Why I Never Say Never...

This past weekend was pretty freaking awesome, if I do say so myself. Mike and I received invitations to the James Beard Foundation Farm to Table to Classroom event being thrown by our Local Marriott and the University of North Alabama to raise money for scholarships for culinary students at the University. I was extremely excited when I was offered two tickets to go to this event, for two reasons. First, I've always wanted to go to a course oriented dinner, especially one like this that had five courses and was paired with wine. Second, the tickets were given to us. One of the sales guys responsible for this client at my company gave me his tickets. I designed the promotional pieces and the menu for this event. I was really happy to get to go, after lusting over the menu for weeks. It also helped Mike and I stick to our budget, free tickets meant $130 / each wasn't sucked out of our bank accounts.

Mike and I are really obsessed with Anthony Bourdain and his show No Reservations. I'm also sort of obsessed with Andrew Zimmern as well. I know, I know they both eat strange things, but that totally appeals to me. OK, maybe you won't catch me eating bull fries anytime soon, I never say never.

I always swore years ago that I would NEVER eat Lamb. That I don't eat baby animals. That all changed around Valentine's Day this year when for the first time with food, I tossed caution to the wind and tried a bite of Mike's lamb shank, and really, really liked it.

I had prepared myself for the menu for this 5 Course Event. I reminded myself to keep an open mind and to try everything.

The night was great - the event was held under a huge white tent. The tables were decorated with burlap, jars of preserved vegetables, and small wild flower arrangements with rosemary and chili peppers. Everything was lit by candles and one large chandelier covered with vines. It was beautiful. {The picture doesn't do it justice}.

via Mike's Instagram

Unfortunately, the sun set quickly making it difficult to get more pictures, which is a shame, but I will do my best to describe the courses as I remember them.

The Menu

Designed by me. Yes, you did just hear me toot my own horn!

What got me the most excited about this event was that all of the food was farmed, raised, and grown locally here in The Shoals. UNA Cullinary students were directed by the chefs from the 360 Grille at the Marriott here locally. The chefs and students spent a week perfecting their dishes, and pairing them with the perfect wines. When we arrived we notices a few familiar faces over at the tables representing local farms. Our favorite is the couple who grow hydroponic vegetables and fruit. It's some of the best produce in town. They also sat at our table, and I was excited to chat with them over a meal, not just over a counter while purchasing their goods.

PASSED HORS D'OEUVRES
Mike was most worried about not liking two things, the Smoked Catfish (here in the South most men like it fried) and he was worried about getting sick trying the Pickled Quail Eggs. He loved both, and even said he thought the Smoked Catfish was his favorite. This was also the first time that Mike had tried Pimento Cheese. Yes, you read that right. Southern boy, boy and raised, with a family that has this cheese regularly on special occasions. I tried it before him. To be fair, this Pimento Cheese knocked the pants off any Pimento Cheese I've ever eaten. Heavy on the onion and the garlic, just like I like it.

Rabbit Sausage - this is why I never say never #1. I really thought I'd never eat Rabbit. I never had a desire to try it, but when in Rome, right? It was tasty. Not gamey at all which was nice. It was served on a cracker with some infused oil and it was really delicious.

Pickled Quail Egg - Again, not sure why I thought this might taste gamey but it didn't. It was literally like a small, fresh, hard boiled egg, but a bit sweet. It was pickled in beet juice. I think I may have to give beets another try (something I've hated since childhood, true story - my mother told me they tasted like candy, so I took a HUGE bite and nearly vomited all over the table. They did NOT taste like candy!)

Crispy Chicken Liver & Local Mushroom Duxelle - Tasty. Again, never had a desire to try chicken liver. It's a huge dish around here. Deep fried chicken livers. No thanks, but I tried it and it was tasty. The Mushroom Duxelle was pretty darn good too. These were easy to eat, served in a spoon, one shot and done.

The Cocktails were great and simple. We had the choice between a light, crisp Prosecco which I really didn't think I'd like, and I loved. And something called a Southern Manhattan which was right up Mike's alley. We sampled both and enjoyed the passed hors d'oeuvres.

COURSE ONE
Country Style Pork Pate, Pork Rind, Cippolini & Tomato Raisin Panzanella
Paired with a Riesling from Germany
I enjoyed this dish. I wasn't sure what to expect with Pate. I watch a lot of Food Network and Travel Channel shows about food but rarely paid attention when it came to Pate. I was honestly expecting something "cat food like" in texture. This instead was more like meatloaf or sausage, but tender. I honestly can tell you that I've never been a fan of Pork Rinds, but the way it was used was perfect for this course. They had some light greens and used the rind as garnish. It gave this a nice crunch. The tomato raisins were genius!

WINE: I'm not a fan of Riesling, but it was great with this dish, and that's what's important with a pairing, right?

COURSE TWO
Jack O' Lantern Farms {hydroponic farmers} Vegetable Salad, Bell Chevre Goat Cheese Vinaigrette, with Red Beet Gastrique
Paired with a Chardonnay from California
For a salad this was the bees knees. My favorite bit to this salad were the small cucumbers. They appeared like green plum tomatoes on one side, and tiny watermelons on the other. When I asked the owners of the farm what they were they informed me they were gerkin cucumbers. Adorable, tart and really really good. I know odd thing to fixate on but I had NEVER seen that before. And the beet gastrique, I wanted to lick the plate clean! But I didn't.

WINE: Not a huge fan of Chardonnay either I'm more of a Pinot G, or a very dry crisp white girl. But it was tasty.

COURSE THREE
Beef Duo - Seared Beef Heart and Braised Tongue Brunswick Stew with Sweet Corn and Field Peas.
Paired with Cabernet Sauvignon from California
I think this was my favorite course of the night. Yes you read that right. tongue and heart, my favorite. I never in a million years thought I'd ever, ever eat this. And here I was... on my second organ of the night (remember the liver earlier) and eating something that could taste me back. It's crazy. I wasn't a huge fan of the texture of the tongue, but the flavor of the stew was unbelievable. Mike and I both agreed, at the same time it totally reminded us of a beef, vegetable stew our mother's had made us when we were kids. It made me miss my mom, and I savored it that much more. The part that made eating the heart easier was that it was chopped up into pieces the same size as the peas and corn. It probably also helped that the lights were dim, but given the chance I'd try it again.

WINE: I love reds and Cab Sauv is my 2nd favorite red. Delicious.

COURSE FOUR
Lamb Crepinette, Shiitake locally grown with stewed local tomatoes, lamb jus and frisee salad
Paired with Zinfandel from California
This was my second favorite meal. It sort of reminded me of a crab cake the way the lamb was shredded and presented. I really also liked that the stewed tomatoes were cherry tomatoes, still on the vine.

We were sitting with the woman who owned the farm that raised the lamb, and the vegetables so it was fun to hear her stories of moving here from California and being happier here in our small town that she ever had been in her entire life.

WINE: Zinfandel is my favorite red wine. It's rather full bodied, and seems thick but I love it. This sample was amazing.

