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Cheesy Shrimp and Grits Banh Mi in a Waffle Cone

Presented by Spike TV’s Frankenfood. Premiers Sunday, June 22 at 10/9c.

Do you guys watch cooking shows? Oh man, I am such a fan. And I have been for years. And because of it, I often catch myself bringing the cooking show slang into my own cooking world vocabulary.

“BAM!”, “E.V.O.O.” and “How easy is that?,” have all eeked their way into my vernacular. But when I catch myself saying, “That’s money!” I have to physically take a step back, remove the sunglasses hanging off the back of my head, re-think my bleached blonde ends and check myself at the kitchen door.

But there’s a few cooking show phrases I find myself adopting more often than not. Like when Ina says, “Let’s turn up the volume,” and Emeril exclaims, “It’s time to kick it up a notch.”

Roger Wilco, foodie fans, I’ll be doing exactly that thanks to the new cooking show, Frankenfood.

continue to the recipe… about Cheesy Shrimp and Grits Banh Mi in a Waffle Cone

Stuffed Artichokes with Thai Shrimp Salad

Eat seasonal! Eat fresh! Eat good food! In my world that’s the mantra to live by.

While I crave ultimate comfort foods like blackened seafood pastas, the perfectly cooked steak and grilled cheese sandwiches, you’ll never find me shying away from super fresh, in-season fare that’s light on the palate but heavy on flavor.

I’ve always been a big artichoke fan. Heck, it was my second post ever on this little bloggity blog. And now…my how things have changed. I didn’t even realize I needed to post my own recipes back then, and just look at how Smudge was just a smudge!

When it comes to the green leafy orb, you could eat it the traditional route. Melted butter for tender leaf dipping. Another swath of mayo (nay to the Miracle Whip on my side of the table) and into the mouth. That’s the way most artichoke dipping begins and ends.

But we’re going lighter this time around with a rice wine vinegar seasoned Thai flavored shrimp salad to top every tender tooth-scraping artichoke leaf. We’re just going with the seasonal flow.

continue to the recipe… about Stuffed Artichokes with Thai Shrimp Salad

Spicy Fish Tacos

Family and food. They go together like butter and biscuits. It’s what every foundation of every civilization is built upon. To sit down to a meal, with forks in position and a wealth of new and old stories to tell.

I too often forget how much I love these simple dinners with the whole gaggle of extended family about. I have to remind myself it really isn’t that hard to send a text, give a call and have someone bring the salsa and chips, someone else grab a dessert.

Because we all want to be involved. It’s half the fun. Especially when everyone else digs in and starts doing the dishes. Best part ever.

So to prep for Cinco de Mayo and test out some new recipes on our loved ones aka guinea pigs, my man and I sent out the call and the flock arrived, ready to chow down on some scrumptious eats.

Basically I was just itching for an excuse to make these Spicy Fish Tacos.

Good news everyone! They received a table-full of hearty thumbs ups.

continue to the recipe… about Spicy Fish Tacos

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Here’s the thing about cooking with slow cookers. It’s convenient. But only if you’re creating a recipe where you don’t have to dirty more than the slow cooker. Like this Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup.

I’m all about time management. I eat breakfast while I do the dishes, I brush my teeth while I tie on my running shoes. In other words, I’m a multi-tasker who isn’t terribly efficient at getting much of any of my laundry list of daily to-dos completed because my mind thinks I have to do more than six things at at time. Why? Oh why?

So these days, unless its a lazy day weekend, my to do list doesn’t always necessitate spending an hour and a half making dinner. I don’t mean letting it cook, I mean MAKING dinner.

Enter the genius invention that has been on every wedding registry since 1973. The slow cooker. And this Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup. continue to the recipe… about Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Mexican Turkey Meatball Sandwiches with Avocado Smash and Game Day Sweepstakes

Enter Avocado from Mexico’s Game Day Sweepstakes via FoodieCrush here. See what you might win and details at the bottom of this post.

