Sweet Potato Pies

Okay, apparently, I haven't lived!! I seem to be having a lot of "firsts."  This is yet another one.  I have never baked a sweet potato pie in my life.  I wanted to see if I could, so I set out on my mission.

The only thing that isn't homemade with these pies is the crust.  Could I have baked some crusts, sure, but in the interest of time, I bought them.  They are the kind that come in the freezer section and are not pre-baked.

The biggest mistake I made was turning off the stove accidentally.  I was resetting the timer on the stove and must have hit cancel instead.  I didn't realize it until it was time to take the pies out.

My thought:  Why can't I smell the pies??  You can always smell things that are baking in the oven.  To my shock and horror the stove was off!!!

I turned it back on, but had to keep checking to see if they were done.  Luckily, I was able to save the pies.

They came out just the way I expected sweet potato pies to taste!! I'm so pleased!!

Ignore the cookie sheet, because it has been well worn! lol

Leftovers!!

Sometimes leftovers are better than the original.  I was thinking I wanted to eat what was left of the collard greens with some cornbread, then I remembered that I had a few pieces of chicken as well.

This was the end result of my thought process!! ;-)) It was awesome and delicious!!

I think I just invented the collard green bowl!! haha

Bubba’s Far Out Dip - Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Very tasty dip that has spinach, roasted red peppers, artichokes and 

Monterey Jack cheese with tortilla chips!!

We added shrimp to ours, just because we could!! :-))

“I’m Stuffed!” Shrimp - Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Just look at this tasty dish!!!  It has large shrimp with crab stuffing, which they baked in garlic butter, and topped with Monterey Jack cheese. 

There is a nice scoop of Jasmine Rice right in the middle!!

Bubba’s After the Storm “Bucket of Boat Trash” - Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

Here is what Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. calls Bubba's After the Storm Bucket of Boat Trash!!  This tasty dish includes: Flash fried Shrimp, Fish with Cajun spices, steamed Snow Crab and fries!

Tasty looking right??

Soul Food Dinner

Voila!!! Here is my soul food dinner!! I will post the pics of the sweet potato pie when I get around to actually making it!! haha  I guess it's in the same place as the mac n cheese!! ;-))

My family LOVED the meal!! I don't cook like this too often, mainly because I don't cook a lot of fried foods.  I had to let my children know that yes, I can "throw down." 

Everything came out perfect, even my first time collard greens!!  I didn't even know that my daughters liked them, because I've never cooked them for them. Lesson learned, and I will definitely make them again...soon!!

Spicy Collard Greens

I probably didn't have to add the word spicy to this post. LOL  Here are my collard greens almost ready to eat.

Hot and steaming and smelling wonderful!!! Oh yeah, I almost forgot...that's a smoked ham hock in the corner of the pot adding wonderful flavor to the mix!

Starting the Collard Greens

No soul food dish would be complete without collard greens!  At least in my opinion.  The funny thing is, I've never made them before.

I found out what a process it is to clean, chop and cook them!  It takes a while, but it was worth it.  Here is the first steps to making the collard greens.  

The look pretty good, don't they?

Spicy Fried Chicken

You know me, I LOVE spicy foods, so it would be uncharacteristic of me to make bland food.  So it goes with my fried chicken.

This is fried chicken with a kick!! I add cayenne pepper to the mix and BAM, it's kicked up!!!

Here is a pic of my spicy fried chicken!

Roasted Potato Salad with Roasted Garlic

This is a recipe I created a while back.  I decided to add more layers of flavor to my traditional potato salad.  Instead of boiling my potatoes, I roasted them in the oven, along with garlic.  The end result is amazing!!

I still use the basics in this recipe, but I mash the roasted garlic in with the roasted potatoes, and I add one pack of Knorr's chicken stock while the potatoes are still hot.

I literally could eat the whole bowl by myself!! It is absolutely delish!!!

Pistachios

I'm not going to lie, this is the love of my life....pistachios!!! I can't stop eating them.  I know that I shouldn't just sit and eat handfuls at a time, but they are they good fat, right??

I've always loved them, but I'm on a real roll with them now.  I go to the grocery store, I think pistachios, I'm at home and think about a snack, I think pistachios! :-))

These are still tied up in a bag, which is a good thing, or they would be gone!!

Teriyaki Turkey Burger - Carl's Jr.

