Friday, August 26, 2016

Slow Cooking Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal


Is it too early for this recipe? Is it the wrong season for this breakfast recipe? I don't think so...Oatmeal is good year round and it's good for you too!


People ,are you looking for a breakfast to start your day off right?


Well here is a recipe that will fill you with delicious goodness. Soft, silky, and comfortingly warm, overnight oats are what you want to wake up to.


It's like being wrapped in your favorite comforter — even while you're walking out the door. And besides, you can't beat the wafting scent of cinnamon and simmering apples first thing in the morning. The best thing is this simple yet sophisticated breakfast comes together with only minutes of presleep prep work.


I'm lazy as hell when I wake up in the morning...regardless of what time of year it is..


INGREDIENTS:


1/2 cup steel-cut oats
1 teaspoon coconut oil
1 apple, peeled, cored, and chopped
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups almond milk
1 cups water
1/4 cup pecans or walnuts (optional)



DIRECTIONS:
  1. Scoop the coconut oil into your slow cooker and use your fingers to rub it around the base and halfway up the sides.
  2. Add the chopped apple to the base of the slow cooker and then sprinkle with the cinnamon, salt, and brown sugar. Top with the oats.
  3. Pour over the almond milk and water and then set the slow cooker to low for 8 hours.
  4. In the morning, give the oats a stir, and serve with a sprinkling of freshly chopped nuts, slivered strawberries, or a drizzle of maple syrup. But it's also delicious to scoop straight from your slow cooker into a mason jar and enjoy as you walk out the door.

It's ready for you when you wake up.....Isn't that nice? Eat well my friends!

Friday, August 19, 2016

Lunch Box Chicken Wrap






My "child" is now 35 years old...Can you believe that? But my grand children are 10, 7 and 4 respectively.....So this is for my daughter....who has to pack them lunches for school and day care...




It's called the Lunchbox Chicken Wrap.




At Taste of Home. com where I got this recipe they say "This lunchbox-friendly wrap is a tasty way to use leftover chicken and get kids to eat more veggies. Using colorful, thin strips of vegetables adds visual interest when the wrap is cut into slices. Suddenly spinach is too pretty to refuse."


Check it out-


INGREDIENTS:


1/4 cup hummus
  • 1 whole wheat tortilla (8 inches), room temperature
  • 1/2 cup fresh baby spinach
  • 1/3 cup shredded cooked chicken breast
  • 2 carrot sticks
  • 2 sweet red pepper strips

  • This takes all of about ten minutes to prepare...


    DIRECTIONS:
    Spread hummus over tortilla; top with spinach. Place chicken, carrot and red pepper in a row near center of tortilla; roll up tightly. If desired, cut crosswise into slices. Wrap securely or pack in an airtight container; refrigerate until serving. Yield: 1 serving.


    That's it...Real Simple...


    Enjoy!  Eat well kids!

    Thursday, August 18, 2016

    Egg Nog Pancakes

    I know...I know..but before you scoff...Try it...It actually sounds like it's pretty good.

    You all know I love anything Pancakey for breakfast.....

    INGREDIENTS:
    • 2 cups pancake mix (Preferably Aunt Jemima)
    • 1 egg
    • 1-1/2 cups eggnog
    • 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
    • Pinch ground nutmeg
    • 1 can (14 ounces) whole-berry cranberry sauce or 14 ounces jellied cranberry sauce
    Yeah, you read right...Cranberry sauce!

    DIRECTIONS:
    1. Place pancake mix in a large bowl. In a small bowl, whisk the egg, eggnog, vanilla and nutmeg. Stir into pancake mix just until moistened.
    2. Pour batter by 1/3 cupfuls onto a lightly greased hot griddle; turn when bubbles form on top of pancakes. Cook until second side is golden brown. Serve with cranberry sauce.Yield: 6 servings (12 pancakes).
    Pretty darn easy....and different, right?

    Enjoy! Eat well my friends!

    Wednesday, August 17, 2016

    Cheeseburger Pasta

    Here is another easy late summer recipe...