COURSE FIVE
Butternut Squash Tart Tatin, Apple Chutney, Spiced Honey Caramel with Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta
Paired with Rheinhessen from Germany
This dessert was absolutely amazing!!! The Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta made my knees buckle. I was so stuffed at this point I'm shocked I ate it all but I couldn't let it go to waste!

WINE: Too sweet, like sickly sweet - I get that it was a dessert wine but I wasn't a fan. At all.

I want to do this again. I loved having the different courses and the different wines. Mike and I don't get to do this often and it was a blast. As two budding foodies at heart, I really feel like this expanded our tastebuds and minds. I'm really looking forward to the next event. Fingers crossed they will have another one next year.

In the end, the event, and everyone involved raised over $10,000 for the UNA Culinary Scholarship fund. It was moving to see all these kids doing something they were passionate about, and getting a helping hand in the process.

fixation friday: celebrity sighting

I thought it might be time to bring back an old friend, Fixation Fridays. It's been a while since I've done one of these and I sort of miss it. Since I've been looking for ways to hold myself more accountable for blogging and sharing my experiences I thought this might be the best way to get back into the groove of writing.

For those of you that are new here - Fixation Fridays has always been a way for me to share what I'm currently coveting or can't get my mind off of. It was a weekly staple for D2BD, and I want to bring it back to Turned up to Eleven!

This week I thought I'd discuss the Civil Wars.

via

I will admit I'm newly on the CW bandwagon. It's not that I ever disliked them, I just hadn't truly discovered their talent. Here locally the Wars are a pretty big deal. John Paul White is some what of a local boy, and the duo is planning on coming here soon to play a live show at our small, local community theatre. I'm still kicking myself for not getting tickets.

Like I said I'm new to the CW fan base, but today you would have thought inside my little head that I was a fan for years, or 17. As Mike and I stood in line at our favorite BBQ joint, Bunyan's BBQ getting our lunch, a few customers ahead of us in line was none other than John Paul White. Getting a bag of BBQed goodness to take with him. I'm assuming back to the studio - because in my mind that's what he's here for.. but maybe he's just visiting?

It took me a moment before I realized it was him. He looks just like a regular everyday guy, with long hair, a bit of salt and pepper through out, and tattoos, that would be hanging out in our small town. But then it hit me like a ton of bricks who it was.

I tugged on Mike's shirt and whispered "That's John Paul White isn't it?" Trying to be quiet. If you know me I don't whisper very well... it's more of a hushed yell. I'm shocked Mr. White didn't hear me. Mike confirmed it was him. I then started to have a giddy melt down in my own head.

I wish I could tell you I walked over to him, all suave and calm and said hello, told him I loved his music and asked him to take a photo with me... but I didn't. I clam up in these type of situations. True story, you know the lead singer of Cobra Starship, Gabe? He was formerly the lead singe of a band called Midtown - yeah, he walked right by me one night after a Midtown show in DC. I was close enough to grab him, and I said nothing. SUCH a chicken. Let's hope if I ever am graced to be close to someone like Eddie Vedder or Angus Young I make a better impression.

So yeah... I grabbed my cell phone and instead of taking a picture - that would be rude! I texted my one buddy back home who loves the band - and let her know what was happening. Via internet messages we exchanged excitement like two little high school girls and all was right in our worlds.

I'm sorry you don't have a picture of Mr. White to gaze at, but how about a peace offering. I did take a picture of my lunch and it was amazing... so I'll let you oogle over that!

I SAW JOHN PAUL WHITE AT BUNYAN'S BBQ

AND ALL I GOT WAS 

THIS AMAZING PULLED PORK WITH MUSTARD SLAW SANDWICH!

*yes it's smashed and upside down, I eat it that way and it's served smashed.

via my instagram feed

Happy Weekend!!!

Celebrating Southern: Food and Drink

link up with Leslie • Celebrating Southern

Here we are, day two of Leslie @ A Blonde Ambition's Celebrating Southern week. Please link up and share with us your Southern trends and traditions, you can get all the info by clicking here. If you missed my post yesterday, simply click here to find out about Southern Hair and make-up that's trendy in my neck of the woods as well as my background of being a Southern Belle In-Training.

Celebrating Southern: Food and Beverages

Today's topic is Southern Food and Beverages popular in your area. To be fair, it's hard for me to dictate what is popular here in the South. That being said I can tell you what food and beverages were completely new to me being a Northern girl transplanted to the South. I thought I'd share with you some snacks that I had tasted, or heard of before moving here, and probably the ones that are directly responsible for my immediate weight gain upon crossing the Alabama state line. *wink*

Good Eats

via

SAUSAGE BALLS

Lord have mercy these things are amazing! Biscuits, cheese and sausage all rolled into bite size balls! When I told my friends back home about these treats they gave me super strange looks, but the moment I made a batch for them they were sold. I can remember the first time I tried a Sausage Ball. It was the first year I watched the Iron Bowl. For those outsiders the Iron Bowl is the biggest Alabama statewide football event where the Alabama Crimson Tide (ROLL TIDE) and Auburn Tigers take on each other for bragging rights. HUGE football battle, HUGE rivalry. A friend of ours had a viewing party complete with snacks made by everyone that stopped by. I wasn't sure about the sausage balls but my husband assured me they were good. One bite and I was hooked. I have found the key to perfecting them, to ensure they puff up and don't become super greasy, if you'd like me to share it I will, but only if you ask nicely.

via

TEA SANDWICHES

During a bridal shower one afternoon I tried my first tea sandwich. This particular tray was made with cucumbers and I guess mayo? There isn't much here in the South that doesn't involve butter or mayo. I wish I had the correct recipe for this, I dream about them sometimes. I had no intention to like them, just took one to be polite. I think before the shower was over I had shoved about 6 halves down my pie hole. They are, amazing! If you have a great recipe, PLEASE forward it to me. I don't have teas often, if ever but I'd love to make those sandwiches again.

BISCUITS N' GRAVY

Don't be silly, of COURSE I've had Biscuits and Gravy. The gravy I speak of, is of the chocolate persuasion. Have you had it? OMG, insanity! My little sister-in-law insists we get it whenever we go to eat breakfast at the community center with my father-in-law and Mike's (my husband) brothers. Only, she doesn't use the biscuit, she just eats hers with a spoon. To each his or her own I suppose. I have only had this in small doses. Not only does the community center breakfast make a total sloth when I eat it, but I also know how bad for my health most of that food is if not eaten in moderation.

DRESSING

I'm sure you're thinking, Kelly? How have you not had dressing? It's a Thanksgiving staple. Well, not up North. Up North we call it Stuffing. And for good reason, we usually stuff the bird with it. Gross, I know but man is it awesome. I totally miss my mom's stuffing, but Mike's mother's Cornbread Dressing totally helps fill that void. Made with just the right amount of sage and goodness we all could eat it for days. She usually has to make 2 pans just to ensure her family has enough. (She is the mother of 2 girls and 4 boys, add to that sig others, friends and nephews and nieces well, you get why she needs to make two full pans!) Dressing to me is a much smarter way to go about things, and I had never had it made with cornbread until meeting Mike. I still love, and sometimes will make my mother's Stuffing made with bread when I get to missing her.

