Seafood FEAST!

My husband was driving all over FL yesterday and did not have a chance to stop for lunch. He came home hungry and tired. I figured I would surprise him with a favorite: Seafood Feast. What is more comforting then a HUGE bowl of steamed shrimp and mussels, with Sourdough bread to soak up the yummy broth and crab cakes? In my mind, there is nothing better. This dinner was so satisfying.

The Perfect Crab cake
2 TB butter
2 TB Olive Oil
1 Bell pepper, cut in small squares, diced
1 Green Pepper, diced
4 green onions, diced
4 tsp. hot sauce (The hubby and I love spicy)
3 tsp. old bay
1 TB Parsley

1. TAKE ALL THE INGREDIENTS AND SAUTE UNTIL SOFT.

Crab meat, half a lb.
1/3 cp. mayo
1/2 cp. seasoned bread crumbs
2 TB Dijon mustard
2 eggs

2. Mix together.
3. After the sauteed mixture cools mix it with the wet ingredients. Form patties and let sit in the fridge for 30 minutes
4. Brown with oil and butter.

Steamed Mussels and Shrimp

1 lb Mussels
1 lb shrimp
1 stick unsalted butter
1/2 cp. white wine
1/4 cp. diced bell peppers
1.4 cp. diced green onions
4 chopped garlic cloves
1/4 cp. fresh parsley
1/2 to 1 tsp. crushed red pepper

1. Add the butter and the veggies and crushed red pepper and saute until soft. Add the wine and cook until reduced by 1/2. Add the mussels, shrimp and parsley. Cover and until all the mussels are open and the shrimp is pink.

Serve with warm sourdough bread to dip with the yummy broth!!!!!

My Moms Awesome Cobbler

This was a childhood favorite. Where ever I bring this dish it gets rave reviews. My favorite way to have it is warm with a little milk....mmmmh. A perfect morning with a huge cup of coffee. Not to mention, this is one of the easiest recipe that I have ever used....




MY MOMS COBBLER

4 cps of any fruit (blueberries,peach,apples,so on)
2 cps sugar
2 sticks of butter, soft
2 cps flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cp. milk


1. Mix the butter and sugar until fluffy. Slowly add the milk.
2. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt. Slowly add to the wet.



3. Toss the fruit in a little sugar. Put the fruit in a greased 9 X 13 pan.

4. Add to the fruit. Level.

5. Bake on 350 for about 50 minutes to an hour.

Eat! This is so moist and yummy. It will not disappoint!!!

Chocolate Chip and MM Cookies

I actually went out with my husband this weekend. It was so fun. I forgot how much fun we can have together. We went to City Walk at Universal. While we had fun my kiddos were being baby sat for the second time in their little lives. I know, I know!!! That is horrible that I only left them twice, but trust me after this weekend I am going to try to do it more often!!! I had the time of my life!!

My best friend's 16 year old daughter watched my girls. She was so awesome! She is hands down the most mature, level headed, incredible sixteen year old I know. Not to mention, she has three siblings under the age of three. This makes it easy to handle a screaming 20 mo. old Bailey. When I walked in the door at 1 a.m. she had my screaming baby in her arms fast asleep. How awesome is that?!

Anyway, I knew she was coming to watch my girls. So, what do you make a growing 16 yr. old!?!? Yummy, HUGE, M and M Cookies! These turned out so great! Take my word for it! I made 36 of these GIGANTIC Cookies on Saturday and they were gone by Sunday! No joke!

I had a great weekend with my hubby and kiddos! I hope everyone enjoyed their 3 day weekend!!!!

ENJOY!!

The recipe:

4 cps. flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cps. melted unsalted butter
1 cp. brown sugar
2 cp. white sugar
2 TB Vanilla Extract
2 Egg
2 Egg yolks
2 cp. Hershey Chocolate Chips
2 cp. MandM's

1. Sift together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Mix together the sugars and butter until fluffy. Add the extract and one egg at a time.
2. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.
3. Fold in the chips and MandM's.
4. Add about 1/4 cp. of the batter per cookie. Bake on 325 for about 10-15 min. When brown around the edges.

EAT!!!!

ORANGE Marinara Sauce...And A Story of Inspiration!!

I want to share a story with you. I think it is very inspiring and gives me some hope and makes me strive as a parent. As I get older and time is flying by I see a lot of people worrying to much about themselves and not stopping to smell the roses (so to speak). For example, how many times does someone open the door for you? Or a complete stranger help you load groceries? So on and So on. This was common many years back.

