Carmalized Onions

In several of the restaurants which I've been to recently, I've noticed a trend of "carmalized onions" on the menu. They are totally delicious!

That got me thinking about how they are made, so I tried it for myself early in the week.

I had recently spotted a bag of Videlia onions at the store.



Cutting the onions up went fairly quickly. I cut the onion in half, then turned each half up on its side to cut slices. The half slices fell apart from each other fairly easily with the spatula in the pan.






I melted about 2 tablespoons butter with some olive oil in the pan before adding the onions. I added salt and pepper. Thereafter, I just let them cook, tossing every so many minutes. It took about a half hour for them to cook, but the color was fabulous! OH, and they were oh-SO-yummy!

They were fabulous on top of a hamburger.

I decided that they were not hard to make, just time consuming. That will keep most people from making them and create a market for them at the restaurants. I probably could have cooked them for at least 15 minutes longer, but I was impatient and anxious to taste myself.

I wanted to attempt a panini with them. I added a half of a green pepper and cooked it down also.

I have a small George Foreman grill that I only use for making panini. I added cheese to the sandwich too.

Unfortunately, although the sandwich looked good, I think I need a different type of bread as this just took away the gourmet from the onions and peppers. In addition, the bottom side of the bread was soggy.

What kind of bread shall I try next? I need ideas? In addition, I may need to either toast it before I add the onions and peppers or use bread with a hard outside and soft inside.

Please share you ideas! I want to try again!

Skillet Pork Chops with Potatoes and Onion

Dosn't this sound simple and yummy?

Skillet Pork Chops with Potatoes and Onion

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 pork chops
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
4 potatoes, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, sliced
3 cubes beef bouillon
3/4 cup hot water
1 tablespoon lemon juice

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Coat the pork chops with flour, and place in the skillet. Brown about 4 minutes on each side.

2. In a small bowl, mix the Parmesan cheese, salt, and pepper. Sprinkle 1/2 the Parmesan cheese mixture over the pork chops. Layer chops with the potatoes.
Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese mixture. Top with onion slices.

3. In a small bowl, dissolve the beef bouillon cubes in hot water. Stir in the lemon juice. Pour over the layered pork chops.

4. Cover skillet, and reduce heat. Simmer 40 minutes, until vegetables are tender and pork chops have reached an internal temperature of 160 degrees F

Egg Share EggsPlosion!

Who would have thought that me craving egg salad sandwiches would have influenced so many others to crack the egg! How funny is the power of suggestion!

Danzinst left this suggestion in the comments and I'm gonna have to try it!

I learned this tip from a chef years ago when boiling eggs. I let them boil for 8 minutes,immediately put them in cold water and crack every one all over while they are still in the cold water. 5 minutes later the shells just slide off. This had worked for me for years. Of course if you are going to do Easter Eggs don't crack them, lol!

I continue to read in the forums and e-mails that my mention empowered them to go and make the same. Check out Dani's sandwich on her blog...doesn't it look scrumpish?!! She likes her chunks just right and uses a slicer. How pretty!

This just calls for an Egg Share EggsPlosion!

Go ahead, blog about your eggs and come back here to add your link! Links to galleries are okay too if you do not have a blog.



Here are photos of my egg salad sandwich.

I started out with some peeled eggs, mustard, mayo, and relish. Not so appealing looking this way.

















I used the fork to just mash it all together. Not so appealing this way either with all the slime on the side of the bowl.

















Here is the finished sandwich! Now wasn't that quick and easy. Yummy!

Hard Boiled Eggs

This may be a little late, but then again--not.

I wanted to know if my readers had any tips for hard boiling the perfect egg.

I have found the best thing to do is to put the eggs directly from the boiling water into ice water. Does anyone else do this? I am not sure why this works. It must have something to do with expanding and contracting with the temperature.

I have also found that older eggs that have set in the refrigerator for a while peel better than fresh eggs. Why is that?

I also understand it is best to put them in the water before bringing the water to boil. I let mine boil for about 5 minutes and then turn off the heat and let them cook for another 5 minutes.

Please leave a comment and share you tips!

What do you do with your eggs? How long do you cook them?

I love to just peel them and slice them with a sprinkle of salt. I have an egg slicer that works well.

However, I also just LOVE egg salad sandwiches. I peel my egg, add a tad of mayo, a tad of mustard, and a tad of pickle relish in a bowl -- careful, not too much of each. Grab a fork and start squishing it all together until it's one big mushed up mess. Slap it between two peices of toast and enjoy!

I often wonder why I do not think to hard boil eggs at any other time of the years. I do love eating them and they are so easy to make. They are great on salads too.

Someone remind me in July that I like hard boiled eggs, will you please? It is never too late to hard boil eggs.

Taco in a Pan

Update: Eileen shared with me that she made this and her fussy son and hubby even had seconds. I just had to try it and I agree, it was a big hit at our house too and so simple.

Since my men are SO picky, I actually left the cheese off of the mixture and let everyone choose what to do with it. Most of my men put it in taco shells and declared it was good. I suggested nachos too.




