It's Not That Simple

     Writing my last post made me realize how much I miss blogging, and writing in general.  Life got pretty hectic for a while there, and although I don't foresee it slowing down any time soon, I want to attempt to reclaim this blog.  After all, it's good to have an outlet, especially when life gets crazy.

     So, what do I plan to blog about today?  Nothing so profound as my last entry, that's for sure.  I shed enough tears writing that one to last me a while.  Instead, I thought I'd revisit an old favorite: shopping exploits with J.  Now because the pediatrician (and my better judgement) suggested we not bring little Monster out to crowded places such as the grocery store until he's gotten his shots, J's been in charge of groceries.  Anyone who remembers the time he was in charge of finding something for dinner will understand my trepidation at placing him in charge of foraging for two weeks worth of groceries.  To my surprise, however, he did really well, which makes this almost unfair to even mention...almost.  You see, because I just had a tiny human exit my body, I found myself in need of some feminine hygiene products.  And since J was headed to the commissary anyway, I figured it would be simple for him to pick up a pack of pads for me.  I even made it dummy-proof by sending him pictures of different products that would suffice (in case they were out of one brand or another).  Well, apparently, it's not that simple because this is what my darling J came home with:

     It even says "discreet bladder leakage protection" on the package.  I'm pretty sure it wasn't my bladder needing protection, but hey "A" for effort, right?  He was even a trooper and brought them back in exchange for what I actually needed.  By the time I head back to work, he'll be an old pro at perusing the commissary.  Maybe he'll even be making the grocery list himself....or not.

     Despite the fact that my shopping requests aren't always simple, this recipe I'm about to share certainly is.  Simple and delicious!

Salmagundi (aka Really Fancy Salad Full of Yum)
(From Syrup & Biscuits)

4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, thinly sliced
8-10 mini sweet peppers, stems removed and cut in half lengthwise
3-4 shallots, peeled and halved
olive oil
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp garlic powder
12 oz salad mix
4 oz each of ham, turkey, and roast beef, diced
4 oz each of Swiss and cheddar cheese, diced
1 cup cherry tomatoes
2-3 boiled eggs, sliced

Preheat oven to 450.  Line baking sheet with aluminum foil and spray with nonstick cooking spray.  Arrange potatoes, peppers, and shallots on baking sheet, keeping them separated for presentation, if desired.  Drizzle with oil.  Add seasonings and toss to coat.  Bake for 30 minutes or until veggies caramelize.  Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile place salad mix on a serving dish and arrange remaining ingredients on top.  Once cooled, add potatoes, peppers, and shallots.  Serve with or without your preferred dressing.

Enjoy!

     As you can see in the picture, we had to forgo the shallots, roast beef, and turkey.  J said he couldn't find diced turkey or roast beef, and the thought never crossed his mind to buy the regular lunch meat and cut it up later.  The shallots were MIA because J had no clue what they were and didn't ask anyone or Google it.  I  may just have to pump an extra bottle for little Monster and go myself next time.

Reba!!!

    Last night I was able to do something I've been dreaming about since I was a little girl.  I got to go to a Reba concert!  She has been my number one favorite country artist for as long as I can remember.  I have every season of her show (thanks to my wonderful older sister), and I know just about every one of her songs verbatim, so last night was a blast.  She did not disappoint.  Singing all of my favorites from "The Nights the Lights Went out in Georgia" to "On the Radio", and of course closing with "Fancy" she covered everything I was there to see, and she did it in Reba style :-)  And just as it should be, I left with a little less hearing and a lot less voice.
 
    Not only was Reba amazing, her opening acts were darn good too.  First on was Eden's Edge.  They're big hit right now is "Amen", and I'm thinking of putting their cd on my Christmas list this year after hearing it in person.  Next to perform was Steel Magnolia, and that girl has some lungs on her!  She was joined by James Otto about halfway through her set.  He wrote "Seen it in Color" and performed it last night along with "Just got Started Lovin' You".  Then came The Band Perry, and they were phenomenal.  I was up dancing at that point.  Their lead singer, Kimberly Perry, looked like she'd be a bunch of fun to hang out with for a night.  During Reba's set, she came out as the other half of the duet, "Does He Love You", and that was pretty cool.

