Cooking: Cheesy Bacon Potato Salad

This dish combines my two loves... bacon and potato salad.



How could this dish not be heavenly?

Start with 6 large Yukon Gold cooked potatoes.

Combine 12 slices of bacon, crumbled



1/4 c. of green onion and 4 hard boiled eggs, chopped



1 1/3 c. mayonnaise, 1/2 c. sour cream and a package of ranch dressing mix ( Note: I always made mustard-based potato salads but actually, this dressing if fantastic. I will have to alter the way I make potato salad in the future)



Dice potatoes.



Add to potato mixture and gently toss. Taste if you need to add salt.

Gently stir in 8 oz. of shredded cheddar cheese.




Cover and chill for 4 hours. Actually, it was better the second day. With labor day coming, this dish is a fantastic addition to your Labor Day party!!!

Gardening: Watermelon

I have two gorgeous watermelons growing in the garden.



How pretty are they?



We are going to crack them open this weekend....

And eat delicious watermelon with every meal.

Growing watermelon is easy but the plant is like the plant that ate my garden...



Seriously...

Decorating: Table Lamps

We are still on the daughter's condominium. We have been scouring yard sales looking for lamps, accessories and furniture. Inexpensive pieces to turn her house into a home.

Well, when S came across these lamps, she loved them.


Now, don't get me wrong, I can see lots of potential in most things but they were ugly. However, they did have some possibilities and at $10 for the pair, how could we go wrong?

First the lamps were primed.



Next we painted them with a gorgeous purple...



Remember her bedroom fabric choices



And her ruffled pillow.




Finally, we found lamp shades that were the right size and shape.



Hmmm.... kind of plain jane.






But, I felt they still needed something.. Okay, how about ruffles.

So whip out the fabric glue.



And start adding some ruffles.



And more ruffles.




Now they look good... very unique and funky.




She loves them, but then again, she found them.



So pretty!!!

Cooking: Pear Goat Cheese Fritter Salad

Oh my.... I love this salad. And so will you.




First, you will need Panko bread crumbs and herb goat cheese. I am late to the Panko bandwagon and let me tell you, it is delicious. I will be using these bread crumbs for lots of dishes.


Cut 10 ounces of goat cheese into 15 pieces. Roll the goat cheese into balls, dip in egg whites and roll in bread crumbs. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to set the goat cheese and bread crumbs.




Heat 2 inches of oil to 350 degrees. Carefully add the goat cheese fritters and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Watch closely, they can burn easily.



Drain on a paper towel. Look how gorgeous they look.



For the salad, mix spring greens and spinach and place on the plate. This is an arranged salad, one of my favorite types of salad. Next, cut a Bosc Pear thinly add to plate, top with dried cranberries and almonds, two goat cheese fritters. I dressed it with Balsamic vinagrette...




Delicious... a very girly salad. The goat cheese fritters are very lovely with the pears and cranberries.

How I make Hamburger!!!

I don't really like to buy hamburger at the store. Now don't get me wrong... I am sure it is perfectly lovely meat but I prefer to make my own hamburger. That way, you know what is in the meat.

Whip out the Kitchen Aid mixer and grinder attachment... you didn't think I was going to grind it by hand did you?




Next find some lovely chuck steak.


Chuck steak has nice marbling of fat which makes the hamburger tender and hold together if you are making hamburgers or meatballs.



Cut the steak into manageable pieces for the grinder.





All set and ready to go.




Start placing the meat in the grinder and turn the mixer on 4 or medium.


All the steak turns into lovely hamburger.


Ready to package for the freezer.


Love the feeling of feeding the family wholesome hamburger and knowing exactly what is in it....




Freezing for future use. I find chuck steak on sale all the time.. very economical and much better for us than store bought hamburger.

Cooking: Menu Week Ending August 30

This week, hubby comes home and won't be able to make it back for Labor Day so we are having our own Labor Day celebration. Also, this week is also about the leftovers. I need leftovers for lunches.

Okay, I helped those kids with their condo.. this week, we move to working on three bedrooms. Two were previously occupied by the children and the other was a small guest room. They are getting made over. Also, still working on wedding projects, of course, that goes without saying... put that on every menu for the next 9 months.


Monday



Shrimp and Grits
Iceberg Wedge with Blue Cheese Dressing


Tuesday

Fettucini with Truffle Butter
Garden Tomatoes with a little Salt

Wednesday



Cheeseburger Sliders
Bacony Potato Salad (Recipe upcoming)


Thursday

Out with Hubby

Friday


Pork Kabobs
Grilled Summer Vegetables
Grilled Potatoes

Saturday



Salad Nicoise

Sunday




Steak Au Poive
Baked Potato
Cesar Salad

Steak Au Poive

• 2 (6-ounce) rib-eye steaks
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
• 1/4 cup coarse-cracked black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup minced shallots
• 1/4 cup good-quality dry sherry
• 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
• 2 cups beef stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tablespoons butter
• Chopped parsley leaves, for garnish

Directions

Brush steaks with mustard. Season the steaks on both sides with kosher salt, 1/4 teaspoon per side. Place peppercorns in a small dish and press steaks in to coat each side with about 1 tablespoon. In a heavy-bottomed 12-inch saute pan heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to smoking. Cook steaks for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer steaks to a plate. Add the remaining 1 teaspoon of oil and the shallots to the pan. Cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Carefully add the dry sherry to the pan. Note: IT WILL IGNITE. Allow it to burn off and add garlic, and beef stock. Bring to a boil and simmer until reduced by half. Stir in heavy cream and continue to reduce for 2 minutes, or until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Stir in butter and add the remaining 1/4 teaspoon of salt. Serve immediately. Garnish with parsley.

Photo of the Week #4: Dinner Time

When the grand dogs are here... The line for dinner at the back door looks like this...



Hello boys

Don't even try to eat a cracker around here.

I was dogsitting my son's and my daughter's dog....

She came home and tried to eat a cracker...


She didn't have one for them.... oh oh



These dogs are really helpful for my diet.

Cooking: Melon Granita

Another wonderful thing about summer besides fresh produce, gardening, vacationing and swimming is ice cream, sorbets, frozen yogurt and a new favorite of mine; granitas.

A granita is a semi-frozen dessert originally from Sicily but really is Italian. Think of a grown up slushy!!

Well, I love cantelope and wanted to make a melon granita.



Cut the melon into chunks and puree in a blender or food processor


Add the sugar, lemon juice and salt


Add 1/4 c. water


Process until smooth.

Pour the mixture into the dish and place in the freezer.

Check the mixture after one hour. I don't know if you can see, but the corners are frozen.

Using a fork, scrap the mixture to create fine crystals of ice.

Then let the granita freeze for several more hours and repeat the scraping of the ice with a fork. If the granita is too hard, let it thaw out for 15 minutes.

Top with a mint leaf.

Fresh and delicious.

Although you cannot visit Italy... You will have Italy come to you!!