Anyway, my husband and I went to the store for our weekend amount of DVD rentals. While I was waiting for my husband in our family truckster with two crazy kiddos I saw the most inspiring and generous act. An old lady was walking into the store, but barely. She was very old and was having so much trouble. All of a sudden a young lady ran into the store and I seen her riding out on a motorized cart! She drove it up to the lady and helped her on it. The young lady then walked away and continued her day. WOW! I was so moved! Is that crazy!?

How great is that? How inspiring? I open doors for people and give away my cart to a person in need of one . I found a purse opened spewing out money in a grocery cart and turned it in right away. I make food for girlfriends who just had a baby or who are sick. I thank my phenomenal parents for that. They have instilled many value inside me. I am so grateful. Now, that I am a mother I hope that I can instill the same into my daughters. I hope they would be that girl to run into the store to help an elder lady having trouble getting her own grocery cart. *Fingers Crossed*

Switch of moods...Orange Marinara Sauce!!!!
I know..It sounds crazy, but I came across these beautiful orange tomatoes. I tasted them and they were WONDERFUL...so I had to make a sauce from it!!!!

CHECK IT OUT!

ORANGE MARINARA SAUCE

About 10-12 Orange Tomatoes
2 TB Olive Oil
1 Orange bell pepper, diced

1 Sweet Yellow onion, diced
4 garlic cloves, sliced thin

1 tsp. crushed red pepper

3 tsp. Italian seasoning (I usually use fresh herbs, but I wanted to cook this all day and let the flavors mingle)

3 TB. of Parm. Cheese

Optional:

Browned Sausage

Basil Garnish

The Orange tomatoes!!! Boil in a pot for 5 minutes. Strain. Let cool. Remove skin and seeds. Chop. Add to the sauce pot with the sauteed veggies.

While the Tomatoes are boiling saute the veggies on low with 2 TB of Olive oil. You want to cook the onions, peppers, garlic and crushed red pepper where you are almost caramelizing the garlic. Cook low until browned and then add the tomatoes.

Let the veggies mingle. Cook down. Puree in the food processor and add back to the pot. Add the dried or fresh herbs. Let cook. Add the cheese.

Toss the noodles in the sauce to coat.

This is Alex's dish. LOL. Notice the Princess plate? She asked me to take a picture...How could I say no?!

The dish I made for the hubby. I added spicy browned sausge!! YUM!

THE STEAK SANDWICH

I realize that I forgot the steak recipe.

I have been doing this a lot lately. I feel like I have so much on my plate right now. Our move is in three weeks!!! I have been packing, showing our condo like crazy (which means to keeping it and clean.URGH), Alex keeps bringing home work to do.(In PRESCHOOL..She has homework!?!?!), and so on and son on...

Yesterday, I sent all the bills out WITHOUT stamps!!!! I am losing it!!!!

Anyway, here is the recipe I promised:

8 Cube Steaks, cut against the grain

2 onions, sliced thin

1 red pepper, sliced thin

1 green pepper, sliced thin

4 TB butter

2 TB oil

3 TB Steak Seasoning

3 Cloves Garlic, minced

2 cps. shredded mozzarrella

Hoagie Buns

Horseradish

1. Add the butter and oil. Toss in the onions and pepper. Saute until soft. Add the steak. Saute until cooked. Add the garlic and steak seasoning.

2. Add the cheese and put in toasted buns. I rubbed each bun with horseradish and then filled.

Calphalon Unison Cookware: A Must in Every Kitchen

Calphalon Unison

Calphalon began their successful journey in Perrysburg, OH in 1963. Their line of items has evolved over time but their dedication and faithfulness in their work has not. Calaphalon adapted to make knives, kitchen utensils, kitchen gadgets, bake ware and of course, their notable pots and pans.

Calphalon has created a variety of pan lines. They have their Tri-Ply, Copper Tri-Ply, Contempary Non Stick, Calphalon One Infused Ad ionized (which is the first cookware to use the infused anodized t anodized technology with a nonstick surface.), Calphalon Contemporary Stainless Steal, Copper Pan line, Enamel Cast Iron, and CS Nonstick. Now, Calphalon did it again. They created another masterpiece Calphalon Unison. It a brand new line that will turn anyones head in their direction.

Calphalon Unison pan line created with two types of nonstick surface: Slide Surface and Sear Surface. The slide surface is constructed to release food with no effort. (This works, trust me!) They sear surface was designed to lock in flavor but refraining from sticking to the pan.

I have used this pan line over a month now and I am totally in love. It is my go to pan. That is saying a lot considering I have many top of the line pans consuming my kitchen. The Unison has the ability and strength to cook anything to perfection without it sticking to the surface. If you use their Unison 8 QT Stock Pan the water actually beads around the surface. To me, that informs me that their nonstick ability is victorious.