I’m just saying it now. So get out your cute little Moleskins, grab a pen and take heed.

2013 is the year of the meatball.

No matter it’s nationality—Italian, Swedish, Vietnamese, Greek, every country has it’s version of meatballs—the meatball is a ubiquitous culinary staple that is the figurehead of basic, down-to-earth, comfort food. In. My. Mouth.

The meatball has even made its way into popular culture, including as the title of one of my all-time favorite movies now being made into a T.V. series by none other than the creator of Friday Night Lights (I’m so ready to discover who will become my new Riggins, IF, and that’s a big IF, he can be replaced.) Are you ready for the summer? Are you ready for the good times? Ah, yes, about now I certainly am.continue to the recipe… about Mexican Turkey Meatball Sandwiches with Avocado Smash and Game Day Sweepstakes

Baked Salmon with Spicy Plum Preserves and a GIVEAWAY

You’ve been there, we all have in one form or another. You’ve invited friends over for a weeknight bite and a sip, but the bossman says, “You know that campaign you were working on for Friday? Guess what? Times change and you will too. It’s due tomorrow.” Sucks to be you is what you’re thinking and then you realize, oh wait, he’s got his coat and his cute little lunchbox his wife packed for him and HE’S the one walking out the door.

But wait! I have friends coming over and I still need to stop by the grocery store for the main dishalish. I still need to grab some vino at the wine store and vacuum the top layer of dog hair off the floor.

What’s a hostess to do?

continue to the recipe… about Baked Salmon with Spicy Plum Preserves and a GIVEAWAY

Fried Avocado Tacos Recipe

Creamy Avocados from Mexico might just be one of my favorite fruits.

I eat them for breakfast in my egg white omelets with a little feta cheese. I love them on turkey sandwiches with a little cranberry sauce and a thin slather of mayo on fluffy white bread. And I absolutely crave them as a base for tostadas topped with a ton of lettuce and spicy hot sauce.

I really don’t need much else.

continue to the recipe… about Fried Avocado Tacos Recipe

Avocado Cream and Chicken Suiza Enchiladas Recipe

Yesterday I sat on the deck at lunchtime and it hit me. Fall has arrived.

It’s only a few days past Labor Day and while I’m fondly reminiscing about Smudge and her summer hijinks, I am beyond thrilled to bid it adieu. Hello to cooler nighttime temps forcing the changing colors of the mountain leaves, sleeping at night without the hum of the swamp cooler and basking in the warm sunshine at lunchtime without melting into a puddle of goo.

Oh and then there’s the introduction of comfort food. Oh baby, bring it.continue to the recipe… about Avocado Cream and Chicken Suiza Enchiladas Recipe

Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

He’s on a diet and in his book that means one thing. Soup for dinner. But every night?

Soup is my man’s default meal when he wants to drop a few lbs. and with his band’s final reunion gig just around the corner, he’s definitely made the commitment to come out strong and looking gooood. He’s even switched from his beloved Sierra Nevadas to light beer. HORRORS!

Thus his creativity in the kitchen has taken a nose dive. And since I’m not a big fan of soup in a can I had to take things into my own hands.

A week or so ago Smudge requested that I get her some mangoes. Wow, okay, that’s pretty adventuresome for her since mangoes are a fruit we don’t generally keep in our regular arsenal. I was impressed at the request and shot down to Costco to pick a jumbo size pack.

Why. Did. I. Do. That?

Long story short, it wasn’t fresh mango she wanted. Oh no, she wanted DRIED mango. Ah-ha! Fine then.

So what do I do with all of these mangoes? When life gives you mangoes, make mango gazpacho.continue to the recipe… about Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings and Friday Faves

It’s officially here. Summer!

The best part: swimming with my Smudge, backyard barbeques and playing outside ’til the night sky glistens with stars as the moon crests the mountain tops.

