Chili Lime Drumsticks

These chili lime drumsticks are a crowd pleaser, and so tasty.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Purchase a pack of 16 drumsticks, rinse them and pat them dry.  Season with salt and pepper and lay flat in two large baking pans.

Mix in a bowl 4 T unsalted butter, melted and cooled, along with 1/4 cup fresh lime juice, 1 T chili powder, 1 chopped clove garlic and 1 tsp sugar.  Pour this over the drumsticks and turn to coat.  Cover with foil and bake 15 minutes.  Remove foil and turn the drumsticks, then bake another 35 minutes til cooked through, basting often with the pan juices.

let rest for 10 minutes, then serve hot...or let cool, cover and refrigerate to serve cold.

Present this dish on a platter with wedges of lime, and you're done!

Bacon Salt Potatoes!

These potatoes were so good.

You start by making bacon salt - fry up 4 slices thick bacon and let them cool and pat them dry from excess grease.  Pulse in a processor and mix with 1/4 cup kosher salt.  (this makes more than you need for this one recipe)

Next quarter 3lb red potatoes and boil them in water with two slices bacon, til tender (about 25 minutes) and discard the bacon, then drain the potatoes.

In the same warm pan, melt 4 T unsalted butter with 1/2 whole milk, over medium heat.  Add back in the potatoes and 1 T of the bacon salt.  Mash and transfer to a bowl, and top with a bit more of the bacon salt.

Makes a great side dish!

Pinto Spuds

My husband said this was one of the best meals he's ever had!

Fry four slices of bacon in a bit of olive oil, along with a chopped onion, about 7 minutes.  Add in 1/2 cup chopped cilantro, a seeded jalapeno chopped, 2 minced cloves of garlic, 1/2 tsp each of cumin, oregano, and kosher salt, and cook another 5 minutes.  Lastly, add in two cans of drained pinto beans and 2 cups of water,  mashing while the mixture cooks, another 7 minutes.

We ate this atop a baked potato with a bit of butter, grated cheese, and a bit more cilantro!

Chicken Salad Delish!

An easy chicken salad for your lunches!

Just de-bone the white meat of a rotisserie chicken and discard the skin, as well.  In a bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayo, 3 T each of finely chopped red onion and celery, 1 tsp shredded lemon peel, 2 tsp lemon juice...then add the chopped chicken and stir to coat.  I added just a bit of salt to taste.

This is great with homemade pita chips!

No Tahini Hummus

I made hummus without tahini!  I almost panicked when i started tossing the ingredients in the food processor when I realized I had no tahini, so here's what I processed...and it tasted really awesome!

one can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
juice of two lemons
2 cloves garlic
1 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup each of sunflower seeds and pumpkin seeds
olive oil

just add olive oil as it's processing, until the consistency is like hummus.

Enjoy with pita chips or veggies!

The Sauce

On our weekend trip, we had pancakes with this strawberry sauce that was easy to make up ahead of time and carry it with us in a small cooler.  Just heat it up before serving...

In a med saucepan heat 1/2 cup seedless raspberry jam over mid heat until it liquefies, about 3 minutes.  Add 1 (10-12oz) bag frozen unsweetened strawberries and 1/4 cup confectioners sugar to jam, and cook over low heat - 5 minutes - til berries are soft but chunky.  (Makes 2 cups)

Rainbow Courts

I realize not everyone lives in Texas, but this discovery is worth posting in case you ever visit anywhere in Central Texas.  Rockdale, Texas is a small town northeast of Austin and even though I've grown up near this town, I've always thought it was just a spot in the road.

The Rainbow Courts Motel is a hidden treasure - it was started in 1912 as a "camp" and has retained its historic value but is soooooo charming.  Some of the original buildings are part of the motel, and we ended up in one of the apartments housed in a very old house that has been furnished with great furniture and every attention to detail.

The grounds include white Adirondack chairs on lush green lawns, and each unit is so darn cute!  We are so pleased with the price and the accommodations!

And besides that...we drove out a few miles from town to a cool Icehouse with great outdoor seating!

