Food, Love, and Travel

OK, well, it's Matt again. There is no food prepared in this post, but there's definitely food to talk about. On our Thanksgiving trip to Georgia, we made another stop at a Diner from the Food Network show Diner's, Drive-Ins, and Dives. I just wanted to recap the tasty places we've been and urge everyone reading this to hit the road and find a place you love!

To recap our food travels, we've been to 5 places from Guy's Triple D show between the two of us. Rosie's Diner in Grand Rapids, MI, Four Kegs in Las Vegas, NV, Marietta Diner in Marietta, GA, South Side Soda Shop in Goshen, IN, and Krazy Jim's Blimpy Burger in Ann Arbor, MI. In addition, we've been to 4 other places featured on Food Network. Mad Greek in Solon, OH, The Lady and Sons in Savannah, GA, Lynn's Paradise Cafe in Louisville, KY, and Bubba's Oyster House in Savannah, GA. You may recognize The Lady and Sons and we even got to meet Paula and Jamie Deen! The food at all these places was phenomenal and there's a reason they are all on television shows.

My favorite foodie memory of all time though involved a tiny cafe on St. Thomas during our honeymoon last December. We ate great food while the local island lady who owned the cafe sang Christmas carols from behind the bar in a way only a Caribbean islander can.

I post this to encourage everyone reading this to blaze a foodie path. Find a small cafe or diner that serves great food and make some great memories.

Food is love and we love to build memories around food and travel......

Happy Holidays to all!

No food post today, but lots of food in store for today and tomorrow!

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!

Matt and I traveled to GA to celebrate Thanksgiving this year, and are having a fantastic time. The weather is beautiful and we went on an 18 mile bike ride with my father-in-law, and I'll be making lasagna for dinner (post coming soon). I wanted to take this time to say why I am thankful. I am thankful for an amazing husband, parents, grandparents, in-laws, friends, and for God blessing my life so richly.

Super Easy Italian Beef

No picture for this post, and I have about seven other recipes to add. School started and my life has been consumed by it. It is not crock-pot season, so we have been using it, and enjoying it. Here is a quick easy italian beef recipe that is delicious.

Super Easy Italian Beef
3lb. Sirloin Tip Roast
1/2 C Brown Sugar
1 Bottle Kraft Light House Italian Dressing

Spray your crock-pot with nonstick spray. Put your roast in, and pour the brown sugar on top of it. Shake your dressing bottle, and empty the contents into the crock-pot over the roast. Set the crock-pot on the low setting for 8-10 hours. After that time has elapsed, pull the meat out, and with two forks shred it. Put the beef back in the crock-pot, and serve between your favorite roll, hoagie, bread, etc. I also enjoy eating it by itself. YUM!!

For a good side dish - Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash and prepare brussel sprouts. Cut them in half, and place on a baking pan sprayed with non-stick spray. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper, and a little bit of maple syrup (optional). Bake in the oven for 20 minutes and enjoy!! The possibilities are endless with this dish because the seasoning combinations are all up to your imagination!! Experiment!

Hot Almond Chicken Salad

It's the husband here, I love to cook and bake too, so here we go with my inaugural post on Fay's foodie blog. This is one of our absolute favorites when we are tired and looking for a quick, comfy dinner! Here's the recipe, enjoy!

1-1/4 cup Helman's Light Mayo
18 oz diced chicken breast meat (if you really want to save time, this is 3 packages of the Tyson pre-cooked, diced chicken in the pouches)
Juice of one lemon
1/2 cup of fresh grated parmagiano reggiano
1 cup of grated sharp cheddar cheese
4 stalks of diced celery
1/2 cup slivered almonds
Salt and pepper to taste (if you use real parmagiano, you won't need to add salt)
About 10 buttery crackers

Mix everything but the crackers in a large mixing bowl. Spread evenly in a sprayed 13 X 9 pan. Crumble buttery crackers over the top. Bake at 350 for 20 to 30 minutes. That's it!!

Here it is after baking, hot, bubbly, and delicious!!