    INGREDIENTS:
    • 1-1/2 cups uncooked whole wheat penne pasta
    • 3/4 pound lean ground beef (90% lean)
    • 2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
    • 1 can (14-1/2 ounces) no-salt-added diced tomatoes
    • 2 tablespoons dill pickle relish
    • 2 tablespoons prepared mustard
    • 2 tablespoons ketchup
    • 1 teaspoon steak seasoning
    • 1/4 teaspoon seasoned salt
    • 3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat cheddar cheese
    • Chopped green onions, optional
    DIRECTIONS:
    1. Cook pasta according to package directions. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook beef and onion over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Drain pasta; add to meat mixture.
    2. Stir in the tomatoes, relish, mustard, ketchup, steak seasoning and seasoned salt. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes.
    3. Sprinkle with cheese. Remove from the heat; cover and let stand until cheese is melted. Garnish with green onions if desired.Yield: 4 servings.
    There, now that was simple enough, wasn't it? Enjoy...Eat and drink well my friends.

    Tuesday, August 16, 2016

    Summer Pasta Alla Caprese

    The Waning Days of summer...Here is an easy breezy beach meal to serve while you're just lying around ,beating the heat and not feeling like turning on an oven...Summer Pasta Alla Caprese.

    INGREDIENTS:
    • 3 medium red, ripe tomatoes
    • 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
    • 1 tablespoon good balsamic vinegar
    • 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
    • 1/4 cup loosely packed chopped fresh basil
    • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
    • 1 pound curly pasta (I like cavatappi)
    • 1 medium ball fresh mozzarella
    DIRECTIONS-

    1. A couple of hours before you plan to eat, core and roughly chop the tomatoes and tip them into a very large serving bowl. (You’ll be serving the pasta out of this very same bowl -- isn’t that great?) Add the chopped red onion, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, basil, a few healthy pinches of salt and several grinds of pepper. Gently stir these all together and let sit at room temperature for at least an hour so the flavors have a chance to meld.
    2. Cook the pasta in a large pot of very salty water (as Amanda rightly says, it should taste like seawater) until al dente. Meanwhile, dice the mozzarella and add it to the big bowl of tomatoes, onion, basil, etc.
    3. When the pasta is done, drain it thoroughly and add it to the bowl. Gently fold everything together and taste for seasoning, adding more salt and pepper if you’d like. Let the pasta sit for 5 minutes or so before serving, folding gently a couple of times to distribute the tomato juices and olive oil. Serve with a big green salad, or as an accompaniment to some nice, juicy grilled steaks.
    ENJOY! Eat well my friends!

    Monday, August 15, 2016

    Best Barbecue in Philly

    If You know me...You know I love me some Fried Chicken....And if you ever come to my home town of Philadelphia ,PA.  You need to stop at this place...Percy's Barbecue at 900 South Street...

    This beloved barbecue joint took home Philadelphia Magazine’s 2015 "Best of Philly" award for Best Fried Chicken for a single menu item: its crispy, buttery chicken biscuit. (Pictured Above) The biscuit, which is only served during happy hour, is stacked with fried chicken, cheddar cheese, hot sauce, jalapeƱos, and buttermilk ranch.

    FIVE STARS  *************



    Food Safety Tips
    Protect yourself against food-borne illnesses.


    1. Use a "refrigerator thermometer" to keep your food stored at a safe temperature (below 40 degrees fahrenheit).

    Cold temperatures slow the growth of bacteria. Ensuring that your refrigerator temperature stays at 40 degrees Fahrenheit or colder is one of the most effective ways to reduce your risk of food-borne illness. You can buy a refrigerator/freezer thermometer at appliance stories, home centers (i.e. Home Depot), and kitchen stores including online ones, such as Cooking.com.