CATFISH

Fried catfish. It doesn't get more Southern than that. While I have always loved seafood and more recently fish I had never tried a stitch of Catfish until visiting Mike many moons ago when we were first dating. He took me out for lunch and while the waitress got our order wrong, I figured it was fate. I got to try not only blackened catfish but fried as well. Two birds, one stone!

COLLARD GREENS

I'm still on the fence about these. Mike's mom has made them a few times and the more I eat them, the more I start to fall for them.

via • It doesn't look like much but trust me, it's good!

HOE CAKE

Have you ever had this? HOLY hell it's good! My dear friend Miss A made it for us one night and I was hooked. It's not good for you at all, there is lots of lard involved, and siding it with chocolate gravy is sinful, delicious and just plain perfect but wrong... SO wrong. Or at least that's what I'm telling myself!

CHICKEN STEW

I've had chicken soup for years and years but never something as delicious as Chicken Stew. The minute I feel down, or sick Mike whips up a batch and BAM I feel 100% better. The spicier the better!

HOG JAW

Yeah, I said it. I have only tried it once. It seemed like it was either dried or fried but my brother-in-law's girlfriend late me have a taste. It's like bacon but deeper and honestly pretty darn tasty. I want to try it again.

via

RED BEANS AND RICE

While I really only have had Mike's and his mother's versions of this dish I have to say I absolutely LOVE it! I want to try it in New Orleans the next time I'm there but until then I will be perfectly pleased with my husbands dish! Note: I prefer mine with brown rice, just like my hubby makes it.

via

DALE'S STEAK SAUCE

Mostly used as a marinade this local liquid is considered gold to most locals. I for one think it's too salty and prefer Worchestershire Sauce instead. That being said, when Mike's dad makes steaks he uses Dale's and it is just about perfect for a salty, juicy steak craving.

via

BIG BOB GIBSONS WHITE BBQ SAUCE
LOVE this stuff. Mike introduced me to this when he cooked pork tenderloin on the grill for me. It was the first meal he ever made me and I was hooked ever since. I also had never tried pork tenderloin before meeting him either. This sauce is tangy and delicious. Goes great with Chicken but he prefers to use it on pork instead.

PO' BOY SANDWICH

Again, another New Orleans favorite but Southern just the same. I absolutely love Po'Boys. Especially with Fried Shrimp, or hot roast beef with gravy. Let's just say I had some in the French Quarter that would make your knees buckle. We've been to the same place twice and it didn't disappoint either time!

via

KING RED SHRIMP

You just haven't lived until you've had them. SO sweet and tasty. I hate that it's been over 7 years since I last had them! I'm still getting used to the whole "head on" thing with seafood around these parts, what is up with that? But bottom line, the gross out is worth it. SO yummy!

via • "Flo-town", Alabama Landmark

BUNYAN'S BBQ

I can't believe it's taken me this long to get to this on my list. This local BBQ joint is legendary in our area. Mike's family comes from Chicago to visit and leaves with TUBS of this stuff to take home. Better yet they eat there DAILY to get their fix. It's a local Staple! It's pulled pork topped with some amazing spicy slaw and smooshed between a XL hamburger bun. Order quick, and get to the point the ladies behind the counter don't have time for you to hem haw, the line is usually out the door. This stuff is so delicious that Mike and I actually requested this be served at our rehearsal dinner. Best pork sandwich I've ever had here in the South!

CHICKEN AND DUMPLIN'S

Yes, Dumplin's the G is not needed. Such comfort food.

via • Crawfish and a Mich Ultra, you read my mind!

CRAWFISH

I love me some crawfish. I never thought I would but I'm completely hooked. I'm still trying to get used to sucking the head... that's what she said! Again.... not sure about the faces but when in Rome, right?

GUMBO

Love it. Love it. Love it!

PIMENTO CHEESE
When I first heard about this stuff I was like WHAT, THE FREAK? But it's actually pretty tasty and has to be a Southern thing because I had NEVER heard of it.

Beverages for Front Porch Sippin'

via • this is my favorite brand

SWEET TEA VODKA

Since the South is the home of Sweet Tea it's no mystery that I would have discovered Sweet Tea Vodka here last year. I'm obsessed with it. LOVE it to pieces! Mix it with some lemonade and it's a great afternoon!

via

BUFFALO ROCK GINGER ALE

Have you ever had this Ginger Ale? It's knock your socks off spicy. I'm not kidding. The first time I had it it took my breathe away, but I loved it. It also will make you sneeze upon first sip! It's chemistry has roots in the civil war if I'm not mistaken and it's strong but so tasty. If you've never had it, be prepared it will burn until you get used to it. This is NOT your everyday Canada Dry.

via • When it hits your lips, it's so good!

SOUTHERN PECAN BEER
Love, love, love this brew from Lazy Magnolia brewers. Mike and I usually try to snag it for Thanksgiving dinner. It doesn't really taste like Pecans but it does that have a bit of a maple flavor to it. It goes great with football, pulled pork and crisp fall days. Sold yet? P.S. You Southern ladies say "Pe-CAUN" I say "Pee-CAN", Pe-CAUN is totally a Southern thing.

JUMPIN' MONKEY

Nothing good comes from this, I will warn you. I assume this is a high school or college party drink, involving Mt. Dew, kool-aid and Everclear it will go down smooth and knock you on your butt. But it's delicious. Perfect recipe for disaster. You will forget your name and you've been warned. I've had it once and never again.

MUSCADINE WINE

I've only ever had this homemade. A friend makes wine and beer and while the first batch we ever had was delicious it made us huge wine-o's that night. Again, exercise caution.

WHISKEY

My husband is a whiskey drinker in the fall. He's recently become a Gin and Tonic guy, and I really love that combo too. But I can shoot whiskey and I'm proud of that. Maybe not a lot, but I can do a shot or two. #takethatcarrieunderwood

So there you have it, my extensive list of items I didn't try until I became a Southern Belle In-Training! My husband and I have had a pretty fair trade off. He makes me eat seafood with the face still on it, and I do as well when we dive into All you can Eat Crabs when we're home in Maryland. Fair is fair. See you tomorrow when the topic will be one of my favorites Fashion and Game Day attire!

************
WOOTD: Rest Day - Take June for 20 minute+ walk

The "Italian" Burgers

The other day I had talked about how I was attempting to try a new burger recipe this past weekend, and I did. The experiment turned out great. I decided to totally wing this burger. I thought it was an original idea, that is until I started google searching for an image that looked like my burgers. I'm a horrible photographer, I'm trying to get better about this, however our guests came late and it was dark before we finally sat down to eat so nice photos wouldn't have happened. I did find a great google image though so stay tuned [I'm a cheater, I know].

My concept was to make an Italian burger, but I guess more correctly a Caprese Burger. Mike and I love Caprese everything. Salads, pasta, whatever. I think it's part of my fixation with fresh mozzarella and basil. We usually add Chicken to anything we make concerning the combination of fresh moz, basil and tomatoes, but this time I wanted to try good ole' fashioned beef.

