I’m BACK! Wow, what a crazy couple of months we have had. After recovering from my broken leg and helping my Mom after her surgery we were ready to tackle Christmas. However, two days before Christmas our small dog Zelda slipped a disk in her back leaving her unable to walk. Not the best way to start the holiday, but after two emergency vet visits, 6 weeks worth of medicine and two months of her resting, (the best a dog can rest) I am happy to report that Zelda is now walking unassisted and is back to her playful self. Although she still is unable to tackle stairs she has done amazing!
I have still been tracking all my recipes and pictures so I have so many to share with you! The first recipe I am sharing is Seafood Nachos. These were delicious! I have been wanting to make this dish for a while now as each summer we do a lot of camping with friends and family and always have a huge lobster/clam bake. So I thought it would be fun to have a seafood nacho dish one night! This recipe will be made a number times this summer! I used lobster meat, scallops, and shrimp so this can be an expensive dish BUT also a very impressive dish. You can make a couple of shortcuts with this recipe by purchasing already cooked lobster meat as well as cooked, deveined and tails off shrimp if you wanted to. I chose to roast the shrimp myself and pan sear the scallops adding a beautiful color and texture to the scallops. For the lobster, I simply cooked two lobster tails according to the package instructions as they were frozen tails. This recipe is enough for 4-6 hungry people as an appetizer.
INGREDIENTS
1 large bag of tortilla chips
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
2 cups shredded pepper jack cheese
1 Tablespoon Of butter
2 teaspoons roasted garlic
1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off
2 lobster tails, cooked and meat removed and chopped (not too small)
1/2 pound scallops, muscle removed
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup grated parmesan
1 cup grated asiago cheese
Pinch of pepper
Pinch of salt
1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce
SERVE WITH
Sour cream
Pico de gallo
Pickled jalapeño
DIRECTIONS
For the shrimp – place the shrimp on a baking sheet drizzle with olive oil, add a pinch of salt and pepper and mix to combine. Place in a 400-degree oven for 6-8 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and are cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside.
For the scallops – place a tablespoon Of butter in a frying pan, let the butter melt and pan heat up. Add the scallops to the hot pan and let sear until turning a golden brown, turn the scallops and do the same for the second side. Remove from pan and set aside.
For the lobster – I bought frozen lobster tail and followed directions on package. Remove cooked meat from shells and set aside. Or purchase already cooked and shelled meat.
In a large sauté pan add the heavy cream, Parmesan and Asiago cheeses, roasted garlic, salt, and pepper. Allow the cheese to melt. When the cheese has melted and is creamy add the lobster meat to the sauce, cut the scallops in half and add to the sauce, add the shrimp cutting in half if they are large shrimp. Stir to combine and warm the seafood through.
Meanwhile, on a large baking sheet spread the tortilla chips over the pan, add the cheddar and pepper jack cheese covering the chips and bake in a 350-degree oven for 2-4 minutes until the cheese is melted. Remove from oven, add a layer of the shredded lettuce over the cheese and top with the seafood sauce.
Serve warm with sour cream, pico de gallo and pickled jalapeño.
Enjoy!
I’m always looking for new ways to make chicken, especially for Robby as chicken is not his favorite thing so I know when I am making it for him it really needs some good flavor. This dish is super simple, the maple has lots of sweet flavor, but the pinch of cayenne pepper brings a little heat to the dish. I served this with a side salad. The next day we sliced the chicken up for sandwiches. No matter how you serve it, I’m sure your family will enjoy it!
INGREDIENTS
2 Tablespoons olive oil
Pinch Of cayenne pepper
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Chicken thighs or breasts (I used boneless skinless breasts)
1 Tablespoon pure maple syrup
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat an ovenproof pan over medium heat. Mix the olive oil, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper in a bowl or Ziploc bag. Add the chicken and coat the chicken with the olive oil and seasoning mixture. Fry the chicken in your heated skillet for 3-4 minutes on each side drizzle with the maple syrup and place the pan in the preheated oven until cooked through, about 10-12 minutes depending on the size of the chicken. The chicken is cooked through when the juices run clear when pierced in the thickest part of the meat.
Enjoy!
We all know what time of year it is and that means making some cookies to share with all your family and friends! Although I do bake it’s not my favorite thing to do but these sugar cookies from Taste Of Home made it simple. After reading some of the reviews of this recipe I made a few small changes. The original recipe calls for vanilla extract. I wanted something just a little different so I used lemon extract and I also added lemon zest to the batter. This recipe can be made as a drop cookie or rolled into balls. Flatten with the bottom of a glass that has sugar on the bottom of it so it leaves a nice light coating of sugar on top of the cookies. Needless to say, this recipe is easily adaptable and it makes a lot. This made almost five dozen!
