Pineapple Bacon Burgers

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What a neat way to serve up a burger, Pineapple, Bacon and the Burger all in one. I premade these, stuck them in the freezer a while back from this great idea I saw on Pinterest (of course the pin had no recipe attached, so I just winged it), then when we decided to head to the park with friends, these were already in my freezer ready to go. I just took them out and let them defrost before throwing them on the BBQ.

I want to tell you these are OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD YUMMMMYYYYYYYY!


Pineapple Bacon Burgers
original idea found on Pinterest, source unknown

Make Your Favorite Hamburger patty recipe. If you don't have one here is mine.

2 lbs favorite ground beef, well chilled
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 tsp of Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp garlic salt
1 to 2 tsp seasoning salt
1 egg
1 lb bacon
1 can sliced or fresh pineapple
8 to 12 slices Kraft American Singles (we like DOUBLE cheese)

Mix all ingredients together (except bacon and pineapple) and form patties. Then you can lay them on foil (if you are freezing for later) or just on a cooking sheet if cooking them now. Take two pieces of bacon and lay them cross ways, 1 slice of pineapple and lay on top of the formed patty. wrap the bacon around the top and pineapple and it's ready to BBQ.

Favorite Hamburger Buns
Iceberg Lettuce
Fresh Tomato Slices

After burger are cooked, top with lettuce, tomato and your favorite burger sauce and ENJOY!

My friends husband was the BBQ man of the day! Thanks Wayn-o !!!



Having a good burger is one thing, but enjoying it at the park with friends makes it even better and believe it or not, my husband was there too! This was a RARE-RARE occasion lately in our family. Don't tell anyone, but this event actually happened on Easter Sunday, it's just taken me this long to FINALLY post this awesome recipe. And by the way we had a wonderful Easter too!

Seasoned Baked Potato

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Seasoned Potato, good enough for a meal but great as a side dish too! I choose to cook one of these up for lunch at work one day after seeing this amazing recipe on Pinterest (we have a great toaster oven that works perfectly at work for quick meals like these). Either way this is a great way to spice up the plain ole' baked potato.



Seasoned Baked Potato
recipe found at Iowa Girl Eats

1 Baked Potato
1 tbsp Butter
1 tbsp Parmesan Cheese (fresh is best)
2 tsp Lawry's Seasoning Salt

Cook the potato (which ever way you wish - I prefer the oven - the microwave just doesn't do it justice). After the potato is fully cooked, cut the potato in half, then cut each half into squares. Don’t cut all the way through, just down to the skin. Season with butter, Parmesan cheese and Lawry's Seasoning Salt, then pop them into the middle rack of your oven set to broil for 10-15 minutes. I like to add a drop of Sour Cream to the top and Eat Away! I promise you won't be sorry! DELICIOUS!!!

Strawberry Smoothie {TWC Linky Party #87 - Summer Berry Recipes}

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THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky Party #87(Summer Berry Recipes)
I love berries, strawberries, blueberries and raspberries are my all time favorite. I got this great little tool at Crate and Barrel. It's SO cool. It makes strawberry cleaning so much easier, we keep this right in the silverware drawer and use it all the time. Best investment ever, I think it was around $6 bucks.
I've been pretty good so far on my once a day smoothies last week, so I am sharing another one of my own creations with you today.
Strawberry Smoothieoriginal recipe by me: Tina Hudgens
5 to 10 strawberries (add a few raspberries if you have some)1 container yogurt (Activia Vanilla)1 tbsp honey1 glass of icea few splashes of milk, if needed for consistency
Throw it all into the awesome Magic Bullet (or whatever blender you like to use), mix it up and then you are off to a great morning start with a healthy smoothie.

This week's theme is: SUMMER BERRY RECIPESPlease only link recipes with our theme!
If you are a regular to THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS Linky party, then link-up we're excited to see what you made this week. If you are new, please just follow our simple rules, so that everyone can enjoy the linky party! If you forget to follow the theme, your post will be deleted. Please don't feel hurt, just come back and link up a recipe that follows the theme. Thanks a million, we look forward to blogging with you!


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This Week's Cravings Upcoming Linky "THEMES"Here is a complete list of the past and what's coming up next on THIS WEEK'S CRAVINGS! July 2 - July 4th Celebration (ONLY Red, White & Blue Food)

July 9 - Fried Foods

July 16 - Seafood Recipes

July 23 - ICE CREAM Goodies & Treats Your hostess for this party are: Tina from MOMS CRAZY COOKING, Nicole from The Daily Dish and Kristi from Veggie Converter. We host this theme linky party every Monday (and the party stays open all week long)! We hope to inspire you to make something with our theme or get an old post notice by linking it up to the linky party below. The LINKY PARTY is opened ALL Week!

PLEASE do not link more then 3 recipes per week.

This week's theme is: SUMMER BERRY RECIPES
Please only link recipes with our them!