The burgers were a hit and I wanted to share the recipe with you, my readers. Special note: I had completely forgotten that when I started first making burger recipes that I would dice up fresh basil, just for the hell of it and shove it into the burger mixture. It was always a crowd pleaser. It took making this burger to remind me of that and I'm glad it did. I can't wait to make my classic burgers with basil soon! Special Tip: With this burger, or any burger on the grill, I would suggest not getting super low fat meat. You don't want a hockey puck when you're finished. Trust me, most of the fat will drip down into the flames. We usually go for an even ratio of fat and lean, and sometimes if we are feeling sinful we get some ground chuck. Moderation people.

via

The "Italian" Burger

Ingredients

• 1 Package Hamburger Meat, your choice
• 1 tomato slice per burger - sliced thin (approx 1 large tomato)
• 1 ball fresh mozzarella cheese - sliced thin
• Leaves of fresh Basil (about 2-3 per burger) - topping and chopped into burger
• Pesto sauce (optional)
• Buns - We would have loved to have Ciabatta rolls but the bakery was out.
• Garlic (1-2 cloves, to rub toasted buns)
• Seasonings: Basic Italian Seasoning OR Oregano/Basil/Thyme/Salt/Pepper/Garlic Powder {tsp. each more if desired} Gage it on how much meat you have. I literally eyeball all of this.
• 2-3 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce {or more, I love this stuff}
• 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (to prevent sticking on grill)
• 1 wedge (about a quarter) of a red/purple onion - grated into mixture. Slice the rest for topping if desired.

Directions

1. In a large bowl dump the hamburger meat, some shredded basil if desired, your seasonings, Worcestershire sauce and olive oil. 
2. Grate onion quarter over the hamburger (this will help seal in flavor and moisture on the grill).
3. Mix together ingredients with your hands but be careful not to over mix.
4. Make 4-6 patties on a plate.
5. Cut up toppings and vegetables as well as mozzarella into slices. The moz is a bit difficult to cut into even slices, I find it's helpful to toss it in the freezer for a couple minutes to toughen it up before slicing.
6. Grill burgers.***
7. Toast buns in either the oven under the broiler or straight on the grill. Once buns are toasted to desired color pull them out of oven/grill and rub with clove of garlic. The garlic will melt into the bun and give you the most fantastic garlic bread flavored rolls ever!

****I don't grill - so you may need to consult google for how long to grill these or have your grill master handy. Next time I will write these type of posts WITH Mike, since he does all the grilling at our house. Once the burgers have been grilled you can assemble them. Feel free to melt the mozzarella on the burgers, on the grill. We didn't do this but I bet it would be amazing!

Assemble

•  As I said the pesto is optional since you already have basil. We used this as our ketchup substitute. Spread pesto on bun, add burger, bit of mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and red onion if desired. Top with the other half of the toasted bun and enjoy! Next time I might try to make this with Chicken/Turkey Burgers in the skillet!

We added french fries and pasta salad with the burger but trust me the burger alone was a meal in itself. If you have any questions let me know. I'd love to give insight. I'm not the best recipe writer, but this ones an idea I pulled out of my own head and created for dinner for friends, Mike and myself. Enjoy!
 

the time that Anthony Bourdain got me to eat a baby.

via google

Yes, you read that right. It's amazing how one man can convince you to do things you never in a million years thought you would. I have always been totally against eating baby animals. Not all animals mind you, just baby ones and possibly ones that are classified as road kill. But after reading Kathryn's blog I might change my mind about that too. This past weekend Mike and I went out for a very special dinner. In honor of Valentine's Day, our first as a married couple he made reservations for us to eat at a hot spot here in town. A very small, locally run restaurant with an expansive gourmet menu. I had my heart set on getting some seared Ahi Tuna. It's something that isn't very common in this town and when I find it on a menu I jump on the chance to eat it. Alas they had switched up the menu for Valentine's Day and only offered a small handful of their traditional items. There must have been some unseen force that wouldn't allow me to eat seafood on Friday night because as I started to make my selection the server informed us that they were out of Grouper and Flounder thus rendering my choice for the Seafood Platter useless. I was disappointed but made a happy compromise and ordered the appetizer of a half dozen Kumamoto Oysters. I had never heard of them but was feeling adventurous. To be fair we live in a very small town and if this restaurant owner was serving these I figured they couldn't be too strange, right? I decided to do some research and found this information about Kumamoto Oysters.

Kumamotos are small, sweet, almost nutty oysters characterized by their deep, almost bowl-shaped shell. Like Pacifics, they have deeply fluted, sharp, pointy shells. They spawn later and in warmer water than other oysters, so they remain firm and sweet well into summer months. Kumamotos are widely cultivated in Japan and the West Coast. The name Kumamoto is so valued that Kumamotos are always labeled as such, although some places will also specify where they are from. Kumamotos used to be lumped in with Pacific oysters, but it ends up they are their very own species. 

source: about.com

All I can say is these little buggers were amazing! Mike doesn't care for oysters and started to ask to try one but then saw me eat one and quickly changed his mind. The slime does him in. He also hates eggs, jello and pudding to name a few things. Mike doesn't like food that giggles. He doesn't mind the flavor of oysters, just the texture. These oysters, while small were amazing. Fresh, light, great "sea flavor" I wish I would have gotten a dozen! Mike opted for some goat cheese, on crusty bread with some amazingly sweet thick cut bacon. SO good. Since I wasn't able to get the Seafood Platter I opted to try the Filet. Mike on the other hand decided to be gutsy and chose to order the Lamb Shank. He apologized to me, knowing my strong dislike for people eating baby animals. I told him not to worry that it was my hang up and not his, and that honestly I'd been curious about trying lamb for some time now. The minute I think about what it is, my stomach turns and my heart aches. Then in the next moment I see how amazingly happy people look when they are eating this. Mostly, Anthony Bourdain. Yes, I'm a sucker for this dude... totally. {I'd also like to blame Rachel Ray, Ina Garten and Bobby Flay for this as well, they are all guilty of the "amazingly good" face after sampling Lamb}.

As we enjoyed our wine, and appetizers I kept thinking to myself, "If you don't try it now, you never will." One taste wouldn't hurt, it's already being eaten by your husband after all. Mike got up to use the restroom and I was left there to observe the room around me. The group of people behind us had gotten their main entrees and I noticed one man got the Lamb Shank. I watched him cut into the meat and take a bite and there it was that blissful face of satisfaction with his choice and meal. Curiosity peaked. Mike returned and I told him that he probably made a wise choice judging by the man behind him's reaction to the Lamb. Soon enough our main course was ready and laid before us. My filet was cooked perfectly. I prefer mine more on the rare side, so this might have been a bit over cooked for my usual feelings toward meat but it was still tender, juicy and pink in the middle, and bottom line delicious. You know how I said I hate ordering steaks when dining out unless I go to my favorite place back home, this is a very close second and I'd totally order it again.