Mini Pies

Need a summertime appetizer for your picnics or outdoor parties? These look pretty on a plate, are just the right "bite" size and taste so good! They are mini cherry pecan pies!

preheat oven to 350.

combine 1 cup butter (softened) with 1 8oz pkg cream cheese (softened), 1 3/4 cups flour and 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans in a large bowl.  beat at medium speed until creamy (1-2 minutes).  wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

form 1 inch balls of dough and place in mini muffin tins.  using fingers dusted with flour, press dough down into bottom and on sides of tins.  fill each one with about 1 T cherry pie filling.

bake uncovered 20 minutes (or until crusts are browned).  cool before serving.  top each pie with a pecan half just before serving.

(note: i found that these took quite a bit longer to bake - perhaps my mini tins are smaller than the norm...)

Apple Pie Delight

Grandma Opie's Apple Pie - it's easy and delicious to make - and a family fave for fun nights.  It's super juicy and the crust comes out just perfect.

Pasta & Greens!

Pasta and greens - a healthy meal - and tasty too!

The main dish was tri-colored pasta, cooked and drained.  In another pot, place 1/3 cup water  with a bunch of chopped green onions, cook over med heat about 2 minutes.  Add in 10oz chopped roasted red peppers, 1 T drained capers, and chopped basil.  Cook for about 5 minutes and then pour over the pasta - seasoning with pepper (and salt to taste).  (taken from the McDougall Cookbook)

The side dish was haircot verts boiled in water 4 minutes - then dunked in an ice bath and drained. Meanwhile, dice pancetta (4 oz) and cook until crispy, then remove to paper towels to drain.  In the pancetta drippings place 2 cloves thinly sliced garlic, cook 1 minute, then add in 1/3 cup panko bread crumbs and cook another 1 minute.  Add back in the haricot verts and toss.  (from a Food Network  magazine clip!) Serve with lemon wedges.

Fun Outfit!

It's so fun to find bargains and put an outfit together! This scarf was on clearance at Target (for $5), the skirt was on sale at New York & Company, and the tshirt was on sale at Old Navy (for $6) - and it fits so nicely!

Weekender!

Weekend road trips are the best!  And we don't like to use our big suitcase, or just a tote bag.  So today I found a really cool bag with a handle and wheels (it's a carry-on for planes) that will hold everything for a weekend, no matter where you go!

It's so roomy, there were several choices of patterns, and I got one for my husband and myself - because they were just under 20 bucks each - at Marshalls!  I don't see them on line, so hopefully there's a store near you!

Black Bean Peppered Pizza

This black bean pepper pizza is awesome - it's from the McDougall Cookbook - and I modified it just a bit:

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Mix a can of black beans (rinsed and drained) with 1 tsp minced garlic in a processor until smooth (add 1/8 cup water as it processes).  Transfer to a bowl and add in one chopped tomato and 2 dashes of Tabasco sauce.  Spread this over a pizza crust.

In a bowl, mix 1/4 cup each of sliced black olives and sliced green olives (or a scant more), 1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers (from a jar), and your choice of seasoning (red pepper flakes...or I used Bill's Seasoning).

Spread this mixture on top of the bean mixture.  Arrange sliced avocado on top, along with grated cheese, if desired.  Bake 12 minutes, until crust is golden.

Yum!

                                

Gift Tote idea!

Francesca's is a cool store with cute clothes, bags, jewelry, and more...and they have online shopping as well!  Check out this cute tote bag and headband - both great for a graduation gift or birthday (or maybe for yourself!)

Moonshine! Tea...that is.

I don't like sweet tea, but my husband LOVES it and he says this is some awesome tea - Moonshine Sweet Tea!  We happened upon it at Whole Foods Stores (you can buy it there, if you live in Texas), but you can also find it on line here!

Baskets so Beautiful

These baskets are shallow and great for storing fruits or veggies in the kitchen - and they're so affordable at discount stores like Marshalls!  Grab a couple to go with your decor!

Avocado salsa

Guacamole is delicious - any way you make it.  But this avocado salsa is delicious just like this recipe says!  The tomatillos and lime juice give it a boost that is addictive!  Serve with tortilla chips.

Wrapped & Pretty

One of my favorite places to look for a bargain is on the end caps of the Target aisles, especially in the stationery department.  Sometimes I find cool paper and bows or string, like I used on the gift pictured here.  When it's really cheap, I stock up.  So I have several rolls of this polka dot paper!  And I stocked up on these cute felt adornments as well!

What's your favorite clearance rack where you linger?

Tasty CauliCuke Combo!

It was time to clean the fridge...and this is what I had left...

