Shrimp Spaghetti

This is a simple make after a long day dish. It may look like scampi but the seasoning and the cheese gives it a totally different taste. It's delicious!  You can use large shrimp but if so you might want to cut them into pieces. I use the 'around 30 count' size but a smaller size would have been perfect.  See the full recipe by going to Martha's Recipe Cabinet

Cheddar Cheese Dog Biscuits

1 1/2 cups (240 grams) brown rice flour
1 1/2 cups (135 grams) oat flour
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3/4 cups shredded parmesan, or similar, cheese
1 egg
1 cup (250 ml) water or chicken broth

Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 C).  Combine all of the dry ingredients.  Stir in the wet ingredients until throughly combined.  Roll out small batches of the dough to about 3/8 of an inch thick.  Use cookie cutters to cut shapes.  Place cookies about a 1/2 inch apart (they will not spread very much) on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper or Silpat mats.  Bake for 25 to 27 minutes, until firm and the edges are golden brown.

I ran across this recipe on Pinterest and since I like to make my 4 legged baby first rate, quality treats, this was a must.  They come from a site called Bakingdom which is quite an enjoyable site to keep up with.  I do have to admit that I did do a taste test before giving one to my baby Jesse.  They are delicious!  Jesse loves them too!

Comments:  When I made my treats I didn't roll them out.  I pinched off and rolled into balls about the size of a small walnut.  These I pressed out thin onto my parchment paper. 

Slow Cooker Beef BBQ

This makes one of the simplest BBQ dishes you will ever find.  Once the 5 ingredients making up this BBQ is added to the slow cooker, you're finished while the cooker does all the work.  This is another one to watch for in the upcoming Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.

TexMex Beef Enchilada

Another great recipe has been added to Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.  It's for a TexMex Beef Enchilada requiring only 5 ingredients.  As always, watch for Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef to come out this winter.  In the meantime start your collection by ordering your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts.

Smoked Beef Sausage & Cabbage

My recipe for this dish is so simple and can be made in no time.  But - you'll have to wait until Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef this winter to find out how mine is made.  In the meantime don't forget to get your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts in either paperback or e-book.

belVita Breakfast Bars

Have you tried these new breakfast biscuits from Nabisco?  I have.  Did I like them?  Go to my review site The Good, The Bad, The Maybe to see.

Rice a Roni Porcupines

Lillian and I have added Rice a Roni Porcupines to the Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef manuscript.  This one is really good and so simple to make. It will be worth the wait. 

Slow-Cooker Chuck Roast

I found a recipe on food.com for Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs.  It looked so good and I couldn't wait to give it a try.  I had everything needed except the ribs so to the grocery store I went.  Well.... when I saw the price of Beef Short Ribs I started having doubts that this would be the dish for me.  Then I spotted the chuck roasts.  I decided to Think With My Taste Buds and couldn't see how it wouldn't work.  I replaced the ribs with chunks of chuck roast and it worked perfectly.  I did increase a couple of the ingredients giving them what I felt was a better balanced and I even omitted one ingredient due to my increase. 

Watch for my version of food.com's Slow-Cooker Beef Short Ribs made with Chuck Steak in the upcoming cookbook Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.  But remember to get your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts while waiting on the Beef edition.  It comes in paperback as well as e-book so start your set today.

Ramen Beef and Broccoli

Another new recipe has been added to Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.  Its the perfect budget meal that tastes expensive.  Watch for it in the near future.  In the meantime check out Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts. 

Egg Stuffed Meatloaf

Another recipe to watch for - I've just added Lillian's Egg Stuffed Meatloaf to our manuscript for Think With Your Taste Buds - Meats.  This one is simple, of course, but really quite different.  In the mean time get your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts either as a paperback or e-book.

Stuffed Round Steak

We're getting there!  Lillian's recipe for Stuffed Round Steak has just been added to the manuscript file for Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.  This dish is simple to make and elegant to serve.  While waiting on the Beef book to come out don't forget to order your copy of Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts in either paperback or e-book.

Burgundy Beef and Lillian's Spaghetti and Meatballs

I've just added Burgundy Beef to Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.  Boy will this be one that you will want to try when you get your copy of this cookbook.  It's sooooo delicious and simple. 

