letswhiskitup's posterous

A Journey of Life through Food and Relationships

Summer Simple

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Everyone loves a simple BLT for a summer lunch or dinner. I found a recipe on Pinterest for a BLT Pasta Salad (http://thecheesepusher.tumblr.com/post/3131141165/blt-pasta-salad) and it sounded so good. Of course me being me, I had to take the recipe and make it even easier. So here is what I did:

1 box of rotini pasta
1 3oz package of bacon bits
1/2 package of baby spinach
1/2 to 1 cup of light mayo made with olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Make your pasta as instructed on the box to al dente. Drain pasta. Place spinach in large mixing bowl, place warm pasta on top of spinach (this will allow the spinach to wilt just enough). Place tomatoes, bacon bits and mayo on top. Season to taste. Then fold ingredients together until spinach is slightly wilted and the mayo/seasoning is throughout the pasta! 

You can serve immediately warm or refrigerate and serve cold.

So yummy, so light and refreshing. A lovely summer meal, man I love the ideas Pinterest brings me!

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Chicken Potato Cheesy Bake

I have a habit of boiling a whole chicken and then finding different recipes throughout the week to use the chicken. 

This is one such recipe. I viewed the cabinets/pantry and fridge and decided this was what I was going to make. 

Ingredients 

Approximately 1/2 lb of chicken (already cooked, you could use a can of chicken) 

Approximately 1 lb of red/new potatoes 

Half a container of sour cream 

Approximately a cup and a half of shredded cheddar cheese 

a splash of milk 

Salt and Pepper to taste. 

Instructions 

Pre-heat oven to 350

I pre-cooked my potatoes in my microwave using a special plastic pan from Pampered Chef. If you don't have such a pan you could also boil the potatoes until they are just almost done. 

Take an 8x8 baking dish and spray with cooking spray. Layer the potatoes on the bottom of the dish. 

In a small mixing bowl, add the chicken, sour cream, splash of milk, cheese, and seasoning of choice. Mix all the ingredients until the chicken is well coated and everything is mixed together. 

Pour the chicken mixture over the potatoes. Cover with tin foil and put in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Uncover after approximately 20 minutes and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes. You could add additional cheese at this point if you would like it. 

Serve with a garden salad and you have a wonderful well balanced meal. 

This was my first attempt at this particular creation and I think next time I'm going to try and add some onion and some green pepper as those are favorites in my house for flavor. I would say you could probably even use onion flakes at the seasoning stage of the recipe if you didn't have fresh onions to add. 

I hope you will all enjoy! 

Chicken_potato_cheesy_bake_

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Breakfast Attempt

So a weekend intended for being lazy and just spending time with my son was just that! But upon waking up much earlier then anyone else in the house I decided that a good breakfast was in order. Upon searching for what I had on hand, the decision came down to use up some blueberries left over. So I decided to make blueberry pancakes and make an attempt at blueberry syrup. I read a lot of blogs, especially food blogs and I find it interesting that while we are getting a peek at these individuals lives, we are rarely shown the things that didn't turn out quite right, well I'm not that kind of girl. So I'm going to show you the good, the bad, and the ugly. In this case, the pancakes were GOOD, the syrup was sooooo yummy but not exactly what I would call pretty. I had some issues with the thickness. It would just never get thick enough. I didn't have anything (I don't believe) in my cabinet that would thicken it up, so I just let it be. The flavor definitely spoke for itself, but if any of my followers or friends have a berry syrup recipe that could help me out that would be AWESOME!!! 

 

Happy whisking! :) 

 

Pancakes

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Cake recreate

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I found a cake online and decided I wanted to make it! It would be a challenge as I have never made a layer cake before but I was ready!
Here is the cake I found I wanted to replicate!
I had to purée strawberries and blueberries for the first time here is the pretty strawberries!
Red layers were baked first and here is how they turned out! They look a little orange/pink but when all put together I thought it came out great! It was so much fun layering and putting it all together. I did use package cake mix but those of the mindset that if it's made at home it's homemade would be ok with stating they made their homemade cake! The added purée gave each layer a wonderful light berry flavor! I am so happy with how this turned out and now I'm looking for my next creation to try!
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Baby Shower Fun!

