Tuesday, April 8, 2014

Strawberry Salad

Great spring time salad! I just threw together some things I already had on hand, but you could tweak it any way you like!

I used good ole ice berg lettuce. I really enjoy the crispness of it, but any type of greens could be substituted. You could use romaine, a spring mix or even baby spinach! The toppings include fresh sliced strawberries, sliced apples, candied pecans, grilled chicken and mozzarella. If you are feeling adventurous you could use feta cheese! 

Dressing suggestions would be a raspberry vinaigrette or poppy seed dressing!


Friday, April 4, 2014

April is here!

Hello all! I am so happy April is finally here! That means it's getting close to the time that I will be dragging out my little grill and cooking up some yummy chicken, steak, and veggies! This makes Jamie very happy! I could probably grill every night and often find myself licking my lips in jealousy when I get a whiff of  neighborhood grill fumes wafting over in front of my nose..mmmmm I can smell it now!

 As you can see I haven't posted much recently. The reason for this is due to the fact that once again....I am on my beloved liquid diet! Sooo happy about it too! Not! :/
The surgery I had in November for my esophageal cancer was essentially successful as it removed the cancer, however, there are a few minor complications that still need to be tweaked. My pylorus, which is the muscle that helps to move your food from your stomach to the intestine has tightened up on me into a teeny weenie opening and not allowing my food to pass through. The food thus stays in my stomach and makes me nauseous. Not fun either. My surgeon has to go in my stomach down through the esophagus (which also occasionally needs to be stretched as well) and stretch the pylorus. The time before last I even got botox so my pylorus should be rather good looking lol.  It didn't work very long however and I ended up back in the operating room a week ago for another stretch. Along with the stretch comes a liquid diet for a couple weeks.

I am quite eager to get to eating food that doesn't have to be blended! Since last summer was ruined by being in St. Louis to undergo chemo and radiation treatments, I didn't get a chance to do any grilling or enjoying anything really. This summer I have vowed to do lots of grilling and cooking and checking out some new restaurants.

I shall now mosey on to the kitchen and find something liquidy to fill my cantankerous belly!
Until next time!
God Bless!

Brendan's Bacon Double Cheese

My son, Brendan, who is 15, Autistic and an extremely picky eater has inspired this sandwich made just for him! He loves food that is crunchy or on a bun so the few things he likes are hamburgers, cheeseburgers, chicken nuggets and strips, grilled cheese and bacon. Unfortunately he wont touch anything remotely healthy usually so I need to find somewhere to hide some veggies!

This grilled cheese is pretty basic and easy peasy!
2 slices of bread (your preference)
2 slices of cheese (your choice)
Oscar Meyer (or any brand) of real bacon bits.
Butter - I used Parkay butter spray

Butter outsides of bread.
Place one buttered side into heated pan.
Place one piece of cheese on bread followed by bacon bits...as many or little as you like...
Another slice of cheese on top of the bacon and remaining slice of bread!
Cook to your liking and enjoy stand alone or with your favorite soup!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Recipe - Sauteed French Green Beans

Sauteed French Green Beans

These green beans are not only very tasty, but healthy as well! They make a great side dish for chicken or chops. I wanted to make sure I had plenty of leftovers for when I wanted a snack and to go with my left over pork chops so I used two cans of french style green beans. Technically, you could use whatever type of green beans you have in your cupboard or freezer. The ingredients I am listing is how I prepared mine, however feel free to tweak how you need to!

Ingredients

2 cans French cut green beans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup bacon pieces or chopped bacon
1TB minced garlic
1TB minced onion
Salt & Pepper to taste
Spray olive oil

  1. Open two cans of green beans and try to drain as much of the juice as you can.
  2. Generously spray the saute pan with the spray olive oil. If you do not have the spray kind, you could use olive oil or butter.
  3. Add all ingredients to the pan and saute to your likeness.


