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I thought I would share some pics of one of the few bars we patronized on the island. This one was across the parking lot of the Hilton Garden Inn. Other fun part of all the bars in Maryland is Happy Hours. New Jersey out-lawed happy hours years ago. I actually understand their reasoning. No one in Baltimore or DC drives, so drink away people's, no DUI or DWI there and on the bay, there are so man
(Try saying good-bye to that face....snapped the morning before we packed our bags.) Most people look forward to a homecoming after an extended time away. Those with animals and especially kids can't seem to get that door opened fast enough, knowing there will be licks and kisses galore. Tails wagging, arms grabbing, it's always a wonderful thing.My house is not that way. Ours is all about a knot
Note from me: I booted my computer and found out that half the pictures I downloaded into Blogger from my iPad, never showed up here. I don't know why that happens but there are a few blogs I follow that pics are always missing and I assume they must blog using an Apple of some sort and don't realize there pics are non-existent. Because I don't want anyone to think I forgot to include pics that ma
One day last week, in Baltimore it was over 80 degrees and a great day to ride the water taxi all around the Inner Harbor and as usual, I needed to have a plan (or else we would be going in circles, did I tell you The Nudge is a terrible navigator?) and while I still had feeling in my feet, a tour of Fort McHenry was in order. Off we went in search of the Star Spangled Banner (to those of you not
(stock photo) Can you guess where we ate lunch our last afternoon in DC?I have to say, out of the thirty or so Hard Rocks we have had the pleasure to drink in, I thought this one was one of the more unique ones.Seems everyone we talk to (patrons & staff alike) has a history with this place, and ours goes back at least twenty years. Got a minute?Many years ago we needed to kill an hour in St. T
A couple weeks ago I was given a coupon for a new pizza crust with whole grains by Pillsbury. I was so busy at the time, the tube sat in my fridge until I spotted it on a shelf where it had been slowly pushed towards the back each time I added more food.Never completely out of my mind, I finally decided to make a Bismark Pizza in memory of my Mom on Mother's Day. She would add fried eggs to just a
I admit I am either a pain junkie or a very determined blogger. I refuse to let Google ruin my right to share all my wonderful pictures with you. I'll show them who's boss. I bought an App that will do the necessary coding required by Google blogger on an iPad clipboard and all I have to do is copy and paste.Give me two weeks to read the instructions, practice my coding, view the previews 20x each
I simply can not figure out how to upload photos now that Google yet again managed to mess everything comfortable, into God knows what. I think they did this new round of updates to punish us iPad users. Just as I had finally gotten used to one set of rules, they made new ones. I can not guarantee that what you finally read is what I started with....not a way I wanted to spend precious vacation ti
This morning I finally get a few minutes to write a small post before we start off to the Lincoln Memorial.It's raining today and I anticipated this by scheduling indoor events.Our first full day here was a beautiful day and I had such high hopes for our visit to the National Zoo. Very disappointed indeed. The only animals we physically tracked down was one emancipated Asian elephant doing maneuve
The hotel where we are staying, is built within a shopping mall over a Metro Station (subway). Seems to be how all the newest hotels are built here in DC. I like it but while easy to navigate, finding an actual entrance on the street is hard. We found ourselves having to take an elevator that was right outside a Marriot complex, down to the tracks. Was either that or we would have to walk into the
We are off on a road trip for two weeks.The Nudge has never been to Washington DC and we decided to take vacations that require lots of walking while our bodies are still willing and able.After we wreck havic in our nation's capitol, we run up to Baltimore to eat every soft shelled crab we can (and to catch an Oriole game). Our next destination has us heading south again, where we will spend three
