Friday Night "Dinner and a Movie"

Well today is Friday and it was another top 10 day here -- warm, not hot and very low humidity.  I wish it could be like this year round.  This evening I decided to make pizza for dinner using Publix fresh pizza dough.  I made our usual pizza -- hubby's half was pepperoni, artichokes and Kalamata olives and mine was red bell peppers and Vidalia onions.  What I did differently this time was I used fresh mozzarella cheese instead of the shredded variety.  Wow, what a difference!  Hubby said it was the best pizza I've ever made...and I tend to agree.  Fresh mozzarella isn't as salty and is much milder than regular mozzarella.  It also melts and stretches differently.  If you've never tried using fresh mozzarella on your pizza before, you should.  We also picked up 2 movies from Redbox, The Vow and We Bought a Zoo...the total cost for our dinner and 2 movies was about $10.00...not too bad, huh (and we each have enough left for lunch tomorrow too)!  Our pizza this evening was most definitely "high end pizzeria quality".  I snapped a few pics to share below.  Enjoy!

Before getting popped into the oven

Here is a close-up peek

Voila...fresh out of the oven!

Our entertainment for the evening!

These are the beautiful flowers I was surprised with at work today from my youngest son for Mother's Day!  I wanted to snap a picture so I could keep them fresh "forever".  Notice that even the vase has a beautiful pale lavender color.  The flowers are so pretty and perfect that they look artificial.  I absolutely love them!  Thanks little monkey!

Meatless Wednesday...oh yeah!

This evening I decided we would go "meatless" for dinner.  I had one more package left of Pasta Prima's Grilled Garden Vegetable Ravioli as well as a jar of DelGrosso's Vodka Celebration Sauce that I have been wanting to try.  So, tonight we enjoyed a simple meal of this delicious ravioli topped with the delicious sauce...no other additions other than topping it with some shredded Sargento Parmesan.  You have no idea how hard it was for me not to tinker with it and add other veggies, etc....but I am so glad I didn't and that we ate it "au naturale" because it was absolutely delicious just the way it was.  I must say, I was very impressed with this sauce.  I typically don't care for Vodka Pasta Sauce...but this one was delicious and I would most definitely buy it again.  One more note is that this meal took less than 15 minutes to make...and most of that was simply waiting for the pot of water to boil.  The ravioli only take 5 minutes to cook.  I took a few pics to share below.  Enjoy!
 

Boom!

This was really delicious...sometimes simple is best!

I would give this sauce a "10".

Love this ravioli too!

Your "first" is always your best...and it was!

Well, they say your first is always your best...and this is the FIRST TOMATO off of our bush and I am having it for lunch today.  I'm having a CLT (cheese, lettuce and tomato) sandwich.  Did I tell you yet just how red my first tomato is?  Let me just show you instead.  I'm using toasted Health Nut bread, white cheddar cheese, MY FIRST TOMATO and lettuce with a little swipe of Miracle Whip.  It is delicious!  Check it out below -- there really isn't anything like your own tomato that was ripened on the vine and picked by you!  Enjoy...we are now half way through hump day!  ;-)

As delicious as it was red and juicy!

Voila!

BOOM!

Tuesday's Garden Bowl...

This evening I worked late and hubby had a hair appointment after work, so I decided to keep dinner simple and cool by making us big delicious salads for dinner.  I had a few breaded chicken tenders left in the freezer that I warmed up to toss in.  I got my salad fixings washed and cut up and dinner was ready in about 20 minutes.  We had our own personal "salad bars" in a bowl!  Our salads were full of romaine lettuce, shredded carrots, halved red Cherubs tomatoes, halved yellow Starburst tomatoes, shredded parmesan, shredded cheddar, crispy red peppers, chunks of chicken and hubby added croutons and black olives to his.  They were so colorful, fresh and tasty that I really can't imagine finding a fresher salad bar anywhere (sorry Ruby Tuesday's).  When the weather starts getting warm in spring and summer, I love having cool dinners like sandwiches or salads a couple of nights per week.  The salads were so beautiful and colorful that I just had to snap a few pics.  Enjoy!

