are warmed through, about 5 minutes.
8. Serve toast with preserves syrup.
9. Enjoy!

Sunday was a fun day spent with perfect weather, great friends, and amazingly greasy food. Where was it? The State Fair of Texas, of course! We could not have picked the more perfect day to go to the State Fair. My wife and I, along with some friends, decided the only way to really experience the fair was to eat our way through it. This was not to a be a trip for the feint of heart (I think I felt my arteries clogging as we left the park). I knew that the day was going to be a wonderfully greasy day when the first food stand we stopped at, to get a couple of beers and a sausage on a stick, we saw something called “Donkey Tail.” Okay, it’s the State Fair, so you expect there to be some wild things to try, but we were not expecting “Donkey Tails.” Now, we really had to ask what they were, and, once we knew, we had to try ‘em!  This isn’t the exact recipe they used to make them, but if I was going to try it at home (and I will), this is how I would prepare them.

Donkey Tail Recipe (Deep Fried Chili Cheese Hot-Dogs)

Serves 1

Ingredients

1 Hot dog

1 Flour Tortilla

1/2 Cup Chili

1/2 Cup Nacho Cheese

Chopped Onions to Taste

Jalapenos to Garnish (optional)

Vegetable Oil, for frying

Directions

1. In a large frying pot, add vegetable oil deep enough to fry the hot dog and heat to 350 degrees.
2. Place hot dog in center of tortillas and top with 1/2 the cheese.
3. Fold it up like a burrito. Fold in the sides then fold over until you make a nice little bundle of goodness.
4. Place gently into the hot grease and cook for 30 to 45 seconds.
5. Remove from grease and drip drain on paper towels.
6. Cut in half and place in a bowl.
7. Top with chili, remaining cheese, onions, and jalapenos (optional).
8. Watch your heart explode.
9. Enjoy!

My understanding is that the Donkey Tail was created by a 90-year old lady who owns her own restaurant. Please know this is not her original recipe. This is just how I would make it from my experience of enjoying one at the fair.

From there, went exploring the different tents with vendors selling their wares, from gadgets to clothing to multitudes of sunglasses stands. I guess sunglasses knock-offs are selling very well this year. Our next food destination was to try and find the deep fried Frito pie; however, the line was ridiculously long (I can only assume this was because of how awesome they were!). My wife and our friends were dying to get a foot-long corndog, so we chose to get in that line instead. We walked part of the midway on our way to the car show. I have to admit that I had never been to a car show, well, that I remember (maybe as a kid), but, man, was it ever cool. Every make and model was on display from the major manufacturers. You could sit in everything from a $125,000-dollar car to $12,000-dollar car. They had everything from electric cars to gas-guzzling, off-road vehicles. You could even pay to see the Batmobile if you chose too. My wife and I fell in love with a cruiser-style bike called a V-star. It looked tough and sat very comfortable. . . and it went on my wish list.

After the car show, I got my sausage on a stick, while the others enjoyed fried gator and funnel cake, and then we all destroyed the deep fried peaches and cream.

Funnel Cake

Fried Peaches & Cream

We had some debate on how these might have been prepared, but either way, these were absolutely killer good. The crispy outside with the peach filling inside, they came drizzled with raspberry sauce, dusted with powdered sugar, with a cream dipping sauce on the side. Wow! They rocked! We went even further and combined the funnel cake with the peaches to make an instant explosion of flavor in our mouths. While eating these delights, we were sitting not far from the famous “Big Tex.” For those that don’t know,  Big Tex is about a 70-foot tall, animated fair mascot, dressed as a cowboy. He has been a staple at the fair for years. We all agreed the Tex needs a bit of an upgrade, because he is starting to look kind of of scary. He greets people coming in the gate but is weirdly proportioned and is in need of some serious upgrading to his voice box. He is, however, that icon that people are accustomed to seeing, year in and year out, at the Texas State Fair.

After this bout with artery-clogging food, we headed back to the midway. Luckily, my wife is just like me: roller coasters are great, but if it’s a spinning, twirling circle of death style ride, we’re out. Some of our friends enjoyed everything that twirled, spun, or used centrifugal force to flip you upside down. They’re just crazy! Then, I jokingly asked one of the game vendors if I could just give him $50 for the teddy bear because  I figured that’s what it would cost to win it. He didn’t seem to think it was very funny, but we all enjoyed a good laugh.

Our last round of food was twirl fries. The ones were they use a drill and a special drill bit to cut the potato into a twirl style tower of fries. They were amazing, as well, covered in a ton of salt.

Twirl Fries

The State Fair was a great experience, something I had not done since I was a kid. Some people in our group had never been. I think we will go back next year, but I need at least a full year to recover from all that grease.  So, with a bottle of water and fat, full puppy belly, we headed home with thoughts of, “Wonder what that deep fried Frito pie tasted like?” Then, we talked about making donkey tails and what crazy concoctions the vendors will bring to the table next year.

Lately, I have been putting in a lot of time with all the work I do and have not cooked as much as I like. On my way home after yet another long day, I called my beautiful wife to ask if she wouldn’t mind whipping something together for dinner. The conversation played out as it always does: I say, “Can you make dinner?” To which she replies,  “What do you want me to make?” I say, “Whatever you want.” And then she says what she always says,  “I don’t know what I want.” What’s funny is that we have that same conversation any time we go out to eat. To be fair, it’s true that my wife doesn’t cook often; however, whenever she does, it always comes out wonderful and yet it’s usually a type of fare I tend to stay away from. Given free reign, she will most likely make some sort of pasta dish since I don’t cook pasta often and because she loves it. Last night she did a brilliant job of putting together a wonderful, hearty meal, and here it is for your pleasure.

