Hi, I'm Ginny and I'm a guacamole fan. Make that a guacamole addict, and I'm roping my husband in on it, too.
Good LORD I love guacamole. And if it's homemade, even better! Actually, now that I've been making it myself for some time, I don't think I'll ever buy store-made again. I don't even use a recipe. Just a few avocados, a chopped tomato, finely-chopped onion (red is better but white will do in a pinch), fresh lime juice and salt, and fresh cilantro. I mix 'em together and bring on the chips!
I didn't think my husband would ever eat avocado, but now we edge each other out at the bowl. Funny how things change over the years!
I'm thinking now that the avocado could shine in other dishes. Perhaps a salad with avocado and either grapefruit, orange or mango, and definitely the red onion. My wheels are turning for this summer.
Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tomatoes. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
"Gravy"
I've found something that appears to be a universal truth. When someone is cooking tomato sauce from scratch but they call it "gravy," it is likely going to be incredible!
One of my residents (the same from the meatball post) had a pot of "gravy" on her stove when I saw her today. The pot was very heavy and looked like it had been with her for years. Probably because it was, she likely made gravy in it every Sunday for her and her three kids for the years that they were growing up and beyond. Now she makes it for herself, and sometimes shares with other residents on her floor.
Now, I'm not Italian. "Gravy" to me is the brown flavorful sauce that one puts on their turkey and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. And only in the last few years have I condemned "canned gravy" in my house, now that I know how easy it is for Brian to make it. (Yes, I could probably make it too.) I live in a jarred spaghetti sauce household. My mom made her own spaghetti sauce for years, which I miss. Later on we switched to Prego jarred sauce due to time constraint and convenience. Brian grew up in a Ragu household, with two parents working and four kids to feed. Neither of us like the other's familial sauce choice so we compromise and buy Newman's Own. I've said it before....I haven't ever had something bad from the Newman's Own line. Paul Newman must've been one incredible cook! I agree, jarred spaghetti sauce gets dinner on the table FAST and isn't terrible. And honestly in my house, neither kid particularly cares for spaghetti sauce, opting for butter and parmesan cheese instead. (So, please explain why they'll happily eat pizza??)
But from what I smelled upstairs today, I know that someday I must make a "gravy" of my own. One that would make this woman proud. :)
One of my residents (the same from the meatball post) had a pot of "gravy" on her stove when I saw her today. The pot was very heavy and looked like it had been with her for years. Probably because it was, she likely made gravy in it every Sunday for her and her three kids for the years that they were growing up and beyond. Now she makes it for herself, and sometimes shares with other residents on her floor.
Now, I'm not Italian. "Gravy" to me is the brown flavorful sauce that one puts on their turkey and mashed potatoes at Thanksgiving. And only in the last few years have I condemned "canned gravy" in my house, now that I know how easy it is for Brian to make it. (Yes, I could probably make it too.) I live in a jarred spaghetti sauce household. My mom made her own spaghetti sauce for years, which I miss. Later on we switched to Prego jarred sauce due to time constraint and convenience. Brian grew up in a Ragu household, with two parents working and four kids to feed. Neither of us like the other's familial sauce choice so we compromise and buy Newman's Own. I've said it before....I haven't ever had something bad from the Newman's Own line. Paul Newman must've been one incredible cook! I agree, jarred spaghetti sauce gets dinner on the table FAST and isn't terrible. And honestly in my house, neither kid particularly cares for spaghetti sauce, opting for butter and parmesan cheese instead. (So, please explain why they'll happily eat pizza??)
But from what I smelled upstairs today, I know that someday I must make a "gravy" of my own. One that would make this woman proud. :)
Sunday, May 27, 2012
Good Stuff from This Week
My camera was lost for a few days....seems a curious little toddler hid it in his toy bin! It also appears to be stuck on a setting that looks like drawings instead of pictures, but I'll have to fix that later when the battery is recharged. Meanwhile, Highlights from the past week (or so):
Spinach and feta-stuffed chicken breasts, and basil couscous.
I LOVE spinach and feta together, it's one of my favorite flavor combinations. The tomatoes were OK. I wish that there was a way to make canned tomatoes not taste like the can that they were packed in, but haven't figured out a way to do that. The couscous is a mix, it was pretty good. I used to shy away from couscous because of its dryness, but with the right saucy meal, it's perfect.
First burgers on the grill for the season!