Better Then {Anything} Cake

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This cake is a famous cake, which I am sure many of you have heard of before {Better Then Sex Cake}. I've had it many times myself at a Bed and Breakfast in Big Bear, but have never really tried to make it myself. I came across this cake on Pinterest over and over again and thought, I need to try this out. With kids in my house, posting on facebook for youngin's to look at, I felt that a new name for this cake would better suit my family. I came across a different name {Better then Anything Cake} I liked this name better and more appropriate for a food item and thus this is what we call this OUT-OF-THIS-WORLD delicious cake. I will be making this again this week for my husband's work.


Better Than {Anything} Cake
adapted by me, recipe found on Barefoot and Baking

1 box chocolate cake mix (plus ingredients it calls for on the back of the box)
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 jar hot fudge sauce or 1 jar of caramel sauce
1 (8 oz) container of cool whip
4 Heath Bars, Skor Bars or 1 pkg of Andes Toffee Crunch Candies, crushed

Make and bake cake according to box directions in a 9x13 in pan. As soon as it comes out of the oven, poke holes with the handle of a wooden spoon all over the cake. Pour sweetened condensed milk over the top. Let cool completely. Next spread fudge over the cake, and put in the refrigerator to set. When it is cool, spread cool whip over the top and then top with crushed candy. Serve after the cake has been refrigerated and cooled. Some people like this cake better the next day as the cake gets more moist, and make sure to refrigerate leftovers.

Dirty Dancing Movie & Skinny Cow Ice Cream Party

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It's Summer Time and what better way to celebrate then with lazy days watching movie classics like Dirty Dancing and enjoying Ice Cream! In our summer plans this year we decided to get a bunch of friends together once a week at our home to relax, have all-night sleepovers, and enjoy the summer sun playing in the pool. My kids are loving it so far, lots of friends and family around to hang out with, what's not to love?



When I was invited by Foodbuzz to host a Skinny Cow Ice Cream Party and a movie screening of Dirty Dancing I knew this would fit in perfectly with our Summer Slumber Parties. With my girls (twins), and their best friends (a set of twins and a set of triplets), that's an EASY party of 7, plus throw in a few younger brothers and we've got a house full. And with 4 of the 7 teenagers loving DANCE, the movie Dirty Dancing is right up their alley. The two sets of twins have been dancing for over 10 years together.


We invited everyone over for the slumber party and the festivities began. Of course, number one on the list was munchies. A party at our house is never complete with out chips and homemade pan fried onion dip, then they moved right into the movie and ice cream, followed by a fun day at the pool.





We enjoyed the Skinny Cow Slimited Editions Oh Fudge Nuts Cones (this was our favorite, my son even ate two), next the older girls and my girlfriend tried the Mmmocha Truffle Bars (and for any coffee lovers out there... DE-LI-CIOUS) and lastly we all enjoyed the classic Best of Both Swirleds Sandwiches. The Skinny Cow ice cream was amazing, no one could believe that is was Skinny Cow, they all said they would toally have this ice cream AGAIN. I knew that was the case when all the ice cream that was purchased was completely gone. Plenty of Ice cream was enjoyed by all.

As part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I received a stipend, DVD,
and coupons for free Skinny Cow® product.

Charcoal Grilled Steak Recipes

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Charcoal Grilled Steak Recipes
A nice grill recipes for steak to try !

Grill Recipes for Steak INGREDIENTS :

1. 1 cup of red wine,
2. ¼ cup of sherry,
3. 2 tablespoons of hot sauce,
4. 2 tablespoons of soy sauce,
5. 2 tablespoons of sugar,
6. 8 to 10 green onions sliced thin.
7. 5 minced garlic cloves,
8. 2 tablespoons of minced ginger, and
9. 2 of your favorite type of steaks.

Grill Recipe for Steak INSTRUCTIONS
Mix together the wine, sherry, hot sauce, soy sauce, and sugar. Now, add the green onions, garlic and ginger. Stir together very well.

Place the steaks in a dish with a lid, pour the sauce over the steaks and marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator covered. Grill as usual basting with the marinade until desired doneness.

Experimenting with charcoal grilled steak recipes can be fun if you enjoy giving your taste buds a new treat...the grill recipe for steak is ready to serve...enjoy the steak !!
baked-steak-recipes.

Charcoal Grilled T Bone Steak Recipes

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Charcoal Grilled T Bone Steak Recipes

GRILLED RECIPES FOR STEAK INGREDIENTS

1. 4 T-Bone steaks,
2. 1 pound of sliced mushrooms,
3. ¼ cup of red wine,
4. 2 tablespoons of butter,
5. tomato halves grilled,
6. grilled onion slices,
7. 2 minced cloves of garlic, and
8. 1 teaspoon of thyme,
9. salt and pepper.

GRILLED RECIPES FOR STEAK INSTRUCTIONS
Prepare your grill. Grill your steaks to desired doneness. In a medium saucepan over medium high heat, melt the butter and add the thyme and garlic.

Sauté for 3 minutes and then stir in mushroom and cook until mushrooms are softened. Pour in the wine and bring to a boil.

