Grilling Goodness #26

1. Do you prefer reality tv or dramas or comedies? Dramas – I am a “Grey’s Anatomy” and “Law & Order” kind of girl. 2. If you could have free cosmetic surgery, what would you have done? I would want to lose more weight first, and then get a breast lift and a tummy tuck. 3. What are you itching to get but you haven’t ‘bitten the bullet’? Probably a Kitchenaid food processor. I have been wanting one and I have a coupon to Bed Bath and Beyond and $75 in gift cards, so it would make the $129.99 only cost me $30, but when I went to get it – they don’t carry it in the store and I didn’t want to order it but they have a bigger, better one for $199.99 but I would have to pay $85 and I don’t really want to. Darren told me to go ahead and get it – its bigger and better for only $55 more, but I haven’t “bitten that bullet” yet. 4. Do you have a bad habit that you hope your children don’t pick up? Occasional cursing. Admittedly, I used to be really bad and I have cut out just about all of it but sometimes, it just comes out. 5. What was your favorite meal growing up? Oh, I don’t know. My mom was such a great cook, but it was probably something simple like Tuna Casserole or something. I could have lived on that as a kid. 6. What meal did you have as a youngster that you don’t have as an adult? Probably the tuna casserole. I have tried to make it a couple of times and its just not the same, plus – Darren isn’t a big tuna person, so we don’t eat it in my house. 7. What is your earliest memory of a “vacation”? Where’d you go? Branson, MO. We stayed for a week in a cabin on Table Rock Lake. We went to the shows, hung out by the pool, went to Silver Dollar City, and rode the ducks!. It was a blast. I remember introducing my mom to “Atomic Fireballs” on that trip. She became addicted and we bought like 100 of them at Silver Dollar City. I also remember my mom dressing my little sister and I in matching outfits EVERY SINGLE DAY, and getting asked about 1,000/day if we were twins! ha! ha! 8. What was the “Best Thing” you ever got for Christmas, before age 12? Maybe a doll house – it played lullabies in the nursery and had lights that turned on and off. It was awesome!

Pampered Chef

Most of you know that I am a huge fan of Pampered Chef products. I am constantly mentioning them in my blogs and always tellings friends about them! So, after a LOT of thought - I (finally) decided to join the Pampered Chef team.

I just signed up today, so I don't have my website or my consultant ID number yet, but as soon as I do - I will post them here, so you can have them.

If any of you have any questions about products, want to host a party, are interested in a catalog show, or know anyone getting married that would be interested in our wedding registry, feel free to contact me!

Happy Cooking!

Doggie Cake!

This weekend we were in Center, to visit Darren's parents. Friday night, we had a crawfish boil and kept Coco outside with us. She had a blast and "explored" EVERYTHING and even tried to sneak some crawfish, but all in all - she was such a good girl. She was really stinky though, from the crawfish and dirt and mud she managed to get into, so Darren and I decided to give her a bath. Being the genius that I am, I had anticipated the coming bath and earlier in the day, had picked up a "treat" for after she got out of her bath. We got all of the grass burs out of her hair, brushed her really good and then got a nice warm bath! She was so soft and fluffy and smelled so good and I was so proud, that she had done so well that I decided to make her a cake!

Have you ever seen these? I hadn't! It's just like those little microwavable desserts for humans. She just HAD to try one of these, I thought so I mixed it up and iced it and instead of following the directions and letting it sit for 20-30 minutes, I was so excited I gave it to her right away. Well, they probably tell you to let it set up so the icing with harden some and it won't be so sticky, who knows.

All I do know is, this is what Coco looked like after she finished her cake. Nice, huh? And by finish her cake, I mean (just like any normal "kid"), lick all of the icing off the cake and just take a couple bites of the cake itself. Now, I'm sure that I don't have to tell you that, that she had a fit when I tried to clean her off! I got the chunks of cake out of her hair but I couldn't get the stickiness out and so parts of her "beard" are hard and you know what - it was like 11 at night by this point, and so I just went with it! At least I learned to give her the cake BEFORE her bath next time!