Tunnel of Fudge Cake

Courtesy of Pilsbury Best of the Bake-Off Cookbook

Cake
1-3/4 C granulated sugar
1-3/4 C butter, softened
6 eggs
2 C powdered sugar
2-1/4 C all-purpose flour
3/4 C unsweetened cocoa
2 C chopped walnuts

Glaze
3/4 C powdered sugar
1/4 C unsweetened cocoa
4 to 6 t milk

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease 12 C fluted bundt pan; lightly flour. In a large bowl, beat the granulated sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. On low speed, gradually add in 2 C of powdered sugar until well blended. With spoon, stir in flour, cocoa and nuts until well blended. Spoon batter into the pan and spread evenly.

Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until top is set and edge begins to pull away from the pan. (since the cake has a soft filling, you cannot do the usual toothpick test). Cool upright in pan on cooling rack 1 hour and 30 minutes. Turn cake upside down onto serving platter and cool at least 2 hours.

In a small bowl, mix glaze ingredients, adding enough milk for desired consistency. Spoon over cake, allowing some to run down sides. Store cake tightly covered!

This batter was like velvet after I added the powdered sugar!!

The center was so fudgy and moist!! Will make this one again!!

Quote of the day:

"Life has a bright side and a dark side, for the world of relativity is composed of light and shadows. If you permit your thoughts to dwell on evil, you yourself will become ugly. Look only for the good in everything so you absorb the quality of beauty."

~ Paramahansa Yogananda

Pesto Ravioli Dinner

Made a yummy dinner with organic ravioli and fresh pesto!

This brand was very tasty and cooked up quickly!

We grow our own basil and it's super easy! Just plant in a pot like you would any flower and water as needed. When it flowers, be sure to pick the flowers off to keep it growing and fresh. It had just rained so the leaves aren't looking as fresh as usual.

Used good parm. cheese and grated it fresh. I find this truly enhances the flavor.

Whips up fast in the food processor and smells so amazing!

Pesto Sauce
2/3 C fresh basil leaves
1/3 C good grated parmesan
1/3 C good olive oil
2 T pine nuts
1/8 t pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled
Add to taste up to 1/2 t salt


Toss all in food processor and blend! Wait to add the salt b/c if you are using good parm it will be saltier and you might not need any. Stays good for up to 1 week or 3 months in the freezer. If you freeze, top with olive oil to keep from turning brown.

Test Signature

Raspberry Ganache Pie - Mmmm!

This is my first official post of my new food blog, inspired by my husband! He encouraged me to share my successes and failures in the kitchen with the world. Food is love and this pie is full of it!

The recipe called for a store bought oreo crust, but I prefer to make my own! It allows me to eat a few oreos during the process!

I don't always measure, but I will try to get better at that to post the most accurate information possible. I often change recipes I come across before I every try them as written and it is usually a success.....and sometimes not!

This recipe is from Kraft Foods and I love finding these simple quick fixes!

Raspberry Ganache Pie from Kraft Foods

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (8 squares) BAKER'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 cup whipping cream
6 Tbsp. seedless raspberry jam, divided
1 OREO Pie Crust (6 oz.) or see below for your own crust
2 cups fresh raspberries
1 Tbsp. water

Directions:

MICROWAVE chocolate and cream in microwaveable bowl on HIGH 2 min. or until chocolate is almost melted, stirring after each minute. Beat with whisk until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended. Stir in 2 Tbsp. jam.
POUR into crust. Refrigerate 4 hours.
ARRANGE berries on top of pie. Microwave remaining jam and water in small microwaveable bowl on HIGH 30 sec.; stir until well blended. Brush onto berries. Keep refrigerated.

Oreo Crust:
1.5 rows oreos
4 T butter, melted

Crush the oreos in a food processor; then add to the melted butter and stir well. Press into pie pan and it's ready to go!


Quote of the day:
"Our achievements of today are but the sum total of our thoughts of yesterday. You are today where the thoughts of yesterday have brought you and you will be tomorrow where the thoughts of today take you." ~ Blaise Pascal