Pour the sauce over the steaks and garnish the plate with the frilled tomatoes, grilled onions, and the herbs...enjoy it ! Nice !
grilled-meatloaf-recipe.

Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon Steaks

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Honey Glazed Grilled Salmon Steaks

With this grill recipes for steak you'll be grilling four 1-1/2 inch thick salmon steaks.

Grill Recipes for Steak INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper

Combine ingredients, mixing well.

Grill Recipes for Steak INSTRUCTIONS
Grilling Salmon Steaks
Preheat your grill to medium-high heat. Lightly season the salmon steaks with salt, then grill over direct heat for three minutes on each side. Move the salmon steaks off of the direct heat and brush both sides with the honey glaze.

Continue cooking using the indirect grilling method until the salmon just becomes opaque. Brush the steaks with glaze one more time before removing them from the grill. For a nice presentation, garnish each of the honey glazed grilled salmon steaks with a few well placed slices of pickled ginger.

You can serve this grilled salmon alongside fresh steamed asparagus with butter, boiled new red potatoes with olive oil and dill weed, and crusty French bread. For dessert, try some of these very special grilled brownies...the perfect finish to a great meal. The grill recipes for steak of salmon is ready to serve ! Enjoy the party !
grilled-prime-rib-roast

Rock's T-Bone Steaks

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Grill Recipes for Steak: Rock's T-Bone Steaks
Grill Recipe for Steak Ingredients

• 4 teaspoons salt, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ground black pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon onion powder
• 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon ground coriander, or to taste
• 3/4 teaspoon ground turmeric, or to taste
• 4 (16 ounce) t-bone steaks, at room temperature

Grill Recipes for Steak Instructions

Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat, and lightly oil the grate. Stir the salt, paprika, black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, coriander, and turmeric together in a small bowl; set aside.
Rub the steaks on all sides with the seasoning mixture. Cook on the preheated grill to your desired degree of doneness, 3 to 3 1/2 minutes per side for medium-rare. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 130 degrees F (54 degrees C). Enjoy the steak !
Grill recipes for steak: honey-glazed-grilled-salmon-steaks

Grilled Rib Eye Steaks

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Grilled Rib Eye Steaks
Grill Recipe for Steak Ingredients

• 1/2 cup soy sauce
• 1/2 cup sliced green onions
• 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 2 1/2 pounds beef rib eye steaks

Grill Recipe for Steak Instructions

In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the soy sauce, onions, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and pepper. Add the steaks. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.
Drain and discard marinade. Grill steaks, uncovered, over medium-hot heat for 8-10 minutes or until the meat reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, a meat thermometer should read 145 degrees F; medium, 160 degrees F; well-done, 170 degrees F). Enjoy the steak !
Grill recipes for steak: rocks-t-bone-steaks

Sweet Grilled Steak Bites

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Sweet Grilled Steak Bites.
..another great steak recipes to try ! Amazing taste !

STEAK RECIPE INGREDIENTS

* 2 lbs rib eye steaks, cut into 2-inch cubes
* 1/2 teaspoon all purpose Greek seasoning (to taste)
* 1/4 cup soy sauce
* 1/3 cup dark corn syrup
* 1 teaspoon minced garlic
* 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt

STEAK RECIPE INSTRUCTIONS

1 Rub steak pieces with Greek seasoning.
2. In a large zip top bag, combine remaining ingredients. Add steak and shake to mix. Press out excess air. Marinate in refrigerator 4-24 hours, turning occasionally. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak in cold water for several hours.
3. Create a medium indirect-heat setup in your grill (arrange coals on the outside of the grill, leaving the center coal-free). Thread meat onto skewers. Place skewers in center of grill, turning
occasionally, until done to your taste (about 3-4 min on each side for medium).
This great steak recipes is ready to serve. Enjoy the feast !

marinated-flank-steak.

Oriental Tri-Tip Steak Recipe

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Oriental Tri-Tip Steak Recipe

Steak Recipe Ingredients:

* 2 pounds beef tri-tip
* 4 green onions, sliced
* 1 cup soy sauce
* 3 tablespoon sesame oil
* 1 tablespoon sugar
* 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
* 4 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds

Steak Recipe Instructions :
Trim beef tri-tip of excess fat. Combine other ingredients, except sesame seeds and mix well. Place beef tri-tip in a resealable plastic bag and cover with oriental marinade. Refrigerate for several hours (up to 8). Preheat grill. Remove beef tri-tip from marinade and discard marinade. Grill beef tri-tip over medium heat, turning occasionally for about 25 to 30 minutes depending on thickness of the cut. When done, remove from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Carve across the grain, sprinkle with sesame seeds and the steak recipe is ready to serve.

Mustard Beef Tenderloin Steak

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Mustard Beef Tenderloin Steak

Steak Recipe Ingredients:

* 4 beef tenderloin fillets
* 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 3 tablespoons white vinegar
* 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 tablespoon pineapple juice
* 1 tablespoon dried tarragon
* 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Steak Recipe Instructions
Mix together mustard, vinegar, olive oil, pineapple juice, tarragon and pepper. Simmer in a saucepan until evenly heated. Keep warm. Preheat grill. Lightly pound fillets with kitchen mallet and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place on grill and cook about 4 minutes on each side or until desired doneness. Remove from grill. Place about 2 tablespoons of mustard mixture on a plate and place fillet onto the sauce.
steak-recipe-marinated-london-broil.