In a small town near where I grew up there was a shack of a hot dog place called Rutt's Hut, famous for their rippers. My Dad was one of those father's that insisted we eat a balanced meal, so the ripper's had to wait till high school. What I remember most was their Salisbury Steaks. Only place I remember that made them right. Everyone else's mom pretty much used a meatloaf recipe.I decided to tea
While I love stuffed cabbage, The Nudge will turn his nose up when I mention it. You know that look, "what, agaaaainnnn?"I thought if I twisted it up a bit, I might get him to change his mind.Traditional stuffed cabbage uses ground meat, rice and raisins and can be high in fat (the rice soaks up the fat from the meat). I used a shoulder from the suckling pig I roasted on Easter and since all the f
I found this recipe the other day from an old note card recipe file that I filled over 25 years ago. It's been fun going through the contents and gave me an insight into the dishes that intrigued me back then.This dish is a loose translation of that recipe that apparently I made once to rave reviews and then never again (the story of my life).Bay scallops are in season in November but due to culti
I would have to say that for a very simple dish of simple ingredients this was good enough for a company brunch, say, Mother's Day or even Father's Day. It can be assembled up to two days before the actual eating day and if you need too, it can be baked and reheated quite successfully.There is enough butter in the croissants to keep the dish hydrated enough to handle two baking's.When croissants a
Going on vacation for two weeks poses a separate list of potential problems then just popping off for seven days. You need enough clothing and undies for 14 days. You have to make sure you hire a house/animal sitter because asking your neighbor for a 14 day favor just ain't gonna cut it, and you have to make sure you cook all the 'spoil-in-14-day' food from the fridge.Last week I made a list for t
Rounding out our week of egg dishes, I made Julia Child's Classic Cheese Soufflé using Cheddar instead of the traditional Gruyere.OK, this post is a very good lesson of what NOT to do and I want you to benefit from my mistake.While the actual making of a soufflé is extremely easy, there can be a few areas where things can go wrong. Do not do what I did.As you can see from the pic, my top hat was l
I think shells have to be up there with wagon wheels as one of kids favorite pasta shapes. I was always a corkscrew kid but The Nudge, well, he loved his shells. I guess a shrink would say that just about described our marriage. I'm a screwball and he's a hugger.I noticed that he's been requesting his fav for some time now but not a shell in the house. We aren't talking about stuffed shells, h
It's no secrest The Nudge adores eggs. I would say love but that word is so overused in relation to food ingredients and now that I think of it adore isn't all that great either.So how do you describe a food you could eat every day for the rest of your life?Smashingly good.Cherish.Treasure.Prize.Relish.Fancy.Savor.Worship.Revere.Praise.Extol, and my new favorite.....PanegyrizeCan you worship an eg
There is no cream in this soup, if you don't count the butter (butter is made from cream and used here as a garnish).I think it should be called Creamy Cauliflower Soup but this is not my recipe. I was testing it for Cook's Illustrated Magazine. We are asked nicely not to blog about the tests until the recipe makes it into the magazine but they never let you know if it does.I suppose I will be in
Couple month's ago I posted a recipe for these and the green pepper salsa was the clear winner of this dinner.Last night I prepared chicken & pepper quesadillas and although I like quesadillas, I really wanted to make a batch of green pepper salsa again so I could snap a decent pic and post the salsa here and on my sister blog. Traditional salsa is tomatoes, jalapenos, garlic, red peppers (or
The last time I made Crescent City BBQ Shrimp (New Orleans style) I used Emeril's recipe and let's face it, it was loaded with butter. It was wonderful but there had to be a better way so I took a shot at creating a lighter version with all the taste but way low in fat.I almost forgot about a container of Butter Buds in my pantry. Not a huge real butter user, except in baking, I admit I should hav
Yes, I made salmon meatballs. No, I have never cooked a salmon meatball before, nor have I eaten one.Well, let me tell you. These babies are delicious! They are light, not overly salmon-y (you know what I mean), spicy, flavorful and this whole dish takes less than an hour to prepare.Refreshing, nutrient rich coconut water continues to be the fastest growing beverage in the UnitedStates, and Vita C