No soul food today!! I was too tired to cook!! So here is my meal for today....don't judge me!! ;-))

It was actually really good!! See the friendly, smiling star!! haha

Banana Nut Bread - Made by Joann

I've had Joann's banana nut bread many times, and it is such a treat to have each and every time.

I don't know how long she has been making it, but she has certainly perfected it!! The sweetness, softness and crunchiness combined, oh my!!!

Thank you Joann for sharing this pic!!!

Pancakes w/Fluffy Eggs & Sausage

This is what I usually do when I want something really bad.  I make it!!! I was really feeling like some good homemade pancakes and fluffy eggs.  I threw a sausage patty in just because!! ;-))

The pancakes had just the right amount of crisp around the edges, and they were light and fluffy inside...sooooo GOOD!!!

ALERT: Cooking Something Soulful

I have a few things in mind, and I'm going to try to bring them together to make a tasty meal for my family and a beautiful pic for all of you.

I'm going to take this dish or dishes back to my parents birthplace (yes, in the U.S., duh!! lol) and try to make them proud.  Although what I'm going to cook is in my family's history, it's not things that I usually cook.

Coming soon, so stay tuned!!!  I will try not to disappoint you!! :-))

UPDATE: Flatbread Breakfast Sandwich - Kellogg's

Let me reiterate, I totally believe in homemade over boxed, or frozen anything. Just thought I would start out with that little blurb! ;-))

Having said that, I already had a preconceived notion on what I was about to taste.  I tried to put that in the back of my mind to give a this breakfast sandwich a fair chance.

Okay, getting back to my review, I will start with my occasional star system!!

On a scale of 5 stars, I would give this one a 3 1/2.  Only because, the first bite was promising, but I wasn't that thrilled with the follow up.  I think the veggies are what kind of killed the experience for me.

The veggies were a bit watery, other than that, it wasn't a horrible experience. It was kind of tasty, but I wanted more flavor.  Whenever I review something, I always want to remind you that this is MY personal experience.  Your personal experience may be different, so don't hesitate to buy this product, because you may rate it higher than I did.

This is what it actually looks like.  It may appear that I was pinching it hard on one side, but that's not the case.  The egg was just soft! :-)

Flatbread Breakfast Sandwich - Kellogg's Special K

I saw these when I was in the grocery store today.  I'll be trying one of them for breakfast tomorrow, and I will post an update sometime tomorrow.

Stay tuned for my personal review of this product!! 

Once again I will say, I don't believe anything is as good as homemade, but I'm willing to give it a try at least once! ;-)

Thai Iced Tea - Sala Thai

Think cool and refreshing if you haven't had a Thai iced tea!!! Just picture yourself relaxing and sipping on this awesome drink!  Go ahead, close your eyes and imagine!!

Key Lime Bar

You've all heard of Lemon Bars right?? Well, here is a twist on the Lemon Bar....a Key Lime Bar!!  My sister who loves Key Lime Pie, brought some over to my house.

It's just like a Key Lime Pie, but in the form of a bar.  It's the tartness in Key Lime that I love, and this little beauty didn't disappoint!! It's beautiful to look at too!! :-))

Crab Fried Rice - Sala Thai

Crab fried rice you say??? YES!!! Crab fried rice, and it is just as good as it sounds, IF you love crab like I do.  The crab gave it a certain sweetness that can't be found in other types of fried rice!!

This was the first time I've ever had it, but it won't be the last.  Once again, this is a dish that my daughter introduced me to, and I'm happy she did!! :-))

Feast your eyes on this!!

Fresh Box - Whole Foods

I picked this little gem up while I was out shopping at Whole Foods.  It was a great find for my lunch today.

The grapes were super crisp, fresh and sweet.  The pita pockets were just right, and the egg salad and tuna rounded it out well.

I really like this idea, and I would definitely purchase one of these again! :-))

Bacon Cheeseburger - Chili's Bar & Grill

My daughter is such a burger person, that every time she goes out to eat in a restaurant, she will order a burger no matter what is on the menu.

So, that's exactly what she did this time!! That bacon sure looks good on top of this burger though!!

She was saying "hurry up and take the pic, because I'm hungry." Silly girl!! lol

Crispy Honey-Chipotle Crispers - Chili's Bar & Grill

I've had these once before, and they are finger licking good!!! How they manage to keep the chicken crispy with sauce on them is beyond me, but they do.  They stay crispy from the first bite until the last one.

Very good choice at Chili's!! 