One of the best celebrations is a baby shower! Celebrating family, friendship, and new life! What a wonderful time we had throwing one of my very best friends a baby shower! Instead of going outrageous with buying stuff we decided to make some simple changes to regular party food items and make them a little more special. Homemade cupcakes courtesy of my mom! And butterfly sandwiches were part of making the party a hit! What a wonderful experience and a great event to be a part of! Go throw a party! It's fun! :) 

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Breakfast casserole

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Made this creation with random leftover breakfast items. Sometimes it's more fun to figure out what you can do with what you have rather than rushing to the store to get your usual breakfast favorites.

Recipe to follow.

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A New Recipe Makes New Friends

I was dating this guy for a little over a month and we were invited to a gathering of his friends. I was so nervous. I wanted to make a good impression on his friends and of course on him. It was a potluck event so everyone had to bring a dish. I wasn't sure what everyone else would be making and have never been so nervous about cooking in my life. I decided I needed to go with something that would be simple, and yet at the same time show off some of my cooking skills! I had to impress the new boyfriend of course. Well I decided to go with a crab puff appetizer kind of winging it as none of the recipes I found I actually liked or they seemed to complicated. I chose to go very simple with imitation crab meat, cream cheese, and some select seasonings, all wrapped up in a cresent roll and baked per the crescent package instructions. My nervousness wouldn't quit and then at the last minute, I realized there may be some people that didn't like the crab. So I also, ended up making some pizza rolls as well.  

Anyway, the day of the event approached and I made my recipes, the crab recipe was a shot in the dark so I had my son taste test all morning to make sure that the batches were all good! We arrived at the party and my boyfriend met me at the car. He was so excited to see me and excited that I had brought some good food. I was introduced to everyone and made to feel very welcomed by all that were there. Within about an hour of my arrival all of the crab puffs had been eaten and I was being complimented on them. Even individuals that said they didn't like crab liked them.

I was so glad I had taken a chance on a new recipe. I have since gained a lot of new friends and a go-to recipe that makes me feel at ease when going to a party!

Trying a new recipe and meeting new people can be scary but the rewards are beyond imagination!
 

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The Curse of the Boring Meal

One evening I met a guy at a bar. I gave him my number and told him to call me and we could go out. (First mistake) He called me a few days later and said that he would like to take me out, I said ABSOLUTELY, thinking this would be fun. (Second mistake) We decided on dinner and I let him pick the restaurant. (Third Mistake)  I arrive at the designated place at the designated time and I am convinced I will have a good time. But as I am looking at the menu and trying to listen to him tell me about - - well about him, his voice has the hum of an air conditioner and is quickly putting me to sleep. There is nothing exciting about his tone, there is absolutely no substance to what he is saying. I quickly pick just anything off of the menu in an attempt to move this date along before I am snoring openly at the table. (Fourth Mistake)

 

I try to ask him questions and drag anything out of him. NOTHING!!! The food comes and I realize that I picked chicken that came with rice and broccoli and that the chicken was dry and bland. The rice was lifeless and well the broccoli kinda looked bored too. The conversation had devolved into the status of watching paint dry. He asked if I would like dessert. I, as politely as possible, said no thank you. He got the check and we walked out of the restaurant.

 

He walked me to the car and leaned in for a kiss. After the dry chicken, the lifeless rice and the bored broccoli, I was hoping that something could spark my taste buds so I gave it a shot. (Fifth Mistake) Now I don't know if anyone has ever actually kissed a dead fish but I have decided that the experience was similar not only was this man a horrible kisser, a boring human being, he had atrocious taste in restaurants. What was I thinking?

 

What did I learn from this experience, never give your number to a guy you meet in a bar if you should make that mistake, never say yes when he calls. If you should make that mistake never let the guy pick the restaurant get suggestions but don't let him pick without some form of input. If you should make that mistake carefully choose from the menu selections and make sure to have some form of sauce at the table, ketchup, mustard anything would be helpful. If you should make that mistake let bygones be bygones and never allow that kiss at the car. Lifeless food can be salvaged, lifeless people are a downer.  