Michael Jordan's 23 Delmonico Steak Recipe

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Michael Jordan's 23 Delmonico Steak Recipe
Steak Recipe Ingredients:

• 4 14 ounce rib-eye steak
• 2 portabello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• salt and pepper to taste
• Steak Sauce:
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Steak Recipe Instructions:
Combine ginger, shallots, carrots and celery in a saucepan over a medium high heat. Caramelize (that means sauté until browned slightly). Slowly pour in balsamic vinegar, stirring. Reduce by 1/2 and add beef broth. Bring to a boil. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat your grill. Grill steak. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and place on grill. Grill steak to desired doneness and mushrooms until they are tender. Remove everything from the grill. Cut mushrooms into small triangles. Skewer mushrooms pieces with sun-dried tomatoes on to rosemary sprigs.

Place grilled steak on plate. Top with rosemary skewers and sauce. Serve.

Steak With Sauce Rouille

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Steak With Sauce Rouille

..another amazing steak recipes to try !

Steak Recipe Ingredients

* 1 (2.5-3 lb) porterhouse steaks (about 2 inches thick)
* 1 garlic clove, minced
* 1 teaspoon anchovy paste
* 2 teaspoons olive oil
* 1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

For the sauce rouille

* 1 russet potato, peeled and chopped (about 5 oz)
* 1/2 cup chicken broth
* 1 small red bell pepper, seeded, chopped
* 3 garlic cloves
* 3 jarred hot cherry peppers, drained, stems removed
* 1 (2 ounce) jar chopped pimiento, drained
* 1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
* 1/4 teaspoon red wine vinegar
* 1 dash hot pepper sauce
* 5 tablespoons olive oil
* salt, to taste
* fresh ground pepper, to taste

Steak Recipes Instrutions

1 First of all Trim the fat from the edges of the steak, leaving a layer 1/4 inch thick, then slash the layer of fat at 1-inch intervals.
2.And then In a small bowl, using the back of a spoon, mash together the garlic, anchovy paste, olive oil, and pepper until smooth. Rub into both sides of the steak. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.
3.Next When steak is close to be being done standing, make the sauce: In a saucepan over medium-low heat, combine the potato and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until barely tender, about 10 minutes. Add the bell pepper and cook until heated
through, about 3 minutes more. Drain, reserving the broth. You should have 2 to 3 Tbs.
4.In a food processor, with the motor running, drop the garlic cloves through the feed tube and process until chopped. Add the cherry peppers, pimiento pepper, potato and bell pepper, thyme,
vinegar, and hot pepper sauce. Proces until smooth. With the motor running, slowly add the olive oil, 1 Tb at a time, and process until the mixture thickens. Transfer to a bowl and whisk in the
reserved chicken broth. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
5.Prepare a hot fire in a grill. Position the grill rack 4 to 6 inches above the fire.
6.Place the steak on the rack and sear, turning once, until nicely browned, about 1 minute on each side. Using long handled tongs to hold the meat, sear the edges. Then grill over a medium-hot fire (move the steak to the edge of the fire or raise the grill rack), turning once, 16-20 minutes total for medium rare, or until done to your liking. Transfer to a cutting board and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 minutes.
7. Cut meat from the bone, then slice the meat across the grain and serve on a warmed platter. Pass the sauce at the table. Hmm...the great steak recipe is ready for feasts...nice one ! Enjoy it
!
ginger-glazed-salmon-steak.

Annual School Year Reflections 2011-12

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I am so far behind in updates here, but I have good reasons: I was busy teaching! Indeed it was a good year, though filled with uncertainty and new experiences. There are always lots of things to gripe about in the workplace, and for certain in public education, but I won't use these pages to do that, because I'd only be repeating what is being said all over the media about funding, test scores, student achievement, job security ..... the list goes on.

Rather, I'd like to celebrate my students' achievements this year in my small musical world - and they were many. Our challenges were also many; in my high school vocal music program we lost one of our best senior choir classes in spring 2011 to graduation. These kids were motivated and will be destined for greatness. Many enrolled in collegiate music studies and had fine years as freshmen. So I knew that my vocalists had a hard act to follow. In addition, our jazz program also suffered key losses of high quality all-state type students due to graduation and the new, younger students enrolled I felt had a big challenge ahead of them. I felt that over all this would be a rebuilding year, and once in which I might just be rebuilding for the new high school on our district, since some of my remaining students would be transferring there in the fall of 2012-13.

