Gulf Coast Oil Spill Part 2

Since we arrived mid afternoon to our condo on our first day at the beach, we decided to spend those few afternoon hours by the pool instead of on the beach.  It was the second day that we were ready to lay out in our blue rental chairs.  Emily got up early and walked down to the beach to choose our chairs.  The rental guy told her that the media's coverage of the oil spill had nearly ruined his rental business.  We were about to find out how true that was.  The first photo was taken from the balcony.  You can see the discoloration.

The next three photos are of what is being called "oil mousse."  It was clearly visible from the balcony of our condo, but I wanted a close up view as soon as we hit the beach.

This is a tar ball that was near the oil mousse.

More photos to come!

Gulf Coast Oil Spill- Part 1

Wow, I cannot believe that I haven't updated my blog since FEBRUARY! Ok, yes I can. Life is busy and crazy. My friend Emily and I planned our first beach trip to Gulf Shores. We'd been watching the oil spill closely and thus far, the effects had not been severe in Gulf Shores. However, noaa.gov's website did predict that the oil would reach the gulf within days of our arrival.  Before we left I kept in regular contact with the realty company I'd booked our condo through.  I was also doing beach sessions while I was there, so having up to date knowledge of the oil spill was crucial to me.  Before we left our realty company offered us an extra night for basically nothing.  So, we left on Wednesday instead of Thursday.  Here are pics from our first day, June 9th. It was really surreal to see, in person, images I'd been seeing on the news and internet.

Most days, the crews were finished by mid morning and moved on to another part of the beach.  They worked hard to clean the sand and tiny tar balls that washed up.

Hey, Ya'll, it's appetizers Part 2

This has nothing to do with the recipe that follows. I just like my Christmas mug. I sip warm apple cider from it while I cook. Good times.

This recipe is for Tomato Tarts. Again, super easy...VERY tasty! Here's the recipe:

1 sheet of frozen puff pastry

olive oil

1/2 cup grated white cheddar cheese (couldn't find this in my podunk town, so I used mozzerella)

4-5 plum tomatoes sliced 1/4 inch thick

salt and pepper

fresh thyme

parmesan cheese

preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with vegetable oil or cooking spray. Allow puff pastry to thaw for 20 mins. Unfold the pastry and use a 1 1/2 or 2 inch biscuit cutter, cut rounds out of dough. Place the rounds on the baking sheet. Prick the surface of the rounds with a fork (I forgot this step in my first batch...huge mistake!) Brush each round lightly with olive oil and top with white cheddar (or mozz in my case), then with a tomato slice, then sprinkle with a pinch of thyme and a little parm cheese. Bake for about 15 minutes. Let cool for 2-3 mins before serving.

Here's what my prep looked like. Can you believe with all the cooking I do, that I dont have a biscuit cutter?? I do, however, have this muppets glass that I've had since I was a kid. It's always been my biscuit cutter. Cute, huh?

This is what these yummy babies look like when they are ready to go in the oven.

And here's the finished product. Even my neighbor (who doesn't eat tomatoes) gladly picked the tomato off just to eat the puff pastry. It's THAT good, folks.

The husband is already begging for more.

Hey, Ya'll, it's appetizers! Part 1

Last year, the husband gave me the Christmas with Paula Deen book for Christmas. I took it off the shelf this year and tried out two of her appetizers in the "Christmas Open House" section.

This recipe is called Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms, and it's seriously easy to make. Here's the recipe:

24 fresh mushrooms (stems removed)

one 10 oz package of frozen chopped spinach

2 ounces of cream cheese, softened

4 ounces of feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 cup of finely chopped green onion (white and green part)

salt

parmesan cheese

Wipe the caps of the mushrooms with a damp cloth. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Drain the spinach in a collander and squeeze out as much moisture as possible.

In a medium bowl, combine the spinach, cream cheese, feta, green onions, and salt to tast. Mix well. Fill the mushroom caps with the mixture and place on a cooke sheet. Sprinke the parmesan cheese on top.

Bake 15-20 mins until golden. Serve warm.

This is what they look like assembled and ready to pop in the oven.


And although the pic isn't great, this is what they look like out of the oven. However, you want get to see them for long. They go fast. Trust me. Go ahead and double the recipe.

Santa Paws Came to Town!

Santa Paws turned a blind eye to the raw hide candy cane fights and the digs in the bathroom trash can, and he left these two girls lots of Christmas loot!

They were very excited to learn they weren't on the naughty list!
They even decided to kiss and make up for fighting over the candy cane last night. Sisterly love. :)
The heated bed is going to be a big hit (we can already tell).
So, I think we will return the heated pad and get a second heated bed instead. When you're pups are 9 and 12 years old, they have certain needs. Warmth is one of those needs as it the lack of aching joints. An upclose of my schnauzer, Jewel. The most perfect creature ever (even if she does get into the bathroom trash can from time to to time).
Sweet Wookie in her cupcake sweater. Be still, my heart!

Chicken Spaghetti by Pioneer Woman

I love the Pioneer Woman's blog. For Christmas Eve dinner I made her Chicken Spaghettie recipe. This is the second time I've made it, and it's quite YUM.
Ingredients
2 cups Cooked Chicken
3 cups Dry Spaghetti, Broken Into Two Inch Pieces
2 cans Cream Of Mushroom Soup
2 cups Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
¼ cups Finely Diced Green Pepper
¼ cups Finely Diced Onion
1 jar (4 Ounce) Diced Pimentos, Drained
2 cups Reserved Chicken Broth From Pot
1 teaspoon Lawry's Seasoned Salt
⅛ teaspoons (to 1/4 Teaspoon) Cayenne Pepper
Salt And Pepper (to Taste)
1 cup Additional Grated Sharp Cheddar Cheese
Preparation Instructions
Cook 1 cut up fryer and pick out the meat to make two cups. Cook spaghetti in same chicken broth until al dente. Do not overcook. When spaghetti is cooked, combine with remaining ingredients except additional 1 cup sharp cheddar.
Place mixture in casserole pan and top with remaining sharp cheddar. Cover and freeze up to six months, cover and refrigerate up to two days, or bake immediately: 350 degrees for 45 minutes until bubbly. (If the cheese on top starts to get too cooked, cover with foil).

These are the directions straight from The Pioneer Woman's website, and here's a linky to her blog http://thepioneerwoman.com/

Christmas Eve 2009

Stockings are still my favorite part of Christmas. These are our stockings that I got for us last year.

Presents are good too!
Our tree. I worked hard to figured out how to take a picture of a lighted tree. I love the result.

That's all for now! Tomorrow I will post pictures of the yummy recipes I made today.

Merry Christmas, everyone!