Voila!

So fresh and so colorful!

Check out those gorgeous tomatoes!

BOOM!

Heath Brownies

This weekend I made Heath brownies to have when youngest son came over -- he came for dinner both Saturday and Sunday.  They were very simple to make.  You can either use your favorite home made brownie recipe or your favorite brownie mix.  I used Duncan Hines triple chocolate brownie mix and made them according to the package directions for "fudgy brownies" that uses only 1 egg.  I baked them per the directions and as soon as they came out of the oven, I spread an 8-oz package of Heath toffee bits over the top and then immediately covered them tightly with foil.  Keep them covered on a rack until completely cooled.  These would be a great brownie to use if you wanted to make a brownie sundae...and of course, they are good simply "as is".  You can check them out below!

I used this brownie mix

Sprinkled these on top when they came out of the oven

Voila!

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

 A FEW SHOTS FROM THE SECRET GARDEN...

Chili-Lime Chicken Kebabs

Today is a beautiful but rather hot day here and it feels more like summer than it does spring.  We ran our errands early this morning with our usual breakfast stop and Einsteins for a power bagel and coffee.  Tonight I am making Chili-Lime Chicken Kebabs over brown rice for dinner.  I found a delicious sounding chili-lime marinade that I modified slightly...and the best part about it is that it gives me a chance to use some of the fresh limes I bought a bag of last week.  I also picked up some beautiful fresh white corn on the cob to serve with our meal.  Before I go on, I need to share something that I am so excited about...we picked our first 2 tomatoes off of our tomato plant today!

The chicken marinated for about 3 hours.  I also had a Ziploc bag of Vidalia onions marinating separately from the chicken and another big Ziploc bag full of red, orange and yellow bell peppers marinating too.  Even though kebabs look really pretty when you thread the meat and vegetables together on the skewers, I prefer to have separate skewers of meat and separate skewers of veggies.  That way the meat and veggies can cook thoroughly according to when they are done.  Usually the veggies and meat cook a little differently time wise.  I grew up eating Shish-kebab that my mother would make out of either lamb or beef and they were absolutely delicious...it was one of my father's favorite meals.  Since I tend to prefer chicken to beef, I mostly use boneless chicken breast for my kebabs...but I like both.  Most of the flavor really comes from the marinating and grilling.  This marinade is quite a bit different than the typical marinade used for classic Shish-kebab; this one has a Southwestern twist with the chili powder and lime juice. If you don't want to go through the trouble of cutting the chicken and threading it on skewers, you could also marinate the boneless chicken breast halves whole and grill them that way too.  The lime flavor in this marinade really came through -- I believe the lime zest really intensified the lime flavor.  As usual I will post some pics of our dinner below as well as the recipe. Enjoy!

Check out these beautiful peppers

The chicken kebabs, pepper kebabs and Vidalia onion kebabs are grilling away

Voila!

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

Chili-Lime Chicken Kebabs

Ingredients:

6 tablespoons olive oil 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar 3 limes, juiced Zest from one lime, optional 2 teaspoons chili powder 1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon onion powder 1-2 cloves garlic, minced Cayenne pepper, to taste Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste 2 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast (cut into 1-1/2” pieces)

Directions:

1.	In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, and lime juice. Add chili powder, paprika, onion powder, garlic, cayenne pepper, salt, and black pepper. Place the chicken in a shallow baking dish or Ziploc bag with the marinade, and stir/toss to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for several hours or overnight.
2.	Preheat the grill for medium-high heat. Thread chicken onto skewers, and discard marinade.
3.	Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill skewers for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the chicken juices run clear.

Orecchiette w/ Peas & Sausage in a Parmesan Cream Sauce

Happy Cinco de Mayo!  To celebrate, hubby and I ate at one of our favorite little Mexican restaurants for lunch today, "Little Mexico Grill".  It was our "brunch" since we did not have breakfast.  I had my usual Chicken Fajita Quesadilla and hubby had his usual Chile Poblanos Stuffed w/ Cheese.  It was yummy and worth skipping breakfast for!