I've also added Lillian's Spaghetti and Meatballs which is great to make and freeze for quick after work meals.

Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Another recipe has gone into the manuscript file for Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef.  This one turned out great with the perfect sweetness as well as a touch of sour.  Until the Beef book comes out I hope you will all enjoy Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts which can be found in paperback as well as e-book.

The Many Uses of Bounce

I've posted this before but thought I post it again as summer approaches.

The U.S. Postal serve sent out a message to all letter carriers to put a sheet of Bounce in their univorm pockets to keep yellow-jackets away. 

Use them all the time when playing baseball and soccer or working outside.  The insects seem to veer around you.

It will chase ants away when you lay a sheet near them.  It also repels mice.

It takes the odor out of books and photo albums that don’t get opened too often.

It repels mosquitoes so tie a sheet through a belt loop when outdoors.

Eliminate electricity from your television or computer screens.  You can also wipe your television screen with a used sheet of Bounce to keep dust from resettling.

Dissolve soap scrum from shower doors by cleaning them with a sheet of Bounce.

To freshen the air in your home place a sheet in a drawer or hang it in the closet or put a sheet in the vacuum cleaner.

To prevent musty suitcases place a sheet inside empty luggage before storing.

To freshen the air in your car place a sheet under the front seat.

Clean baked on foods from a cooking pan by putting a sheet in the pan, fill it with water, let it sit over night and sponge clean the next morning.  The anti-static agent weakens the bond between the food and the pan.

Eliminate odors in wastebaskets by placing a sheet of Bounce at the bottom of the wastebasket.

Collect cat hair by rubbing the area with a sheet.  It will magnetically attract all the loose hair.

Use to wipe up sawdust from drilling or sand papering. 

Eliminate odors in dirty laundry by placing a sheet on the bottom of a laundry bag or hamper.

Deodorize shoes and sneakers by placing a sheet of Bounce in your shoes overnight.

Wet a Bounce sheet, hose down your car and wipe love bugs off easily.

And finally – put a sheet of Bounce in your suitcase when traveling, it will help keep mites or any other critters out of it.  While you’re at it, travel with several Bounce sheets and run them up and down your bed linen before getting into bed, it will cause all the critters already in your bed to run.  Keep a sheet in your suitcase even after you have unpacked to protect your suitcases from bugs nesting in it.

Mother's Goulash

Just added to the up and coming Think With Your Taste Buds - Beef is Lillian's recipe for Goulash which was passed down from her Mother.  I made it this weekend and it's delicious!  So put it on your list of recipes to try when our Beef book comes out and in the meantime check out Think With Your Taste Buds - Desserts. 

Guest Post by Frank A. Ruffolo, Author of Gabriel's Chalice

Now and then I have a guest post from some of my readers.  Today I have a guest post from Frank A. Ruffolo who is the author of Gabriel's Chalice.  I've not read Gabriel's Chalice... yet... but after reading the reviews on Amazon I've decided this is a must read so keep an eye out for my review within the next few weeks.  Until then, enjoy Frank Ruffolo's recipe for -----

Wedding Soup

½ head escarole (about ½ lb.)
1 ½ large carrots, chopped
12 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Meatballs:
½ lb. ground veal or beef
½ cup plain bread crumbs
½ cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¼ cup very finely minced onions
1 large egg
½ tsp. salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste

Trim the escarole and discard any bruised leaves.  Cut off the stem ends.  Separate the leaves and wash well in cool water, especially the center of the leaves where soil collects.  Stack the leaves and cut them crosswise into 1” strips.  You should have about 4 cups.  Combine the escarole, carrots and stock in a large pot.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the escarole is almost tender, about 30 minutes.

To make the meatballs:
Meanwhile, combine the ground meat, bread crumbs, cheese, onion, egg, salt and pepper in a medium bowl.  Shape into tiny balls, less than 1” in diameter.  Then add to stock mixture and cook together.  Salt to taste and serve.

