Something's Fishy!

This is the easiest and least messiest was to cook fish. It can be frozen or fresh. We usually buy fresh fish when we can get it. We like salmon or tilapia.Then, we freeze it in a serving size for two people. When we want it, it's there. You do not need to thaw it out. However, if you do, just adjust your cooking time.  

Spray a glass baking dish with Pam.

Place frozen fish in the dish-Salmon is my favorite.

Cover with: Cavendar's Greek Seasoning, 


















fresh onion rings, butter, lemon slices.

Cover tightly with foil and bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 45 minutes depending on amount and size of fish and if it is frozen or fresh.

Remove from oven.

YUMMMMM!

Serve over rice with something green
We like petite green peas,
green beans or broccoli.

Corn on the Cob Easy Peasy!

I used to cook corn on the cob in boiling water for 10 minutes and take it out and butter. That involved shucking the corn and dealing with the silks. What a mess.

The key phrase is "I used to". Then, our friend, Tom, gave us the 'Tip of the Year' (to date). Microwave it! Yea! No more silks to deal with and it's ready to eat in about 5 minutes-4 minutes in the microwave and 1 minute to put on the plate.

Chuck was in charge and did a great job so I took a video to walk you through the process. Here you go! Good Luck and happy eating.


 

Tiny Tidbit for Today

I'm stuck on Tuna!
Add chopped celery to your Tuna Salad for a nutty taste and a crunchy texture!  No need to add egg...it doesn't add taste or texture
...save an egg! 

Our New Favorite Topper

We started with honey on our biscuits and toast.  

Then, the 'aha'!  Why not add a little or maybe a lot of cinnamon to the bear. You cannot beat it!  It is delicious!  Our biscuits* now taste like cinnamon rolls!

The down side?  You could eat it so often that you wear your taste buds out with the taste of it? Not!!!!

*Heads Up!  Pillsbury Southern Style Frozen Biscuits taste like homemade.

BAKED GRAPEFRUIT-Voted Best for 2013

I voted 'Baked Grapefruit' as my favorite new recipe for 2013.  I have had the recipe for years, but didn't try it until Christmas.  We had friends over for our traditional Waffles, Sausage, and Bacon Brunch.  I usually serve fresh grapefruit, but decided 'what the heck'...try something new. It sounded so easy so how could I lose?  Well, what if it was a flop??? It wasn't...it was a hit and became the Best of New Dish I tried in 2013!

Try it and see what you think---

Baked Grapefruit

1 Grapefruit cut in half

Ingredients per half:

1 tsp. butter

1 TBS brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1 Maraschino cherry

Section each half
and loosen from rind...

I trim the bottom
so it will sit steady in the bowl...

 

Dot each half with
butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon.
Place in a baking dish.
I line mine with foil.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven
for 5 minutes, then broil until bubbly.
(I have used my standard oven and my toaster oven.
I prefer the standard oven. They heat better!)

Place in bowls and top with a cherry!

One the best inventions...
love my grapefruit spoons!

No, I didn't save you any!

This recipe came from

Mr. Breakfast.com.

Thanks, Mr. Breakfast.

Bohemia-Hot Springs, Arkansas, USA

We parked under this sign!

Bohemia--Great place to meet, greet, eat, and drink with friends.  

That is exactly what we did.  We love these friends!  We get busy with our own 'to-do's", family and just plain 'want to be alone' times! 

It was time to catch up.  The Bohemia is a half-way meeting place.  We had never been there, but it came highly recommended for the Tilapia at lunch.  We didn't know what to expect for Dinner.  We were not disappointed and will definitely come back...maybe give the Tilapia at lunch a try. 


Chuck had one of the night's specials, Beef Short Ribs...they were boneless...with mashed potatoes..."Thumbs Up!"  One of our friends had another special, Halibut,"Thumbs Up!"...her husband had Tilapia, "Thumbs Up...I can't taste the crab meat in the sauce". 