Southwestern Mac n Cheese - Chili's Bar & Grill

In my mind, there is nothing better than home cooking.  This Southwestern mac n cheese came pretty close to what I would make in my own kitchen.

The creaminess was to die for!!  It was very, very good mac n cheese!

Triple Dipper Appetizer - Chili's Bar & Grill

We were in for the works, so we ordered an appetizer along with our dinners. This is Chili's Triple Dipper, which you can order three different appetizers.  We decided we wanted all Southwestern egg rolls, but they wouldn't let us do that.  

They did however let us double up on them, so that's what we did, double Southwestern egg rolls, and loaded potato skins.

Yummy!!

Baby Back Ribs - Chili's Bar & Grill

I've been wanting some ribs for a while now, and this was the first opportunity that I've had to get them, and they didn't disappoint!!  Yeah, I could have made them at home, but I chose to eat them out this time around.

Nice tender, juicy baby back ribs!!! They were well worth the wait!! :-))

On this plate are the baby back ribs with BBQ sauce, caramel apples and fully loaded mashed potatoes.

Blueberry & Pineapple Margaritas - Chili's Bar & Grill

After the huge earthquake we experienced in the middle of the night last night, we decided to go out and treat ourselves.

These are a couple of drinks that we had with our meal, and they were very good.  I don't usually order margaritas, but it only seemed fitting!

Chicken Terriyaki Bowl - Midori Japanese Cuisine

This little Japanese restaurant in the next town over has THE best chicken terriyaki bowl, and veggie tempura around!

The best part is that I don't have to drive far to get their food!! The chicken terriyaki bowl has the right amount of terriyaki sauce on it and the chicken is always tender and juicy.  The rice beneath the chicken and terriyaki sauce is cooked to perfection!!

Love this place!!

Salted Caramel Pizookie - BJ's

Continuing with the desserts, this is the one that my daughter and her new hubby shared.  I've never heard of a Pizookie, but in my mind, it must be representing a pizza and a cookie!! ;-))

I didn't taste it, but they seemed to enjoy it!!  Yes, that's a chocolate square sitting right in the middle!

Peach Cobbler - BJ's

Arrived late to a Birthday celebration for my nephew, so we ordered dessert!! The dessert that I ordered was the peach cobbler, which was WAY to much for one person, so I shared it with my daughter.

If you have ever been to BJ's, then you know the lighting is not very good, so I did the best I could with this pic.

Great dessert though!!

Seafood Fettuccine

UPDATE:  New Dish

Today has been a really exhausting day for me, but I promised to make a post on my new dish.  I apologize for the lateness of the post.

This is my twist on a seafood fettuccine.  I used zucchini noodles that I made, lightly seared scallops, lump crab meat, and shrimp.  It was a fun dish to make and tastes like a very fresh take on fettuccine. It is topped with freshly grated Parmesan.

Here is a pic of my dish.  :-))

ALERT: New dish

I will be posting a new dish tomorrow!! All I can say for sure is that it will involve shrimp and zucchini!!

That's as far as my thoughts on what I will come up with go at the moment. Keep your fingers crossed that whatever it is comes out good.

Will I be honest about how it tastes when I'm finished....suuuuurrrreeee! ;-))

Stay tuned for the update!! 

I hope everyone has a great start to the weekend!!!

California Rolls - Jo's Sushi Bar

I'm so glad that I have friends that introduce me to new restaurants that I've never been to before.

Such is the case with Jo's Sushi Bar.  Wonderful out of the way place, at least for me..haha! Great environment and great food to match!  

I am always ready to visit a great sushi place!!

Here is a pic of my plate.

Tiramisu - Luna Ristorante

This is a classic Italian Tiramisu that I ordered at Luna Ristorante.  All I can tell you is that it was as good as it looks in the pic.

My friends and I go there a couple of times of year.  They have a really great menu!!  Italian is what you want?? Italian is what you get!!

Chicken Quesadilla

This pic is of a delicious Chicken Quesadilla that my daughter brought home for me! I had a "late" kind of day, starting with a late breakfast and followed with a late lunch.  To give you an idea, I haven't even begun to think about eating dinner!!

I even got a BBQ chicken wing on the side (just one....kind of suspect huh? Yeah, I thought so too..LOL)!! 