Because it made so many I was able to send some with my husband while he was flying with the Army National Guard. During his travels, he stopped at an Air Force base where our dear friend Adam (our niece Becky’s significant other, who we love) was working and could come out and enjoy a cookie or two! Needless to say, there were some happy military people today!
INGREDIENTS
1 cup of butter, softened
1 cup of vegetable oil
1 cup of sugar
1 cup of confectioners sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract (or if making lemon, I used 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon extract)
4 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
NOTE– if making the lemon version you will need 3 small lemons. I zested two of the lemons into the batter and zested 1 lemon into 1/2 cup of granulated sugar I used for the top.
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a large bowl beat the butter, oil, and sugars. Beat in the eggs until well blended. Add the vanilla or lemon extract. In another large bowl, add the flour, baking soda, and cream of tartar. Gradually add the flour mixture into the butter/sugar mixture and mix to combine. If making the lemon version add the zest of two lemons and mix until combined.
If making drop cookies simply drop about a tablespoon of the dough on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until they are lightly browned. Mine took 8 minutes.
If you want to flatten them and add the sugar on the top, place about 1/2 cup of granulated sugar onto a plate, add the zest of one lemon into the sugar and mix. Roll the dough into balls about a tablespoon or so and place on an ungreased baking sheet. Using the bottom of a drinking glass coat the bottom of the glass lightly with the sugar mixture and lightly press the dough balls down to your desired thickness. This will leave a light coating of sugar on the top of the cookie. Bake for 8 – 10 minutes.
Enjoy!
We have been going to Patrick’s for a number of years now, it’s one of our favorite places in the Gilford NH area. My parents have a boat just across the street from Patrick’s so it’s a great spot for lunch or dinner while spending time on Lake Winnipesaukee.
We were joined by my parents for lunch when we went a few weeks ago. We got there when it opened for lunch at 11:30 and were greeted and seated in no time. For an appetizer, we ordered Barbs Onion Hooks $6.99. These are julienned onion slices, hand tossed with a light breading and deep fried with a creamy horseradish sauce. These were so light, crispy but I loved that when you took a bite of the onion all of the breading actually stays on! The horseradish sauce is the perfect compliment to the onion hooks, it adds a little bite of flavor. These were gone in no time and always a favorite.
For our main course, my parents split the Turkey Club $11.99 as all of the portions are plenty enough for two! This club sandwich is always a favorite of theirs. The turkey club has roasted turkey breast, lettuce, tomato, bacon, mayo, American cheese all on grilled bread. Sounds delicious, doesn’t it? They cleaned their plate!
Jim had the Harvest Turkey Sandwich $12.00, This is always one of Jim’s favorite sandwiches to order anyplace we go but Patrick’s does an exceptional job with this sandwich with the addition of the pumpkin apple butter! What’s not to love about turkey, cranberry apple stuffing with sausage and of course the pumpkin apple butter all on a grilled Italian bread. You won’t leave the table hungry with that sandwich, not a crumb left on Jim’s plate!
Last but not least I ordered the Bistro Salad $10.99, this salad was huge! I mean really, really big with lots of great flavors and textures, you truly eat with your eyes when the salad is put in front of you.It’s beautifully made with crisp romaine, house made Caesar dressing, crumbled bacon, red onion, diced tomatoes along with Gorgonzola. This also comes with warm grilled pita slices. This was a delicious salad and because it was so big I was able to take it home and have more for dinner!
Patrick’s Pub has so much going on, they have two clubs that you can be a part of each having some great perks! They can do private parties and have many events such as ladies night, dueling pianos and so much more. You can find Patrick’s Pub at 18 Weirs Rd, in Gilford, NH. They open at 11:30 daily and of course you can see the full menu online but don’t forget to give them a like on Facebook too!
Enjoy!
This is a super simple five-ingredient dish! Jim loves anything with a Mexican or Tex Mex flavor so he loved this dish! I, on the other hand, am not a huge fan of refried beans so this was not a huge favorite for me. Jim and I both agreed this would make a great party appetizer. I would slice them a little smaller than shown in the picture here.
INGREDIENTS
1 crusty Italian loaf
1 can (16 oz.) refried beans – I used the spicy version
1 cup sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cup homemade or store-bought pico de gallo
DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice bread in half lengthwise and then in half widthwise and place cut side up on a baking sheet. Spread about 1/4 of the can of refried beans on each slice of the cut side of the bread. Top each slice with both kinds of cheese.
Bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted. Cut into 1/2 inch slices and top each slice with a spoon full of pico de gallo. Serve warm.
Enjoy!
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