I have always admired the creative ability really good chefs have. They can take a mundane meal and make it over the top, WOW! Have you had a meal somewhere special and were completely blown away by it? The taste, look, texture – everything about it was perfection. Now mine doesn’t look anywhere near the version of the Chef at The Swag – but I tried, and let me tell you, this is darn good! I made this three mornings in a row. It really is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. The first day took me a little longer, but after I had my swing down, it went much faster. Of course I had enough pans/dishes to have served Thanksgiving Dinner, but that’s another story…

Continue reading “Avocado Toast with Greens and a Sunny Side Up Egg!” →

I love sharing recipes I run across that make life easier. Instead of guessing when a steak is done, this is a good guide to ensure they turn out beautifully. We don’t have steak often, so when we do, it is absolutely amazing – we used to wait for a restaurant for steak, but no more! It’s easier than you think! I chose sirloin steak because it’s lean, so if we’re going to eat beef, I try to keep it on the leaner side.

Continue reading “How To Grill Sirloin Steak – The Easy Way!” →

This is a quick meal, and if you grill extra chicken breasts you have it for the next day or two, which comes in SO HANDY, especially when you’ll be out and don’t have a lot of time to whip something up. Using good ingredients (vs. processed or pre-made ingredients) can only make it healthier, right?

Continue reading “Marinated Chicken, Brown Rice, Black Beans, Guac and Pico!” →

This pasta salad is one of our favorites for warmer weather – when we grill nearly every day (by “we” I mean “he”) – a tasty vinaigrette pulls this together nicely. I don’t usually use sausage with the feta version, but did so by mistake – it was fabulous! (Olives on top are also nice)! This salad is good right when you finish making it – we have half of it leftover as a side dish for another meal. What you can’t really see are the copious amounts of arugula that this pasta salad is on top of. I like an equal amount or even a little more arugula (or fresh baby spinach). It’s delightful!

Continue reading “A Quick Meal: Bowtie Pasta, Tomatoes, Chicken Sausage, Arugula and a Divine Vinaigrette!” →

It’s always good to have a plan for a new somethin-somethin for dinner. We don’t usually eat like this, but it’s a treat once in a while – a nice splurge. My mom has made these au gratin potatoes for years. Instead of making a béchamel sauce – it’s much quicker, which is nice when time is limited as it was this year. I made these potatoes ahead of time since I knew we would be out. Then finished baking when we got home. They were delicious!

Continue reading “Emeril Lagasse’s Cheesy Potatoes Au Gratin” →

Most omelets in restaurants seem to be 3 eggs. I’ve always made them with two eggs, but thought, hmmm… I like just one, so let me give it a whirl. Wow! It was kind of like a crepe – the thinness was awesome and it had the best flavor and texture. A one egg omelette and 1/2 of an orange was utter perfection!

Continue reading “A One Egg Omelet – Easy Peasy!” →

Have you ever tasted a dish at a restaurant that quickly became your favorite? Me too! There was a neat little restaurant in Mount Pleasant, SC (several years ago) – I had a curry chicken pasta. It sounded interesting to me. It was fabulous. I was able to duplicate it at home fairly easily. We haven’t had it in years, actually forgot all about it. Then I saw a recipe for Curry Chicken and it immediately brought me back – which prompted making a slightly different chicken salad.

Continue reading “Curry Chicken Salad – Couldn’t be easier (or tastier!)” →

February 1st, 2023. FEBRUARY! Spring is almost upon us. If you’re looking for an excellent recipe for a shrimp stir fry, look no further. I made this for dinner and it was out of this world. My husband kept saying “this is so good”. #winnerwinner The key to pulling a stir fry together quickly is to have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to hit the pan. It goes quickly so there isn’t time to be prepping while you start it. To make this come together quickly I cut the broccoli in smaller pieces so they cook quickly, and I slice the onion in thin strips. They turn out looking like bean sprouts, ha ha. Too good!

Continue reading “Shrimp Stir Fry (with or without soy)!” →

I was so excited to make this recipe that I forgot to take a photo of it plated (and it was so pretty!) – That’s OK, the gist of it is in this photo – the salmon. Which couldn’t have been easier. Since I’m just growing up and trying to find my way to loving salmon, I made a mustard dill sauce, which was outstanding! Mix together the mustard dill sauce first so its flavors can be mingling while you prep and bake the salmon…

Continue reading “Baked Salmon with Mustard Dill Sauce!” →

Holidays can be indulgent.

Continue reading “Starting the New Year off the right way! #goodfood” →

Well, the New Year is almost upon us and I found you the perfect cheese ball recipe to celebrate. It was perfection. We enjoyed every bite. The recipe makes 1 cheese ball, but it would be a big one (perfect for a party) – but it was just us. So I made it into 3 – 1 cup cheese balls – perfect for celebrating. Also, this can be gluten-free if you use the right crackers (I used Hint of Salt Wheat Thins).

Continue reading “A Cheese Ball Recipe To Ring in the New Year!” →