The worst part: The longest day of the year has officially come and gone. June 20, my dad’s birthday marked summer solstice and the march toward the days all food bloggers dread: winter. Which equals shorter days. Which means come dinner time we’ve lost all the natural sunlight to shoot our beautiful food.

But that’s a long time away yet and we have much to savor and stock up on.continue to the recipe… about Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings and Friday Faves

Garlic Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp

Wow, what a week its been. And before I can even think of digging into one of my favorite recipes, I have to say thanks. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

This week Maria and I launched Cookie Cravings, Two Peas and Their Pod’s first foray into the cookbook arena and another publishing adventure for me. We both agree its been such a rewarding project to create and finally share with our readers.

So again, thank you, thank you, thank you for all of you for your amazing feedback and support; I can finally uncross my fingers and toes thanks to the digital delivery process going off without a hitch. If you haven’t already, visit my cookbook page for all of the cookie details.

continue to the recipe… about Garlic Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp

Craving > Spicy Hominy and Chicken Soup for SoupaPalooza

It’s been one sorry, sorry, SORRY winter for snow. Usually by this time of year I’ve had my snow shovel out at least 8 times and have created at least 4 snowmen. But this year I haven’t even dusted off my snow boots. And that bums me out because they’re cute. And warm. And I love ’em.

So just when I’ve finished all my kvetching about no snow and finally weaned myself from the longing for a big old fashioned winter dump, what happens? It snows this morning. Really? Really you swarmy groundhog Punxsutawney Phil? I was finally dreaming of blossoming cherry trees, swimming pools and lemonade and here we go, more winter. I wonder if the Leap Year had anything to do with it. Hmmm, a metaphysical diabolical scheme.

Luckily, I had a quick and easy winter soup recipe at the ready. continue to the recipe… about Craving > Spicy Hominy and Chicken Soup for SoupaPalooza

Pork Belly Sliders and Recipes for Superbowl Bites

I have a long tradition with the Superbowl, and most of them I even remember past the 3rd quarter.

Now let me just say, in my defense, those memories usually depended upon which team I picked to win. And sometimes I wasn’t such a good picker.

Back in the day when my friends and I still thought we could hang like we did in college, if your chosen team was scored upon in any which way, it was a side game bet for our fellow party goers to see just how easily us losers could traverse crawling OUT the living room window, dropping DOWN to the driveway and partaking of a penalty shot. Oh. How. Dumb. In. Our. Youth. Yet another reason I’m thankful my twenties are in my rear view mirror.

This year, given my beloved 49ers are out of the running, it REALLY, really, really is all about the food: making, eating and grazing again.

G-dawg was fiddling around with a recipe for Pork Belly—which turned out deliciously—to top Ramen—that failed miserably—so we had a bunch of the bacon-ey slabs of love left over.

Always a fan of pork in any form—especially when it’s salty, peppery and crusty—he pulled together a quick and delicious version of a Banh Mi sandwich but in a manageable mini variety.

He’s a good cook that boy.

continue to the recipe…

← Previous

Cheesy Shrimp and Grits Banh Mi in a Waffle Cone

Stuffed Artichokes with Thai Shrimp Salad

Spicy Fish Tacos

Slow Cooker Thai Chicken Soup

Baked Salmon with Spicy Plum Preserves and a GIVEAWAY

Fried Avocado Tacos Recipe

Avocado Cream and Chicken Suiza Enchiladas Recipe

Mango Gazpacho with Quick Pickled Shrimp Plus 5 Fruity Recipes

Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings and Friday Faves

Garlic Soba Noodles with Grilled Shrimp

Craving > Spicy Hominy and Chicken Soup for SoupaPalooza

Pork Belly Sliders and Recipes for Superbowl Bites

How to Make the Best Potato Salad

How to Make Classic Macaroni Salad

How to Make the Best Grilled Salmon

The Best Greek Chicken Marinade

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