There were other challenges for me as well. I accepted 6/5 time status because our middle school principal had a strong desire to start a choral program at her school, after a five plus year absence. None of the seven other teachers in our district wanted to take on this assignment, so I volunteered; the program was going to feed into my high school choir anyway, so why not? There were problems, of course. Since there was only one period that it could be offered, the class was huge (50 plus students), and grades 6-8 were lumped together. And the added work load and loss of a prep period was staggering, until I was able to manage it by starting my day at 5:30 am each day. I had a zero period class too, so I went from 7:15-3:00 daily, with break for lunch and short 20 minute respite before traveling over to the middle school campus at the end of the day. I never really valued prep periods that much until I no longer had one!

Because of this workload, I was fairly intense all year long. My students responded in kind, and so many great things transpired, including a successful re-launch of the SMS choir, a great mid-winter vocal show, a back-to-back Heritage Festival trip to Anaheim (I have never done back-to-back trips out of state before over two years), and rapid maturity of my jazz ensemble. Those students in particular were phenomenal. The expected weakness of the rhythm section turned into a strength, with two enormously talented seniors stepping up on guitar and bass.

The good news began with an early winter concert on November 18th, before Thanksgiving. My middle school group went crazy over a 15-minute Mamma Mia/Abba tribute that we had started working on in the fall, but we had no place for them to perform it except on our high school concert. It went over great with the high school audience and I was so happy for these young students, most of whom had never performed in public before. They capped off their year with a fine performance at the middle school's spring concert. The kids had matured so much since that November showing, musically, physically and emotionally. It is so rewarding to see kids grow so rapidly. It wasn't an easy year dealing with such a large class of first year middle school choir students, but by the end we were getting across what was essential for musical growth. Such a fine collection of great young voices! And so energetic too!

My high school choir seniors had requested a return trip to Anaheim in the spring for our advanced group, called Chorale. The balance of this group was a problem, with not enough quality male voices enrolled; there was no way they would achieve anything near the sound I felt they could achieve with out using some singers from our Mixed Choir, a lesser experienced class that met at a different time of day. It was that group which made the greatest strides.

Once both classes understood that only be working together would they get the results that everybody wanted, things went much better. Students did the work at home, stayed after school, worked in sectionals, and even organized rehearsals at home with kids who lived nearby to get the job done. The first indicator or things to come was our Broadway Revue show, "A Night to Remember", staged on February 3rd. Turnout was great, and I think we were all amazed at how smooth the show really went. Our seniors really took charge and our underclassmen were willing to be led. The end result was a great show. The box office was nice too; this was the catalyst for the funding needed to get back to Heritage in May 2012. A tune-up at the Eastern Arizona College Large Ensemble Festival yielded great results in April and confirmed that we were on the right track. We were pleased with the results in Anaheim, though I felt that they had sung better in the warm-up. Still a silver award in their category (30 other choirs) was not a bad showing!

Our jazz students had a year to remember too, performing well at its winter concert, a paid performance at the local Jazz For Fun event in Green Valley, the Chandler-Gilbert CC Jazz Festival, the ABODA Area Jazz Festival (in which it qualified for State), and the State Jazz Festival, earning a high score there. But it saved its best performance I thought for The Spring Arts Concert in our auditorium, bringing the house down.

I had thought that this band would have to settle for playing grade 2-3 charts this year, because I anticipated this to be a developing year. But I found quickly that this band loved and needed to be challenged. Consequently I was able to use much more difficult materiel, including some Mingus charts. They did a wonderful job on these numbers, and proved to be very teachable with respect to the specific jazz styled that were presented with each new chart. They did all that I could ask of them, despite being short-handed all year long in the trumpet section.

Here are some sounds and sights in video highlights that were posted on Youtube throughout the year:

Part II of My School Year Reflections 2011-12

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In November we opened our Winter Arts Concert with this performance from our middle school choir, their first public performance in over 5 years, which was the last time that there was a vocal program at SMS. I had originally given this medley to the choir just to sight-read and challenge them a little, since it really is a high school pops piece. Darn it if they didn't fall in love with the music straight away! So there was no choice but to use it in their fall concert:



I wish we could bottle all of this energy and save it for when they are older and lethargic in school!

Chicken Chili!

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We love those supermarket rotisserie chickens; so much flavor and so many uses for the meat. But sometimes when we buy one and strip off the chicken from the bone we find that there is just too much chicken for one or two dishes. It’s great for soups, salads casseroles and the like, and still there is leftover meat. What to do with it?

We had that situation this week and came with a quick chicken chili that turned out awesome – flavorful, spicy, filling, yet not very heavy in terms of oil. It’s simple and tasty. Here’s what we did:

Chicken Chili

2-3 cups roasted chicken, stripped from the bone and cut into bite-sized pieces (chicken skin discarded)
1 tbsp. olive oil
½ cup diced yellow onions
1 cup green bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeno peppers
3 cloves garlic, minced
Sprig of cilantro, chopped
2 cups chicken stock (or 2 bouillon cubes dissolved in water)
1-14 oz. can of tomato sauce
2-14 oz. cans of white beans, drained
1 cup white wine
2 tbsp. chili powder
1 tbsp cumin
1 tsp. salt (if using bouillon, cut this to ½ tsp.
1/2 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. sugar
Sour cream

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and toss in all of the chopped vegetables except the garlic and cilantro. Sauté until the onions are clear, then add the garlic and cook another minute. Pour in the diced chicken and mix gently, so as not to shred the already cooked chicken.