Youngest son came for dinner this evening so I made something I thought he might like.  I made a pasta and peas dish using De Cecco Orecchiette (little pasta bowls), fresh peas, Aidells Smoked Italian Chicken Sausage with Mozzarella tossed in an easy to make Parmesan cream sauce.  I also tossed in some Cherubs cherry tomatoes for both color and flavor.  It was a quick and easy meal to put together.  It is very similar to Pasta Carbonara if you have ever had that before.  As usual, I've snapped a few pics for you to see.  You can also find the recipe below.

This is the sausage I used...it is really tasty.

I sliced and lightly sauteed the sausage (it's already fully cooked)

De Cecco Orecchiette is one of my faves!

Voila!

So pretty!

BOOM!

BOOM! BOOM!

Orecchiette with Peas and Sausage

1 pound orecchiette pasta
1 tablespoons olive oil

1 tablespoon butter
1 small white onion, diced (about 1/2 cup)

3 cloves of garlic, finely minced
2 cups fresh or frozen peas
4 tablespoons water

1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)
6 ounces cooked Italian sausage, thinly sliced (I used Aidells Smoked Italian w/ Mozzarella)

1 cup half-n-half (regular or fat free)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions. 

2. Meanwhile, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a medium non-stick skillet over medium-low heat; add onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until translucent, stirring often.  When onion is translucent, add minced garlic and continue cooking for another 2-3 minutes until garlic is cooked (but not browned).

3. Add the peas and water to the pan and cook about 3 minutes, stirring. Stir in the sausage and cook 2 minutes. Add the half-n-half; bring to a low simmer and cook 5 minutes.  Heat the halved cherry tomatoes in the microwave for 30 seconds on high.

4. Drain pasta; place in large serving bowl. Stir 1 tablespoon butter into the cream mixture over low heat until melted. Stir in the cheese and stir just until melted.  Pour sauce over pasta; add heated tomatoes and toss to coat. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Friday night's pizza...Abbondanza!

Well...Friday night is FINALLY here and hubby doesn't get back from his conference until around 10:00 p.m. tonight....so I decided to make something special for dinner...JUST FOR ME!  Last night I picked up some fresh pizza dough at Publix as well as....<drum roll>....MUSHROOMS!  Oh yeah!  If you read this blog much, you already know that my husband is mentally allergic to them!  :-)  So, needless to say I don't add them to anything that WE eat, thus I don't get the opportunity to enjoy them very much...but tonight...ALL THAT CHANGES!!!

I made MY pizza with the following toppings: fresh mushrooms (cooked), red bell pepper, Vidalia onion, thinly sliced Aidells smoked Italian chicken sausage, and the most amazing pizza topping there is...MUSHROOOOOOOOOOMS!  I tried something a little different this time after I rolled out the dough.  I spread a VERY thin smear of pesto on it (I don't mind pesto if it gets cooked), then added the sauce, mozzarella and all the other toppings.  I popped it into the oven for about 25 minutes....and TADA..."dinner for me".  Of course, I snapped some pics below for you to check out.  This was SO SO SO SO SO much better than Papa Johns, Pizza Hut, Johnny's, etc. (notice I did not include Mellow Mushroom...I love their pizza because it is unique and really good and mine will never be as good as theirs).  Take a peek of my awesome pizza below.  Enjoy!

Before going into the oven...check out those mushrooms!

A close-up shot before hitting the oven...I sure hope this shot doesn't create any "mushroom envy" out there  ;-)

Fresh out of the oven

Take a peek up close and personal

Doesn't it look tasty?

BOOM!

Dinner time!

Dining while blogging...ahhh, a relaxing Friday night.

I even had a "beer" with my pizza...Zevia sodas are natural and use Stevia (a natural sweetener)