I had an item that is not on the menu on their website...Uneven Pasta with Mushrooms and Wine White Sauce...'Thumbs Up"...I had enough to take home for lunch the next day!


My Mom and Dad lived in Hot Springs in the 70's and 80's.  I remember going there and having Hungarian Goulash. The physical layout and the menu has been updated to a Continental Cuisine menu.

Definitely give it a 'Thumbs Up'...worth your time to give it a try!
!

Jimmy's Diner - Thumbs Up!

I thought when we moved I had left my favorite burger place behind me.  As fate would have it, a new favorite burger place was not far behind.  We went into Benton to do some errands.  When we called my sister-in-law to join us for lunch, she was already headed to my now new favorite, Jimmy's Diner.  Not only that, but Jimmy used to head the food service at UALR at the same time I worked there...it is a small world.

I like my burger with mayonnaise, lettuce, and tomato.  Chuck ordered a cheeseburger with everything.  Peggy got the Club sandwich.  They have a Blue Plate Special, but we were 'burger' bound.  They are hand patted and that makes the difference between a 'favorite' burger and 'thumbs-down' burger.

If you are in Benton and on Edison Ave., stop at Jimmy's.  In fact, if you are any where in the area, made a special trip to Jimmy's...You won't regret it!

"Clean the Fridge" Game

Every once in a while Chuck and I play the "Clean the Fridge" Game!  It happens when we get too many leftovers or a full freezer or maybe going on a trip.  Regardless, we play until the "fridge" is empty.  


Night before last we had spaghetti and meat balls with a tomato/olive/celery slaw.  Chuck made the garlic toast. The spaghetti sauce was in the freezer and enough for two.  The meat balls were also in the freezer....in a bag bought from Kroger.  I had celery, vine-ripened tomatoes, and olives...sounded Italian to me.  


I chopped all salad ingredients and mixed in Paul Newman's Olive Oil and Vinegar salad dressing.  Yum...if I must say so myself.  Actually, Chuck gave it a "thumbs up"!

Now how could I not post a picture of
Paul Newman?  Reallllly! Yummy!!!

We still have a freezer full, but the "fridge" part is getting bare.  We will have to get really creative.  I do have some potatoes and canned veggies in the pantry so all is not lost.

International Waffle Day!

Just finished making waffle mix for my branch library.  They are planning on celebrating International Waffle Day by serving waffles to patrons today.






I have a great recipe for "Yeast Waffles" given to me many years ago by my sister-in-law, Polly. We make it every Christmas for our Christmas morning breakfast.  It is a tradition we started when my Mom was still with us.  It was her request that we serve it with link sausage, her favorite.  


I am hoping there is some mix left over after the library celebration!


I am glad to share the recipe with you.  What is really great is that the mix will keep up to two weeks in the fridge.

YEAST WAFFLES

Beat: 2  Eggs

Add:        1 tsp. salt

            1 TBS Sugar

            1/2 C. Vegetable Oil

            1 pkg.Yeast in

             1/4 C. Warm Water

Add incrementally:        2 C. Milk

                          3 C. Flour

Make at least one day before using.

Put in a large container.  Keeps at least 2 weeks in Frig.

Homemade "Quick" Potato Soup Tonight

Eating in tonight!  We had a "teaser" Spring week and now we are back to cold temperatures with a chance of major storms in the next few days.  Perfect weather for Potato Soup.




We are having tuna fish sandwiches with it. Don't ask me why...for some reason, I like them with Potato Soup? 


Recipe for:

EASY POTATO SOUP

2 lb. package frozen hash browns
1 Cup chopped onion 
(see tip below for quick chopping)

Uhm-Uhm Good!

1 - 14.5 oz.  ready to serve chicken broth

That's What Campbell's Soups
Are--Uhm! Uhm! Good!

1 - 10.75 oz. can Cream of Celery soup, undiluted
1 - 10.75 oz. can Cream of Chicken soup, undiluted
2 Cups milk

Combine first four ingredients in a Dutch oven;
 bring to a boil.
Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.
Stir in soups and milk, heat thoroughly.