I watched and waited for Mike's reaction to the Lamb. I could tell at first it was a bit censored for my benefit. As if he was fearful that showing how much he loved it that it might upset me. I smiled and asked.. "Is it good?" and his eyes half closed and smile with the words "It's awesome!" sealed the deal. I had to try it. He cut me off a little bit of the lamb and I cut him off a slice of the filet and we traded.

I did hesitate.. and thought to myself OK girl that always thought this was just horrible and a sin you're about to go back on all you talked about for years in one moment. I then remembered that my motto has always been "Never say never." Yeah, the Biebs didn't come up with that shit on his own... so I took a deep breathe and took a bite.... it was... amazing. All I can describe the flavor as being like was a pot roast that had been slow cooked all day. It was fall off the bone good with a reduction sauce that was just as amazing. Mike agreed it was a very "home cooked roast" flavor. It had a bit more of a game flavor than beef obviously had but it was amazing. As usually I was immediately jealous of Mike's choice for dinner over my own. We often order the same thing when we go out to eat mostly because this happens, I always get plate envy over his meal. All our sides were the same to pair with our meat, but his meat took center stage. It fell off the bone, it was tender and amazing.

The bottom line - I'd try it again. I'm not sure how often, but the Lamb Shank was great. I have never had the rack of lamb and others have said it tastes much different. For now I will continue to reserve my stance on not eating baby animals. Lamb won't be something I seek out but it was delicious. I will say this though, you will not catch me eating Veal. It hurts my heart too much.  To all my vegetarian readers, I apologize. I am however a person that eats meat, just not all types of meat.

Our meal was amazing, the conversation was fun, the wine was so good and the restaurant and it's employees were delightful. It was a wonderful way to celebrate Valentine's Day and beat the crowds. I can't wait to go back in the spring and summer when the weather is nice and order a few glasses of wine and appetizers and enjoy the sun.

So there you have it... the night Anthony Bourdain made me eat a baby.


Kumamoto Oysters and Lamb Shank: She tried it and.... really, really liked it.

In other off-topic news tonight is the premiere of The Walking Dead - and I can't wait. Anyone else a huge fan of this show? Or tried Lamb and loved/hated it?

she tried it, and...

One of my goals for 2012 was to try new foods. This goes hand in hand with not only trying new foods but also at times trying to be more healthy. I figured I'd start a new little thing of "She tried it, and...." I'll let you know what I've tried and whether or not I liked it, or hated it.

I got the year started off right - almost by accident with this goal of trying new things. I hoped to at least once a month, try a new food. After a long, emotional day on New Years Day. Saying good-bye to Mike's great uncle and witnessing the most amazing military funeral, his family and I decided we would meet up for dinner. Not many places, of the affordable nature were open on New Years Day so we opted for Cracker Barrel. Yes I realize that this isn't really healthy eating 101, but it was homestyle, comforting and nice to have the family at a table together, and for once letting his mom who usually prepares all our family meals, get a chance to rest after her long weekend of caring for her Aunt and family.

I settled on the Chicken and Dumplings and lots of veggies. Sure they were covered in butter but like I said I was going for comfort food. That being said, I did make an effort to not eat myself silly. All of the items on my plate were things I had tried before, but Mike's brother's girlfriend, B had brought his father some Black Eyed Peas from her grandmother. The tradition of pork and black eyed peas is a big one here in the South and Mike's dad was not going to be content until he had some. This also was not a new meal for me. Mike's father passed around the bowl of good faith and luck to us all who wanted to eat a bit and Mike and I took our share of a few bites on our plate. They were tasty and I could almost feel the happy thoughts for 2012 fill my belly.

B also had another bag hidden in her purse and passed that out as well. Apparently her grandmother armed her with an arsenal of good luck food to come to our meal with. Almost as if we were at the movies smuggling in our own candy we passed the bag around the table. Normally I would have freaked out when she told me what it was, but I'm feeling more adventurous these days. B explained it was hog jaw. Funny, it looked like bacon. Mike grabbed a bit and handed his brother and I the bag. His youngest Brother [he has 3 brothers and 2 sisters, big family!] and I agreed to split a piece but with a rush of courage I stated that NO I would just get my own and try it all.

Here I was sitting at a table holding a bit of hog jaw in my hand. It looked like bacon, it smelled like bacon but it was much thicker than any slice of bacon I'd ever eaten. I took one moment to think about it and then quickly took a bite. Immediately the flavor filled my mouth and it was amazing. Better than any bacon I had ever tasted. Not quite as gutsy as say eating a pigs foot or cheek but I was eating hog jaw. WOW! And I like it... a lot!

The second item B got me to try was a bite of her cooked cabbage she ordered as a side. I've never liked cabbage unless it was red, raw and in my salad as a child. I'm not a huge fan of coleslaw either but will eat it from time to time if it's tasty. I was hesitant that I wouldn't like it but after taking a bite realized it was delicious. And I started thinking something I might like to add to my book of recipes to cook. The scent of cooked cabbage far outweighs the taste for sure. I was expecting a pungent flavor but it was mild and very, very enjoyable. Eating this takes me one step closer to trying a Reuben sandwich, for which I was always fearful to eat with the tangy cabbage on top.... or SourCRAP as I called it when I was a child.

Boiled Cabbage & Hog Jaw
VERDICT: Delicious! And while I would never make hog jaw at home, I might have to stop by B's grandma's house in the future to get my fix!

P.S. I wasn't 100% in love with the chicken and dumplings from Cracker Barrel. The rest of the veggies were tasty though. I really hate going out to eat and feeling like I could have made the meal better at home, myself. Tip for 2012, if you can make it at home, it's best not to order it while out unless you know it's going to knock your socks off.

Light Louisiana Gumbo

In an effort to stick to my Project 52 goals I've started cooking something new at least once a month. Now that I'm back on the "eating healthy wagon" [for life, and you can quote me on that!] and trying to lose weight I've been keeping my eye out for healthy and light options for new meals.

The other day while paging through a new SELF magazine I came across a recipe for Light Gumbo. I was skeptical of course, but after reading the ingredients I got excited about trying to make it. The fresher the ingredients to me the better something is going to taste and the better it's going to be for me and Mike.

I wanted to share this recipe with you because it was too delicious not to. And I figured why would I share half delicious or down right gross food with you right? Please note that while I am trying new recipes all the time I'm only going to share with you the ones that I truly enjoy! You have my word on that.