A beautifully moist burger patty recipe, courtesy of Cooking Light. Served atop baby arugula, topped with sauteed onion and mayo. And on the perfect crusty bun, toasted of course. This burger was out of this world! I'd never had baby arugula before, it's got a peppery bite to it. And onions sauteed in butter make any meal better, not to mention the wonderful aroma they bring to your kitchen. On the side: sweet potato waffle fries from the freezer. I liked them, but I think that I was the only one.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Return of Our Garden
I just finished planting two tomato plants, basil, zucchini, green beans and cucumbers. All before the skies opened and the rain fell, so all in all I'm pretty happy. I also got one leaf off the basil plant so I got a little of that sweet basil-y perfume in a nibble, so now I'm VERY happy. :)
Since it's already June, this year's garden motto is "better late than not at all." We didn't have a garden last year, with a six month old keeping us on our toes and a three-year old running around, plus a trip to Wisconsin. So the motto last year was "we're buying basil and tomatoes at the grocery store!" I like this year's motto better already.
Since it's already June, this year's garden motto is "better late than not at all." We didn't have a garden last year, with a six month old keeping us on our toes and a three-year old running around, plus a trip to Wisconsin. So the motto last year was "we're buying basil and tomatoes at the grocery store!" I like this year's motto better already.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Stuffed Chicken Breasts
Last Night's Dinner: Chicken Breasts Stuffed with Goat Cheese.
I love goat cheese, I really do. It pairs well with nuts like pistachios, and I really enjoy it on crackers and accompanied with grapes. It makes a roasted veggie roll-up special and it melts nicely into a sauce as well. So when I had some goat cheese left over from another recipe, I was happy to find something to use it up.
I get a lot of magazines, and I found this recipe in this month's Family Circle. , in an article about quick weeknight dinners. I'm always game for new weeknight dinner recipes! They suggested serving it with angel hair pasta and steamed green beans, but I wasn't in the mood for pasta and opted for rice instead. I really should learn to read ahead, because there was a sauce to sop the pasta in. Oh well, it went well over the rice too!
The end result was....eh. It also called for sun-dried tomatoes, and I guess I'm just not too crazy about those. They're very sweet and not at all what I think of when having tomatoes. Brian had trouble with the goat cheese because of the texture. (He is a texture guy....hating things like cheesecake and beans because they're "mishy." Sometimes this makes our kitchen adventures challenging.)
Better luck next time, I think!
I love goat cheese, I really do. It pairs well with nuts like pistachios, and I really enjoy it on crackers and accompanied with grapes. It makes a roasted veggie roll-up special and it melts nicely into a sauce as well. So when I had some goat cheese left over from another recipe, I was happy to find something to use it up.
I get a lot of magazines, and I found this recipe in this month's Family Circle. , in an article about quick weeknight dinners. I'm always game for new weeknight dinner recipes! They suggested serving it with angel hair pasta and steamed green beans, but I wasn't in the mood for pasta and opted for rice instead. I really should learn to read ahead, because there was a sauce to sop the pasta in. Oh well, it went well over the rice too!
The end result was....eh. It also called for sun-dried tomatoes, and I guess I'm just not too crazy about those. They're very sweet and not at all what I think of when having tomatoes. Brian had trouble with the goat cheese because of the texture. (He is a texture guy....hating things like cheesecake and beans because they're "mishy." Sometimes this makes our kitchen adventures challenging.)
Better luck next time, I think!
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
In the Garden
Hooray, it's May! That can only mean that it's almost time to plant our vegetable garden.
My first year planting, I had a great year with a bumper crop of tomatoes and zucchinis. Last year, high of the previous year's successes, I got cocky and tried to expand way too quickly. It was a ridiculously wet summer, and it took out most of my plants. I got like six zucchini (which Brian says is more than plenty for him!) and the plant just shriveled and died, turning to mush in the rain. Zucchini likes wet summer weather, but this was just too much. The peppers I had planted never came to fruition, the cucumbers and carrots were too small to be edible, and the sugarmelon? Sprouted then withered.
So, as they say in sports, this is a rebuilding year. After the soil is turned over, I am only planting zucchini, tomatoes and green beans. I plan on a lot of green beans, as they are the only veggie that Will eats willlingly. One plant for regular tomatoes, and one for cherry tomatoes. I don't care if I ever see a grape tomato again! That's the only thing that grew really well last year, and we had bushels of them. And there's only so much you can do with them, after you put them in salads and saute them in pasta a couple of times, you're sick of them.
I am also hoping that now that Will is three, he'll take a bit of an interest in helping take care of the plants. Maybe if he gets to help water them he'll be more apt to eat them?
