 Anyone ever had their day interrupted by one of those annoying phone calls with someone on the other end wanting you to participate in a survey? Or been innocently walking through the mall and been approached by someone carrying the dreaded clipboard and pen? I'm not sure that I've ever taken the time to participate in a single survey but I'd be willing to bet that my husband has completed every survey he's ever been asked to complete. #hesanextrovert 😅 So here I am today - playing the role of a super annoying data collector.😬 I'm conducting an informal poll about brunch. Participate if you like and if you choose to opt out - scroll down the recipe and enjoy. 🍔 If you want to help a girl out though - I would love to get your opinions.
Maybe I'm new to the trend but it seems like brunches are the new morning happy hour. 🥂 I've been making more brunch food than anything else lately. I'm not complaining because I love brunch food. I'm just trying to gather more information about what people what to see on their brunch table. If you've the person who likes to eat breakfast and lunch in a single bite - this brunch burger is for you. A delicious combination of the best parts of both breakfast AND lunch. And just in case you were wondering - I didn't serve these for breakfast, lunch or brunch - I went rogue and served them for dinner. 🤣  Brunch Burgers 1/2 cup mayonnaise 1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce 1 Tablespoon maple syrup 3/4 teaspoon pepper 1 pound (85% lean) ground beef 8 ounces breakfast sausage 4 slices bacon 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 slices cheddar cheese 4 eggs 4 brioche hamburger buns
 Add top bun.  Weekend brunches are my jam. Who doesn't love the concept of combing two meals into one? Linner - lupper - brunch or even the less popular, late night... brinner. 😅 Fusing the best parts of breakfast like fruit, bacon, eggs and pastries with the best parts of an afternoon meal like burgers, salads, meats and cheeses is my definition of genius. 🥐 And don't even get me started on mimosas. 🥂 Champagne and juice Yes, please.
Ciao!
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 Ciao! All it took was one Andrea Bocelli concert for me to decide that it was time for me to learn Italian. 🇮🇹 Anyone else tried to teach themselves a second language at the age of 50? I can only say that it's equal parts challenging and hilarious.🤣 I question my decision daily but I'm invested (and incredibly stubborn) and I need to see this through to find out if it is indeed possible to teach an old dog - new tricks. 😅 I do most of my lessons while I'm in my car so if you see someone driving down the road mumbling to herself and giggling uncontrollably - it's just me trying to get through my Italian lesson without sounding like a complete bafoon. I'm not sure what this says about my driving, but the time that I spend in my car seems to be the best time for me to concentrate on learning new words. I've tried listening to the Italian lesson while I clean the house but apparently, scrubbing the toilet requires more of my attention that operating a vehicle. 😬🤣  The exception to my habit of practicing my Italian exclusively while I'm on the road, is when I'm in my kitchen, cooking anything Italian. In my house, the use of Italian words is required when making any Italian food. 🍕🍝 Oh, and I should point out that my definition of "Italian" food is anything with basil or olive oil.😂 Needless to say, there is a lot of flour being tossed about as I repeat phrases like "ha bisogno di più farina."  New York Style Pizza Dough 3 cups bread flour 2 teaspoons sugar 1/2 teaspoon yeast 1 1/3 cup ice water 1 Tablespoon canola oil 1 1/2 teaspoons salt Sauce 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar 2 garlic cloves, minced 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/2 cup Parmesan 2 cups shredded mozzarella, shredded
 Bake in a 500 degree oven or on a Big Green Egg.  So here's to practicing my new Italian phrases while simultaneously learning to make an authentic New York style pizza - nessun problema. 😅
Caio!  I've decided that in my retirement, I am going to start a new career as a food critic. I mean - I love food and I love trying new restaurants -- so why not? I always try and make a point to taste something new when I go out to eat and I give my opinion on the meal anyway, so I might as well get paid for it. 💵 (Anyone know how to break into the food critic gig at 65? 😅) The only problem with working as a food critic is that there are certain foods that are not a part of my diet. I have a plan for this though - reinforcements. (AKA - my husband.) If there was ever a human who was up for trying a steak or a pork chop at a restaurant - it's him. 🥩 We can be team food critics. 😂 (I haven't told him this yet, so if you could keep this on the down-low - I'd appreciate it.😬)  I don't make a lot of steaks at home - mostly because of the aforementioned exclusion of red meat from my diet. I'm not fundamentally opposed to the consumption of red meat, I just prefer to eat other things. BUT, I'm the type of girl who will prepare just about any food to make someone else happy, even if it's not something that I particularly enjoy. It's not as sacrificial as you might think - I run a catering business. Making things for other people, that I don't eat myself, is fairly common. 🤷🏻♀️ I actually enjoy the process of buying and grilling a perfectly tender and juicy steak. There's a science to it but there's also an art to bringing out the best that the meat has to offer. Creating a tender, juicy and flavorful steak is the goal and this Grilled Ribeye with Italian Salsa Verde recipe is my new favorite to achieve steak perfection.  Grilled Ribeye with Italian Salsa Verde 2 pounds ribeye steak 1 Tablespoon butter salt and pepper Salsa Verde 1 cup parsley 3 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon pepper 2 teaspoons anchovy paste 1/2 cup olive oil 2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon lemon zest 2 teaspoons lemon juice
 Serve steaks with salsa verde.