Light Louisiana Gumbo

Save 200 calories—enough for a Hurricane!

with Skinny Chef Jennifer Iserloh's slimmed-down spin 

on a New Orleans classic.

via self

INGREDIENTS
1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon canola oil
2 chicken sausages, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices
3 cups chopped celery
1 cup chopped onion
1 cup cored, seeded and chopped green bell pepper
4 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup packed chopped fresh thyme
2 tablespoons whole-wheat flour
15 oz diced tomatoes with juice
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 lb medium shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 20 shrimp)
16 oz frozen sliced okra
1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley


PREPARATION
Sprinkle chicken with Cajun seasoning. Heat oil in large pot over high heat. Brown chicken and sausage, turning once, 2 to 3 minutes. Add celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic and thyme. Cook until vegetables start to soften, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 tbsp water if vegetables stick. Reduce heat to medium. Sprinkle flour over meat-vegetable mixture. Cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add tomatoes, juice and broth. Simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Add shrimp and okra; simmer, covered, until shrimp is cooked through and okra is tender, 2 to 3 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

THE SKINNY
4 Servings, 276 calories per 2 cups, 7 g fat (1 g saturated), 26 g carbs, 8 g fiber, 27 g protein

D2BD's NOTES:
I was shocked to see the calorie count for this meal. It's so filling and SO good. I will admit I added extra Cajun seasoning to make it hot. You could always use hot sauce to doctor yours up if you like it spicy and I also added a bit of Old Bay Seasoning to the Shrimp before cooking and pepper and went light on the salt when added to the pot. This stuff was AMAZING!!! I also had to substitute turkey sausage for chicken sausage since Wally World here doesn't carry it. There are a lot of things that Wally World doesn't carry but that's a bitch session for another time. I also added three chicken breasts instead of just one, since we were expecting company to share this with us and we like to use left overs for lunches. I usually use the rule of thumb 1 chicken breast per person when making spaghetti or soup but in this case we had three left in our old pack of chicken, and honestly with the shrimp and the sausage you truly don't need the extra chicken. I just wanted to finish off the package of chicken and be sure that Mike and his brother had enough meat, they are growing men after all.

I hope if you like gumbo and Cajun cooking you'll give this a try. With spring and summer right around the corner I know it's hard to think about eating warm soups, stews or gumbos but this is an amazing bowl of delicious and one not to miss! It was the perfect ending to a long weekend.

Mike made some beer drop biscuits to go with this and I also made a pot of wild rice as a side. Mike mixed the rice into his gumbo which is traditional but as you know will add to the calorie count of this meal. The biscuits were amazing! He used an instant biscuit mix and substituted room temperature beer for the water that you add. The beer gives the biscuits a deeper flavor, the darker the beer the more flavor you will get. Simply drop the biscuit batter on a non-stick baking sheet and and bake according to the package directions. You can also roll these out and cut them as you would a traditional biscuit but we weren't in the mood for all that last night. I limited myself to 2 small biscuits [seriously, they were super small and flat] without butter and a small side of rice that I didn't finish due to how filling my 2 cups gumbo actually was.

This recipe doesn't disappoint!!! SO ENJOY!!!!

Eat, Drink and Watch the Super Bowl!

I've been waiting all season and a few years for this! Steelers back in the Super Bowl - I am one happy camper. I will admit this past football season I had slacked on my Tailgating Recipes - being busy working out and actually going to a season game for Alabama really put a halt on my posting. That all changes here! I hope to make up for my season of slacking with this one post. I wanted to not only highlight a lot of past recipes that I've made or shared with you but also wanted to give you something new to tackle [pun intended]. I'm sure most of you are gearing up for the big game with snacks and beverages but, whether you care about either team in the big game or just love the commercials I wanted to share some tasty treats with you to enjoy your day in front of the tube. So get on your favorite jersey and fire up your oven, grill, and crock pot and let's get busy!

RECIPES OF SEAONS PAST:

Perfect for Game day or ANYDAY!

Grilled Chicken Wings [best tailgate food ever!]

Buffalo Chicken Pizza

Buffalo Chicken Dip

BBQ Chicken Pizza

Afterburner Breakfast [if you start parting early, it's a winner]

Pizza Sausage Dip [amazeballs!]

Crab Dip [my fellow Marylanders will enjoy this]

Amaretto Bread Pudding [a little something for my Saints buddies]

If these weren't enough to get you excited I hope that the next recipes I share will be. I enlisted the help of Cathy @ Antsy Pants for this post. Most of these menu items alone are awesome for a Super Bowl celebration but maybe you enjoy having theme Super Bowl parties with food to reflect the teams playing in the big battle. Since Cathy is a huge Packers fan I thought she the perfect person to help me bring you some authentic Wisconsin Tailgate treats to your big day, while I'll try my best to bring you some Pittsburgh goodies as well. Let me be the first to say, I'm not originally from, nor have I ever lived in Pittsburgh, however my entire family is from Pennsylvania, so I know a thing or two about Pennsylvania food, traditions and Steeler fans, because they all root for the Black and Gold. Well, minus my father, for him I'll give a healthy "GO SKINS!" any day. Love you Dad! ox

That's right, I made this! Jealous?
Truth be told I think I'm starting to harbor a crush on #12, Don't tell Mike or Ben!

That being said - LET'S GET READY TO GRUB YA'LL!!!

Cathy is my guest poster and as the guest she gets first dibs on making your mouth water! I'll kick this off to her first!  

When Kelly asked me for an "authentic" Packers dish, I immediately thought of Brats and Beer. What's more Wisconsin than Johnsonville Brats and Miller beer? Well, cheese probably. But when it comes to tailgating and Packer parties brats cooked in beer is the standard. It's so easy to make, even I can do it!


BEER BRATS
What you need:
Johnsonville Brats (made in Wisconsin!)
Beer (any beer will do, cheap beer is fine)
Yellow or White onion, sliced
Red, yellow and green peppers, sliced

How to prepare:
Option 1:
Place brats on hot grill just long enough to get some good grill marks and a crispy crust.
Put brats, beer, onion and peppers into crockpot.
Simmer in crock pot on low for 3-4 hours, or until brats are cooked through.

Option 2:
Simmer brats, beer, onion and peppers in crock pot or skillet for 30 minutes.
Transfer brats to grill, cook until done.

Easy, delicious and sure to please! Serve with chips, brown beans, cheese, and beer. It doesn't get any better than this.

May the best team (my team!) win!

Kelly Says: DAYYYYYUUUUMMM GINA [err Cathy], that sounds tasty!

+++++++++++++++++ HALF TIME +++++++++++++++++

You know what I love about this Super Bowl and both of these teams. NO CHEERLEADERS! Not saying there is a single thing wrong about Cheerleaders, I would kill to be one in the NFL and I love them. [I was a wee bit obsessed with the Cowboy Cheerleader's Reality show, AND the Miami Dolphin Girls spin off] but at the same time there is something to be said about 2 fan bases that don't find it to be something they truly need for team spirit. Pittsburgh and Green Bay fans are tough, tough, tough... that and we play in freezing weather! That being said I don't know how the other NFL Cheerleaders in the other freezing states do it. Thank goodness for Domes and Fleece, right ladies?

+++++++++++++++++ GAME ON! +++++++++++++++++

Now it's my turn.. pressure is on... I was originally going to go with The Roethlisberger recipe, (so meaty) but then I remembered that I'm doing P90X and I didn't want to eat all of that OR have a heart attack mid game. Seriously I am lucky that I don't have a huge football induced ulcer every year I get so anxious and freaked out during every game. So here's my Steeler worthy, Pittsburgh recipe for you.