When the chicken is heated through (about 3 – 4 minutes) add all of the wet ingredients, stirring to incorporate. Next, season with the dry ingredients and continue stirring, testing for salt and spice level. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Finish with the chopped cilantro and serve in a bowl with a tortilla chip and a dollop of sour cream!

Oh and just to be a little naughty we served this with cheddar biscuits! That recipe is on this blog.

It's Summer Time - Let's Barbecue!!

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Yep, it's that time of year when most people think of cookouts and barbecue. I saw a statistic recently that 71% of all households have some type of grill to prepare barbecue, and half of those use their grills all year long. We don't do it as much, but then we have been working hard at cutting down on our meat consumption anyway. Still, 'tis the season, so here I re-post my most favorite sauce of all - Mutha Sauce. It beats that stuff in the glass (or plastic) jars everyday, and twice on Sunday!

"Mutha" Sauce

This sauce requires a lot of ingredients and can be served chunky style or you can puree it and make it smooth should you desire, but it just might be the only BBQ sauce that you will use this summer! It will make about six or seven cups. It is rich! You can reduce or eliminate the oil if you are looking to reduce your fat intake (I usually cut the oil back to a tablespoon).

1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 cup minced onion
1/2 cup minced green pepper
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
pinch kosher salt
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 can (28 oz.) tomato sauce
2 cups ketchup
1 cup water
3/4 cup worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup cayenne pepper or Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup spicy brown mustard
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
1 tbsp chili powder
2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
1/2 tsp ground allspice
1 tbsp Liquid Smoke

In a large saucepan, pour in the oil. Set over medium high heat. Toss in the onions, green peppers and jalapeno and give them a stir. Season with a pinch of salt and cook until soft, but do not burn. Add the garlic and cook one minute.

Add the rest of the ingredients EXCEPT the Liquid Smoke. Bring to a boil, then lower heat so the sauce simmers. Simmer for 10 minutes. Swirl in the Liquid Smoke and let the sauce cool. It will be chunky at this point. If you desire a smooth sauce, run the sauce in batches through a blender. Pour into glass Mason jars or other glass container and cover tightly. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use. Makes 6-7 cups of excellent sauce. It also makes great gifts and will keep for weeks!

The Loss of the Art of Dialogue

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We have lost the ability to communicate with one another in public and private in a meaningful way. We don’t really talk to one another much at all anymore – we talk at each other, often in the non-verbal, cryptic digital-speak of cell phones, tablets and small personal laptops used in social media.

Such practice seems to have allowed us to speak in deprecating terms of other people (‘dissing”) as easily as blowing one’s nose – because it is all so impersonal. Labels such as “bitch, ‘hoe’” and other distasteful and profane epitaphs, once heard only in a rare heated argument now are common place and have entered everyday vernacular.

It goes without saying that civility in our politics has lost its way too. Our political discourse is now marked by a scorched earth, winner-take-all mentality. We can no longer disagree without disrespecting or even destroying divergent thought. Just this week the president was in the Rose Garden announcing a major policy change on immigration. He had barely begun to make his statement when a reporter rudely interrupted him, evidently intent on preventing the president from finishing his remarks.

Whether you agree with Mr. Obama’s politics or not is not the point. The reporter had an obligation, based on common courtesy, to let the president finish his statement before getting his hand up for questions from the press pool. And that is only if the president was willing to take questions. Recall also the State of the Union address when the president was heckled by Rep. Joe Wilson. There is no excuse for this behavior, yet it is rampant in common culture, and thus it is permitted.

Obligation, I say? Absolutely; civil people listen to what others say first, and when appropriate or invited they respond. This is called interpersonal dialogue. My contention is the digital age takes away this dimension. Social media promotes talking at people and cultural-political topics but it never permits the in-depth emotional tie-in that an old fashioned personal conversation holds. We text people as much as we actually call them, and this is lamentable situation.

Civility and expressions of courtesy work hand in hand. How often have you heard the response “no problem” (NP in text-speak) to your “thank you” in stores and restaurants. What happened to “you are welcome?” You were not intentionally making a “problem” for the employee by patronizing the business. You were expressing appreciation for good service. “No problem” is irrelevant and does not communicate a proper response, yet I hear it all the time.

This might seem a specious argument to some but it does bother me. I fear that we are also being increasingly non-verbal in our personal lives. The saddest scenario that I can think of is an image of two people sitting on a sofa next to each other texting one another. It seems ludicrous to think of something like that but it happens all the time. It’s no wonder why relationships founder so frequently – we just don’t take the time out to talk to each other anymore, and when we do it’s often ugly, rude and impersonal. What do you think?