I am still appreciative for the thought!!  It was very sweet of her to do!!  The quesadilla was scrumptious!!! I'm going to have to pay a visit to whatever Restaurant she bought it from!!  ;-))

UPDATE: Bean Head Coffee and De'Longhi Stainless Steel Burr Coffee Grinder

I've been waiting to write the review for a while now.  First I would like to thank Bean Head Coffee for delivering my package in a very timely manner, unfortunately, I had it shipped to my job thinking I would get it faster and wound up out sick for a couple of days.  I ordered my Bean Head Coffee through Amazon, just in case you missed that on my last post about the coffee.

Bean Head Coffee:
The coffee was everything I hoped it would be and more! It has just enough acidity to keep the coffee from tasting flat, which there is nothing worse than!!! The body is rich, but not to heavy or light.  It has a very pleasant, what I'll call that "fresh brewed" fragrant aroma.  The flavor has a nice complexity and balance to it, which is VERY Important. LOVE this coffee!!!!

DeLonghi Stainless Steel Burr Coffee Grinder:
This coffee grinder was suggested by Bean Head Coffee.  They knew what they were talking about!! The perfect grinder, which will NOT burn your coffee beans!!  You are in control of how your beans are ground.  I read the instructions and followed them as far as what type of coffee machine I have (which is a drip machine).  It recommended medium for my type of coffee machine, and it worked perfectly. It also shuts off automatically!

I think I'll initiate a star system just for this post!!

On of scale of 1-5 Stars, BOTH of these get 5 STARS!!!

Recommendation:  Try them for yourself, I don't think you'll be disappointed!!  :-))

Pickled Bell Peppers - Made by Sandie

I have never been a fan of bell peppers, especially the green variety.  Tasting these pickled bell peppers that my friend Sandie made changed my opinion completely.  At least when it comes to her pickled bell peppers.

They are seriously addictive!! I would eat them with my breakfast, lunch and dinner! In fact, I would look for things to eat them with.

Thank you Sandie for introducing me to these delicious pickled peppers!!!

The pic is a little blurry, most likely because I was in a hurry to eat them!! lol

Pasta with Bacon Topping

This is one of those dishes that I created using whatever I had in the kitchen at the time.  The end result was awesome!!

The bacon was put on as a last minute thought.  This pasta dish incorporates some of my favorite things, such as ground turkey, spinach and mushrooms in a creamy, savory sauce.

I think the bacon part really won my son over!! 

French Crepes

Crepes are one of those things that you get right, or you get completely wrong. I didn't want to take a chance with messing them up trying to make them from scratch.  So I found a recipe at the link below. They came out perfectly!!  So, so very good!!!

I stuffed them with some of the items in the background, and dusted them with powdered sugar.

Hint: Make sure you use a non-stick pan.

Copy and paste the link into your browser:
http://allrecipes.com/recipe/french-crepes

Roasted Potato Garlic Pizza - Made by Ty

My daughter went away to college and came back a serious cook!! I didn't teach her a thing about cooking before she left!! haha  I like to be in the kitchen by myself, so she didn't get a chance to do much experimenting before she left.

Most college kids learn how to make better ramen, not this one!! This is her homemade pizza, which was to die for.  

This pic does NOT do this pizza justice.  Unfortunately, I haven't been able to convince her to make another one!  Maybe she'll see this post and feel a little bit guilty!! Hint, hint!! :-))

Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

I just couldn't leave out this table!!! It brought a smile to my face, because it made me think about the Forrest Gump movie quote.  Nice touch!!!

Tables and things like that can make or break a dining experience.  This one totally made it!!

Yes, I moved my drink into the shot! ;-))

Blue Hawaiian - Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

This drink right here...well, I think the pic speaks for itself!! Since it was in the background of my last post, I figured I'd better give it it's own post.

One word DELICIOUS!! It was a Blue Hawaiian that was actually green!!! 

Shrimper's Heaven - Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

If you love shrimp as much as I do, this would be the dish to order at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. in San Francisco.  As soon as I saw it on the menu, there was no other choice for me!!

If hand breaded coconut shrimp, chilled peel 'n' eat shrimp, fried shrimp and Japanese style Tempura shrimp with fries wet your appetite, you'll love it even more with the great sauces that come with it. You get a tangy Asian, a Cajun marmalade and zesty cocktail sauce.

Every bite was a good as the first!!!  If you're in the area, I would definitely recommend this dish!!

Fried Eggs

Some call this breakfast, but I call it "fry it when I want it."  Fried eggs are a favorite of mine from childhood.  This may seem over cooked to some of you, but to me, they are perfectly fried eggs!!!

