Last night, I needed a side dish and was thinking potatoes would be good with an Italian sausage and carrots. So, here is a cheesy potato dish that I threw together that is sure to please everyone.
Here are the ingredients I used:
4 medium russet potatoes, sliced 1 1/2 cup 1% milk 1 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese 1 1/2 cup fat free sour cream 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 4 strips of bacon, cooked crisp 1/2 of Costco ham steak 1/4 cup Panko bread crumbs 2 green onions, chopped Mrs. Dash Steak seasoning 2 cloves garlic, chopped tiny
First, I sliced my potatoes thin using a Pampered Chef Mandolin. I like my potatoes evenly sliced and on the thin side. And I like them with the skin still on.
Then I chopped the bacon, diced the ham, chopped the onions and set it aside. In a 2 qt saucepan, I sauteed the chopped garlic in just a pat of butter till the aroma filled the air. I added the milk, sour cream and slowly added the cheddar and parmesan. I stirred it until it was all melted and slightly thick. You can add more milk if you want the sauce thinner.
Now it's time to assemble the dish. I used a round casserole dish and sprayed it with butter flavor PAM cooking spray to avoid that icky sticky mess. I layered the bottom with 1/4 of the potato slices, sprinkled 1/2 the chopped ham and 1/4 of the onion on it, then scooped 1/4 of the cheese sauce on it. I sprinkled it with a bit of the panko and Mrs. Dash. Next was another layer of potato slices, then on top of that I put 1/2 the chopped bacon and another 1/4 of the onion then covered it with 1/4 of the sauce and the seasoning and panko. The next two layers are a repeat of the previous two. When done, sprinkle some panko on top so it has that nice crispy top.
Bake at 350 for 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes depending on how tender you like your potato slices. nd depending on your oven temp. This was a very good dish. I loved the hint of garlic mixed with the parmesan and cheddar. The green onion gives it flavor without being overbearing. My husband ate it up.
I recently had to travel to Spokane, WA and I found a GEM of a Mexican restaurant. I was staying at the Econo-Lodge and it was in an area near the airport that really has nothing around it but some hotels. I asked the desk clerk about dinner options and she directed me to Fiesta Charra 2.
It was directly across the street next to Motel 6. I saw it when I drove up to my lodge and thought it was some dive bar. It was a peachy pink building with no windows and a lit up neon Dos Exxis sign in the only tiny window on the side of the building. I was a bit skeptical since it didn't appear to even be a restaurant, but there was no other place to eat (except for hotel vending machines) anywhere nearby.
When I walked in, it was a bit dark. You enter into the bar then beyond is the restaurant. I was the only person there since it was a Sunday night and the nearby hotels were near deserted. The hostess was very pleasant and brought me chips and salsa right away. The menu is extensive. It's not just your enchilada and burrito type place. I ordered the Camerones Mexicana and I was NOT disappointed. The shrimp were large and sauteed in garlic, mushrooms tomatoes and cilantro. It came with rice and beans and a small lettuce and tomato salad in the middle of the plate. The shrimp were very good, not overcooked and full of flavor. The beans and rice were good too. The price was very reasonable.
After dinner she brought me a little dessert; ice cream on a large tortilla. Just the right amount for me since I'm not much of a dessert person.
If you are ever in Spokane, I highly recommend a visit here.
As a Christian, I love reading the Bible and listening to Christian worship music. There are so many CD's out there that deliver the powerful message of hope, love, faith and the love of God. I especially love listening to Christian music when I'm at work. My job can be very busy at times with many deadlines looming at once. I like music that calms the mind and soul as well as give me a feeling of peace and the love of God.
I was recently blessed to have the opportunity to review Vinyard Music's "I Love Your Presence" CD as a digital download from iTunes. It was released to iTunes January 10, 2012 and will be physically released February 7, 2012
I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE was recorded live at the Burn Bright: Worship and The Kingdom Of God conference, hosted by Vineyard Worship. Several hundred worship leaders and worshippers gathered in the Arizona desert to explore the nature of God's kingdom through music and teaching with some of the Vineyard's most gifted communicators and musicians. This inspiring collection of songs recorded live at the The Vineyard Church North Phoenix will immerse listeners in the powerful worship that was the highlight of the event. I LOVE YOUR PRESENCE reminds us to not just think of worship as singing songs, but also laying down our lives for Him.
Featuring worship leaders Matt Turrgiano, Chris Lizotte, Steve Jones, Anabeth Morgan, Kirsten Ford, Nigel Briggs and Casey Corum
Here is the list of songs: 1.Let It Come 2.Glory To The King 3.Saving Grace 4.What Can I Bring 5.Love Of God 6.One Thing Remains 7.Now And Ever 8.Invitacion Fountain 9.Sweet Mercies 10.Isn't He / Amazing Grace 11.I Love Your Presence 12.Perfect Sacrifice 13.I Lift My Eyes Up (Psalm 121)
This worship CD speaks to my heart. I can listen to this over and over. The first song, "Let It Come" nearly had me up and out of my seat dancing. If I was not at work, I would have. It has a great upbeat tempo and the vocals are full of spirit. If you like a more "rockin" worship song, this one is for you. It goes straight to the heart and is so very uplifting.
