Good Eats:

This weekend I had the opportunity to eat at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill in our hotel in Vegas. It was delicious! I've been looking forward to eating there for along time and I was not disappointed!

Goat Cheese Fundido with Blue Corn chips.

Eggplant Relleno with a Sweet Pepper sauce

Everything was so flavorful! I enjoyed every bite and would highly recommend it!

Udo's Sauerkraut Suppe

This is another recipe from my sister-in-law Deanna that she brought straight from her time in Germany. I made it for my father who lived in Germany as well and he loved it. It's very authentic and yummy!

1 1/2 lbs. Potatoes (enough to cover the bottom of the pot)

3 cups German Wurst (6-8 sticks)

1 large jar Sauerkraut

2 cans White Beans

2 can cubed Carrots (or 4-6 carrots peeled and chopped)

2 tablespoons Tomato Paste (more or less to taste)

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce (more or less to taste)

instant potato flakes (optional)

*1 can Chicken Stock* (my addition)

Peel potatoes to cover bottom of pot. Cut Wurst into bite size pieces and add to pot. Barely cover with water and boil until potatoes are fork tender. Then add Sauerkraut, White Beans, Carrots, Tomato Paste, Worcestershire, and Chicken Stock; let boil. Optional-Add small amount of instant potatoes to thicken. Let simmer 30-40 minutes before serving.

Cream Cheese Chicken (for the Crock Pot)

This is my sister-in-law Deanna's recipe and it is delicious!

3 lbs. Chicken Breast

2 tablespoons melted Butter or Margarine

1 pkg. Dry Italian Dressing

1 can Cream of Chicken Soup

1 eight ounce Cream Cheese

1 tablespoon minced Onion

Brush chicken with butter and place in crock pot. Sprinkle dry Italian Dressing mix over all. Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours. About 45 minutes before it's done mix soup, and onion in small sauce pan. Cut cream cheese into 1" cubes and add to the mixture and stir until incorporated. Pour over the chicken and cook another 45 minutes. Serve over rice, pasta, or potatoes. Salt and Pepper to taste.

Creamy Sweet Potatoes

Growing up I never liked candied yams or sweet potatoe casseroles served at Thanksgiving. This year I had an idea! (I know, you're not supposed to experiment on a sometimes stressful meal prep.) It was amazingly delicious!

1 pound Sweet Potatoes ( 2 really big ones or 3-4 smaller ones)
1 pint Heavy Cream
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1 teaspoon ground Nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground Cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
Handful of Marshmallows for top

Peel and slice sweet potatoes and arrange in 1-2 layers in a casserole dish. In bowl, combine cream, sugar, and spices. Pour over potatoes. {This can be done the night before and left in the fridge.} Bake along side Turkey or whatever else is in the oven at 250 degrees for 3 hours. When you pull it out top with marshmallows (as much or as little as you like)...They will melt and be super yummy.

So easy and seriously amazing! Enjoy!

Cinnamon Vinaigrette

For a Sunday night dinner at my Aunt's house, she made a delicious salad with avocado, strawberries, candied pecans and red onion and the vinaigrette below. It was AMAZING!

Cinnamon Vinaigrette

1/3 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1/3 cup Raspberry or Currant Vinegar

3 tablespoons Sugar

1/4 teaspoon Pepper

1/2 teaspoon Cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon Tabasco

Veggie Quiche Cups To Go

I've been cooking from the South Beach Diet book by Arthur Agatston, M.D. for my father. I'm finding some really delicious recipes. These breakfast cups are good! Anything in bold and italic is how I've modified the recipe.

1 pkg (10 oz) frozen, chopped Spinach

1 cup Egg Whites

3/4 cup Extra sharp cheddar cheese

1/4 cup Bell Pepper

1/4 cup diced Onion

3 drops Hot Sauce (optional)

12 pieces Canadian Bacon

Pinch of salt and pepper

Microwave spinach for 2-3 minutes on high. Drain excess liquid.

Line a 12-cup muffin pan with foil baking cups. Spray the cups with cooking spray. Place 1 piece of Canadian bacon in each cup.

Combine egg, cheese, peppers, onions and spinach in a bowl. Mix well. Divide evenly among muffin cups. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, until knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

*Can be frozen and reheated in the microwave. Make a pan of them and then you have a delicious, nutritious, breakfast...even on the go!

Rootbeer Cookies!

This is a recipe from my good friend Rachel and these cookies are awesome! They would be super delicious with some vanilla ice cream!

Cookies:
2 cups Brown Sugar
1 cup Crisco
2 Eggs

*Cream together the ingredients above, then add the following:

1/4 cup Buttermilk
2 teaspoons Root beer Extract
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
3 1/2 cups Flour

*Refrigerate for 1 hour. Then roll into balls and bake at 400 degrees for 5-7 minutes.

Glaze: Dip the cookies upside down while they're still warm. This time I made mine a bit thicker, like frosting, and frosted the cookies.

2 cups Powdered Sugar
1/3 cup Butter
1 1/2 teaspoons Root beer Extract
2 teaspoons Hot Water (more of less depending on the consistency you want)

Aaaa-mazing!






Root Beer