Eden's Edge

My wonderful husband and I.

Steel Magnolia

Steel Magnolia and James Otto

The Band Perry

The Queen of Country herself.

Reba and Kimberly Perry singing "Does He Love You"

   All-in-all the night was a blast, and it will be a memory I will keep for a long time.  I was glad to be able to share the fun with my wonderful husband.  And although we all know he's an uncoordinated white boy, he got up and danced with me for a little bit too.  So I guess it's time to switch gears to another favorite famous lady: Paula Deen.

    As promised, I've been cooking my way through her Southern Cooking Bible, and I have two recipes I want to share.  Both were good, and I have requests to make each again.  The first is a taco salad.  Simple enough, right?  Well, I've never made one, but I'm sure glad I did.  Here's what you need:

Taco Salad

1 lb ground beef
1 packet taco seasoning
1 head iceberg lettuce
2 cups (8 oz) sharp cheddar cheese
2 plum tomatoes
1 Hass avocado, pitted, peeled, and chopped
4 scallions, chopped
2 cups crumbled tortilla chips
1/3 cup salsa
1/3 cup sour cream
2 TBSP fresh lime juice

Heat large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef and cook, breaking it up with a fork, until browned, about 5-7 minutes.  Stir in taco seasoning and 1/3 cup of water; simmer until the liquid is just about gone, 3-5 minutes.  In a large salad bowl, combine the beef, lettuce, 1 1/2 cups of the cheddar, tomatoes, avocado, and scallions.  Toss in 1 1/2 cups of the crumbled tortilla chips.  In a small bowl, whisk together the salsa, sour cream, and lime juice.  Pour over the salad and toss to combine.  Sprinkle the top with the remaining 1/2 cup cheddar and 1/2 cup crumbled tortilla chips and serve.

*I couldn't find scallions, so I substituted green onions.  Also there's a note after this recipe in her book that says this salad is good cold or hot.  I disagree.  I had the leftovers cold for lunch the next day and it was NOT as good, but when it was hot, it was wonderful!*

      Thursday night I made Paula's Pasta with Creamy Primavera Sauce.  This was another scrum-diddly-yumpicious meal that I will be making again.

Here's what you need:

1 small head broccoli, 1/2 pound, cut into bite-sized florets
1 medium carrot, thinly sliced
1 medium zucchini, quartered lengthwise, and thinly sliced crosswise
1/3 cup frozen peas
1 lb penne pasta
1 TBSP olive oil
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup halved cherry tomatoes
3/4 cup heavy cream
2 oz cream cheese, cut into bits
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese (about 3 oz)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

Bring a large pot of salted water to boil .  Have a bowl of ice water at the ready.   Add the broccoli and carrot to the boiling water and cook until crisp tender, about 2 minutes.  Transfer vegetables with a slotted spoon to the ice water.  Add the zucchini and peas to the boiling water and cook about one minutes before transferring to the ice water.  Drain the vegetables and transfer to a serving bowl.  Bring the vegetable cooking water back to a boil.  Cook the penne pasta according to the package directions; drain well.  Meanwhile, in a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat.  Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 15 seconds.  Add the tomatoes, and cook until just soft, 1-2 minutes.  Scrape the garlic and tomatoes into the bowl of the vegetables.  Return the skillet to the heat.  Add the cream and bring to a simmer.  Whisk in the cream cheese until smooth.  Whisk in 1/2 cup of parmesan, the salt, and the black pepper.  Add the pasta to the bowl of vegetables.  Pour the hot cream sauce over the mixture.  Stir in the basil and the remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and toss well.  Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary.

  Well I think that's enough for one night.  I've got to go help my hubby whip this house into shape before we leave Tuesday morning for Disney :-D