My first year planting, I had a great year with a bumper crop of tomatoes and zucchinis. Last year, high of the previous year's successes, I got cocky and tried to expand way too quickly. It was a ridiculously wet summer, and it took out most of my plants. I got like six zucchini (which Brian says is more than plenty for him!) and the plant just shriveled and died, turning to mush in the rain. Zucchini likes wet summer weather, but this was just too much. The peppers I had planted never came to fruition, the cucumbers and carrots were too small to be edible, and the sugarmelon? Sprouted then withered.
So, as they say in sports, this is a rebuilding year. After the soil is turned over, I am only planting zucchini, tomatoes and green beans. I plan on a lot of green beans, as they are the only veggie that Will eats willlingly. One plant for regular tomatoes, and one for cherry tomatoes. I don't care if I ever see a grape tomato again! That's the only thing that grew really well last year, and we had bushels of them. And there's only so much you can do with them, after you put them in salads and saute them in pasta a couple of times, you're sick of them.
I am also hoping that now that Will is three, he'll take a bit of an interest in helping take care of the plants. Maybe if he gets to help water them he'll be more apt to eat them?
Monday, August 10, 2009
Garden Update (aka Name that Bug)
---Sadly, my zucchini plants have kicked the bucket. I'm not sure if it was the ravaging rainstorms or if I planted them too close to the shed. I did get three or four zucchinis before they died. Considering the plethora that I had last year that I had to find people to take it off my hands, I'm not all that disappointed. I'm really the only person in the house that eats it. Will only eats it clandestinely. Usually in some form of chocolate baked goods!
---Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes! I have lots of grape tomatoes! The only thing I've come up with for grape tomatoes is to put them into a salad. I'm going to have plenty of plum (Roma) tomatoes when they turn red though, and those are good in a variety of things. And there's two regular tomato plants....salsa here we come! I also have been hankering for a tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella sandwich on ciabatta bread, like we used to make at the coffee shop I worked at in college.
---Tons of herbs. Especially oregano. I'm not sure just yet what I'm going to do with all of it.
---Cucumbers! I'd say I have a dozen sprouting. I love cucumber. I find that they work really well in an Asian Steak Stir-Fry with red peppers, onion and a homemade stir-fry sauce. (Great, now I want that too!) Though I find a slice of cucumber with just a sprinkle of salt is quite good, too. And I recently had a slice or two of cucumber in a glass of water at a spa.....different than lemon and definitely refreshing.
Tonight, Brian was pulling some tomatoes and he noticed this weirdo catepillar thing. I have NO idea what it was, but being a total bugophobe, it creeped me out!! It had a face almost like a parrakeet, and Brian had a difficult time removing it from the tomato vine. It was the exact same color as the vine, so he missed it at first. Anyone know what it is?? Email me if you do.
---Tomatoes, Tomatoes, Tomatoes! I have lots of grape tomatoes! The only thing I've come up with for grape tomatoes is to put them into a salad. I'm going to have plenty of plum (Roma) tomatoes when they turn red though, and those are good in a variety of things. And there's two regular tomato plants....salsa here we come! I also have been hankering for a tomato, basil and buffalo mozzarella sandwich on ciabatta bread, like we used to make at the coffee shop I worked at in college.
---Tons of herbs. Especially oregano. I'm not sure just yet what I'm going to do with all of it.
---Cucumbers! I'd say I have a dozen sprouting. I love cucumber. I find that they work really well in an Asian Steak Stir-Fry with red peppers, onion and a homemade stir-fry sauce. (Great, now I want that too!) Though I find a slice of cucumber with just a sprinkle of salt is quite good, too. And I recently had a slice or two of cucumber in a glass of water at a spa.....different than lemon and definitely refreshing.
Tonight, Brian was pulling some tomatoes and he noticed this weirdo catepillar thing. I have NO idea what it was, but being a total bugophobe, it creeped me out!! It had a face almost like a parrakeet, and Brian had a difficult time removing it from the tomato vine. It was the exact same color as the vine, so he missed it at first. Anyone know what it is?? Email me if you do.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Kristen's Taco Dip
This taco dip is the recipe of Kristen, my soon-to-be SIL's sister. She made it for Kim's bachelorette party last week at my house. It's awesome! There wasn't any left when the party was over. I made it for a get-together last night that I didn't end up making it to, so I hope it holds for Mother's Day tomorrow! And Tostitos Scoops=best corn chip EVER!!