Garnish with: 

grated cheese, diced ham or bacon

Yield: 2 1/2 quarts

Enjoy! Enjoy! Enjoy!


Tip for chopping/dicing onions:
Remove outer peel  and first layer of onion.
Cut into rings. Lay each ring flat and cut in half. 
Starting on one end of the half make small cuts.
As you scoot the onion ring counter-clockwise,  
the rings will come apart leaving only small pieces
of the onion.

The Pizza Cafe Thumbs Up!

The Pizza Cafe

Our favorite pizza; our favorite place to eat pizza!  It has to be.  We keep coming back for more.  

West Little Rock

We venture off thinking there must be another one so special.  We haven't found it.  

We have looked far and wide....

Way out Hwy 10

Pleasant Ridge close to I430

Downtown, River Market

....and all around!

Hillcrest Little Rock

Last night was "pizza night"!  We eat pizza at least once a week. We eat pizza when we are too tired to or don't want to cook/eat at home.  Where did we go?  Of course, our old stand-by and "favorite", The Pizza Cafe.  Yum-m-m-m!  

Sitting at the bar watching a basketball game-Beer in a mug from the fridge, a small dinner salad with ranch on the side and a 10" Supreme Pizza. It was not only Supreme; it was sublime.

Vacation Day at Dugan's Pub Thumbs Up!

Every once in a while Chuck and I take a day off and pretend we are out of town on vacation.  When in actuality, we are not.  


Wednesday was one of those days.  We wanted to make a trip to Artist Outfitters downtown.  With that in mind and it being close to lunch we went on vacation.  

Our stools were the ones on the right end of the bar.

We found the nicest out of the way pub to help us in our fantasy...Dugan's Pub on 3rd and Rock. What a great find! We got there about 11:30am to beat the lunch crowd, but didn't.  It was already crowded and all tables were taken.  No problem! Vacationers sit at the bar!.  We ordered Blue Moon beer on draft and were surprised at the generous serving.  We didn't have a designated driver so we didn't/couldn't finish them.  Never had Blue Moon before, but will have it again.


I got a Rueben...the best I have ever had!  I shared a bite with Chuck and he agrees.  He got fish and chips...why would you order anything else?...when in Ireland, do as the Irish do!  The cod was cod...not catfish, but good.  The fries were fresh and cooked just like we like them.  


We visited with Don Dugan, the owner, and immediately found a mutual friend connection.  We felt like we were in "Cheers", where everyone knows your name.


We recommend Dugan's.  You will not be disappointed!

Poached Eggs Once a Week!

I know they look funny!
But, easy to use!

I
love
my
egg
poachers!










I got them on a shopping trip to the Heights with my daughter.  (Aside:  Love shopping in the Heights...part of my "small neighborhood")


We had been looking for an egg poacher of the metal variety...preferably a two egg one!  No luck!  (I should have checked EBay.) Thank goodness!  I was forced to think outside the box.  Then, I found the "pod".


I have used a one-egg poacher,
but now "I" am one-half of "Two".  





I have also tried an egg poacher used in a microwave oven...I never got the hang of it.

Once a week...
poached eggs on English muffins
with ham and cheese.  
Yummmmm!* 




Also, posted on my blog: "Tips 'n Good Stuff".

Arkansas Burger

Hands Down...
the Best Burger in Arkansas...maybe anywhere

Just Decoration...not the real thing!

My friend, Sheila, and I have to have our "butter" burger fix about once a month.  We call it that because they slather* butter over the bun before they toast it.  We also think they mix it in the hamburger meat as a secret ingredient :)  

Chuck and I went today while we were out doing errands.  We actually split a burger and fries.  The burger is really not that big, but we were trying to save on calories. We were fine with that, but will probably need a snack or two before supper*.

Ah..memories.  I used to work at Worthen. 
Now Bank of America

...and the decor 
is fun, too!















*two good southern words: slather meaning spreading a whole lot of butter and supper meaning dinner other places.