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter to your family, from ours!

Favorite Ingredient Friday - Easter Edition (Carrot & Raisin Salad)

Darren, Coco and I are leaving tonight to go to Center to spend time with Darren's family over the three-day Easter weekend, so I wanted to post this early. This is a great salad and if you have ever been to Luby's and ordered the Carrot & Raisin salad - this tastes EXACTLY like it! It's so delicious!

Carrot & Raisin Salad

Ingredients:

• ½ cup sour cream
• ½ cup light mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 4 cups shredded carrot
• 1 (20 oz.) can of diced pineapple, drained
• 1 cup raisins

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the sour cream, mayonnaise, lemon juice, salt and brown sugar.
2. Add carrots, pineapple and raisins and stir until coated.
3. Refrigerate until serving.

Enjoy!

Daddy's Little Helper!

Since we have decided to re-finish the kitchen cabinets, Darren ripped up all of the baseboards around the kitchen, to re-place them with new ones. He was on the floor the other night, checking a few things and his "helper" showed up to watch!

She stayed like this for a little while. Every so often, she would stand up and peer over his shoulder, trying to figure out what he was doing.

It didn't take long for Dad to bore her, so she just decided to lay down and get comfy!

Every time he goes outside, or goes into the garage - she is his little shadow. She has to be right beside him, to "help" him. And I know that he secretly loves it! :)

Favorite Ingredient Friday (Creamy Twice Baked Potatoes)

Hope all is well with everyone! Things have been busy around here and it doesn't look like they are going to slow down anytime soon! That being said, even with all the craziness - I always look forward to Favorite Ingredient Friday and I know a couple of girlfriends that would kill me if I missed it, so - here ya go! :) I know with the weather getting warmer and spring on us and summer just right around the corner - the grills will be coming out very soon. With Darren "manning" the grill - I usually take care of the salad and at least one of the sides while he takes care of the meat and usually grills some veggies.

Since he can leave what he is cooking for awhile - we like to grab a couple of glasses of vino, or a couple of beers and sit out back. The only way I know that I can do that - is by cooking something that doesn't require me to "babysit" it. Thus, twice baked potatoes entered our culinary world. They are creamy and lucious like mashed potatoes, but I don't have to watch a boiling pot.

Creamy Twice Baked Potatoes

Ingredients:

• 2 medium baking potatoes
• 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
• 1 tablespoon milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, cubed
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• Paprika

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Pierce potatoes and bake for 1 hour or until tender.
3. Set potatoes aside to cool, and drop the oven down to 350 degrees.
4. When the potatoes are cool, cut a thin slice off the top of each potato.
5. Scoop out the pulp and place in a mixing bowl.
6. Add butter, milk and salt; beat until fluffy.
7. Beat in cream cheese and sour cream.
8. Spoon into potato shells.
9. Sprinkle with paprika.
10. Place on a baking sheet and bake, uncovered, for 20-25 minutes or until heated through and tops are golden brown.

I preheat the oven, and take out my cream cheese and butter and put them on the top of the stove so they can soften with the heat, pierce the potatoes and throw them in the oven and then promptly grab us some drinks and go outside and hang out with my husband. I go inside, take them out of the oven, get us another drink, and go back outside. After about half an hour, Darren starts putting stuff on the grill and I go back inside, cut the tops off, scoop out all the potatoes, mix it together with all the other ingredients, stuff them back into the potatoes, throw them back into the oven, grab us another drink and head back outside. Just about the time my timer is going off, his meat and veggies are coming off the grill. That gives me a few minutes to get out some plates and throw the salad together - perfect timing and it doesn't take a lot of effort. These are great when you are cooking for a lot of people because the ingredients are pretty cheap and its just as easy to make 10 potatoes, as it is 2 - and it looks like you really put some effort into it (while you and I know that it doesn't take much time). Hope you like them as much as we do!