Cauliflower, celery, white onion, cucumber and jalapeno, and lemons.  It all went into the food processor, along with Bill's Seasoning, Colorado citrus pepper, and sea salt.

Pita chips were made by cutting up pita bread into triangles (with a pizza cutter), drizzling with olive oil, the same citrus pepper, sea salt and celery salt. Baked at 375 degrees for about 7 minutes.

This turned out to be a very tasty dip and chip combo!

Succotash w/Almonds!

In the book Relish, by Daphne Oz, is a great summer corn succotash (with almonds!)

It's basically corn scraped off three fresh ears, chopped green beans (that have been boiled a couple minutes in salted water, then placed in ice bath and chopped), half a jalapeno minced, 1/4 cup chopped roasted almonds, and 1 medium diced tomato.

Toss all of that with a dressing of  1 T Dijon mustard, 1 tsp honey, 1/4 cup white wine, 1/4 cup chopped parsley, 1/2 tsp sea salt and some cracked black pepper, whisking in 1/4 cup olive oil - to make the dressing.

Serve with sliced avocado and more fresh parsley!

This was super delicious...makes a great side...or a meal!

Cute to Make!

Personal gifts, made from the heart, by your daughter-in-law and daughter are just the best!

My daughter traced her kids' hands and made a flower from them, and my daughter-in-law wound colored thread around a bar, then strung it on a beautiful necklace!

Don't ever underestimate the power of a creative gift for the one you love...

Haystack

We had this menu item at Milt's Pit BBQ in Kyle, Texas today - called the haystack!  It's frito pie, but it was layered with brisket, pinto beans, melted cheese, onions, and jalapenos atop a bed of fritos.  It was most delicious!  Because it was pinto beans and brisket instead of greasy ground beef, the fritos stayed crispy!

Cool Cooler

What a cool cooler - it folds up for easy storage!  I like it!  And the top has cup holders!  All from LL Bean...

Empanadas!

These empanadas were not so hard to make and they tasted divine!  Oh my gosh, they're good!  The recipe is from Guy Fieri's More Diners, Dive-ins and Drives...

Tasty Fish Tacos

I got the book Relish by Daphne Oz for Christmas, and I have loved all of the recipes I've tried so far!  Tonite's dinner was no exception - fish tacos!

Great Tank Top!

I found them, they're cheap, they're long, and they work to cover bra straps!  These racerback tanks are available at Rue 21, and they're buy one, get one for 2 bucks!  I got several colors and got them one size smaller than my normal size, so that they fit tight underneath shear blouses and other tshirts that have big necks!

Couldn't copy the picture, but these were worth  mentioning - since these kind of tanks are hard to find....

Mango Dessert

Tonite, I had Thai sticky rice with mango, for dessert.  Maybe you've had it, but it was my first time. And I didn't want it, wouldn't have ordered it, but a friend at the table insisted it was good.  And it was!

This is a photo of what we ate, and the link above is a recipe for what seems to pretty much like this dish.

Enjoy!

Colorful Corn

Mother's Day is next Sunday....why not give her this colorful popcorn bowl...filled with her favorite flavor or popcorn?  It's really a cute idea....from Macy's!

Season All

Another day trip today....so I'm encouraging you to take one from your town.  We're actually going for two days.  We picked a spot as far as we wanted to drive (for us it was 2.5 hours) and that was to be our evening destination.

We looked at a map of every small town between here and there, and we Googled all the history and things to do in each town - printed it out.

We headed out and stopped in each town, read historical markers, explored abandoned businesses, took pics of ghost towns, shopped in old stores, enjoyed a burger at a new place, and of course bought "Bill's Season All" - because they (the people in San Saba, TX) said it was the best!

You can order it online!

Turkey & Manchego Sandwich

We had this sandwich tonight at our picnic -

Smoked turkey, 2T mayo mixed with 1/2 tsp paprika, Manchego cheese, spinach leaves, sliced roasted red pepper, and country bread.

Spread the bread with the mayo mixture and layer the other ingredients.  Wrap in parchment paper and you're good to go!

Magnetic Spice Board

If your spice cabinet is like mine, it's full of expired bottles, and they fall over when you reach behind one to get another.

This cute magnetic board now graces my wall as art...and something functional, with all the little containers!

All from IKEA! I got the board and 12 containers for under $50!