The second song on the CD, "Glory to the King" is amazing. I can picture myself in my church's sanctuary or at a large gathering of believers with everyone singing and lifting their hands into the air for Him. It's an ultimate worship song that literlly gives glory to our almighty God.
"Sweet Mercies" is another that reminds me of all of God's mercies and what He can do for me and all of mankind. Her sweet voice resonates her faith and her dedication to Jesus. Listen for yourself and you will see. Here is a great verse from the song:
"Your mercies fall from heaven
Sweet mercies flow from heaven
New mercies for today
Shower them down Lord as we pray"
Wow......
In summary, this is a worship CD destined to become a classic. I think it contains songs that will be popular with adult Christians of all ages. There is something there for everyone from someone newly saved or someone who is a lot further in their walk with the Lord.
A little bit about Vinyard from their website: Vineyard Worship exists as an organic extension of the Vineyard church movement in the USA (Vineyard USA). We are, in a phrase, "from the church, for the church". We are not a music company first and foremost; we are a non-profit worship ministry. Our efforts will be centered in the cultivation and empowerment of the core value of worship in the Vineyard or more simply put "to help the local church experience God", rather than in a profit-driven music business model.
Win it! One lucky reader will recieve a digital download of "I Love Your Presence." Simply enter your information into the Rafflecopter form below and review the rules. That's it!
Giveaway is open from January 25, 2012 to February 8, 2012 at 11:59EST and is open to both US and worldwide entrants 18 years of age or older. Please keep in mind that any mandatory entries must be completed before you do any of the extra entries.
"Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or services
mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog. Regardless, I
only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Last night was the NFC Championship playoff game between the SF 49ers and the NY Giants. I'm a HUGE 49ers fan, so nothing was going to tear me away from the TV. But dinnertime rolled around and my hubby was hungry so, what to do?
I was perplexed.
Whatever it would be, it must be simple and easy to prepare during time-outs and commercials. So, I defrosted a Costco hamsteak and prepared some veggies. But that's kind of boring, so I turned dinner into a "Mustard Taste Testing." With all the varieties we have in the house, which goes best with hamsteak?
Here are the contenders:
#1 - Albertson's basic yellow mustard
#2 - Beaver Sweet Hot Mustard
#3 - Beaver Honey Mustard
#4 - Good ole Great Value (Wal-Mart) brown mustard
#5 - Chicago Fire Mustard
I sauteed (ok, I fried) the hamsteak in some extra virgin olive oil and garlic. I cooked it low and slow so I wouldn't miss a minute of the game.... or the fumbles... or the incomplete passes..... and paired it with green beans seasoned with butter and lemon pepper.
So how did each of the mustards rate? The Albertson's Yellow Mustard is best served with a hot dog. Or mixed with mayo and seasonings for deviled eggs. The sweet and hot tells it like it is; first you taste the sweet, then the heat. But the cool part was that the heat doesn't keep on burning. It actually is a temporary sensation and your taste buds are still intact. Very nice! The honey mustard was equally good. Nice and sweet and has that tartness I like in a mustard. The brown is our go-to mustard for most things. I like to add it to my rice based quiche crust or with au gratin potatoes. It adds flavor without being overpowering. Finally, the Chicago Fire. Yep, it's hot. Spicy and hot. It's perfect for when you have a cold, all stopped up and need to breathe because this sure does clear out the sinuses. I would not prefer it for ham, but I'm sure I can find many uses for this.
The winner: the honey mustard from Beaverton Foods. Perfectly paired with ham. In fact, once my husband tasted it, everything else was untouched. Thumbs up, honey mustard.
As you all know, I love to cook!!! I have many many cookbooks, recipe cards, recipes from magazines that I've ripped out and put in a binder and even some handwritten on sticky notes. Sometimes it's just hard to find that right recipe or find one at all. I've wondered if there was any type of software out there for me. Then I received theCook'n Recipe Organizer.
I swear, this program was written for me!!! This easy to use software makes finding and storing recipes simple and efficient. My favorite feature so far is that it will capture a recipe for you and file it. Seriously, I go out to the internet looking for a salmon recipe, find one I love then hit the "capture" button and poof!! It's in my files and catagorized. How amazing is that? Sounds too good to be true? Just keep reading. This program is amazing.
Another favorite feature (or features.. there are so many!) is the shopping list. I can create a weeks worth of meals and then hit the "shopping list" button and it makes a list for me including estimated costs for each of the items. If you already have the item, say like speghetti for a pasta meal, you check if off the list and it recalcuates the total cost. What a great money saver.