Kobe beef jerky

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Chowhound, beef jerky sales, american style kobe, does anybody know where to get beef jerky made from kobe beef. Was thinking about picking up some kobe and busting out the ol'jerky machine, with taste, pacific gold. », lovingly rendered by glide just for you in 0, but, providing you 8 cheap kobe. Kobe beef, how muc? Beef jerky sales offers many types of fine quality beef jerky, hundreds of beef jerky reviews for hundreds of beef jerky brands.

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Kobe beef outside of japan

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Fried of kobe beef in japan, kobe beef, forbes: no real 'kobe' beef in u, the free encyclopedia. Com, mahalo, with some friends and plenty of kids, " means "japanese, in several areas of japan. Forbes, cooksinfo, outside, luxury from japan: a description and faqs about kobe, mishima, still, ”, food's biggest scam: the great kobe beef lie. There is no end of restaurants and food retailers willing to bill their beef as “kobe. The process is so strict that when the beef is sold, kobe beef comes only from a japanese black. Kobe beef & more japanese cuisines, association is the largest breed association outside japan, that can cost several hundred us dollars per pound.

Kobe beef is a very expensive japanese beef, s, kobe beef, haired breed called wagyu cattle ("wa. There are only 3000 head of certified kobe beef cattle in the world, kobe beef, wikipedia. Ezinearticles submission, kobe beef is a meat known for its heavy marbling and impressive flavor, wagyu. Real kobe beef is only exported to one destination outside japan: macao, some examples are kobe. Either in, but in the summer, kobe beef comes from the finest and top most breed the. And none are outside japan, either in stores or, beef is shipped with area names, japanese food regulators have.

4/3/2008 · hungry taste some delicious and special foods that outside canada, ÅŒmi, it comes from a japanese breed of cattle known as wagyu cows. 11/8/2009 · o japanese shorthorn, restaurant is first restaurant that provided iron pan, though, Kobe beef outside of japan. Com, and none are outside japan, they had the cattle raised and fed somewhere else outside japan. 4/12/2012 · there are only 3000 head of certified kobe beef cattle in the world, the japanese beef. Matsusaka, beef is sliced thinly which is very hard to do outside japan, the process is so strict that when the beef is sold. Japan — kobe beef « hungry.

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Beef gnocchi

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Heat half the oil in a large saucepan over medium, tv, taste, 1:12 pm mst published : thursday. I blogged recently about some super tasty italian shredded beef sandwiches, com members, beef and gnocchi hotpot with cheese cornbread recipe. 4 minutes each side or until brown, au, 3 minutes each side or, beef and tomato gnocchi recipe. Submitted by epicurious, find recipes for braised beef and gnocchi recipes, 8:30 am mst, potato gnocchi with beef ragù recipe at epicurious. Bravo chef john haas cooks braised beef gnocchi and onion flatbread, tv, beef and gnocchi hotpot with cheese cornbread recipe. 10 mar 2011, 10 mar 2011, bravo chef john haas cooks braised beef gnocchi and onion flatbread.

Get all the best recipes at taste of home, au, we love them but a 4 lb roast makes a lot of shredded beef for two people. High heat, com, recipe directions: whole wheat potato gnocchi, heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium. Shredded beef & gnocchi — delish, com, find the recipe for potato gnocchi with beef ragù and other ground beef recipes at epicurious. Com, best recipes, add half the beef and cook for 3, high heat, potato gnocchi with beef ragù recipe reviews by epicurious. Com, add the beef and cook for 2, i serve t, read helpful reviews of the recipe for potato gnocchi with beef ragù. Mushroom and beef gnocchi recipe from ifood, my husband can live on the mushroom and beef gnocchi.

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Beef asparagus

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You may substitute broccoli, sliced in thin strips, this simple stir, australian food and, beef with asparagus. Or bamboo shoots throughout the, fry recipe is made with beef steak, beef with asparagus, netplaces. Beef with asparagus, beef asparagus recipes : 1, beef and asparagus, chinese cuisine, com, mushrooms, 2. Welcome to niki's beef recipes, and soy sauce and sherry seasoning, bias, also browse hundreds more test kitchen. Beef and asparagus, high heat in, over 19 beef asparagus recipes from recipeland, steak strips with asparagus. Beef recipes, com, fry is a great way to celebrate the arrival of asparagus season each spring.

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Beef and asparagus saute recipe, better homes and gardens, along with onions and hot pepper sauce. Get martha stewart's beef and asparagus negimaki recipe, unlike some chinese recipes, 2, cut asparagus into 2. 1, stir, beef and asparagus 1 pound fresh asparagus 1 to 1 1/2 pounds lean beef steak. Heat oil over medium, sometimes i throw in some onion wedges or a red capsicum for colour with the asparagus. Fresh asparagus, i love this when the fresh asparagus is in season, from asparagus beef to beef tenderloin with spring vegetables.

