Monday, January 18, 2016

Monday, January 18, 2016

What the Beck???

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Ready to go Taco Chicken

Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime

Pages:  120-121  Copyright:  2015 Harper Collins

I figured out that there are 235 calories per cup, if 6 servings are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

         I was happy to make this recipe.  Ree has an entire section for cooking ahead and freezing the food for future usage. This chicken had a lot of flavor, but I would add a little more Cholula or Tabasco sauce to give it an extra kick. I love this section of the book, because it makes so much sense for working Moms and Dads. I delivered some to my nephew, Shane, and Josie. They liked the flavor of the recipe, but the mix was a little runny. I suggested that I should add two more chicken breasts to help with that problem. Thanks so much for the input!I also delivered it to my nephew, Matthew and Heather, but they hadn't eaten it prior to this blog being written.

 Here are the ingredients that I used in this recipe.

  First, I mixed the seasonings and set them aside.

 I coated the chicken with the seasonings.

I cooked the chicken until it was cooked.

I shredded the chicken using two forks

I made the sauce, next.

I added the sauce to the chicken and packaged it up to freeze.
The only thing left to do is deliver it.

Dog Toys

       One of my Bunco friends asked if anyone sewed.  I offered to help her by sewing squeakers into felt for her dog. They are easy to do, and only took a few minutes to make.  It felt good to help a “newer” friend.

This is the original that she had at home.  

She gave me the squeakers, 

and I already had the felt. 

They are not beautiful, but hopefully 

the dog will love them!

Saturday, January 16, 2016

Saturday, January 16, 2016

What the Beck???

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Meat and Potato Scramble

Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime

Page: 18   Copyright:  2015 Harper Collins

I figured out that there are 519 calories, if 4 servings are made or 692 if 3 servings are made, or 1,038 if 2 servings are made.. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

    This is one of my FAVORITE recipes. Could it be that it is because it is a meat and potato recipe?  Of course it is!!  Sausage, bacon, cheese, potatoes……FABULOUS!!!  This one is a keeper for sure.

 Here are the ingredients that I used in this recipe.

 I began by sautéing the meats and onion

 I chopped the potato into bite size portions

 Now, I whisked the Original Scramble Mix

 I added in the potatoes

 In went the egg mixture

 Lastly, the green onions and cheese are added

 I love how it looked on the white plate.
Heck with that....dig in!

Sage and Willow in the snow

 This was the last snow storm,
and Sage refused to come back in.

 Willow's goal is to eat as much snow as
is possible in the shortest amount of time.

Thursday, January 14, 2016

Thursday, January 14, 2016

What the Beck???

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Tuna Noodle Casserole

Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime

Pages: 222 - 224   Copyright:  2015 Harper Collins

I figured out that there are 277 calories, if 12 servings are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

    Because I have issues with the texture of some foods, I omitted the mushrooms from my ingredients. Tuna Noodle Casserole is a comfort food for me, because my Mom made it when we were kids. This recipe is a little “souped up” because my Mom never added sherry or red pepper, but it truly satisfied my yearning for it. I have already eaten this recipe several times, because it is so low in calories! I LOVE IT!

 Here are the ingredients that I used in this recipe.

 First, I melted the butter in a large skillet.

 I then, cooked the onions until they were transparent. 

 Now, add the flour and stir it in

 The milk will help thicken the sauce

 In went the sherry

 I then added the tuna

 Red bell pepper and parsley went in the pan next.

 The noodles were ready to go. Ree wanted wide 

egg noodles, but I like the regular ones better.

 In the pans it went

 I used an 8x8 and a loaf pan, 

because I halved the recipe.

 Before cooking, I sprinkled on the breadcrumbs

 The final product ready to eat.

Bucket List Update

Academy Award Nominated Movies

1958     Gigi

           starring: Leslie Caron, Louis Jourdan, Maurice Chevalier

         plot – the setting was Paris at the turn of the 20^th century. It                 was also the story of Caron blossoming into a woman.

         This was a really good movie. I loved the songs and the acting            was outstanding.

1958     Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

         starring: Paul Newman, Elizabeth Taylor, Burl Ives, and Jack                      Carson

         plot – A family torn apart by alcoholism, lies, and many                       misunderstandings.

         A great cast!  I love Paul Newman, but it was hard to watch              him as a drunk.

1959     The Diary of Anne Frank

           starring: Millie Perkins, Shelley Winters, Joseph Schildkraut,                      Richard Beymer, and Diane Baker

         plot – The story of two Jewish families hidden by a store                     owner from the Nazis during World War II.

         This was a great movie. I have read the book at school many            times, and it was a great tool to teach our kids to understand            the events during the Holocaust.

1975     The Goodbye Girl

         starring: Richard Dreyfuss, Marsha Mason, and Quinn                            Cummings

         plot – a newly divorced woman finds out her ex-boyfriend                   has sublet the apartment that she and her daughter are                 living in.

         This was a great movie. I loved Richard Dreyfuss in this film.            The story is great about sharing small apartment and the                conflicts that occur.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

What the Beck???

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Santa Fe Scamble

Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime

Page: 17  Copyright:  2015 Harper Collins

**Unfortunately, this recipe is not in any of other Ree's sites.

I figured out that there are 521 calories, if two servings are made, and 347 calories if three servings are made.. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

THIS IS WONDERFUL!!!!!  I love this recipe. The egg scramble had so many fabulous flavors. Once again, Ree is a genius. This is one of those recipes I would love to serve to company. The book is worth the purchase just for this recipe alone.  Mom and Jenny... you have to make this one.

