Smoked Salt & Pepper

What's better than baguette, shrimp, celery mixtures smothered in mayonnaise and baked until golden and bubbly? I don't know either.  This appetizer was, and occasionally still is, on heavy rotation in my family.  I'm pretty sure mom learned it from a family-friend of ours during one of the epic get-togethers they used to have.  It seems totally disgusting once you know the ingredients, but believe me, this is delicious.  And vaguely '70's-esque.  Much of the cooking I learned before I started asking mom about her cooking and techniques (she is a "just watch and learn" kind of cook/teacher), was from this old Betty Crocker ring binder my mother had in her recipe book collection.  There were some pretty retro dishes in there, but the directions, ingredients, and instructions were all pretty easy and assessable for a young Christine.  You betcha I can make a mean omelette! For some reason, I feel like this shrimp toast would fit right in that Betty Crock...

A Mediterranean mezze platter is what I call any random plate full of all the yummy dips and falafel and pita that you can get at a mediterranean restaurant. I love making my own hummus , recipe linked, but there is also a delicious hummus made locally in Austin that I like called "Grandma's Hummus" by The Mediterranean Chef . Granddaughter runs the cafe/shop a lot of the times Reid and I eat there and they are a super nice family. I love supporting them and so I buy plenty of the hummus, babaganus eggplant dip (Whole30 compliant!) and sometimes the falafel. I grab a bag of Stacey's Pita Chips from the grocery store and have an easy lunch or dinner. Some whole grain pita pockets are also a great way to eat any of the mezze platter things. If I'm feeling real fancy, I'll make my own falafel, but otherwise I buy and re-heat The Mediterranean Chefs' falafel. One of the great things about this quick meal is the low-carb benefit. I struggle wit...

So, in my previous Slow Cooker Chicken Pot Pie post , I gushed about how much I love my slow cooker. And it's because of genius things like being able to make Chex Mix in it! And then you get a house that smells of Chex Mix. MMMMMMMMmmmmmmmmmmmm! As if the microwave method of making homemade chex mix isn't easy enough, you can now make it in your slow cooker. In all honesty, making it in the microwave is way easier but like I said before, you can make your house smell like chex mix! You can customize this recipe to any version of Chex mix you prefer, but I like the OG recipe that comes right off the back of the boxes of Chex. I, personally, really like my Chex mix to have only Chex pretty much. I really don't much like the pre-made bagged versions of Chex Mix because it just doesn't taste as good. And I end up picking out all the Chex to eat first anyway. Then I have a sad bag filled with rye chips and pretzels and weird bagel chip things. Ok, the chedda...

In my quest to find lower carb substitutes, I learned that cauliflower can be made into ANYTHING. Although whether it should or not remains to be questioned.  You want to eat rice? Make cauliflower rice! You want to eat pizza? Make cauliflower pizza crust! You want to eat mashed potatoes? Make mashed cauliflower!  You want to eat crackers and hummus? Just eat cauliflowers.  So basically, since I was diagnosed with gestational diabetes, I've bought a head of cauliflower every week at the grocery store.  I love that cauliflower is super cheap I'd posted this on my Instagram account a few weeks ago, and I hadn't planned on posting about it since it is so stupid simple, but lots of people were interested in it so here goes: Fully Loaded Mashed Cauliflower Ingredients 1 head of cauliflower florets 1/2 c. shredded cheese 2 slices thick-cut bacon, cooked and crumbled 3 tbs. butter 2 tbs. Greek yogurt 1 tbs. ranch dressing mix (optional) salt and pepper, to tas...

We had about 4 days of 'fall weather' about 2 weeks ago and it was amazing.  Fall is Reid's favorite time of year here in Central Texas.  On any good day/night he'll take a deep breath in and scan the sunset and declare, "Just another beautiful day in Central Texas!"  That is, of course, once we get out of the >100 degree brutality that is the summer here.  I really enjoy fall as well.  I like pulling out all my light clothing layers, and my cowboy or fashion boots from the back of the closet.  I like wearing a rain jacket with the hopes it will actually rain and then feeling like an idiot when it doesn't.  I like the smell of roasting squash like pumpkin and butternut and acorn and weird ones I've never seen before, and cinnamon, and nutmeg, and all those warm flavors.  So when we had those 4 days for fall weather a while back I loaded my grocery cart with butternut squash and grabbed my Dutch oven from the cabinet. This butternut squash sou...

