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!!

Sunday Morning Sticky Rolls

Hey there everyone, as you can tell my post are not frequent since vacation. I started my 4 yr. old in preschool and I am becoming adjusted to a new schedule. I love writing and cooking about food....I will get back in the swing of things..I promise.

NOW! Lets talk about these amazing sticky buns. You will never guess where I found this recipe! Are you guessing? Out of a novel!!! Yep!! Crazy, I know. I am reading a book called Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult. (She is the auther of My Sisters Keeper) The book is wonderful and one of the characters is a Pastry Chef. She has recipes throughout the book that I can't wait to try. These sticky rolls turned out incredible.

The Recipe for The Sunday Morning Sticky Rolls:

Dough:

3 1/4 cp. AP flour
1/3 cp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
2 packages of dry yeast
1 cp. of heated milk
1 egg
1/3 stick of butter, soft

CARAMEL:

1 stick of unsalted butter
3/4 cp. of brown sugar
1/4 cp. light corn syrup


3/4 cp. Pecans

2 TB butter, soft



FILLING:
1/2 cp. chopped Pecans
2 TB sugar
2 TB b. sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

1. I added all the ingredients for the dough in my food processor and processed until it formed a ball. I removed it and kneaded for 5 minutes. Set in greased bowl for 1 1/2 hours

2. While I waited. I made the caramel. I added the butter and brown sugar and brought it to a boil. I continued to stir. I removed it from the burner when it began a rapid boil. I added the corn syrup. Then, poured it into a 9x13 pan. Sprinkile the whole pecans on top of the caramel sauce.

3. When the dough was ready I punched it down. I rolled it out into a 15 by 10 inches. I smeared the butter all over and then sprinkled with the filling. I rolled it like a jelly roll. Cut it into 8 equal slices. Refridge for 12 hours. (I make the night before)

4. In the morning through it in the oven...35 minutes on 350.

THESE ARE INCREDIBLE!!!

Pasta Extravaganza

I have been gone enjoying myself without the hubby. I had to make it up to him and meatballs are his favorite. But I decided to recreate on of my favorite dishes for my kids.

When I first moved to FL three years ago the first restaurant I adventured was Giovanni's. Wow. It is a family owned Italian restaurant with amazing pasta dishes and pizza. Anyway, I ordered a Tortellini Giovanni. Which is a pasta dish with Tortellini with a Alfredo and marinara dish mix. It is now an all time favorite dish. I tried to recreate for my kiddos. I believe it was pretty successful. My kiddos devoured it and the husband loved it too.

Enjoy.

MEATBALLS

The meatballs are a variation of what my mom made on vacation. She added sausage to the mix and it was so good.
Here we go:

1.5 lbs of ground beef
1 lb of sausage, mild
1 egg
1/2 cp. milk
1 1/4 cp. planko bread crumbs
3 garlic cloves, grated
1/2 cp. parm cheese
2 TB. Italian seasoning
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix until combined. Do not over mix. Form into balls and bake on 350 for about 20 minutes.


My Easy Marinara Sauce:

2 TB olive oil
1 Vidalia Onion, diced
1 Green Pepper, diced
5 cans of Fire Roasted Dice Tomatoes
3 TB Italian Seasoning, No salt
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Pepper
1/2 tsp. Crushed red pepper
1 tsp. sugar

1. Add the oil to a pan and add the onions and peppers. Cook a few minutes. Add the tomatoes and seasonings. I cooked this sauce without a lid all day. It was thick and flavorful.



The Sub:
1 sm. loaf of garlic bread
3-6 slices of mozzarella cheese
3 meatballs with a little of the sauce

1. I added the garlic bread and opened it. I added the cheese and broiled until the cheese was browned. I added the meatballs and closed the sandwich. Yum.

MY TORTELLINI GIOVANNI RECREATION




lb of Tortellini
1 stick of butter
8 oz. of Cream Cheese
1 cp. grated parm
1 cp. milk
1 cp. marinara sauce
1 cp. mozzarella

1. Boil the pasta.
2. Melt the butter and whisk in the cream cheese. Add the milk slowly and toss in the parm cheese and mozzarella (let melt). Add the one cup of marinara sauce. Let cook.
3. Add the tortellini to the sauce and cook.

EAT!!!!!

Honestly, one of the best pasta dishes ever. It may not be the best for ya, but well worth it!!!

I am Back!!!

Hello to all of my faithful followers.

I am finally home from an amazing vacation with my family. It was wonderful and relaxing.

Now, I have returned and will be jumping into more creative food and recipes for everyone. I want to thank all of my AMAZING guest bloggers. It is easy to see why I follow these amazing blogs. I am very pleased with each and every recipe. Thank you Thank you!!!


Today is a very important day. It is my four yr. old, Alexandra's first day of Preschool. It is a little emotional. How time flies.....


I miss everyone and I will be by to visit every ones sites and back on track!

Here is some of my vaca pics:




This is my twin sisters, Marci, little boy and Alex. They were inseparable the entire time.



This is my mom and Bailey. She would sit with my mom on her chair and sing songs.






My dad built a Komodo Dragon out of sand for the kids. Needless to say, it was a huge hit on the beach.

Bay with the dragon. She kept calling it an alligator. It does look a little like an alligator. LOL.

Bailey sleeping on the beach. The waves would put her asleep very easily.


All of these pictures where taken at Kitty Hawks Sand Dunes. It was so much fun. The kids loved running down these huge mounds of sand.



Alexandra posing on the dunes.


This is my twin sister holding Bailey Leland.



My Bailey loved the dunes. She jumped right in the sand with a huge grin.



I love this picture. I managed to capture a great picture of Bailey with the Bay and Sunset in the background. Bay and the Bay. LOL.

My Alexandra posing.


The sand dunes and Bay

Look at all the people on top of that massive dune. The kids ran down this dune. It was such a blast.

I will see everyone soon.

Homemade Nutella

Hi! My name is Diana Bauman from A Little Bit of Spain in Iowa. I am so happy to be guest blogging for Miranda. Thanks so much Miranda, for thinking of me :) When Miranda asked me to be a guest blogger, I wanted to share a recipe that captures the heart and essence of mother and children. CHOCOLATE... NUTELLA!!!! I remember reading not so long ago that Miranda had recently bought her first jar of Nutella... gasp... I know!! I was shocked and excited for her all at the same time. The wonderful creamy, silky, chocolatey, hazelnut spread that is adored by chocolate lovers throughout the world! Me being me, I had to try my hand at making it at home! If it can be packaged, it can be made at home... much healthier. I altered this recipe a bit from Steph Chows blog. I added coconut oil to make it a bit silkier and to add a bit of nutritional punch!

Did you know -- Coconut oil improves digestion, strengthens the immune system, and protects against bacterial, viral, and fungal infections.

(You can tell in the image that it's a little bit chunkier than I had wanted. My blender burned out a couple weeks ago making homemade gyro's :( I used my mini food processor which did the best it possibly could.. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can... LOL!)



Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup raw hazelnuts
• 2 tbs cocoa powder
• 3 tbs real maple syrup
  
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tbs coconut oil

Method:

1. Roast hazelnuts in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes.
   
   
   
2. Remove the skins by rubbing them with your hands.
   
   
   
3. Blend the hazelnuts in a food processor or blender until they form into a thick butter.
   
4. Add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.
5. Put into a jar and refrigerate.

That's it! So easy!! Once you try your hand at homemade Nutella, you can use it to make Miranda's Nutella Brownies :)

Buen Provecho!!