"Taco" Dip:
2 8oz packages of Philadelphia cream cheese (she likes to use use the 1/3 fat ones)
1 8oz jar of salsa
romaine lettuce (about 2 cups)
1 large red pepper
1 ½ medium to large tomatoes (I use tomato on the vine)
1 8oz package of shredded cheese (I use Sorrento Reduced Fat Mexican 4 cheese blend)
Ok, so here's how you make it. Leave the cream cheese outside of the fridge about ½ hr to get a little softer. Spread evenly on the bottom of the dish you're using with the back of a metal spoon. Put the whole jar of salsa on top and spread evenly. I chop up enough romaine lettuce to cover the salsa. You don't have to chop it up but it's harder to grab with the chips. Chop up red pepper into small pieces and sprinkle on top of the lettuce. Same thing with the tomato, chop and sprinkle. Last but not least, sprinkle cheese to cover the whole dish. If you choose to, you can put a little bit of sliced scallions on the cheese for color and flavor, but I didn't the night of the party. Now you can enjoy this wonderful dip with Tostitos Scoops!
"Taco" Dip:
2 8oz packages of Philadelphia cream cheese (she likes to use use the 1/3 fat ones)
1 8oz jar of salsa
romaine lettuce (about 2 cups)
1 large red pepper
1 ½ medium to large tomatoes (I use tomato on the vine)
1 8oz package of shredded cheese (I use Sorrento Reduced Fat Mexican 4 cheese blend)
Ok, so here's how you make it. Leave the cream cheese outside of the fridge about ½ hr to get a little softer. Spread evenly on the bottom of the dish you're using with the back of a metal spoon. Put the whole jar of salsa on top and spread evenly. I chop up enough romaine lettuce to cover the salsa. You don't have to chop it up but it's harder to grab with the chips. Chop up red pepper into small pieces and sprinkle on top of the lettuce. Same thing with the tomato, chop and sprinkle. Last but not least, sprinkle cheese to cover the whole dish. If you choose to, you can put a little bit of sliced scallions on the cheese for color and flavor, but I didn't the night of the party. Now you can enjoy this wonderful dip with Tostitos Scoops!
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Garden Expansion
I spent part of last Sunday planting this year's garden, and I'm so excited! So far, I have zucchini, cucumber, green peppers and....sugar melons! The grocery store called them "personal melons" and I think that's ridiculous. They're little baby watermelons, I couldn't resist them. I plan on adding 2 or 3 tomato plants to the mix, as well as an herb garden. However, after reviewing my space, I don't think I'm going to have room for that. So I am going to try to grow fennel, basil, oregano and parsley in containers. I haven't bought the containers yet, because I'm not quite sure what I'm looking for. But I have a vision!
Sunday, March 22, 2009
Garden Time?!
Now that Spring is officially here (albeit only two or three days old) it's time to start thinking about the Garden. I'm thinking this way despite the still partially-frozen ground, as it doesn't hurt to be prepared.
I definitely want to expand this year, but I've learned a few lessons. For one thing, THIN OUT THE ZUCCHINI PLANTS. That puppy was a monster last year!! I've also decided not to grow green beans this year. Instead, I think I'll go with tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber and maybe peppers. Also, this year I'm going to grow an herb garden in a window box. I'm certainly going to plant some basil, as there's nothing as delicious-smelling (herb-wise) as the perfume of fresh basil. :) And now that I have a food processor, I'm anxious to try to make some fresh pesto that doesn't turn into a mess!
Anyone got some other suggestions for easy things to grow?
I definitely want to expand this year, but I've learned a few lessons. For one thing, THIN OUT THE ZUCCHINI PLANTS. That puppy was a monster last year!! I've also decided not to grow green beans this year. Instead, I think I'll go with tomatoes, zucchini, cucumber and maybe peppers. Also, this year I'm going to grow an herb garden in a window box. I'm certainly going to plant some basil, as there's nothing as delicious-smelling (herb-wise) as the perfume of fresh basil. :) And now that I have a food processor, I'm anxious to try to make some fresh pesto that doesn't turn into a mess!
Anyone got some other suggestions for easy things to grow?
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Heavy-Handed
Know what makes a good cold-night dinner? Chili! It also comes together quickly, for a quick weeknight meal. I usually like to serve it over rice, but I had a corn muffin mix in the pantry so I decided they'd go together well, along with a cold beer. (I'm not really a beer fan for the most part, but there's something about chili and beer together!)
