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Saturday, August 28, 2010

Tailgate, take two

As you may recall from last week, I have been craving Philly Cheesesteaks for a while now. Well, I thought I had my fill here, but guess not!  I wanted them AGAIN this week. Problem was, how could I fulfill that craving while tailgating? Well, my SIL Tammy is a genius and came up with the solution....foil packets!




She pre-filled the packets with the meat, onions, peppers, cheese and mushrooms (on one at least, I am not a fan of the fungi!). Notice how one is labeled mush (for mushroom) and one is labeled I <3 U ?! Guess which one was mine?! :)   All we had to do was warm them up on the grill:



What resulted was a perfectly warm, melty, sandwich of goodness!



Insert picture of me devouring the sandwich, juices running down my chin and me not caring ONE bit! The game may not have been a win, but at least the food was good! :)

Sunday, August 22, 2010

Crazy for quesadillas!

Got a hankering today for a quesadilla, so I busted out the George Foreman Quesadilla Maker. I went with BBQ Chicken Quesadillas and Nachos on the side. Quesadillas are in general the easiest thing to make, but this lovely devise makes it even easier. Just layer up the ingredients on top of a tortilla


In this case, chicken, BBQ sauce, red onions and cheese. Throw another tortilla on top and let it do it's magic! They come out sealed perfectly, toasted, gooey and melty.



Jaclyn sure liked them! :)



The nachos are equally as easy. Just layer up some refried beans, jalapenos and cheese on top of a tortilla chip and bake until melty:


Add your favorite condiments- in this case salsa, guacamole and sour cream- and you've got the perfect bite!


Why is it that things that you eat with your hands are always the tastiest???

Philly...finally!

I don't know how he did it, but my friend Matt read my mind and somehow knew that I have been craving a Philly Cheesesteak for about two weeks now. So, imagine my surprise when I got an invitation this week for a Philly Cheesesteak party at his house! Seriously, my mouth has been watering since I got the invitation!

High quality steak

Homemade cheese sauce that Matt worked do diligently on:

Peppers, onions, mushrooms, crispy rolls and Lugers steak sauce rounded out the spread:

perfection!

I admit, I couldn't stop at one. I HAD to have a second one!


Pardon the blurry pictures, I was in such a hurry to get to the party I forgot the camera and was forced to use the phone!

Anyways, I don't know how you did it Matt, but you read my mind and cured my craving!  A fantastic evening filled with fun, food, friends and (delayed) football! Thank you!
XOXO,
Heather

Friday, August 20, 2010

Shake it up baby now!

I finally had the pleasure of tasting the deliciousness that is known as Shake Shack- a New York institution that has recently opened in Miami. After hearing about it from Food Network Chefs for months, I ventured down to Miami  today and knew that this was my opportunity to try it. Pleasantly surprised by the lack of line and the lovely decor

After perusing the extensive menu, we settled on Shack Burgers, that believe it or not, put In-n-Out to shame!


fries (perfect crispiness and salty goodness),


and concretes (frozen custards with mix ins). I had the Vanilla with hot fudge and truffle cookie dough:



Kristina had the vanilla with hot fudge and whipped cream



Needless to say, we were full, and happy!



Welcome to Miami, Shake Shack! Hope to be seeing a lot more of you soon!
XOXO,
Heather and Kristina

Monday, August 16, 2010

Tailgate, take one

Football season is here, and you know what that means?! Guys in tight pants, and TAILGATING! This weekend, I officially kicked off my football season with a little pre-season grilling action. Even though we had a little trouble keeping the grill it in the wind, in the end all turned out lovely and delicious.

On the inaugural menu, was Honey Mustard Chicken:






ADDICTIVE! The warm potatoes with the crispy green beans and the tangy dressing, there is NO way that you can stop at one serving!!

All in all, a successful tailgate...can't wait til the next one!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

more rainy day delights

A rainy few days calls for staying in, watching movies and of course, cooking. Being too dark and stormy out to venture to the actual store, I made do with what I had in the fridge already.
First up was some Maple Glazed Walnuts.


Perfect snack food for rainy day movie watching! So addictive I had to force myself to stop eating them!




Casseroles are a must for gloomy days, and this fit the bill perfectly! Sometimes one just has to revert to the cream of mushroom soup for some comfort, ya know?!

OK, now the rain can go away though, as football season is fast approaching. I need Sundays clear please! :)

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Salad Sensations!

Been on a big salad kick this week. Trying to switch it up, so I don't get bored and go grab a burger, I made three different kinds to keep me interested.

First up was a Turkey Taco Salad:


Basically a taco-minus the shell- layered into a bowl! I used ground turkey instead of beef, then layered it up with cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and sour cream. Yum! I especially love the combination of the warm meat, with the cold salad ingredients.

Then, it was a Greek Pasta Salad:


Basically, the classic Greek salad, minus the lettuce, add Mini Penne. My taste-taster Sheryel gave it two thumbs up!


Lastly, since I finally got my sisters secret Pasta Salad recipe, I had to try it out on my own.


Funny how it doesn't taste the same when it's not made in her kitchen....I used all the same ingredients...but it was yummy all the same.

All in all a very tasty week of eating healthy(er).