HAPPY HOUR, FOOD AND FUN

  Ingredients: 2 slices Sourdough bread 2 slices prosciutto 2 eggs Butter 1 haas avocado Salt & Pepper Instructions: Smash avocado in small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Toast bread in toaster. Butter one side of the toast. Place toast on griddle or pan, buttered side down, and toast until crisp. Flip toast over on griddle (unbuttered side) and top with prosciutto.  Turn off heat. Season eggs with salt and pepper and fry over easy. Place toast with prosciutto on plate.  Add avocado mash.  Top with eggs. Notes: You can use any bread you like, but crusty breads work best. You can substitute the prosciutto with thinly sliced deli ham.

 Ingredients: 1 whole pork tenderloin 2 sweet Italian sausage links 4 ounces plain cream cheese 1/3 cup chopped mushrooms 3 cloves garlic - chopped Italian seasoning Spray olive oil Instructions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Remove sausage from casing and crumble into pan. Add mushrooms and garlic. Cook until done. In a bowl, mix cooked sausage crumbles, mushrooms, garlic and cream cheese.  Set aside. Butterfly the pork tenderloin and pound to 1/2 inch thick. Spread sausage mixture on top of pork tenderloin and roll up. Tie with butcher's twine. Place onto cooking sheet and spray with olive oil.  Top with Italian seasoning. Roast in oven for 25-30 minutes, until pork reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees. Notes: You can use any type of sausage you like. To butterfly pork tenderloin: Place the pork tenderloin on a cutting board. Use a sharp knife to make a vertical cut along the lengthwise portion of the pork loin. Stop the vertical cut about 1 inc Place the pork ...

 Ingredients: 2 10-ounce cans chicken breast 2 eggs 1/3 cup parmesan cheese Italian seasoning Mozzarella cheese Pizza sauce Instructions: Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Drain all liquid from chicken.  You can also squeeze through a towel. Break up chicken into small pieces and place on parchment paper lined sheet tray. Heat in oven for 10 minutes to remove remaining moisture from chicken. Remove from oven and place chicken meat into mixer bowl. Let cool for 5 minutes. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees. Add to mixer bowl 2 eggs, parmesan cheese and Italian seasoning. Mix well until fully incorporated. Spread chicken mixture onto pizza pan and spread with rubber spatula. Bake in 500 degree oven for 10 minutes. Add pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and toppings and bake at 500 degrees for 8-10 minutes, until cheese in bubbling.

  Ingredients: 1 package of chicken sausage 3 cloves garlic - chopped 1/4 cup olive oil + 1 tablespoon 1/4 cup chicken broth or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon butter 1/4 cup parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon basil 1 teaspoon oregano 1 teaspoon onion powder Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat chicken sausage with 1 tablespoon of olive oil and cook in oven for 20 minutes, or until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees.  Combine 1/4 cup olive oil, chopped garlic, broth, butter, parmesan cheese, basil, oregano and onion powder in a saucepan and heat on medium heat for 10 minutes. Prepare pasta of your choice. Cut sausage into bite-sized pieces.  Place on top of pasta and top with garlic oil. Notes: You can use any type of sausage you have on hand.  I used chicken/kale sausage and it was amazing. You can substitute regular pasta for zucchini noodles for a low carb meal. I did both and they were equally as good.

  Ingredients: 1 small bag of baby carrots 1/4 cup soy sauce 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce 1/3 cup chicken or vegetable broth 1 tablespoon olive oil 1 teaspoon sesame seeds Instructions: Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Combine all ingredients in large bowl. Transfer to oven-safe pan and roast for 20 minutes until just tender. Enjoy! ** Please note that nutritional details are estimates and actual values may vary. 

 Ingredients: 4 thick bone-in pork rib chops 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon onion powder 1 teaspoon garlic powder 1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs 2 eggs - scrambled 3/4 cup Crisco or frying oil Salt/pepper to taste Instructions: Season both sides of the pork chops with salt and pepper (or Nature's Seasoning). Combine onion powder and garlic powder with flour. Dredge pork chops in flour. Dip pork chops in eggs until both sides are fully coated with egg. Dredge in seasoned breadcrumbs. Heat oil in large frying pan. Fry pork chops for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until they have an internal temperature of 145 degrees.  Notes: If you can't find the pork rib chops, you can use any pork chop.  Just adjust your cooking time accordingly. You can make this gluten-free by substituting with gluten-free flour and gluten-free breadcrumbs.  It's still really delicious and crispy. If your pork chops start getting too dark in the frying pan, you can avoid burning them by placing them on a baking...