Friday, February 14, 2014

Oven Fried Ranch Pork Chops

Oven Fried Ranch Pork Chops


Upon trying to decide what kind of pork chops I wanted for dinner, I had a hard time choosing between oven fried chops and ranch chops. So, I combined them together and made oven fried ranch pork chops! They were very good and I'll definitely be making these again!

Ingredients 

4 pork chops - any cut you like.
1 pkg Hidden Valley Ranch dressing mix
2 c. Dry bread crumbs or stuffing mix
1 1/2 c. Egg beaters or 1 egg beaten + 2 TB Milk

  1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
  2. I used 2 boneless butterflied chops for this recipe, you can use any cut you like. If using butterflied cut each chop into two pieces.
  3. Put breadcrumbs in a large ziplock bag and crush. I left some chunks in mine for extra crunchy texture.
  4. Add the packet of ranch dressing to the bread crumbs and mix together well.
  5. Dip each chop one at a time in the egg mixture and then drop into the zip lock bag. Toss around to coat the chops generously.
  6. Place each chop on a baking tray or cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your chops!
  7. Enjoy!

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

What to do with those wrinkly ole grape tomatoes!

Don't you hate when you buy grape tomatoes and can't get them all used up before they wrinkle? They may no longer be a candidate for your perfect salad, but don't throw them out just yet! The best remedy for wrinkly maters is to cook them! Once they start to heat up, they will start to plump up. Add them to your favorite dish or enjoy them all by themselves! I like to sautee mine with a little balsamic reduction. Mmmmm!

English Muffin Mini Pizzas

I love me some pizza! While trolling around on Pinterest I saw these little gems. Since my surgery I am limited on how much food I can eat at one time so these were perfect for me! I went to the store and gathered up all the necessary ingredients and whipped these up one night for dinner. I served the mini pizzas alongside some home made Italian pasta salad. I love Hawaiian pizza so of course that is what I chose to make, however the great thing about these is you can top them with your own favorite toppings!

The mini pizzas are super easy and quick to make. Even the kiddos can easily make their own!



TIP:  Don't you hate when you bite into a slice of pizza and in one bite you drag off half of the toppings and end up with hot pizza sauce dripping down your chin? Ok, well maybe that only happens to me? Just in case
it does happen, an easy way to remedy it is to cut your toppings up into small bit size pieces. That way when you take a bite of the pizza your teeth won't drag off your toppings!  lk]\

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Romano's Macaroni Grill - South County, St. Louis.

We had been wanting to try out macaroni grill for quite a while and the opportunity finally presented itself! Amanda, Brendan and I were headed over to the South County Center Mall and there sat Macaroni Grill right at the Entrance!  The ambiance is perfect for whatever you are out and about for. Whether it's a bite to eat after a long day of shopping, a casual dinner, or a romantic date night with your hunny you will feel right at home here.

They keep the Olive Oil right on your table for you to refill at your convenience if you have soaked up all of that yumminess with the free loaf of bread they bring to your table upon arrival. If you run out of bread they will be more than happy to replenish! Our waitress, who unfortunately I can't remember her name but she was very nice, added some fresh ground black pepper to the oil. If I had thought about it at the time I would have also asked her to grate  some cheese into the oil as well!

They had a special on their menu, two appetizers for $9, so Amanda picked the fried mac n cheese and zucchini frites, which is fried zucchini. The mac n cheese bites were amazing! They come with a cheese sauce to dip the yummy squares in which makes them even more delectable. I only was able to eat one because since my surgery my tummy can only hold a small amount of food and I had to save room for my main entree, but it took everything I had not to gobble up more!  I really liked the zucchini as well. My only complaint is the description doesn't tell you it is served with arribiata sauce so my mouth wasn't exactly prepared for the heat! I did request some plain red sauce which was quite runny, but better on the buds!  

