For the Love of Food

Right before I left Germany to visit my family in Texas my mom asked me what I’d like to eat while I was there. Two things that popped into my head right away were Brisket and Corned Beef ….mmmmm.

So, my mom went off to the store to find some brisket and corned beef, which, apparently, are both marinated with sugar. She went ahead and got brisket meat (I forget what the part is called) without marinade so that we could make it ourselves. Corned beef is also made from the same cut of meat and I had cut the huge piece of meat in half to eventually make some, but we never got around to it.

There were a lot of no-sugar loop holes to jump through to make brisket and a BBQ sauce to go with it, but in the end it was soooo delicious. Continue Reading »

My mom makes great quiche. Now, I lived in France for a while, and while I was there I only ate it once and it was “so good” that I can’t even remember what it looked like, needless to say what it tasted like. And, if anyone can remember over decades how somethings tastes, i’s me.

So, I can’t say how this compares to the true thing, but it’s really delicious and easy to make. My mom uses a refrigerated pie crust that she buys ahead of time from the grocery store, but I make my own, and you can do whatever you want Continue Reading »

I love baked potatoes. I could eat one for a whole meal, my husband thinks otherwise.

Here’s a small one I had as a side dish, but the recipe is for any sized potato (huge potatoes may take a little longer). Continue Reading »

Most of your remember my post for McDonald’s-style chicken nuggets that was a huge hit. I decided to make a “buffalo” version. Don’t worry, no buffaloes were harmed in the making of this delicious nugget.

I made the chicken nuggets as I always do, them coated them with sauce in a large bowl, and then baked them so they wouldn’t be soggy. Next time I will try a bread crumb coating instead of flour which I think will work better with the sauce. AND, next time I will NOT forget to buy eggs!!! I used milk instead which hold the flour on just fine, but the crust doesn’t get very puffy or crunchy.

I didn’t have all I needed to make a ranch dressing for dipping, so I made Tzatziki sauce and it was great. We also mixed it in with our rice and it added a great kick to it. Continue Reading »

While rummaging through my mom’s pantry, I came across her alcohol collection. And, when I say collection, I really mean and they just sit there and collect dust.

We came across some old bottles of gin, rum, scotch, and whiskey that had been given to my dad ages ago. One bottle of Canadian Whiskey I came across was a total of 38 years old once you count the 6 years it matured before being bottled! That means, it’s been sitting, completely unopened, in one cabinet or another, for 32 YEARS!

We “helped” thin out her collection a bit by making some peach flambé with a can of peaches we also found in my mom’s pantry.

It was richer and thicker than usual – oh so good. I think it’s because the rum we used was about 20 years old. Continue Reading »

One of my favorite poultry meals to eat it fried chicken wings with lots of tangy Crystal Hot Sauce smothered all over them. But, I don’t enjoy frying too much. So, when I visit my mom, she makes them for me.

This time around she fried them in her cast iron pan and they can out extra crispy – possibly because it spread the heat more evenly. Either way, they are always good. Continue Reading »

While I was visiting my mom, I found some malt syrup sweetened chocolate chips at an HEB with a Central Market feel to it.
I made the Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that I have been making for years, and they worked great! Continue Reading »

For New Years we went to a friends house to celebrate. Now, I’m not a big fan of fruit salad, but since I can’t eat any cakes or cookies made with sugar, I dove in. And then I had another bowl, and then another…and then I asked, is there alcohol in this?

YES!

Rum – it’s that special “something” that every fruit salad is missing. Continue Reading »

I love Asian Food. And, when I paired myself with The CookMobile for Taste&Create, I was really excited to try some authentic food.

I decided to make her Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice. Her instructions were precise and very very easy to follow. Oh, and the rice was excellent!

It is sooooo hard for me not to change a recipe when I am making it – it takes true will power. I rarely use a recipe as is, but rather, I use it as a starting point. I decided that I had to make this one as it was, and I’m glad I did! I also followed the recommendations to add some toppings, so I chose cashews since that’s what I had on hand – mmmmm!

I’ll be back to The CookMobile for more!

A little while back I was contacted by the blogger running this blog – Jennie. She wanted advice about some common blogger interests. I was really honored that someone – anyone would write me for advice about blogging! I mean, I have been blogging for almost 3 years now – heck, I’m still figuring it out myself, taking little bits and pieces as I read along and get ideas.

So, to honor Jennie and her great first-time-mom-advice (I’m also a first time mom – I know many of you are too) – here is some link love! Continue Reading »