The Unison pan line includes nine items. It includes a Omelette Pans,Sauce Pans, Sauté Pans, Stock Pots, Roaster,Round Griddle,Round Grill Pan,Soup Pot,Wok and Cover. It also comes in either a 10 piece or 8 piece set. Each pan is accompanied by a lifetime warranty, dishwasher safe, oven safe up to 500 degrees, and each handle is made ergonomic to stay cool.

I have reviewed many products and even more cookware, but this is by far the best cookware that has entered my kitchen. It cooks to perfection. I absolutely have no down faults. Calphalons revoutionary pans belong in every household! http://www.calphalon.com/

　

Steak Sandwich and Blog Awards

I received this incredible award from Ruth at I Love Flavour, Me! Ruth has an incredible website and very unique. Check it out here.

The point of this award is to get to know one another. Here is the questions:

1.what is your current obsession?mmh...I try really hard to cook healthy.
2. What are you wearing today?Caprees and a T-shirt
3. What’s for dinner?Steak Sandwiches and Sauted Cabbage and Buttered Noodles
4. What’s the last thing you bought?Figs...Never cooked with them before...ANY IDEAS?!
5. What are you listening to right now?Hells Kitchen..LOVE IT
6. What do you think about the person who tagged you?Very inspiring!!
7. If you could have a house totally paid for, fully furnished anywhere in the world, where would you like it to be?Probably back in OH with my family. I miss them so so much.
8. What are your must-have pieces for summer? Fruit
9. If you could go anywhere in the world for the next hour, where would you go? New England. I have always wanted to visit Maine. LOL. Stay on the US turf.
10. Which language do you want to learn?Italian
11. Who do you want to meet right now?Gordon Ramsey or Tyler Florence
12. What is your favorite colour?Yellow
13. What is your favourite piece of clothing in your own closet?My Maxy Dresses
14. What is your dream job?Lactation Counselor, help mommys who have trouble nursing.
15. What’s your favourite magazine?Cooking Light and Food Network Mag.
16. If you had $100 now, what would you spend it on?Food.Food.Food.Food.
17. What do you consider a fashion faux pas?none, never crosses my mind
18. Who are your style icons?IDK.Ask about food.
19. Describe your personal style?laid back
20. What are your favorite movies?I have lots. I like drama and intensity...
22. Give us three styling tips that always work for you:Be yourself, wear what makes you feel free and comfortable(I agree with Ruths answer)
23. Coffee or tea?LOVE COFFEE
24. What do you do when you are feeling low or terribly depressed?Cook and Clean
25. What is the meaning of your name?I have no idea...It is Spanish, I know that.
26. Which other blogs you love visiting?The ones at the bottom of my page...
27. Favorite Dessert/Sweet?Tirmusui (sp)
28. Favorite Season?Autumn and PUMPKIN...Halloween is my ALL time FAVORITE HOLIDAY!!
29.Which is your dream destination?Sedona, Arizona
30. Who inspired you to start a blog? Many of the blogs I visit today.

I pass my award on to:

1. Elinluv's Corner Tidbits-This blog is full of wonderful and unique recipes! I love visiting this site! IT IS SO UNIQUE!!
2. Natalie at Natalies Killer Cuisine-She has the best cookies and desserts. Her site is awesome!! Today she made PB and Fig cookies!!
3. Cookin Canuch-Her site is always full of amazing, tasty, and easy recipes. I love her blog. One of my favorite recipes is Strawberrys with a Meringue topping!!
4. Foododelmundo-This is one of my favorite sites. It is full of incredible pictures and recipes. I enjoy every recipe! Burgers, Sushi and Pizza with Figs and Prosciutto...Can I say more?
5. Chef E at CookApeal-This is another site that is full of flavorful and mouthwatering recipes. She rocks!
6. Donna at My Tasty Treasures-A very unique and entertaining site. I like that she tries recipes and lets us know how well they went. Love Love Love her site!!!!!
7. Teana at Spork or Foon-Her recipes ROCK! She always has the most mouthwatering desserts. Check her out....
8. Ingrid at 3 B's Baseball, Baking and Books-I love this site for so many reasons. I love her recipes, her concept of family, and her wonderful posts. Her Banana Crisp is to die for!!!
9. Girlchef-I love her step by step pictures and wonderful recipes. She made homemade cheese yesterday!! She is very talented!!
10. Diana at A little Spanish in Iowa-She is full of wonderful recipes and videos (Of her own Chickens running around her yard) I love her site and her posts. They are fantastic!!