I decided to make a salad with it. I put lettuce on my plate and topped it with the mixture, cheese, tomatoes, sour cream, and tortilla chips. Yummy!





*****
Hmmmmm...how about this recipe...my family is always ready for Mexican? I may have to try this one. It seems as quick to make as Hamburger Helper, huh?

Taco In A Pan

1 lb. extra lean ground beef
2 C. water
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning Mix
2 C. instant white Rice, uncooked
1 C. Mexican Shredded Cheese
2 C. shredded lettuce
2 C. chopped tomatoes

Brown meat in large nonstick skillet; drain. Add water and seasoning mix; stir. Bring to boil. Stir in rice. Sprinkle with cheese; cover. Reduce heat to low; simmer 5 min. Top with lettuce and tomatoes.

Crockpot Sesame Seed Chicken

Crockpot Sesame Seed Chicken

I like chinese food. Does this sound good to you? And easy? It might be good with rice.

2 1bs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 c. low sodium soy sauce
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tablespoons ketchup
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining
ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken.

Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4.

Sausage and Waffle Casserole

It's cold outside and breakfast food is warm and comforting in the mornings! Doesn't this sound fun? Again, I've not tried it.

8 frozen waffles
12 oz maple breakfast sausage
1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
6 large eggs
1 1/4 cups milk
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper

Prepare waffles in toaster.
Brown sausage and crumble; Drain.

Butter 8-inch-square baking dish.
Add half of waffles on bottom of dish in a single layer.
Add half of sausage and 1/2 cup cheese.
Repeat layering of waffles, sausage, and 1/2 cup cheese.

Combine eggs, milk, maple syrup, salt, and pepper. Pour over casserole.
Cover with remaining 1/2 cup cheese.
Refrigerate at least one hour or overnight.

Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

Italian Beef and Potato Casserole

I'm always on the lookout for something for the crockpot. This one has me really curious as to whether or not I would like it. What do you think?

Italian Beef and Potato Casserole

1 pound lean ground beef
5 1/2 ounces package scalloped potatoes
16 ounces can tomatoes
10 1/2 ounces can pizza sauce
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
1 cup mozzarella cheese; cut into 1" cubes
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

In skillet or slow-cooking pot with browning unit, brown meat until
crumbly; drain off fat. In slow-cooking pot, combine beef with
dry sauce mix from package of scalloped potatoes, tomatoes, pizza
sauce, water, salt, oregano, basil and garlic powder. Stir in
dry potato slices. Cover and cook on low 4 to 5 hours. Turn
control to high. Stir in cubes of mozzarella cheese. Top with
Parmesan cheese. Cover and cook on high for 10 to 15 minutes.

Crockpot Sesame Seed Chicken

I'm always on the lookout for easy meals as a working mom! Doesn't this sound good...let me know if you try it.

Crockpot Sesame Seed Chicken

2 1bs. skinless, boneless chicken thighs.
1/2 C. soy sauce
1/3 C. packed brown sugar
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 Tbs. ketchup
2 Tbs. toasted sesame seeds

Place chicken thighs in the slow cooker. Whisk together remaining ingredients in a bowl and pour over chicken. Cover and cook on low 6 to 8 hours or on high 3 or 4.

Cake Box Cookies

I have another favorite recipe with a cake box for cookies and so this one looks great too!

Cake Box Cookies

Ingredients:

1 box cake mix, any flavor
6 ounces chocolate chips, any flavor to match cake mix
2 eggs
2 T. water
1/4 c. applesauce

Directions:

Combine all ingredients and mix well. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie
sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes.

My Latest Self-Indulgence

What is it about drinking out of wine glasses that makes me feel I am pampering myself?

Here is my latest self-indulgence that I am stuck on--frothy chocolate milk in a wine glass.

Couldn't get easier than that!

Tell me I'm not crazy. {giggle}

Breakfast Skillet

I could have breakfast for dinner any day of the week!

1/2 lb. pork sausage
2 C. frozen shredded hash brown potatoes
10 oz. can diced tomatoes
1/2 lb. Velveeta cubed
6 eggs
2 T. water

Brown sausage in large skillet on medium heat; drain.
Add potatoes and tomatoes; cook 5 minutes or until potatoes are browned, stirring occasionally. Top with Velveeta.
Beat eggs and water with wire whisk. Pour evenly over ingredients in skillet. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Cook 10-12 minutes or until egg mixture is set in center and Velveeta is melted.
Let stand, uncovered 5 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.

Cheddar Spread

Entertaining? Doesn't this sound easy? I wonder if it is any good.

1 8 oz. cream cheese
1/2 C. Miracle Whip
1 C. shredded Cheddar cheese
8 pieces bacon cooked & crumbled

Combine cream cheese and salad dressing; mixing until well blended. Add cheddar cheese; mix well. Spoon into 9" pie plate, sprinkle with bacon pieces. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes.