Goi du du kho bo , or Vietnamese green papaya and beef jerky salad sounds weird.  I know.  But I promise that there is nothing better on a hot summer day.  It literally involves no cooking and is cold and refreshing, while being pretty fulfilling.  Reid and his sister approved.  It's really good. The ingredients are the only difficult thing about this.  I was in the LA area a few weeks ago for hubby's father's pHd graduation ceremony and we were staying in Anaheim about 15 minutes away from Bolsa Ave.  Bolsa Avenue, aka Little Saigon, in Orange County is a great community for Vietnamese immigrants and second generations.  It's probably the only place in the States that's better than Houston's Chinatown in what you can find.  Most likely due to the fact that LA has the #1 population of Vietnamese immigrants and Houston has the #2 biggest population.  Anyway, I took husband's family to breakfast/lunch on our last day there to Quan Hy res...

Banh bot chien is a Vietnamese street-food of crispy and chewy rice cakes surrounded by an omelet-style amount of eggs, green onions, and pickled radishes.  It is probably one of my most favorite things to eat.  There is a 24-hour Vietnamese-Chinese restaurant in Chinatown called Tan Tan and in my opinion, makes the very best banh bot chien.  My childhood was filled with Tan Tan's banh bot chien.  We'd often eat lunch there with my family and their friends after an early morning tennis match (that I probably got dragged along to).   Banh bot chien was the carrot on my stick on those super early mornings. And it is extremely similar to Chinese  jianbing , which according to this Tasting Table is the next big trend.   http://www.tastingtable.com/dine/national/jianbing-chinese-breakfast-crepes-mr-bing-nyc?utm_medium=email&utm_source=TT&utm_campaign=Weekend&utm_content=Editorial I vaguely remember gobbling down some jianbing  a...

Hummus is a staple snack at hour house. Paired with some Stacy's Pita Chips, the O. G. of the pita chip aisle, or some sliced cucumbers or bell peppers, I love it as an appetizer or snack to have on hand.  Sometimes we'll have 'sninners' (snack dinners) and eat hummus and a cheese and meat board or something light like a salad. My hummus does not have tahini in it, and I know it should, but I don't really care for the taste of tahini and I don't like to keep things in my tiny pantry I wouldn't use for other uses. Quick Hummus Ingredients: 1 16 oz. can garbanzo/chick peas, 1 tbs of canning juices reserved 2 cloves garlic 2 tsp of smoked paprika, plus more for garnish sea salt juice from 1/2 a lemon, or more depending on taste olive oil Directions: Combine chick peas, garlic and sea salt in food processor and chop. Add paprika and lemon juice

In August, my family went to Turks and Caicos for my parent's (1 year) belated 35th anniversary.  It was a beautiful time.  Thanks to my brother-in-law and sister, we stayed at an amazing resort where we had two personal chefs and two attendants.  Our meals were prepared to our liking each day, and though we gorged ourselves on food, it was all rather healthy and tasty.  Reid and I were sure we'd come back 10 lbs heavier, but he actually lost weight and I stayed the same.  We've both been trying to be more conscious about living healthier, working out and eating better so this was a delightful reminder that we can eat really well, but still be pretty healthy.  It inspired me to make some lighter, but flavor-filled foods when we got back, nice and tan ;) In Turks and Caicos, we enjoyed a lot of conch salad, as it was conch season.  The chewy, salty conch was complimented well with a lemon juice and oil dressing and lots of fresh veggies.  ...

I tried this recipe from Martha Stewart and it turned out really well.  I've made it a few times since and it's really simple and delicious. Mini Asian Meatballs in Lettuce Cups from Martha Stewart Ingredients 1 lb. ground beef 12 cloves garlic 3 tbs. peeled ginger 3 scallions, chopped 1 tsp. fish sauce 1 tsp. salt 1 tbs. sesame oil 1/4 c. Greek yogurt 1 tbs. lime juice lettuce cups, chopped roasted peanuts or almonds, sprigs of cilantro, sliced Thai chilies for garnish Directions Place garlic, ginger, and scallions in a food processor and pulse until chopped. Combine beef, garlic/ginger/scallion mix, and fish cause in a medium bowl.  Form into mini meatballs. In a large skillet, heat sesame oil over medium high heat.  Cook meatballs about 5 minutes each batch. In a small bowl, mix yogurt and lime juice.  Serve meatballs in lettuce cups with yogurt sauce and garnishes.