I love Asian food but The Nudge does not. He's traveling this week, which is wonderful because I am using all my cooking time, creating recipes for a Recipe Redux Sponsored Challenge.I have to be honest about the fact I knew nothing about coconut water, as I am sure more than 75% of the American people would agree with me.Coconut water is the liquid inside green coconuts. When The Nudge was in Ind
When you cut carbs out of your meals, you need to make that plate more exciting or you will tire of your food and that ooey gooey Mac 'n Cheese starts to look really good.I bookmarked this sauce after The Nudge told me about a red pepper soup he had while traveling.He totally surprised me with that one. I'm the roasted red pepper lover and use them in everything. To me a Caprese Salad could be lun
Being the non-baker that I am, I always have a boxed cake mix in my pantry. Those days when I get a request to bake something on the fly, I can make flavored bundt or sheet cakes and even cupcakes (if I was one to actually make a cupcake).Having eaten the ice cream sandwiches and the last of a piece of carrot cake from Easter, I pulled out my box of yellow cake mix and while I was pondering
About a week before we were sent this Recipe Redux recipe contest sponsored by the Vita Coco Pure coconut water, I was Googling date honey. My interest was due to a Diabetic Cookbook using date honey as a natural sweetener to replace cane sugar. Although easy to order online, it is quite expensive and I choose to make my own using dates and coconut water (half the cost less shipping). Yes, that's
Wow, did I get an eye opener yesterday. I felt as if someone blind-sided me with a sucker punch.What upsets me the most is how I thought I was well educated in the world of diabetes and their diets and after spending three years pouring over sites like the Mayo Clinic, the American Diabetes Association and magazines like Eating Well, Cooking Light and Diabetes Forecast, etc.....in one day I c
Flounder was on sale this week, so it was a good time to put this dish on the menu. I picked out the three longest fillets I could find because I need to braid them. Each fillet was cut into three equal lengths and braided as your would a pony tail. It made the dish look good enough for company.A bed of sauteed greens (Swiss chard, spinach, beet greens or mustard greens) goes down the middle of th
This is a post about the sauce. You can use any pasta your family likes.I used four cheese tortellini. Not normally on the menu, my Shop-Rite had them at a managers special for $1.25 each. I bought two packages and placed them in the freezer.I do know the correct way this dish should be prepared but I am slightly squeamish about undercooked egg whites. If I see them I will push my dish away. Every
Like many dishes from the 30's, it is hard to pinpoint the history. Wars have many ways of leaving an imprint on people's daily lives, from the positive introduction of foreign foods to most of the American comfort foods of today. Sloppy Joe's was one of them. Some say the rationing of foods created many one pot meals we still eat today. Every mother learned how to stretch their pitiful allotment
The Easter Bunny told me since I was a good girl and would be preparing a huge Easter Dinner production, I could have a day of non cooking and eat out. I thought that was a good idea except I already defrosted the cod I planned to eat tonight.Although this meal was eaten on Good Friday, I posted it today because I wanted you to see my lovely Iggy.A few weeks ago I bought a new cookbook written by
Over the Delaware River and through the woodsTo Jeannie's Egg Hunt with Brunch we went.On the road we met three little piggies leaving home for the market.We stopped to warn them that we thought we saw a BIG BAD wolf not far behind."Oh my," said the littlest piggy, "I knew I should have stayed home.""Oh my," said the middle little piggy, "I wish I didn't have a craving for roast beef"."Oh my"
I found really nice looking veal cutlets this week. The Nudge was surprised, last time we bought veal at the butchers we were so disappointed we were afraid to try again because let's face it, with the price per pound, nothing makes me sadder than to throw money in the garbage.This time, I thought I would peruse my local market. Yes, the one where I avoid the fish section as if my life depended on