Macho Nachos

Sandy made this and shared it on her blog. It sounded SO good, that I wanted to put it here on my blog just to remind myself to make it! Thanks Sandy! Feel free to go leave her some love!

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

The weather is getting cooler and the crockpots are coming out! I'm on the lookout for easy recipes my men with boring tastebuds might like! I've done this recipe with a roast, but never steak. I can see cutting the steak up into pieces and serving over rice to be another good option for this.

Crock Pot Swiss Steak

2-21/2 lbs round steak
1 pkg. onion soup mix
1/4 C. water
1 (10oz) can cream of mushroom soup mix

Cut steak into 5-6 serving size pieces.
Place in crockpot.
Add dry onion soup mix, water and soup.
Cover and cook for 6-8 hours.
If you like lots of gravy use 2 pkgs. soup mix and 2 cans soup.
You can use the extra on mashed potatoes.

I'm Stuck on Celery & Cheese

I found this new Philadelphia Cracker Spreads and I'm in love! I got some pre-cut celery sticks and I'm stuck on celery & cheese right now! I need to get to the store to buy more! Who needs crackers!

I'm ready for them to come out with recipe ideas for this stuff. Won't this stuff be great for holiday meals? I bet it could be made into some great dip recipes too.

Crockpot Hash

One of my hubbie's favorite meals is simply ground beef, potatoes, and gravy browned together in a skillet. Before our marriage, a relative used to make this for him and now he always requests it of me. Yes, he's a meat and potatoes kind of guy! That's why when I saw this recipe, I wondered if he would like it too. This is certainly on my list to try.

Crockpot Hash

1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck
32 oz. hash brown potatoes, thawed
1 tsp. garlic powder
1 chopped onion
1 cup water
salt & pepper to taste
1 pkg. brown gravy mix
1 tbsp. margarine

Brown ground chuck in a non-stick skillet until all pink is gone. Drain. Place in crockpot. Combine chopped onion, garlic powder, potatoes, salt & pepper to taste. Pour over meat in crockpot. Stir. Mix gravy and boiling water. Pour over mixture. Dot with margarine. Cook 7 to 8 hours on low.

Chocolate Cherry Cake

I'm all for easy recipes using boxed mixes. How about you? I have not tried this, but it looks good!

Chocolate Cherry Cake

1 fudge cake mix
1 can cherry pie filling
1 tsp. almond extract
2 eggs

FROSTING
1 c. sugar
5 tbsp. margarine
1/3 c. milk
1 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Combine cake mix, pie filling, extract and eggs. Beat by hand until
well mixed. Pour into greased 9 x 13 x 2 inch pan. Bake at 350
degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.

FROSTING: Boil sugar, margarine and milk, stirring constantly. Remove
from heat. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Add 1/2 cup chopped nuts.
Pour over while cake is still warm.

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

I have a friend who has been telling me that the ladies at her church are already planning a Christmas cookie exchange. I guess it is not too early to be thinking of Christmas baking. I have eaten some really tasty pecans before and I am not sure that this is the recipe for them, but I believe it may be. Do you have a recipe for sugar coated pecans to share with us? Please leave the recipe in the comments.

Cinnamon Sugar Pecans

1 large egg white
3 cups pecan halves
1/3 cup cinnamon vanilla sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
1. Whisk the egg white in a cup. Pour the egg whites over the nuts, stirring until the nuts are coated with egg white.
2. In a small bowl, stir the cinnamon, vanilla sugar, and salt together. Add the cinnamon sugar mixture to the nuts, a little a time, while stirring.
3. Spread the coated nuts on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes without stirring.
4. Use a spatula to remove the nuts from the hot baking sheet immediately. Allow to cool thoroughly before storing in tightly closed container. Store in a cool place.

Cheeseburger Soup

I have not tried this, but with fall on the brink, it sure sounds great! Let me know if you try it and like it.
The Taste of Home's Big Book of Soups and it was submitted by Joanie Shawhan.

Cheeseburger Soup

1/2 pound ground beef
3/4 cup chopped onion
3/4 cup shredded carrots
3/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
4 tablespoons butter, divided
3 cups chicken broth
4 cups diced, peeled potatoes, (1 3/4 pound)
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
8 ounces process cheese (Velveeta), cubed (2 cups)
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper, (more if desired)
1/4 cup sour cream

In a 3-quart saucepan, cook beef over medium heat until no longer pink;
drain and set aside. In the same saucepan, sauté onion, carrots, celery,
basil and parsley in 1 tablespoon butter until vegetables are tender, about
10 minutes. Add broth, potatoes and beef; bring to a boil. Reduce heat;
cover and simmer for 10 to 12 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
Meanwhile, in a small skillet, melt remaining butter. Add flour; cook and
stir for 3 to 5 minutes or until bubbly. Add to soup; bring to a boil.
Cook and stir for 2 minutes. Reduce heat to low. Add cheese, milk, salt
and pepper; cook and stir until cheese melts. Remove from the heat; blend
in sour cream.