Reid and I aren't really into football. Even though Reid played football for a short stint in high school, he, as he says himself, found a much more comfortable position as a mathlete.  I definitely followed the Longhorns when I was in school.  It was an exciting time, I mean, we were the National Champions! Anyway, since we aren't really into football now, we only watch one game a year, the Super Bowl.  We don't really have a favorite team, and we probably watch it most for the ability to talk about it the next day with people and to watch the commercials.  Obviously, this post is way overdue! Last year we pre-ordered wings form Pluckers.  They came about 4 hours later than the expected time and we were starving! So this year, I made wings at home.  Found the recipe thanks to F&W's daily e-mail.  It was soooooooo good.  Spicy, sweet, salty and perfect balance of deliciousness. Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings Recipe from Food a...

I found this recipe on Pinterest and it definitely has been a winner! Not only is it an easy, one-crock-pot, no other fuss recipe, but it is absolutely delicious.  I will generally put this together at lunch, and then it's ready for dinner! I have not tried it on low for 8 hours yet, but I bet it would be just as delicious.  I have made this 3 times, and it never disappoints.  I even made this when my mother-in-law was in town visiting and I wanted to have dinner ready when I came home from work.  I'm allergic to peanuts, so I use almond butter.  I'm sure it's even tastier with peanut butter.  I also think it would be delicious with 1 can of cut pineapple at the end with the lime. Also, random tip I picked up somewhere, the easiest way to peel ginger is with the back of a spoon! No more wasting ginger when you use a paring knife or peeler.  The ginger peel slips right off! Slow Cooker Thai Curry Chicken Soup Recipe from  FoodieCrushBlog...

We threw a New Year's Eve party this year and it was lots of fun with some good friends.  I love trying out new recipes when I've got plenty of people to give me opinions, so I tried a few that I'd been saving up.  I worked New Year's Eve, so I did want to make sure I could either semi-home-make some or prepare them ahead of time.  None of these recipes are season specific, so they would be great for any party. My menu fore New Year's.  Click on link for recipes Cheese from Antonelli's Cheese Shop (brie, gruyere, gouda, and blue cheese) with homemade wheat crackers : why let crackers be an after-thought? Meatballs in tangy sauce : Reid's grandma introduced me to this easy and delish meatball appetizer Furikake Chex Mix : sweet, salty, umami, addicting! Pop over to my friend's blog for the recipe Meyer's Elgin Pork Sausage on pretzel sticks with mustard: no link, you can figure this one out! Sweet Potato Pancakes : bite-sized sweet potato latke...

You cannot be a proper Tex-Mex lover without eating at least 1 quart of queso per year.  I'm pretty sure I started the year off in the right direction by making this copy-cat Kerbey Queso for NYE.   Kerbey Lane Queso is my favorite in Austin.  So creamy, so cheesy, and so good.  White queso with pico and a scoop of guacemole in it that you kind-of have to dig around in, which makes it soooo good.  Have I said how good it is? That being said, I've tried so many queso recipes.  I've made beschemels, I've used expensive, good cheeses.  No queso seems to hold that creamy consistency very well.  So when one of my friends, Rachel, was back home in Austin from her now home-town in Seattle she asked one of the servers what's in it.  She just had to know.  The server leaned in close to her and whispered, "it's white processed cheese."  OMG, my mind was blown.  No wonder it's so flippin' good.  I think the HEB brand white queso is...

This is so good and soooo simple!  I watched Reid's grandma, Mimi, make it for Christmas and it is so good.  I probably ate way too many meatballs because of this sweet, sour, salty sauce.  And, it has 3 ingredients!  Little old Southern ladies know where it's at!  Thanks, Mimi! Ingredients: frozen, store-bought meatballs 1/2 jar of any tart jam (IE: cherry, strawberry, blackberry), I used blackberry 1/2 c. ketchup Directions: Defrost/cook meatballs according to directions.  Combine jam, ketchup and sauce in a small Crock pot.  Stir and serve!