Simple Linguini & Meatballs

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 Bag Italian-Style Meatballs

1 Jar Home-made Tomato Sauce or Store-Bought Equivalent

1 Tsp Oregano

1 Tsp Onion Powder

1 Tsp Garlic Powder

1/4 Pound Fresh Mushrooms

Salt & Pepper to taste

1 package Linquini Pasta

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to directions on package (ensure that you salt the water); when pasta is done, transfer to a bowl and toss with 1 tablespoon of olive oil.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat cook the meatballs according to package directions (Usually about 8 to 10 minutes).
3. Add jar of tomato sauce to meatballs.
4. Spice it up with oregano, onion powder, garlic powder and salt & pepper.
5. Serve over cooked pasta and with garlic bread.
6. Enjoy!

As a kid growing up, I remember always having teas in our house. Mom would always have a cleaned-out an milk jug filled with fresh-brewed tea. There was nothing fancy about our tea; we loved the individual packets that you’d put in water and boil in the microwave. We drank it by the gallon, without sugar, mind you (we were not a sweet tea family).

During high school, I got my first real dose of a true sweet tea. My buddy Louis’ mom makes the best sweet tea in the world. I’m not kidding either; this stuff was addicting and probably had more sugar in it than an ice cream factory. To this day when we all get together at Louis’ folks house, we go through gallons of that sweet tea.

After I got married, my wife’s mother introduced me to a more sophisticated style of tea. A lot of time it was still in the packets but with more unique blends and flavors. Most nights, she enjoys a nice cup of warm tea or even an afternoon tea and has learned to appreciate their calming effects.

Through all these experiences, nothing prepared me for what my wife and I found this weekend. We found “Tea Nirvana,” or Teavana, actually. Teavana is a shop we stumbled upon while visiting the Galleria Mall in Dallas, Texas. Walking through the doors was like stepping into an enlightened bliss. You quickly become immersed in the tantalizing smells and aromas, and it is truly a wonderful, sensory experience.

While walking through the store, we where greeting by one of the best sale people I have ever encountered. She was great at explaining about the various different teas and showing us their amazing tea sets. She brought several tea samples for us to try and also helped make sure we walked out of there with some great tea. I wish I could remember her name, because I would have loved to put it in this post. With the tea we got, we went home to enjoy a blissful afternoon of tea.

Here is the tea we got that we enjoyed in tea set my wife had been given by her mother. Its a beautiful Korean tea set that a friend had acquired for her mother while traveling in Korea.

White Ayurvedic Chai & Samurai Chai Mate

You would not believe the smell when you open the container of this tea. A unique feature of these containers is that they seal shut, keeping your tea fresh between uses and helping it stay flavorful and fresh longer. It one of those things better seen than explained, but it is very useful.  We were told by our wonderful sales person that the teas we had sampled were not sweetened with regular sugar, but they where actually sweetened with German rock sugar. German rock sugar is pure, unprocessed sugar crystals.  They make the tea extra wonderful tasting.

German Rock Sugar

Teavana’s unprocessed German rock sugar simply adds a touch of sweetness without changing the taste of the tea.

White Ayurvedic Chai & Samurai Chai Mate in Korean Teapot

This tea is positively delightful and would be great any time of year, but it’s best especially in the colder months. It was amazing how the teas combined to make a great cinnamon-flavored tea. Every time you open the canister, the tea fragrance fills the room. I highly recommend this blend.

Teavana believes in giving back to the world community where their teas are grown, so  they donate 1% of all profits to CARE . CARE is  a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty.

You can follow them on Facebook here or find their website here. Make sure you check out their Tea of the Month club. We are and will most likely be getting into the 12-month plan.

Panini presses are a fun, versatile kitchen tool. There are so many things you can do with them that help make a quick dinner a breeze. They can function as an indoor grill or griddle and they sit right on your counter-top. Last night I broke mine out and was on a mission. My wife and I had planned to make Philly cheese steak paninis and had purchased all the ingredients we thought we’d need to make them. However, we forgot one key ingredient. . . the sourdough bread! Arrgh! That’s kind of a biggie for paninis. So I had to improvise a little bit and come up with a secondary option. What’s one thing we almost always have in our house? Tortillas! So Paninis became quesadillas, and it worked brilliantly! You should definitely try this one out. As my wife always says, “Messy food is great food,” and let me tell you, these were messy as all get out!

Philly Cheese Steak Quesadillas

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 Slices Angus Roast Beef (we got this from our local deli)

4 Slices Thick-Cut Havarti Cheese (our new favorite cheese)

1/4 Each Thinly Sliced  Onion, Red Pepper, Orange Pepper, Yellow Pepper

2 12-Inch Flour Tortillas

1 Cup Sliced Button Mushrooms

Directions

1. Heat panini press to directions for a panini or quesadillas.
2. Lay tortilla on a flat surface and layer.
3. Cheese 1 Slice Cut in Half, Roast Beef, Peppers, Mushrooms, Cheese.
4. Fold tortilla over, making a half moon shape  and grill for 3 to 4 minutes.
5. Repeat for second quesadilla.
6. Enjoy!