  Ingredients: 5 medium red potatoes 1 tablespoon Olive oil 1 tablespoon Italian bread-dipping herbs 1 teaspoon chives for garnish   Instructions: Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Thinly slice potatoes by hand or with the help of a mandolin Place in large bowl and add olive oil and the bread dipping herbs. Place in a single layer on baking sheet and bake for approximately 15-20 minutes, until crispy. Sprinkle with chives and serve immediately.   Notes: You can use any potatoes you have handy.   I like red potatoes for their slightly sweet flavor. If you don’t have bread-dipping herbs, you can use a combination of garlic powder, onion powder, salt, pepper, dried oregano and dried basil.    

 Good for Gluten-free. I am always hopeful when trying out new gluten free products, but I am usually disappointed in the texture and flavor.   This pancake mix is pretty good for gluten free.   It is easy to make and the pancakes cook quickly.   The only issue is that they are not really very fluffy and the taste is a little bland.   Some butter and syrup helps, but at least I was able to have pancakes for breakfast.

My husband and I enjoyed a Sunday morning shopping expedition and found ourselves looking for lunch while we were out and about.  We came across Pier 8 Seafood Bar & Grill and though we should give it a try. We started out looking for a glass of wine for me and a beer for my husband. While there seems to be an extensive bar menu including liquor and draft beers as well as bottled beers, the wine selection is sadly very limited with a house Pinot Grigio, Moscato and a Merlot as a red. The waitress was unable to tell me which brands they carried and there was no wine list on the menu that I could find.  I settled for the Merlot and have to say it was definitely not a good one.  My husband's draft beer was cold and he was happy with it. The clam chowder is surprisingly creamy, delicious and chocked full of clams, however a small cup for $6.99 seems maybe a little pricey, but definitely tasty.  It was served with saltine crackers instead of the traditional oyster cra...

 My husband and I stopped in The Pub for a quick lunch on a weekday.  The atmosphere in this restaurant is like being transported to an old pub in the UK.  They spared no expense with the design and fabulous woodwork throughout.  The bar is an absolute masterpiece. As for the food, the fish and chips were fried to perfection. The fish was light and flakey, the batter was super-crispy and not at all greasy, served with a tangy tartar sauce. The grilled salmon was seasoned beautifully and cooked to a perfect medium.   The staff was super-friendly, and nothing was too much trouble.  They really made sure we had everything we needed at all times.  I highly recommend this restaurant.

 Ingredients: 1 pound stir-fry beef  1/3 cup beef broth 1 tablespoon fish sauce 2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce 3 cloves garlic - pressed or chopped 2 teaspoons sesame oil 1 tablespoon sesame seeds 1 teaspoon honey 1 bell pepper 1/2 cup matchstick carrots 1 medium onion 1 cup sliced mushrooms 1 cup basmati rice 2 cups beef broth 1 tablespoon olive oil Instructions: In a large bowl, whisk beef broth, fish sauce, sweet chili sauce, sesame oil, honey and garlic.  Add in stir-fry beef and let marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 8 hours. Julienne cut bell pepper and onion.  Set aside. Boil 2 cups of beef broth and add basmati rice. Simmer for 20 minutes or until tender.  Turn off heat and cover. Heat a wok or deep pan to medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon olive oil.  Add stir-fry beef and mushrooms, matchstick carrots, onions and peppers.  Cook 10-15 minutes until vegetables and beef are fully cooked. Place a half cup of basmati rice on plate and to...

  Words cannot even describe how incredibly beautiful these wine glasses are.   First of all they are huge and can hold a very heavy pour, but, the most stunning feature of these wine glasses by far is the royal blue center of the stem.   It is an absolutely mesmerizing feature. The glasses look like they are fragile, but the glass is remarkably strong.   I recommend washing by hand just to be safe.   The packaging was very secure and they arrived in perfect condition.   These are my favorite wine glasses ever.   Worth every penny!

Ingredients: 1.5 lbs skinless boneless chicken thighs 3 cloves garlic - pressed or chopped 2 teaspoons sesame oil Juice of 1 Lime 1/3 cup soy sauce or tamari 2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce 1/3 cup beef broth 1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter 1 tablespoon honey  Instructions: Cut chicken thighs into chunks Combine remaining ingredients into bowl and whisk until smooth Marinate chicken thighs in mixture for at least 20 minutes and up to 8 hours Skewer chicken thighs Heat grill to medium high and grill approximately 12 minutes per side, or until reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Notes: You can use chicken breast or pork if you prefer, but chicken breast is a little drier when grilled. You can substitute lemon juice if you don't have lime juice. You can substitute red chili flakes if you don't have sweet chili sauce. You can substitute chicken or vegetable broth if you don't have beef broth Any kind of creamy peanut butter is fine. ** Please note that nutritional de...