I like my eggs with a little hot sauce, and ketchup on the side.  I don't always eat my eggs with ketchup, but the majority of time, I will have them with hot sauce (Frank's...my fav) or fresh salsa.

This was my evening snack!!  Yummmmm!!!!!

Steel Cut Oats w/Blueberries

I can't do quick oats anymore, at least not since I discovered how great tasting steel cut oats are.  Sure, it takes a lot longer and a lot of stirring, but it's worth the wait!!

This is my breakfast all ready for the morning.  I don't have time to cook them before I leave in the mornings, so I cook them at night and put them in the fridge.  

In the pic you can see my sugar free, dairy free hazelnut creamer (sounds yucky, but it's not!!) seeping down over the oatmeal with my blueberries at the bottom.  I add cinnamon at the very end of the cooking process.  I don't add any salt, because I don't think you really have to and I don't add extra sugar. Believe me, the creamer adds enough sweetness to the blueberries and the oatmeal!

Ah. so you noticed the cheap cinnamon on the side!! Yes, I'll buy cheap cinnamon as quickly as I would buy the good stuff!! lol ;-))

Apple Sausage Scramble - Gangnam Cafe

My daughter told me about a place she went to with a friend, so naturally she wanted to take me there.  I was a skeptic at first, because it was an out of the way location, almost what I would call a "hole in the wall."

Looks can be deceiving, and I know from experience that many "hole in the wall" cafes and dinners have some of the best food.

It wasn't let down, because Gangnam Cafe has a great "home" type atmosphere.  We chose to sit by the big picture windows in the front.  Good food, good company, good times!!

Gateau de Crabe - La Sen Bistro

If I've said it once, I'll say it again, I LOVE eating at La Sen Bistro.  Everything that I have eaten there is wonderfully delicious!!

In the pic below are the crab cakes that I ordered which come with roasted sweet potato, seasonal veggies, served with tartar sauce and drizzled with balsamic reduction.

These are some of the best crab cakes that I have eaten.  After you finish the second one, you're left wanting more.  Of course, being the modest person that I am, I wouldn't ask for more...haha

Loved these, can't say it enough!!!

Cupcakes - Whole Food

I was in Whole Foods by the Bakery section and I spotted these beauties!! I love the way they decorated these cupcakes!!!  I also like the little sign they included in the back, just in case customers got any ideas about wanting to eat them!!

They do make customized cupcakes, it's just that these have been sitting for a while and are there just so you'll want to order them!  :-))

Nutella & Go!!

I LOVE Nutella!! There I said it!!! It's that wonderful hazelnut flavor that gets me every time!! If you are a Nutella lover, then you can relate....enough said! :-))

Fried Calamari - Postino

Sometimes when a waiter or waitress tells you that they have the best this or the best that, you take it with a grain of salt because you figure they have to tell you that.

In this case, the waiter said, "we have the best calamari you will ever taste in the area."  You know what? He wasn't lying!!! The fried calamari at Postino was hands down the best calamari that I have tasted in a LONG time!!

The soft butter, which was flavored and served with the artisan breads you see behind the calamari were awesome as well.

The calamari is worth a trip back to Postino, even IF I didn't order anything else.  Two words... mouth watering!!!

Chili Relleno - Baldo's Mexican Food

That pic below people is a HOT mess, but it was oh SO GOOD!!!!

Even though you can't tell, there is a chili relleno on the left hand side, smothered in cheese, lettuce and hot sauce.  The obvious rice in the middle and refried beans on the right also smothered in cheese and hot sauce.

I love me some Mexican food, and I love to find a place that serves great Mexican food.  Baldo's is one of them.  Put Mexican food and drive-trough in the same breath and you've got me!! haha

The other place that I love, and may love even more is Adalbertos!!!

Bean Head Coffee

I'm am TOO excited!!! First day back to work and my Bean Head coffee was waiting for me.  It comes in a really awesome package, as you can see in the photo below.

I ordered it on-line through Amazon and I can't wait to taste it.  Unfortunately, I have to wait a bit longer because my new coffee grinder hasn't arrived yet.

When it does, I will be posting an update on what promises to be amazing tasting coffee!!! The company is based out of Canada, but if you don't live there, you can still order it on-line.  You can only purchase the beans in the U.S., not the ground version. No matter, I'm VERY excited about this!!! 

Stay tuned!!!!