I have a Martha Stewart magazine subscription and it always inspires me to try new things.  Like baking my own wheat crackers! The recipe sounded easy enough, so I thought I'd try to make them for our NYE party.  And the description really won me over, something along the lines of, "don't let your crackers be an after-thought."  I definitely changed the original recipe quite a bit, as the original recipe did not have enough wet ingredients for me to keep the dough together.  I ended up using about twice the amount of cream that the recipe called for.  It did end up really tasty, though! And, you can make extra to store in the freezer for up to 3 months! A great accompaniment to delicious cheeses from Antonelli's Cheese Shop , our neighborhood cheese shop.  Their cheese mongers are the best and helped Reid pick out a good Gouda, Brie, Gruyere and blue cheese. Ingredients: 1 c. whole wheat flour 2 tbs. sesame seeds, plus more for sprinkling 2 tbs. s...

Sweet potato pancakes, or latkes, would also be great for a Hanukkah party.  We served them at our New Year's Eve party and they were definitely a hit.  They were especially good right after I fried them, but were decent room temperature, too.  The original recipe from  Food52  also had the option of topping with caviar, but I thought that was a bit decadent. Ingredients: 4 c. coarsely grated sweet potatoes (about 2 medium sized sweet potatoes) 1/2 c. grated onion (1/2 medium sized onion) 3-4 tbs. fresh lemon juice freshly ground pepper, to taste 4 eggs, beaten 1/3 c. flour canola oil for frying Greek yogurt or apple sauce, for serving fresh chives, minced, for sprinkling Directions: Use a food processor or box grater to grate sweet potatoes and onion. In a large bowl, combine sweet potato, onion, lemon juice, eggs, flour, and pepper.  Can be made ahead of time and stored up to 2 days covered in refrigerator. Heat a large, straight-sid...

As a veterinarian, I was really concerned about the tainted jerky treats that were coming from China a few years ago (although some deaths still being reported today).  There were a lot of dogs that got really sick, some going into kidney failure and dying, from chicken jerky products coming from China.  Since this has happened, PetCo and PetSmart have been trying to only stock American sourced treats, so it makes me sleep a little easier.  Of course most of the general public aren't reading the back of the treat backs to see where the sources come from, like me, so if you want to be extra careful, make your own treats! I've seen loads of homemade dog treat recipes and yes, they are cute! But who has time to really make your dog biscuits from scratch? I can hardly convince most dog owners to brush their dog's teeth because most of them don't even have time to brush their own teeth!  You can also buy really cute, gourmet treats from boutique dog stores (like Woof Ga...

What kind of cheese doesn't belong to you? Nacho cheese!  Heehee, I love really bad jokes.   Nachos, synonymous with football games and fairs, these guys have gotten a bad rap.  Those stale tortilla chips and processed cheese toppings from the concession stands are kinda gross.  But homemade nachos are delicious!  Nachos for dinner are one of Reids favorite dinners.  There are a few variations I've made, but the following is a more classic one.  Homemade nachos are also wayyyyy healthier than processed-cheese-squirted-out-of-a-squirt-bottle-nachos.  I also use Greek yogurt in place of sour cream which also cuts back on the calories a lot.  I also like to add a little taco seasoning to the Greek yogurt to add some additional flavor.  I got the taco seasoning substitute recipe from AllRecipes .  This is a really quick and easy weeknight meal, and I'm sure it would be a hit with kids (because my husband is basically I giant kid ;) )...

Reid and I have been growing a couple of vegatables in our raised beds and have now been able to get a good harvest of green beans, lettuce, okra, tomatoes, jalepenos, and herbs (mint, basil, rosemary, sage, green onions).  There's nothing that quite compares to the freshness of being able to cut your own vegatables or herbs to use on hand while cooking. Knowing the work you've put into the products and what is (or isn't in it, like pesticides) makes everything taste better, too. This summer we were so lucky to get lots of rain, that I ended up with tons of okra.  So, I asked my mom to teach me how to make Canh Chua, Vietnamese sour soup.  Having always loved sour foods, it was one of my favorite soups growing up.  It is savory, fishy, sweet, and warming and is great over rice. Ingredients: 1/2 lb shrimp Cat fish (optional) 3 kefir lime leaves, halved and slightly bruised to release oils 4 green onions, sliced in two inch pieces 1/2 lb okra, trimmed and...