For my entree I chose the eggplant parmesan. It was accompanied by cappelini pasta with marinara sauce. This was soo delicious! The eggplant was well done just how I like it, crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. The sauce was very tasty and paired well with the eggplant and pasta. I would definitely order this again! The portion was huge. With two good size portions of the eggplant, one could share with a friend and be quite satisfied. 

For $3 you can add either a field green salad or ceasar to your meal. Amanda and I both opted for the field green salad with ranch dressing. The salad was good, however, I am not very fond of bitter raddichio which was part of the salad. I would order again though! 

Amanda went for the Carmella's Chicken, rigatoni pasta topped with grilled chicken, fresh mushrooms, caramelized onions and a creamy marsala wine sauce. I tried a bite of the rigatoni and it too was very good! I would order this for myself, but minus the rooms. 

Brendan had the kids chicken strips and fries. I guess they couldn't make an adult entree with chicken strips so he ended up with three strips and a small amount of fries. Luckily he had bread to help fill him up. 

We did not order dessert, but maybe next time! Overall I really liked the Macaroni Grill. My only complaint is that the Olive Garden has me spolied with the salad that comes with the meal as opposed to paying extra for it so I wish MRG also offered a complimentary salad.    

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Pizza Man!

A local Litchfield favorite! My family has been going here for years and it has never disappointed! Love this pizza! My favorite - ham n pineapple, well done!

Saturday, January 18, 2014

I can eat again!

I went to see my surgeon and got the green light to eat normal food again! To celebrate I went to Applebee's and had a steak. It was quite yummy, however I was only able to eat a few bites! It ended up making several meals for me.

Tuesday, January 7, 2014

T-Rex Cafe - Orlando, FL

 
 Looking for a quiet spot to relax, eat and collect your thoughts? Don't go here! It can get pretty loud! T-Rex is a dino themed restaurant owned by Landry's and this particular one is located at Downtown Disney - or what is now Radiator Springs. Kids will have a great time here and adults will enjoy the food! If you have any children that are on the Autism spectrum and has sensitivities to sound -
 just a warning the dinos start screetching and a loud volcano erupts like every 20 - 30 minutes.


Artifact Stack - Onion rings

 
 
 Jurassic Salad
 Iceberg/romaine lettuce, celery, carrots, tomatoes & black olives and
focaccia bread. Awesome with the BBQ/Ranch dressing!
 
Tyrannosaurus T-Bone w/ waffle fries
 
Fire-Roasted Rotisserie Chicken
w/Garlic Red Skinned Mashed Potatoes & Baked Beans

 
Paleozoic Chicken Sandwich
 Pizza dough filled with grilled chicken, lettuce, bacon,
 pepper jack cheese, avocado, tomato and lemon aioli  
 
Woolly Mammoth Chicken
Seasoned grilled chicken breast sautéed with spinach, onions, roasted red bell peppers, zucchini and mushrooms in a light tomato and roasted red bell pepper broth served over garlic mashed potatoes 
 
Chocolate Extinction
A gigantic portion of chocolate fudge cake served with ice cream, fresh whipped cream drizzled with fudge and caramel sauces and sprinkled with Butterfinger crumbs.  
 





 
 
*Food descriptions from Allears.net

Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville Bar and Grill - Chicago

If you are looking for a cheeseburger in paradise, you don't have to look too far! I only had to look as far as Chicago. I have been craving one of those little delicacies since I had one at the Jimmy Buffet's Margaritaville in Orlando @ Universal City Walk. After slathering on the recommended Heinz 57 sauce and digging in, it was love at first bite. I was quite happy when I learned there was a Margaritaville in Chicago at Navy Pier.

The Chicago location is actually a bar and grill and is a lot smaller than the Orlando restaurant. When the weather is cooperative, they do have outdoor seating as well.

 
 
 Nothing better than a cool, sweet, smooth Mountain Dew to quench your thirst!
No ice for me - it melts down and makes the soda bitter. I prefer to drink it straight
up!
 
 
 You gotta have the 57 for your Cheeseburger in Paradise!
 