Doggie Cookies

1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup margarine or butter
1 cup boiling beef broth
3/4 cup cornmeal
2 tsp. white sugar
2 tsp. beef bouillon granules
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 egg, beaten (or 2 to make treats softer for older dogs)
3 cups whole wheat flour

Combine oats and margarine/butter, and boiling beef broth in a large bowl.  Let stand and soften for 10 minutes.  Thoroughly stir in cornmeal, sugar, bouillon, milk, peanut butter and eggs.  Mix in flour, 1 cup at a time, until dough comes together.  You can roll this out and cut with a cookie cutter or you can do as I did and roll into 1" balls and press flat.  Place on a baking dish lined with parchment paper.  Bake in a 325 degree oven for 30-35 minutes.  Makes 60 cookies. 

I've been giving my dog what is supposed to be one of the best doggie treats on the market.  I especially liked giving him the 'chicken jerky' treat this company made.  Then I received an email that even though the company is American the chicken comes from China and several thousand dogs have become sick and some even died.  I threw them away and went searching for some homegrown, natural treats.  I found some but their prices were a bit pricey.  I found the recipe above and decided to try making my own, hoping Jesse would like them.  He, as well as 5 of his friends LOVE them!  And they aren't that expensive to make.  Don't have the whole wheat flour and rolled oats?  Do like I did and hit the health food store where you can buy as much or as little as you want.

Mrs. Paul's Parchment Bake

I'm always a bit leary of frozen fish.  More often than not the fish is soft and mushy.  I've learned the hard way that buying frozen fish just isn't worth it.  But when Foodbuzz's Tastemakers offered to send me some free coupons just to try Mrs. Paul's newest fish Parchment Bake I decided what the heck. 

The fish is enclosed in a sealed parchment bag.  It bakes in the oven for a total of about 25 minutes.  I will admit that when I saw this wasn't a dish I could microwave I almost lost interest but then I realized this was all I had taken with me for lunch giving me no choice but to wait the 25 minutes.  So I sat down and read while my fish cooked - in the oven. 

You won't believe this!  It has to be some of the best frozen fish I've ever eaten!  It's flaky yet firm.  The one I chose to try 1st was the Classic Grilled Tilapia which I expected to be sweet and not really appealing.  Again I was wrong.  It had just a slight taste of sauce, not sweet but with a touch of heat - but not too much.  The one flavor that I really picked up on was the taste of grilling.  This fish is the best!  And to top it all off - It has 80 calories and .5 g of fat!  Can't beat that.  Now I can't wait to try the other flavors.  Next will be Garlic Butter Tilapia, and then the Roasted Garlic and then I get Lemon Pepper.  Yum!

How Long Can You Keep It? - Beef, Pork, Lamb

Fresh:
   Chops - refrigerate 3 - 5 days - freeze 4 - 6 months
   Ground or Stew Meat - refrigerate 1 - 2 days - freeze 3 - 4 mnths
   Roasts - refrigerate 3 - 5 days - freeze 4 - 12 months
   Sausage, Fresh - refrigerate 1 - 2 days - freeze 1 - 2 months
   Steaks - refrigerate 3 - 5 days - freeze 6 - 12 months
   Leftover Cooked Meats/Casseroles - refrigerate 1 - 4 days - freeze 2 - 3 months
Processed Meats:
   Bacon - refrigerate 7 days - freeze 1 month
   Ham - refrigerate 3 - 5 days - freeze 1 - 2 months
   Luncheon Meats - refrigerate 3 - 5 days - freeze 1 - 2 months

Refrigerator - 34 to 40 degrees
Freezer - 0 degrees

Tilly's Tale Rescue Shelter's Newest Member

This is Chudleigh (right).  He is a 10 week old Staffie that has been rescued and is now living with Tilly and the Pack at her rescue shelter.  Chudleigh is living up to his name as he cuddles with Bobby.

I wanted you to meet Chudleigh and to also tell everyone that I've sold 65 copies of A Book and A Dish and have sent the profits to Tilly's Tale Rescue Shelter.  It wasn't much but it was enough to pay for a 17 kilogram bag of the food used to feed the dogs. From what I'm told they go through 1 1/2 to two bags per week, so even one bag is a big help.

But we can do better!  When you order your copy of A Book and A Dish you are receiving 45 book reviews (you just might find your next book to read), you're getting 45 recipes (so you have a cookbook) and you're helping the furry babies, all for only .99 cents.  Don't have a Kindle?  Amazon allows you to download Kindle books to your computer and the program to do this is free. 

Now, you have a computer so there is no reason not to help these babies have a loving, healthy life.