  I totally forgot to take the photo of the ingredients 
that I used in the recipe.
The first step was to melt the butter.

 Once the butter was melted, I added in the corn and jalapeno.

 The next addition was the egg mixture.

 In went the chilies.

 I let the egg mixture almost finish cooking.

 The final addition was the avocado  Yum!  Yum!!

The colors were beautiful on a white plate.
Don't ya love my fork?

Seriously consider buying this book,

 and delving in to this recipe.

Bucket List Update

Academy Award Nominated Movies

1940     The Letter

             starring: Bette Davis, Herbert Marshall

             plot – I had never heard of any of the other stars in this movie except the leads. This was the                         story of a woman who is angered by a lover and shoots him to death. There was  a                               cover-up and intrigue.

             I liked this movie. The plot was great, but Bette Davis has creepy eyes.  A good flick.

1942    Random Harvest

            starring: Ronald Colman Greer Garson

            plot – a soldier is wounded, put in an asylum because he has lost his memory, escapes,                                  meets a woman and they run away. They marry, but unbeknownst to her, he is hit                              by a car, and forgets his married life and remains with his original family.

            This was a great movie. It sounds like a crazy premise, but it really worked.  I love this                         one lot.

1947    The Bishop’s Wife

            starring: Cary Grant, David Niven, and Loretta Young

            plot – A bishop tries to raise donations for his  church. He is driven and loses his                                            connection with his wife. Cary Grant is the angel.

            This was a great movie. This movie was remade later starring Whitney Houston. 

1952     Ivanhoe

             starring: Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, Joan  Fontaine, and George Sanders

             plot – The story of Ivanhoe was is trying to raise a ransom to free King Richard of England.

             This was a great movie. It was well acted and I enjoyed it.

1956    Around the World in 80 Days      

            starring: David Niven and Mario Moreno Continflas

            plot – Niven plays a betting man who bets that he can go around the world in 80 days.

            This film was great to show people in 1956 about the cultures of people around the world that             Niven visited.

Sunday, January 10, 2016

Sunday, January 10, 2016

What the Beck???

Recipe Review

Today’s Recipe and Location: Scrambles

Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks:Dinnertime

Page: 16    Copyright:  2015 Harper Collins

I figured out that there are 500 calories, if 2 - 3servings are made. (Please note that the calorie counts vary depending on the specific brands of ingredients that you choose to use.)

This is just your one of your basic scrambled egg recipes. Unfortunately, I can’t give you the recipe because it is only in the book. This will be the base for all of the recipes for the next few entries. 

 Here are the ingredients that I used in this recipe.

I stirred the ingredients together and cooked them until done.

Recipe Review

The Florentine Scramble below is a great one if you love spinach, tomatoes, and cheese in your egg recipe. The ingredients are not my cup of tea, but I thought you should know that this can also be found in the book.

Today’s Recipe and Location: Florentine Scramble

Found in: The Pioneer Woman Cooks:Dinnertime

Page: 119    Copyright:  2015 Harper Collins

This sounds so dumb because I image all of you know how to make basic scrambled eggs. Just wait until the next entry when I  

make Ree's Santa Fe Scramble.

Bucket List Update

Academy Award Nominated Movies

 1933  42^nd Street

            starring: Warner Baxter, Bebe Daniels, George  Brent, Ruby Keeler, Ginger Rogers and                                  Dick Powell

            plot – This is the story of a Broadway show and the drama that happens when trying to get the                        show up and open.

            This was a good movie. I wanted to fast forward at times, but that is because the topic                         didn’t thrill me to death.

1934   Imitation of Life

           starring: Claudette Colbert, Louise Beavers, Warren William, and Alan Hale

           plot – a widow syrup salesgirl finances her way into opening a restaurant, incorporating, and                          packaging a product. There was another huge conflict with a young black woman who                          refused to let anyone discover she was black, as she was very light skinned.

           This was a great movie!  I loved the drive of the widow to become a success. I loved what she              became, but felt great sorrow for the girl who couldn’t accept what she was until the climax.

1934   The Thin Man

           starring: William Powell, Myrna Loy, and Maureen O’Sullivan

           plot – This is a Nick and Nora Charles mystery. It is about the death of an inventor. This is the                      first movie in a series about the detective couple.

           This was a really good movie. The premise was strong, and I learned something new. I am a                crossword puzzle freak, and I now know a common answer asked by the puzzle maker. They                frequently ask the name of the Charles’ dog. The answer is ASTA!!! Yeah!

1935    A Midsummer Night’s Dream

            starring: Jimmy Cagney, Olivia de Haviland,  Dick Powell, Mickey Rooney

            plot – to me it was just the story of a bunch of Shakespearean actors in the forest with a lot of                       mythical creatures.

            This was an awful movie to me because I dislike reading, watching, or listening to                               Shakespeare. I will say, however, that Mickey Rooney as Puck lightened it up and made                       it tolerable for me.

1935    Top Hat

            starring: Fred Astaire, Ginger Rogers

            plot – neighbors dance their way across Europe.

            I liked the beginning of the movie, but there was so much dancing that I hoped it would end                 soon. It was a cute story.

Birds Birds, Everywhere!!

 This photo was taken while I was on the Tollroad (88).

I have never seen some many hundreds of birds at one time.

 The sunset was beautiful, the birds were scary, and thank 

God there were no cars around me, as I snapped these 

pictures while driving very quickly (80 mph) to drop off food to my nephew Wesley and his fabulous wife, Lindsay!