PITTSBURGH ITALIAN ROAST BEEF

Ingredients
3 pounds beef chuck roast (or flank steak)
3 (1 oz.) packages dry Italian Salad Dressing Mix
1 cup water
1 (16 oz.) jar pepperocini peppers (or you can use sweet red pepper diced)
8 Hamburger buns, split

Directions
Place the roast into a slow cooker, and season with Italian Dressing Mix. Pour in the water. Cover, and cook on High for 6 to 7 hours. During the last hour, shred the meat with two forks - if it does not shred easily, cook longer. Add the peppers, and as much of the juice as you like for additional flavor. Serve on buns.

I like this meal because it's quick and easy. But if you're in the mood for something a bit more hardy I have one more for you!

STEELERS CHILI
I found this recipe while searching the internet and found this article and thought it sounded amazing. It is as he describes it "man food". So if you have hungry men or women coming over why not whip up a batch of Steeler Chili - and if you're a Cheese Head, serve it up with a ton of cheddar!

Ingredients
1 pound ground turkey (or beef)
3 cups Jack Daniels Whiskey [now that's what I'm talking about!]
28 oz. can tomato sauce
3 large tomatoes, diced
2 gold bell peppers, diced
1 head of garlic, minced [the whole head, man after my own heart]
1 jalapeno pepper, minced
2, 8 oz. cans of black beans
2, 8 oz. cans of kidney beans
Chili Powder to taste
"Slap Ya Mama" Cajun Seasoning to taste

Directions
In a skillet over medium heat, brown the turkey (or beef) and drain it.

Mix meat with all remaining ingredients in a big pot and bring to a soft boil, then simmer for about 2 hours. ENJOY!

NOTE: Mike and I always enjoy our chili with a little cheddar cheese on top and sometimes a few tortilla chips - dress this up however you like but judging by the ingredients it doesn't need much. I can't wait to try this recipe!

FOR THE NON-COOKS 

on SUPER BOWL SUNDAY!

If cooking isn't your thing, don't worry! I've got you covered on all fronts!!! Are you a invited guest that doesn't cook? Why not purchase a few different cheeses and veggies to make a platter. Sure you might be leaning toward the Packers if you bring a ton of cheese to a party but really, who hates cheese? Well besides the people who get the mud butt from it... I mean most people love cheese.  If cheese isn't your thing but drinks are... here you go. Three Team inspired cocktails for the big event! Courtesy of StilettoSports.com

STEELERS: BLACK & GOLD
2 oz. Blavod Vodka [Black Vodka]
1 oz. Goldschlager

1. Pour the black vodka into ice filled shaker and shake well.
2. Strain into a chilled martini glass
3. Top with Goldschlager so the flakes float all around!

PITTSBURGH SUNRISE

4 oz vodka

8 oz Sprite Soda

4 oz peach & papaya juice

MIX WELL AND ENJOY!

GREEN BAY PACKERS: OLD FASHIONED WISCONSIN

[Tell me Cathy, does this sound like Old Fashioned Wisconsin?]

3 oz brandy

2-3 dashes Angostura bitters

1 tsp. sugar or cube

dash water

lemon peel for garnish

1. Place the sugar cube at the bottom of an old-fashioned glass.
2. Saturate the cube with the water and bitters
3. Muddle these ingredients
4. Fill the glass with ice cubes
5. Add the brandy
6. Stir well
7. Garnish with lemon peel.

FUN FOR EITHER TEAM!
BLACK & GOLD OR 
GREEN & GOLD CAKE SHOTS!
This is a variation on a "Pineapple Upside Down Cake" Shot
1 oz Vanilla Vodka
2 oz Pineapple Juice
1 bottle of Grenadine [cherry] - PUT INTO CUP TO MIX w/ COLOR

1. Mix with ice and strain into small glass [shot]
2. Put some black or green food coloring into a bottle of grenadine (or mix into a cup separately)
3. Slowly pour a little of the colored Grenadine into the shot glass, it will settle on the bottom.
4. BOOM! Black and Gold or Gold and Green Shots!

If all else fails - find out your party hostess or host's favorite beer and bring them a Six Pack and then bring your own 12, 24 or 30 pack to party and enjoy the game or commercials!

If you have any great recipes you want to share please email me!!! Or post links in your comments to your blog!!!

As Cathy so nicely said... MAY THE BEST TEAM (My Team) WIN!!!!

GOOO STEELERS!!!!

new recipe: spaghetti squash

In keeping up with my project 52 goals I've started in on my 1 new recipe per month quest. I actually am ahead of the game since I tried not 1 but 3 different new recipes in the month of January. Only problem is the goal was to blog about these great meals after I made them, and this is my first attempt to do that. #fail!

I will be posting the new recipes I tried out of order, mostly because this one that I'm about to tell you about is the bees knees, in my opinion and it knocked my socks off.  I will however post about the other two great recipes as soon as I can.

I'm most excited about my this recipe I tried because it was a food I had never eaten before. I've always liked squash, zucchini and more recently eggplant however until last night I had never tried Spaghetti Squash. And honestly until about a month ago I had never even HEARD of this vegetable either.

How it looks at your local produce department

via google

What peeked my interest was a segment on The Rachel Ray Show where Rachel used spaghetti squash in place of noodles. I'm a pasta girl, I love that stuff, and I know that Rachel is the same way. Those of you that don't know me well, here's some background: I pretty much take most of Rachel Ray's opinions for gospel. Why you ask? Well it's never turned me in the wrong direction before. OK so there was one time I trusted her when she told me that Pumpkin Pasta was amazing and in actuality it was pretty freaking gross. I haven't given up on the thought of trying it again, I just haven't had the desire to work on it.  She's the reason I learned how to cook and frankly taught me almost everything I know about how to handle myself in the kitchen. Well her and watching my mom for years as well. That being said Rachel sold me in the segment where she featured this recipe. I was less worried about the sauce, or the added ingredients and more worried about HOW this vegetable was prepared. I thought about making this for weeks after seeing the episode and never got around to it. Procrastination, whattttt?

Two weeks ago when I made another FIRST recipe for dinner, I went the route of using ONLY vegetarian friendly ingredients. Mike and I made our first vegetarian pizza. Doesn't seem like such a big deal but seriously, we are a meat and potatoes household for the most part, but since taking on the p90x meal plan I've realized how much my diet lacks in veggies and as one of the most dominate items on my menu list I might as well learn what I like, love and hate early on right? After making that Pizza [which I will share with you at another time], I wanted to start making a veggie meal once a week or twice a month if possible. Mike was game so I was all in.

Bring on the spaghetti squash. If you've never had this before it's an awesome and easy thing to make. When we purchased the single spaghetti squash Mike asked if it would be enough for both of us, the recipe assured me it would, I was skeptical but went with one squash to share.

I took Rachel's recipe and technique in the above link for the squash only and made my own Chicken Spaghetti sauce. I wasn't ready to go full on vegetarian for this meal, mostly because my fear was that I would HATE the squash and then what would we eat? We didn't have any noodles in the house to improvise if this recipe went south, so I figured worse case, we'd eat "sloppy spaghetti sauce chicken joes or something of that nature... ghetto joes maybe? Anychicken... here is the recipe.