There is also a way to look at the nutrtional information of your recipe. The program looks at each ingredient and will give you calorie counts, fat, sodium etc. You can calculate the entire dish or by serving. I've been using this now for a week. I created this weeks menu and printed the shopping list. Talk about a timesaver. Any program that makes the list for me gets my vote.
This program is available in both Windows and Mac versions. And soon, there will be an iPhone app too.
Here's a great video to show you all the great features of this program:
As you can see, Cook'n is several products in one!
Buy it now! The sponsor has kindly offered a 50% discount to purchase this software today. Simply go to the Sponsors Site and enter the code mb-lori at checkout.
Enter to win! One lucky reader is going to win their very own copy of Cook N Recipe Organizer, an $80.00 value. To enter this giveaway, simply fill out the Rafflecopter form below. Giveaway is open to US and International entrants.
This giveaway will end on February 3, 2012 and a winner will be chosen at random and announced.
I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Mom Blog Society. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. (http://momblogsociety.com/)
I am so excited to be hosting my first ever giveaway and even more excited to share with you a review of this family friendly, inspiring and uplifting DVD, "A Mile in his Shoes" starring Dean Cain and Luke Schroder.
Synopsis: Only a miracle can help baseball coach Arthur “Murph” Murphy (Dean Cain) and his losing minor league baseball team. As Murph sets out to recruit new talent, he stumbles upon Mickey (Luke Schroder), a young farmer with an incredible pitcher’s arm. However, Mickey’s parents are reluctant in allowing him to join the team because he has Asperger’s syndrome, a form of autism. Murph convinces Mickey’s parents that life in the minor league will benefit their unique son, but he doesn’t realize just how much his new recruit will help the team’s game and, more importantly, their spirit. Based on a true story, A Mile in His Shoes is an inspirational film that celebrates faith, determination and the power of friendship.
A Mile in His Shoes was originally shown on GMC TV in September of 2011 and it was released on DVD January 10, 2011.
I sat down to watch this with my husband, who loves these types of movies and probably cries more then I do when we watch them (Ssshhhhh....don't tell him I said that!). This was amazing!! Inspiring, uplifting and shows us what can be achieved when you look beyond what's in front of you and looking at a persons abilities. Dean Cain was great, Luke Schroder gave a moving performance. I don't know a lot about Asperger's so this gave me some insight. As a Christian, this movie spoke to my heart. Highly recommended.
And yes, my husband did not disappoint, lol. We were both very moved by this movie. It's family friendly and sends a great message.
Buy it! - You can purchase A Mile in His Shoes at various retailers online and nationwide (SRP $14.93).
Win it! - One lucky reader of Lori's Culinary Creations will win a copy of A Mile in His Shoes. Just enter youir informatioin into the widget below and that's it! Easy peasy.
While watching football this weekend (Go Niners!!), we needed a little snack. This is so easy and simple.. quick too.
I took a bunch of shrimp and marinated it in lime juice, a dash of garlic powder and some Mrs. Dash Carribean Citrus seasoning. I put it in the fridge for about an hour. Then, I alternated the shrimp and a small piece of bacon on skewers. I put in on my stove stop grill pan and cooked it until doen, about 5 minutes or so. You can precook the bacon if you wish, but I just used enough so that it cooked with the shrimp. Turned out great!
This is an easy family friendly recipe that doesn't take that long, unless you choose to soak the beans the night before and cook them prior to assembly. I choose to rinse and soak mine since it contains considerable less sodium then if you use canned. You can substitute black or kidney beans if you choose.
Here are the ingredients:
1 lb ground beef 2 cups beans (pinto, black, kidney etc) 9 corn tortillas 1 medium yellow onion, chopped 1 garlic clove, chopped 1 can enchilada sauce 1 ear of corn, kernals sliced off 1 chopped roma tomato 1 small can of sliced black olives 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2 tsp cumin 1/2 tsp oregano 1/4 cup of shredded cheddar (or spicy pepper jack)
If you are soaking the beans, place them in a saucepan, cover with water so all beans are covered and there is an inch of water above the beans. Cover and soak overnight. The next day, bring beans to a boil, then cover and simmer 30-45 minutes.
Pour the oil into a large sauce pan and saute the beef, onion and garlic until the meat is done. Drain off the excess fat. Add corn, tomato, olives, enchilada sauce and seasonings. Simmer for 10 minutes.
Spray a casserole dish with non stick cooking spray then layer three tortillas on the bottom. I have a oblong shaped dish, so I halved one tortilla to cover the bottom.
Layer 1/2 the beef mix on the tortillas. Cover with another three tortillas, then layer the beans. Cover with the final 3 tortillas, then layer the remaining beef mix.
Bake in the oven for 30 minutes. When done, sprinkle the top with the cheese and bake until melted.
Serve with sour cream, guacamole or any of your favorite salsas.
Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label - 1 quart