 

From: Posterous <post@posterous.com>
To: rebeccaswelch@yahoo.com
Sent: Mon, July 12, 2010 9:22:57 AM
Subject: Posterous | Re: Classic First Date

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Classic First Date

 

A classic first date could most often include burgers somewhere, at least for me this was the experience. Something classic and simple about a burger and I have shared this experience with many dates. Ordering burgers and sharing some fries or onion rings is a great first date or really any date. The food is simple and not too pretentious which makes for an ease of conversation and pleasantness in atmosphere.

 

So for me this date came around again. It was a first date that had been a while coming. We decided to go to dinner and we ended up at a burger place. We were seated and we ordered our burgers and a tower of onion rings to share. He got up to wash his hands. I was sitting there thinking about how excited I was to be with him. It was really a great feeling. The conversation was so comfortable. There was a feeling of contentedness about being around him that I hadn’t felt in a really long time. He was walking back to the table and he stopped. He smiled and then continued to the table. I asked him when he took his seat what he was smiling about and why he had stopped on his way back. He said that he smiled and stopped because he saw me sitting there at “his” table and he liked it. I was definitely excited about this response. The food came and the burgers were good. I wouldn’t say they were amazing or anything really special about it, but still a great date and definitely great food. We finished our meal and we left the restaurant. We returned to our cars and just as we were about to leave our separate ways, he hugged me. We didn’t kiss, he just hugged me. But I can say without doubt that hug took my breath away. I sat in my car for a few moments after he had driven away just trying to collect my thoughts and to begin breathing again. The feeling was amazing. I ended up not being completely clear and let’s just say I may have kinda sort of ran a red light when I was headed home. My brain was definitely somewhere else.

 

This classic first date experience taught me that even a meal that is common, one that you have potentially had with others and will perhaps have again, can always find a spark of magic when it is just right and sticking with a classic like a burger has the potential to lead to results that leave you breathless.


 
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Daddy's Meatloaf

 
Meatloaf is a staple in so many American homes. It is that hearty go to meal that is quick, easy, and so many individuals relate to good down-home cooking. For me meatloaf reminds me of a very specific incident in my life. My mother had to work late and my Dad was responsible for dinner. He decided that meatoaf was the way to go and he was going to let me help. He got all of the ingredients ready, the hamburger, ketchup, and the seasonings. Now all of us are full aware that there are also eggs and some form of breading involved in meatloaf but not Dad. He proceeded to put everything in a bowl and then he poured in the ketchup. I climbed up on the stool beside him and he let me mix it all together. I have always been one to get my hands dirty so I thought this was the BEST!!!! We had the mixture complete. I was about 6 years old and of course had no idea that this was doomed to be the worst meatloaf in history I was excited to be cooking with my Daddy!
 
He pre-heated the oven, scooped our concoction into the loaf pan, and placed it into the oven. He gave me a wink assuring me that it would be the best meatloaf ever and it began to bake. As it baked the aroma created was a wonderful classic smell of meatloaf throughout the house. When it was finally ready, we set the table together and he placed the loaf pan in the middle of the table with a flourish, most often reserved for "ta-da" moments in a magic show! He was so proud of himself and I was definitely proud of my Dad. I am pretty sure the rest of the family had joined us at that point but all I remember is me and my Dad and of course the meatloaf. He cut into it and served it up. And then one by one we each took a bite. I can remember tasting it and thinking it really wasn't quite meatloaf. It wasn't bad but it wasn't quite right either. My Dad looked at me, looked at his plate and stood up to go to the fridge. He returned with cheese, mustard, pickles and bread. We all laughed. He had baked hamburgers!
 
I learned something that day, my Dad may not be the best cook and he may not always know the right ingredients for a dish but if you are willing to improvise even if it isn't what you expected it can still be great. So everytime I discover I don't have all the ingredients for a dish or all of the answers to a situation in my life, I think of the meatloaf and I start looking for the add ons that will fix it...the result may not be what I had intended when I started out but still just as wonderful, and sometimes even better. The other important lesson I learned that day is that laughter at the dinner table is the best sound in the world.
 
 
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