We're divided in our house: I love kidney beans in chili, and Brian does not. So I usually make a basic chili recipe (hamburger, onions, tomato, garlic, tomato puree, etc, or whatever else) and put aside a little for Brian before I add a can of drained and rinsed kidney beans. That way we both get what we want for dinner---peace and quiet!! :)
I stopped using chili seasoning packets a while ago, I like to make my own little blend with chili powder, crushed red pepper, cayenne, chili powder...whatever sounds good that day. I like it hot, but not so hot that I feel like the fire department is headed over. Well, it was more of the latter tonight!! I don't measure the spices, I just toss them in and usually it's delicious. Tonight, it was spicy as hell!!! I managed to eat enough for dinner, but I didn't know where I went wrong. In doing the dishes I figured it out: the can of diced tomatoes had chilies added!!!
So, a word to the wise: check your tomatoes before you just toss in more spice! :)
We're divided in our house: I love kidney beans in chili, and Brian does not. So I usually make a basic chili recipe (hamburger, onions, tomato, garlic, tomato puree, etc, or whatever else) and put aside a little for Brian before I add a can of drained and rinsed kidney beans. That way we both get what we want for dinner---peace and quiet!! :)
I stopped using chili seasoning packets a while ago, I like to make my own little blend with chili powder, crushed red pepper, cayenne, chili powder...whatever sounds good that day. I like it hot, but not so hot that I feel like the fire department is headed over. Well, it was more of the latter tonight!! I don't measure the spices, I just toss them in and usually it's delicious. Tonight, it was spicy as hell!!! I managed to eat enough for dinner, but I didn't know where I went wrong. In doing the dishes I figured it out: the can of diced tomatoes had chilies added!!!
So, a word to the wise: check your tomatoes before you just toss in more spice! :)
Friday, August 15, 2008
It's all over....there isn't any more........
Well, zucchini season is over at our house. I had probably about 15 of them, and we ate quite a few but I shared with some people as well. Then with the way the weather has been so wet, the plants just got mildewy and died. Ah well. I was getting a little tired of the zucchini anyway. The best recipe that came out of the whole experience was the chocolate zucchini bread, I made another loaf the other night and it was even better this time around! I look forward to next year's experimentation. We're already planning an expansion, to include peppers, cucumbers and maybe some herbs in window boxes. I don't think I'd do green beans again though, we'll see.
Tomatoes are still going great though! We seem to have plenty of them. Nothing at the grocery store comes close to tasting as good as a homegrown tomato!
Tomatoes are still going great though! We seem to have plenty of them. Nothing at the grocery store comes close to tasting as good as a homegrown tomato!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Summer's Best
For years, I've wanted to grow a garden.
I've tried growing tomatoes in containers, but they died. I have to say though, my scatterbrained-ness probably contributed, though! So this year I decided that it is THE year! There is nothing quite like a homegrown tomato, nothing the supermarket sells can compare. So instead of growing tomatoes using seeds, I cheated and bought two plants. For the fun of it, I also planted zucchini and northern beans.
Well, it looks like I FINALLY have a green thumb! We staked the tomatoes last week and they have little yellow flowers on them. AND this morning I checked and there's already one little baby green tomato! Can't wait to reap my own garden's bounty!
Some of the things I want to make are a tomato-basil-mozzarella tart, and I've always wanted to try Panzanella. (which is a tomato and Italian bread salad) I also want to learn to make my own spaghetti sauce, but that might be a little too adventurous. But if anyone has a sauce recipe to share I'd be happy to take it!
Based on the success so far, I'm already thinking of expanding the garden next year. Maybe cucumbers or peppers, and I have friends that grow herbs in window boxes. Wish me luck!
I've tried growing tomatoes in containers, but they died. I have to say though, my scatterbrained-ness probably contributed, though! So this year I decided that it is THE year! There is nothing quite like a homegrown tomato, nothing the supermarket sells can compare. So instead of growing tomatoes using seeds, I cheated and bought two plants. For the fun of it, I also planted zucchini and northern beans.
Well, it looks like I FINALLY have a green thumb! We staked the tomatoes last week and they have little yellow flowers on them. AND this morning I checked and there's already one little baby green tomato! Can't wait to reap my own garden's bounty!
Some of the things I want to make are a tomato-basil-mozzarella tart, and I've always wanted to try Panzanella. (which is a tomato and Italian bread salad) I also want to learn to make my own spaghetti sauce, but that might be a little too adventurous. But if anyone has a sauce recipe to share I'd be happy to take it!
Based on the success so far, I'm already thinking of expanding the garden next year. Maybe cucumbers or peppers, and I have friends that grow herbs in window boxes. Wish me luck!
p.s. Above are pictures of the tomato plants, and my favorite little Garden Helper :)
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