This is a Banana Pina Colada I ordered. It was all watered down
and had no flavor. I should have known just to stick with the Dew.
 
 
 Ahhh, and there it is in all it's glory! I present to you...the Cheeseburger in Paradise!
 
 
Amanda ordered the sirloin with Hawaiian butter and coconut shrimp.
 It came with two sauces - one was an
orange sauce. They were both delicious with the steak! 

Crown Candy Kitchen - St. Louis, Mo

I never knew Crown Candy Kitchen existed, that is until I saw Adam Richman do the 5 malt challenge on Man vs. Food! Giant malts, exquisite sundaes and "heart stopping" food had me at hello. During Brendan's birthday getaway Amanda and I decided to try it out. Luckily it was nice out on the day in question. If you want to visit CCK on most days, you have stand in a long line that sometimes goes around the corner and down the street. Seating inside is very limited so head over before you get to your starving point!

www.crowncandykitchen.net
1401 St. Louis Ave
St. Louis, Mo 63106
314-621-9650



 
I had the chili dog! They should have called it a monster dog, because it
was huge! It was very good, but I must admit Amanda's BLT kind of made
my mouth water!


 
This is Amanda's Heart stopping BLT. You can see from the picture
with all that bacon why they call it "heart stopping". Doesn't it look good!
 
 
Brendan and I got a sundae!


20's Hideout - Marion, Illinois

While we love our Applebee's and other chain restaurants, Amanda and I love to find new places to eat. Sometimes it is just fun to try something local. On a trip to visit my aunt in Southern, Il we stumbled across a restaurant called the 20's Hideout in Marion. The theme of the restaurant of course is the 20's. The hostess, servers and even management are all dressed up in pin striped suits. It kind of makes them look like gangsters, but it is a neat concept. They have a piano bar as well and the piano player takes requests. Our first experience at this restaurant started out great and ended up not so great. It was close to closing when we got there and as time went on, our very nice server began to get rude and obviously wanted to rush us out the door. She even ended up taking Amanda's appetizer without asking if she was finished, which she was not. Since we enjoyed the food, we did try it again and had a pleasant experience! If you are in the area, I would recommend giving the 20's Hideout a try!

(618) 997-8325
2606 W Main St, Marion, IL

Menu  Cover
 
Their version of a Bloomin' Onion!
 
 
This one was my main entrée -Chopped steak with grilled peppers n onions,
and steak fries.

Another view of the appetizer and yummy salad
 
 
 Amanda's mushrooms
 
 
 Amanda's Ribeye with baked potato and lobster

Artist Colony Restaurant - Nashville, Indiana

My family has been visiting Nashville, Indiana for many years. It is about 3 1/2 hours away from home so it's the perfect place to getaway for a weekend or a couple of days.  One of the best things about visiting Nashville is the local restaurants. One of my favorites to visit is the Artist Colony Restaurant. It is located inside the Artist Colony Bed and Breakfast right on Main Street. I have never stayed there as a guest, but I have had a few meals there!



 
Appetizer -Potato Skins

 
Pulled BBQ Pork Sandwich with steak fries - this was so good!

 
Breaded Pork Tenderloin - This particular sandwich was Amanda's, however, we
went back again because I just had to try this tenderloin. It was so yummy! It
was like a breaded porkchop sandwich!

 
I love my salads! This one included. I'm not sure what it was
that made it so good, but the French dressing was very good here.

Harvest Moon - Nashville, Indiana

When hungry for pizza while visiting Nashville, there are not a huge slew of choices. Since it is just a small artisan town there are no Pizza Huts or Dominos to order from. There is the Harvest Moon restaurant, however! Since the last time I have been here, they have moved to a new location across town so I am not sure if the décor is still the same. I am sure the food has remained the same though..good!


Fettuccini Alfredo
 
The dining area of the old location

 
Yep, you guessed it...ham and pineapple!

 
Spaghetti and Meatballs