My goal is to take advantage of more of these beautiful warm early Springs days this year and fire up the grill while the afternoon temperatures are comfortable. Too many years, I waited until it's swelteringly hot to get outside and cook dinner, and I paid the price - in sweat. 😅 The point is: Now is the perfect time to make these amazing steaks. Ciao!  Do you think it's a problem that I went through 45 pounds of sugar and 28 pounds of butter in just under a week? 😬 So much baking and sooooo much sugar. 😅I've turned my kitchen into a regular cake, cupcake, tart, pie, brownie and cookie factory this week. Being able to bake in two ovens has been a game changer. Now all I need is an assistant who can decorate cookies between the hours of midnight and 6 am so I can get some sleep. 😂 😴 These are just a few of the fun treats that I've had the privilege of working on this week. Christmas, birthdays, graduations - so many things to celebrate in December. On the plus side, there's no need for scented candles in my house when I'm baking dozens of batches of cookies every day. On the down side, stretchy pants are becoming my new norm. 🤣  It's no exaggeration that I've eaten messed up sugar cookies scraps for at least 3 meals this week. 😬 Like, not in addition to a meal or as a dessert at the end of a meal - cookies AS my meal. 😅 Just to be clear - This isn't healthy and I in no way advocate for the consumption of cookies in place of nutritious meals. 🤣 In an attempt to reverse the nutritionally deficient meals that I've been consuming while standing at my kitchen island this week, I'm turning to grilled chicken. This grilled chicken adobo was the perfect recipe for me to make while in the middle of my holiday baking madness. For one thing, it forced me to step outside the walls of my kitchen and spend some time outside at the grill. Secondly, it was way healthier than cookies. Lastly, it was super delicious and this savory chicken was just what I was craving after breathing in the sweet smell of royal icing for 16 hours a day.  Grilled Chicken Adobo Adobo 4 teaspoons garlic powder 2 1/2 teaspoons sazon 2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon oregano Chicken 4 pounds chicken leg quarters 5 Tablespoons white vinegar 5 Tablespoons olive oil 6 cloves garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped 1/2 teaspoon pepper
 Transfer chicken to a platter. Pour juices from pan into a bowl and serve alongside chicken. Now I'm kicking myself for only making enough of this delicious chicken for 1 meal. Why didn't I make extra so I could have some on hand for quick meals for the weekend? Next time. 🤦🏻♀️
Ciao!  City of Monroe - you did it again. The 2021 Farm to Table dinner was amazing. Everything from the wine and cocktails to the baklava that we were served for dessert was excellent. No kidding - that baklava was pure buttery, sweet perfection. 🇬🇷
For me, the Greek dessert was the clear winner of the night but I would be remiss if I didn't mention all of the other great food that we sampled. There were pimento cheese barbecue chicken sliders, shrimp and cabbage salad, pork sandwiches and tacos and a pork tenderloin dish.🍤 I can only speak for the non-meat portions of the meals but as far as I was concerned - everything was really tasty. 🤣 I'm not sure what I would title us, but there's got to be name for people like me who don't really eat a lot of pork or beef. 🤷🏻♀️ Out of the 5 local restaurants that served food at Sunday nights dinner, 3 of them served pork. And since pork isn't my favorite thing to eat - I ate the sides instead. I had my first ever coleslaw and pickled onion taco. 🌮😅  I live in Georgia - so it goes without saying that pork will be served at every event. (I'm pretty sure it's state law.) 🍖 And even though I'm not the biggest fan of smoked meats, I can always find other things that I like to eat when I go out to eat in the Peach State. I crave carbs and vegetables so a meal of side dishes is right up my alley. 🥦 I'm no stranger to pork - I actually cook it at home --- for other people. But if I had my choice - I would eat grilled chicken or seafood everyday. I eat so much chicken and seafood that I'm always looking for new ways to prepare and serve it - just to keep it interesting. That baklava from last weekend must have given me all Greek feels because this Grilled Chicken Souvlaki has been on my mind all day. This is such a delicious option for healthy (and super flavorful) grilled chicken dinner. Hope you enjoy - with some baklava for dessert, of course. 😉  Grilled Chicken Souvlaki 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1 Tablespoon fresh thyme 3 strips lemon zest, chopped 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon dried oregano or 2 Tablespoons fresh oregano 1/2 teaspoon coriander 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes 1/4 teaspoon pepper 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts Tahini Sauce 2 Tablespoons tahini 1 1/2 Tablespoons lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon oregano 4 Tablespoons butter, melted
 Place kebabs onto a grill and cook until 160 degrees. Transfer to a platter.
 Drizzle sauce over kebabs.
This was my first introduction to souvlaki and I've got to say - it was really tasty. A great way to add some flavor and spice to grilled chicken. Ciao! |