This would be a great dish for a crowd. Promise me you will buy a package of instant polenta and make this dish. Those of you who like to make the traditional soft, creamy polenta, I applaud you but this dish is nothing like that. You know how mashed potatoes get when they cool off? If I did not know I was eating polenta, I would think I was eating pumped up mashed potatoes.I really did not start
One way to organize your refrigerator (produce especially) is make a menu plan that uses the same ingredient in at least three recipes. Also, try to find the ones that most often go on sale, like this week asparagus, mushrooms and artichokes are showcased. Depending on what you will be serving for Easter will also dictate some of your meals for the week.I love those huge stuffing mushrooms that my
Great dish to put out on your holiday brunch buffet table.I am roasting a pig over at my SIL's house this Sunday and since we have to be there at the crack dawn, I thought I would surprise her with breakfast.I wanted to make a trial this Sunday to make sure I got all the components in perfect harmony. Too much Lox or onion could be the Yang without the Ying. While I ate my share, I am glad I made
You would think that a man married for 30+ years has finally figured out the reason why there are 1000+ pasta shapes, and every time I ask him which pasta he would like with a certain recipe he picks the right one.NOTThe Nudge is a simple man. He likes a few things and that's what he likes.OK, for instance. Short pasta...."those ones that look like a pen".Baked Cheese Macaroni.....elbows.Thick
Yesterday I finalized my Week Four Meal Plan. I also realized I am behind in posting the recipes for the dishes highlighted in color. I will get there, I had a few setbacks this week and certain dishes got moved up and others, well, they were pushed to the back burners.I have enjoyed creating these meal plans. I have learned something new from every week so far and I figure that if you do also, it
I started us on a smoothie kick a few weeks ago and we have been pretty good at drinking at least 2 a week. I let The Nudge pick the ones he wants and I make mine at home. This way they stay fresh and appetizing.I am sorry, I am not getting up to make him a smoothie every morning, there are very good ones out there and he doesn't have a health issue like I do.Since it's very hard to find a smoothi
Hmmmmmm, what's a vert?Traditional bistro au Poivre used black peppercorns, this dish uses green (which by coincidence is what I have in my fridge) hence the vert.Green peppercorns are unripe black peppercorns that they store in a brine, kind of like capers. They actually look like capers and you do not want to know how many times I grabbed the wrong bottle. Who reads the label?While ordering my s
With Passover very close to Easter this year, I wanted to create a diabetic-friendly Jewish custard that follows the laws of Passover. Can be chilled for a fast breakfast or warm as a dessert.I found this site on how to eat diabetic dishes while following the rules of the Jewish holidays. I think the foods eaten during Passover are more well known than the other religious holidays due to the large
I developed this light but creamy panna cotta using a basil syrup in my head while staring at a huge pot of basil that I seriously needed to start using and wanted to use it for more than just a garnish in a savory dish or a pesto. That was over a year ago.Somewhere in the deep crevices of my strange but weirdly working brain during my obsession with savory cheesecakes phase, I imagined a sauce of
Been a while since this dish graced our table. I'm not sure why I put this on the menu but I am glad I did.I happen to spot a baby smoked pork shoulder. Exactly enough for four. One reason I don't make a whole pork shoulder or Boston butt is the fact that my market does not usually sell small cuts of shoulder, you have to buy the whole thing. Way too much food for a family of four, let alone two.
This recipe had to be named after something someone ate in Zaragoza, Spain.I really did not know that, I had no idea where it was from. I put it on the menu because I liked the name and it was perfect for my meal plan.I am assuming that somewhere, someone had eaten a braise or soup with cardoon's while in Spain and wanting to know what they were, asked the waiter or host what a cardoon was and the
You do not want to know how long it has taken me to make edible pancakes of any kind that The Nudge will eat. There is a long list of types he won't sanction and these include......Whole WheatBuckwheatOatbranPumpkinCornmealTofu.........to name a few.He's completely happy with basic Aunt Jamima's boxed buttermilk pancakes. I am not.Pancakes require a baker's mentality. I am baker impaired.About 2 y