    2. Defrost food in the refrigerator, the microwave, or in cold water... never on the counter!

    Perishable foods should never be thawed on the counter for longer than two hours because, while the center of the food may remain frozen, the outer surface may enter the Danger Zone, the range of temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly. If you’re short on time, use the microwave or you can thaw meat and poultry in airtight packaging in cold water. Change the water every half-hour so it stays cold and use the thawed food immediately.

    3. Always use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/fish and cooked foods/fresh produce.

    Bacteria from uncooked meat, poultry, and fish can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. An important way to reduce this risk is to use separate cutting boards for raw meat/poultry/ fish, and cooked foods/fresh produce.

    4. Always cook meat to proper temperatures, using a calibrated instant-read thermometer to make sure.

    One effective way to prevent illness is to use a food thermometer to check the internal temperature of meat, poultry, and egg dishes. The USDA Recommended Safe Minimum Internal Temperatures are as follows:

    * Beef, veal, and lamb (steaks and roasts), fish - 145 degrees fahrenheit

    * Pork and ground beef - 160 degrees fahrenheit

    * Poultry - 165 degrees fahrenheit.

    Cook meats like roasts and steaks to lower temperatures, closer to medium-rare, so that they retain their moisture. It is recommended that those who are at high risk for developing food-borne illness (i.e. pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, people with weakened immune systems, or certain chronic illnesses) should follow the USDA guidelines.

    5. Avoid unpasteurized/raw milk and cheeses made from unpasteurized milk that are aged less than 60 days.

    Raw milk is milk from cows, sheep, or goats that has not been pasteurized (heated to a very high temperature for a specific length of time) to kill harmful bacteria that may be present. These bacteria, which include salmonella, E. coli and listeria, can cause serious illness and sometimes even death. The bacteria in raw milk can be especially dangerous to pregnant women, children, the elderly, and people with weakened immune systems or chronic illnesses. Raw milk cheeses aged 60 days or longer are okay, since the salt and acidity of the cheese-making process make for a hostile environment to pathogens.

    6. Never eat "runny" eggs or foods, such as cookie dough, that contain raw eggs.

    Even eggs that have clean, intact shells may be contaminated with salmonella, so it’s important to cook eggs thoroughly until both the yolk and the white are firm. Casseroles and other dishes containing eggs should be cooked to 160 degrees fahrenheit and you can use an instant-read food thermometer to check. Eggs should always be cooked fully and those who are at high risk for developing foodborne illness (pregnant women and their unborn babies, newborns, young children, older adults, and people with weakened immune systems or certain chronic illnesses should follow the USDA guidelines. If you can’t resist runny eggs or sampling cookie batter, use pasteurized eggs. They’re found near other eggs in large supermarkets.

    7. Always wash your hands in warm soapy water for at least 20 seconds before handling food and after touching raw meat, poultry, or eggs.

    You can pick up a lot of bacteria out in the world, so it’s important to always wash your hands before you eat or prepare food. You should also wash your hands after touching any uncooked meat, poultry, fish, or eggs, as the bacteria from these foods can contaminate cooked foods and fresh produce. Use soap and warm water and wash thoroughly for at least 20 seconds.

    8. Always heat leftover foods to 165 degrees fahrenheit.

    The USDA recommends heating all cooked leftovers to 165 degrees fahrenheit in order to kill all potentially dangerous bacteria.

    9. Never eat meat, poultry, eggs, or sliced fresh fruits and vegetables that have been left out for more than two hours or more than one hour in temperatures hotter than 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

    If you leave perishable foods out of the refrigerator or freezer for more than two hours they may enter the Danger Zone—the unsafe temperatures between 40 and 140 degrees Fahrenheit, in which bacteria multiply rapidly.

    10. Whenever there’s a food recall, check products stored at home to make sure they are safe.

    You should discard any food that’s been recalled because it’s associated with the outbreak of a food-borne illness. But, according to a survey conducted by Rutgers University during the fall of 2008, only about 60% of Americans search their homes for foods that have been recalled because of contamination. For more information on food recalls, visit the website Recalls.gov






    Cavier & Vodka
    Courtesy of The Lady (Bug) of the Household