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI SQUASH

INGREDIENTS FOR SPAGHETTI SQUASH:

• One large spaghetti squash [feeds two, get more if you have more people]
• salt and pepper for taste
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Added seasonings you think you might like
• Parmesan Cheese [fresh grated or container - just enough to top off the squash]

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat oven to 400 Degrees [you may want 425 if your oven runs on the cool side]
2. Slice Spaghetti Squash down the middle lengthwise into 2 halves. [use a sharp knife, this is like trying to carve a pumpkin and oddly enough smells just like it - which worried me at first after my pumpkin fail]
3. Scoop out strings and seeds with a spoon and throw away [don't dig too deep you need that flesh to eat it at the end].
4. With squash cut side facing up - drizzle liberally with olive oil and season with salt, pepper and any other seasoning you might like [I added garlic pepper]
5. Place squash CUT SIDE DOWN on metal baking sheet
6. Bake for 45 mins to 1 hour in preheated oven until outer skin is soft to the squeeze [think like a potato] 
7. Remove from oven and let cool for a moment - you may need to hold the squash with a oven mit for the next step. Flip slightly cooled squash face up on to serving plate or tray.
8. Using a fork, gently rake the inside of the spaghetti squash causing the "meat" to turn into lots of "spaghetti like" noodles for your dinner
9. Once you have "shredded" the inside of each half of the squash, top with seasoning of your choice to taste, you may also add extra olive oil if you like and sprinkle with fresh grated [or container] parmesan cheese.

After Roasting and Shreading

via google

CHICKEN SPAGHETTI SAUCE

Ingredients

• Jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce [or your own homemade recipe, which by the way if you want to share I'm all ears]
• 2-3 chicken breasts chopped up in to bite size pieces, depending on how many people, I use 1 per person.
• 1 green pepper diced
• 1 onion diced
• 1 container of mushrooms rough chopped [more or less depending on your desire]
• 5 garlic cloves fine chopped [yes I said 5 you probably only need 2, I like a lot of garlic]
• Olive Oil
• Salt and Pepper to taste [plus other seasonings if you desire]
• Red Pepper Flake and Kicking Chicken are always used in my Chicken Spaghetti

visuals on the sauce and spices I used:

Newman's Tomato Basil - I like the fresh taste with chicken

Garlic Pepper - my favorite spice to use on steak and anything Italian

I love Weber's Kick'nChicken it's an obsession! I put it on all white meat!

via google

DIRECTIONS

• Pre-heat a non-stick skillet to medium heat
• Add about 2 tablespoons of Olive Oil to pan
• Once oil starts to ripple and slightly smoke add in mushrooms
• Allow mushrooms to cook and become brown in color [note: Rachel Ray always says not to add salt to this step, it draws liquid out of the mushrooms and you don't get a nice even cook on them when that happens - I told you Rachel never drives me in the wrong direction... minus the pumpkin mishap!]
• Once the mushrooms have cooked [about 2-3 mins.] Lower the heat just a tad and add in your onions, peppers and garlic. Stir frequently to be sure the garlic doesn't burn. It will become bitter and you will have to start over.
• Add salt and pepper to vegetables while they cook. Cook until onions just start to get transparent.
• Add in chopped up chicken and extra seasoning to taste - go easy on the salt until you have it all worked together with the sauce.
• Cook chicken until browned completely [no more pink showing]
• Add in sauce on top of all ingredients, stir to combine and season to taste.
• Let all ingredients come together and warm through.

Once you've made your sauce you are ready to place it inside your bowl of Spaghetti Squash. You can remove the squash from it's shell and serve on a plate or in a bowl OR serve right out of the shell as we did last night.

Note: Since the squash takes 45 mins. to an hour to cook I usually get that started first, let it cook and chop up and cook the rest of my ingredients. By the time your squash is finished so is your sauce and they are ready to combine together like magic!

This is so not my picture but it looked a lot like this, only less stylized.

via google

It's simple and easy and SO filling and SO good! I can't wait to make it again.

Stay tuned for my other new recipe ventures I haven't written about AND a fun post before Super Bowl Sunday where a Packers fan [aka the awesome pants Cathy @ Antsy Pants] and a Steelers fan [Yours truly] unite to give you some great ideas for Party Food and fun for the big game day!

Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake

As you may or may not know, I love pie. LOVE IT! A few posts ago I had mentioned that I made myself a Pumpkin Pie Protein Shake for breakfast and a few of you asked me for the recipe. One person in particular, Mrs. Magnolias and Mimosas herself, Allyson wanted me to post the recipe here. And since I love her like a sister from another mister, that I've never actually met in person - I will answer her request now.

I found the actual recipe I used here. Not only was I happy to be able to read all the ingredients but the lovely people over at sparkspeople.com (best weight loss tool ever!) also break down the nutritional information which is vital when you're in the weight loss game. Please note that for a protein shake this may seem fairly heavy in calories but this is my breakfast in the morning and other than maybe adding a bit of fruit with it, that's all I eat and it keeps me going until my mid morning snack. Not to mention it's portable and takes 5 minutes to make in the AM. I don't have time to make eggs and Oatmeal NEVER fills me up - this kills 2 birds with one stone. I get a full belly, fast and easy.

via google • nom-a-licious!

PUMPKIN PIE PROTEIN SHAKE
(Notes in orange are my additions/changes to this recipe)
Ingredients
1 cup Water (I sub in 1 cup skim milk, it makes the shake more creamy)
1 - 2 cup Ice (give or take depending on your desired thickness)
1/2 cup Libby's Canned Pumpkin (be sure you get pumpkin NOT pumpkin pie filling)
3 Tbsp. Genisoy Vanilla Soy Protein Shake Powder

(I used a scoop and a half of my favorite Vanilla Whey Protein Powder to get my normal serving of protein mixed with this shake)
1 tsp. Ground Cinnamon
1/4 tsp. Ground Cloves
Ground Nutmeg (to your liking)
3 Packets Equal Sweetener

1 tsp. Natural Peanut Butter (I add this for the extra flavor and I figured there is nothing "crust" flavored in this recipe. The peanut butter helps punch it up a notch in flavor).

Directions
This recipe makes 1 serving. (More like 1-1/2 when I make it, if you measure by my "to go" cups). Make it for a fast meal or a snack! Put all the ingredients into a blender and blend until ice is completely crushed and it looks like a smoothie. Use more or less water to suit your taste. Soy Milk or Skim Milk can be used in place of the water, but the nutritional values will not be the same and the calorie count will be higher.

Number of Servings: 1

Original Recipe: 183 calories

I am sure my version has more calories since I add in Milk, Peanut Butter and more protein powder but I am OK with that seeing as this is a breakfast MEAL for me and not a snack. If I was to make this as a snack I would follow the above recipe exactly to not risk making it more calories.

So there you have it - Pumpkin Pie Protein Shakes for all my fellow pumpkin lovers out there! Nothing will ever be a Mrs. Smith's Pumpkin Pie, but this is a good sub and a healthier way to enjoy without guilt!

If you enjoy Protein Shakes on the regular, what is your favorite recipe? I just found one for Egg Nog flavored shakes that I can't wait to try!!!