Monday, August 30, 2010

My Inspiration or Motivating Discouragement

I'll just say it. My seven-year-old son is a pessimist. He's the first one in the family to speak up with a sobering dose of reality. I know that I can always turn to him when I want to know if I'm too old, too short, too heavy, too ugly, or too slow to accomplish something. "Mommy, I really don't think you'll be able to do that."

Friday, August 27, 2010

Mexican Beef

Before I even get to the recipe, feast your eyes on these beauties. It's been quite a while since I've seen garlic that looks this good. I just had to share it with you.
Garlic is beautiful!


Saturday, August 21, 2010

Saturday Night Scampi

I know I’m lucky to have fresh shrimp delivered to my office. About every week or so in the summer, the local shrimp man comes around and sells shrimp out of the back of his truck under the ole’ oak tree. In the past, I’ve left the shrimp cooking to my husband who prefers Low Country Boil or Shrimp Creole. But, recently, I’ve left him to tend to his Low Country Boil and I’ve taken over making the shrimp dishes. One of my favorite shrimp dishes is shrimp scampi so I wanted to develop a recipe that was less oily and messy than the scampi I was used to in restaurants. I also prefer to take the tails off my shrimp when I peel them but you can leave them on if you like. This dish can be served over pasta, rice, or orzo.

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Comfort Food

There's something to be said for a rainy Sunday afternoon - gray skies, a steady drizzle, slipping back into bed and napping the afternoon away. But, instead of sleeping, we are eating. This dish is like your favorite blanket, warm, soft and familiar. This is a dish from Eric's childhood. His mother made it for him when he was little and he made it for me while we were dating. It's still one of our favorites.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Southwestern Pasta Salad

Because I had some cilantro and green onions in the fridge and because I was hungry, I decided to whip up my Southwestern pasta salad for lunch today. It's simple to throw together. I used seashell pasta today, but any kind of short pasta will do. You could also throw in some chicken, too, to make it a more substantial meal.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Don't Call My Name, Don't Call My Name, Cilantro...

It wasn't until recently that I bought a rotisserie chicken from the deli section at the grocery store for the first time. Eric called me on his way home from work and asked what was for dinner that night. When I told him that I had bought a rotisserie chicken, there was a long pause on the other end of the phone line, finally followed by an "oh". I hung up the phone and stared at the chicken sitting on the kitchen counter sweating in its plastic domed container. What can I do with you, ole winged one? I remembered that several times in the past, I had eaten chicken salad made from rotisserie chicken so I thought I would give it a try. See if I could turn the "oh" into an "OOOOHHH!!!" But, it had to be done Kim style!

Sunday, August 8, 2010

Saturday Night is Steak Night

Saturday night is steak night around these parts. This has been our one constant weekend meal for the past 12 years or so. Eric and I prepare this meal together. He is the chopper so handles the onions and garlic. I'm the peeler so have the dubious task of peeling the potatoes. Once everything is prepped for the grill, Eric takes over and I can relax a little. Well, as relaxed as I can be while watching the kids as they run, climb, jump, yell, and fight.


Now, check out these jewels. I only buy ribeye steaks and I only buy them when they're on sale. I'll buy several packs and freeze them in packs of two. In my area, the best boneless ribeyes are sold by Food Lion for $5.99/lb. Harveys Supermarket has bone-in ribeyes for $4.99-$5.99/lb. I like both types. The bone-ins are a little smaller, but very flavorful. But, these beauties came from Food Lion. We cooked an extra one for the kids. My boys do like to eat meat - they're funny that way.

Friday, August 6, 2010

Deviled Tuna Casserole


Let's face it, there's nothing glamorous about tuna casserole. At best, it can be considered a functional dish, functional in the sense that it puts a meal on the table. But, I will admit that it's always a relief to look in the pantry and see the components of the dish sitting there on the shelf at a time when I'm desperate for a meal idea and don't have time to thaw something or run to the store. One evening, I was faced with such ingredients but decided to change things up a little, get creative.