Ten on Tuesday

1)  On Friday evening we went to the exhibition which was in town for the week.  We didn't go on rides, but instead just walked around, people-watched, and shared a couple things for dinner.  We shared a corn dog:

And a lamb donair:

Nothing else was catching our eyes, not even the mini donuts.

2)  I made a chocolate pie with a shortbread crust last week.

3)  We made Bobby Flay's beer simmered bratwurst recipe for dinner one evening last week.  The sausages were simmered in a beer, onion, ginger, garlic and spice mixture, before we grilled them until browned and splitting.

Then we sliced them to serve on olive-bread toasties, with sauerkraut and grainy mustard.  On the side - grilled potato/onion/mushrooms.

This was a really tasty dinner, and one that we'll make again.

4)  Do you know what's better than using regular bread for French toast?

Using cinnamon raisin bread! 

We made this French toast on the long weekend, along with some bacon and coffee.  

5)  This past weekend we BBQd a chicken, and mushrooms stuffed with green onion and halloumi cheese.  Halloumi and portobello mushrooms are such a perfect pair.

6)  S'mores for dessert!

We bought the Reverse-S'more kit from our corner grocery store before camping, and still have some of the supplies left.  It came with Oreo-type chocolate biscuits, marshmallows, and white chocolate.  We still have a lot of stuff left in the kit, so we'll be having these again before summer is over.  I love having a fire in the yard.

7)  With some of the leftover BBQd chicken, we made a poutine using Christopher's perfect fries.

Before going into the oven:

After baking/broiling for a couple minutes:

We shared this for Sunday's lunch.

8)  Last week we made jalapeno pretzel dogs with cheddar beer sauce.  They were a bit of a process, as the dough needs to rise, they are wrapped, boiled a bit, and then baked, but they are worth it.  The cheese dip paired really well with them.

9)  Speaking of boiling and baking, I made bagels on Friday.  I decided to try making pumpernickel bagels, and they turned out well.

10)  On Saturday morning we enjoyed a couple of the bagels before heading out to the farmers' market.  We topped them with cream cheese, smoked salmon, and dill.

I've got more to tell you about our long weekend, and other things we've been making around here, but I'll save that for the next post.

Have you made a s'more this summer?  Did you go to the fair/exhibition in your city (or will you)?  Do you go on the rides, or just go for the food and people watching like us?

Ten on Tuesday

1)  The nice people from Popcorn Indiana recently sent me some Chocolate Peanut Butter popcorn to try (full disclosure: this product was provided to me free of charge). 

I love trying new, healthier snack options, and especially love that the product is made with Non-GMO corn.

2)  We picked up some Halloween candy for the trick-or-treaters!  We're giving them mini chocolate bars and some Cheezies!  Do you get trick-or-treaters?  What are you handing out? 

3)  I absolutely hate to replace household items, furniture, etc..  Christopher and I are both of the same mindset; we believe in buying high quality items that will last, and then we prefer to repair them instead of replacing them if possible.  We save a lot of money by never buying things like new furniture, new appliances, a new TV, etc., unless we absolutely have to.  The couch cushions, which are over 10 years old, are starting to get holes in them, and the filling is coming out.  I was so happy when I came home today and Christopher had told me he sewed them up!  There is no need to replace beautiful cushions when they are still good!

4)  When we got home from Winnipeg on Sunday, we were quite happy to see that we had all the ingredients for bee bimp bop in the fridge.

5)  The leftovers made a great lunch on Monday.

6)  There was still leftover rice, so Christopher used that to make kimchi fried rice for Monday's dinner. 

We've been taking turns cooking a lot lately, just due to a busy month ... but we are excited to get back into the kitchen together in November.

7)  Tonight the boys are jamming, so I'm whipping up an easy dinner while blogging and doing homework.  It is about to go into the oven.  We're having ribs, potatoes and peas.

8)  I threw a little fit when I read that the class I am taking next semester will be on Friday nights.  A day later I found out it was a glitch, and they will in fact not be ruining my life ;-)

9)  Those who've been reading my blog for a long, long time, know that I used to eat a lot of oatmeal for breakfast, usually with really fun toppings.  This week I've been back on the oatmeal.

Yogurt with toppings is making a comeback too ...

10)  I just threw a quiche in the oven for breakfasts for the rest of the week.  I love having a hearty, warm breakfast in the morning, and prepping a quiche ahead of time is perfect!  It warms up so nicely.  I used mushrooms, spinach, tomato, onion, zucchini, and three kinds of cheese. 

You can find my basic quiche recipe here.  It's smelling good already!

What are your Tuesday things?  How's your week going so far?

Ten on Tuesday

1)  Fireworks are going off like mad outside right now.  Ummmm.  No one told me there were going to be fireworks tonight!!?

2)  Soooooo, I'm pretty much a southern belle now.  I know this because I had grits for breakfast yesterday.  Cheeeeeeesy grits.

Okay, here's what you do if you want to be a southern belle too.  Bring 1 cup of water and 1/2 cup milk to a boil.  Add a pinch of paprika, and a grind or two of pepper.  Add 6 T of coarse cornmeal.  Reduce heat to very, very low, cover and simmer for a couple minutes until desired thickness.  Stir in 1/3 cup grated sharp cheddar, and if you're feeling sassy (like me), stir in 1 T of Cheese Whiz.

This makes A LOT of grits.  You might want to make this much for two people.  Or pig out.  I won't judge.

3)  I don't like not liking foods.  I was never really a fan of smoked oysters, but every time I got the opportunity, I tried one.  I think I have finally acquired a taste for them! 

Grind a little salt on the top, and they're even better.

4)  I love corn on the cob, but I hate having to dress it up at the dinner table.  My solution to this is to butter and season the corn before cooking it.  Just spread softened butter all over the cob ...

Then season liberally with fresh ground salt and pepper ...

Wrap it up in tin foil ...

Tightly.

Then, go ahead and BBQ it.  The butter gets all melty and it's just perfect.

5)  I don't care if it's +30 C outside, I still make chicken stock.

I loaded a chicken carcass,carrots, celery, onion, bay leaf, peppercorns, 3 star anise, and 5-6 cloves into this pot with just enough water to cover.  I brought it to a boil, and then simmered with a lid for about 4 hours.  The smell was intoxicating, and it made for a pretty fantastic soup yesterday for lunch.

6)  Sometimes for dinner we just share a giant plate of homemade perogies.  If you haven't tried sriracha on your perogies, you must.  Cover 'em in sour cream and then load on that sriracha.  And, you're welcome.

7)  I like to have Christopher's lunch ready for him when he gets home.  Today it was a giant spinach salad, with a toasted kale and tomato sandwich.  We are sandwich addicts.  Kale and tuna was on the menu the other day ...

8)  I've been researching for our trip to Montreal.  I think we are in trouble.  Poutine trouble.

9)  We rarely eat Greek salad, but we had it yesterday and were reminded of how good it is.  We had Greek ribs with it.

10)  This evening we BBQd sweet potatoes, corn, and Indian spiced drumsticks.

Brine them, then season and cook 'em low and slow for perfect, moist chicken.

What are your Tuesday things?  

Have you been to Montreal?  Recommendations?