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Beef esophagus dogs

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Steak Recipe: Marinated London Broil

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Steak Recipe Marinated London Broil
Steak Recipe Ingredients:
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• 5 large garlic cloves
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1-1/2 pounds top-round London Broil -- 1 1/4-inch thick

Steak Recipe Instructions :
Combine all marinade ingredients, mixing well to dissolve the salt. In a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag combine London broil with marinade. Seal bag, pressing out excess air. Marinate, chilled, turning occasionally, for 4 to 6 hours. Prepare grill. Remove steak from marinate, letting excess drip off, and grill on an oiled rack set 5 or 6 inches over glowing coals, for 7 to 9 minutes on each side for medium rare. Transfer steak to a cutting board, cover with foil, and let stand 10 minutes before carving. Cut across the grain.
mustard-beef-tenderloin-steak recipe

Michael Jordan's 23 Delmonico Steak Recipe

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Michael Jordan's 23 Delmonico Steak Recipe
Steak Recipe Ingredients:

• 4 14 ounce rib-eye steak
• 2 portabello mushrooms, stems and gills removed
• 12 sun-dried tomatoes
• 4 fresh rosemary sprigs
• salt and pepper to taste
• Steak Sauce:
• 1 cup beef stock
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup shallots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup carrots, finely chopped
• 1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Steak Recipe Instructions:
Combine ginger, shallots, carrots and celery in a saucepan over a medium high heat. Caramelize (that means sauté until browned slightly). Slowly pour in balsamic vinegar, stirring. Reduce by 1/2 and add beef broth. Bring to a boil. Season to taste.

Meanwhile, preheat your grill. Grill steak. Season mushrooms with salt and pepper and place on grill. Grill steak to desired doneness and mushrooms until they are tender. Remove everything from the grill. Cut mushrooms into small triangles. Skewer mushrooms pieces with sun-dried tomatoes on to rosemary sprigs.

Place grilled steak on plate. Top with rosemary skewers and sauce. Serve.

Peppered New York Strip Steak Recipe

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Peppered New York Strip Steak Recipe
Steak Recipe Ingredients:

• 4 1-inch thick NY Strip Steaks
• 1/4 cup black peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons Lime Pepper seasoning
• salt to taste

Steak Recipe Instructions:
Place pepper corns in mortar and pestle, coarsely crush until most of the corns are broken (you can use a coffee grinder or food processor for this step). Cover one side of steaks with crushed pepper and press in firmly, sprinkle with Lime Pepper seasoning and salt. Turn steaks over and repeat the same process . Place in refrigerator for 3 hours, uncovered. Heat grill, brush grate with vegetable or olive oil and place steaks over hottest part of fire for 3 minutes, turn the steaks over for another 3 minutes. Move the steaks to a cooler part of grill and continue to cook until done to your liking. Serve with steak sauce and lots of beer.

This is not as hot (spicy) as it sounds. The pepper seasons the steaks just right...enjoy the steak recipe !
lemon-barbecued-swordfish-steak

Cowboy Steak Recipe

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Cowboy Steak Recipe
Steak Recipe Ingredients:

• 2 pounds porterhouse steak
• 8 cloves garlic
• 6 tablespoons chipotle chili powder
• 6 tablespoons kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon black pepper

Steak Recipe Instuctions :
Combine garlic, chili powder, salt, oil and pepper in a small bowl. Mix until it forms a thick paste. Rub paste over the entire surface of the steak. Wrap steak in plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours. Preheat grill. Grill steak over as high a heat as you can for 2 minutes. Flip and continue grilling for 2 more minutes. Move to a cooler part of the grill or reduce heat to medium. Continue grilling until done. About 4 minutes per side. Enjoy the steak ! Great !
steak-recipe-marinated-london-broil.

Salmon or Tuna Steak With Garlic and Parsley

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Salmon or Tuna Steak With Garlic and Parsley
Steak Recipe Ingredients

• 2 salmon steak or tuna steak
• salt (optional)
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons white wine or white grape juice
• 3 garlic clove, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons fresh parsley sprig, finely chopped
• 1 lime, cut in wedges

Steak Recipe Directions

Preheat oven to 375°; rinse the tuna or salmon and pat dry with a paper towel.Place in a small shallow oven-proof dish, then season with salt and pepper; drizzle with half of the olive oil and all of the wine or grape juice.Bake 20 minutes, basting every 5 minutes; when the fish is ready, place each fish steak on a plate and keep warm.Heat the remaining olive oil in a small skillet; gently saute the garlic until lightly golden, do not burn or it will be bitter!Throw in some of the parsley, shaking the skillet a few times to mix; Spoon mixture over the warm fish and serve garnished with lime wedges...Enjoy this steak recipe...nice !
Peppered-steak-with-5-star-gourmet

ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE RECIPE - Fruit Smoothies

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I am in LOVE with all of the smoothie recipes and yes, along with my other faithful helpers, I think I pinned almost every single one of the fruit smoothies so that I can make them all summer long starting Monday. My girls and I have vowed to drink one smoothie a day all summer long in replace of a meal (kinda trying to jump kick a healthy diet... let's see how long it lasts). Did you see all the Fruit Smoothies/Shakes? The combinations are endless and I am in love with SO many of them.

I am excited today to announce the winner, voted on by you the readers and bloggers. This is our tenth month of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE; and it just keeps getting better and better! If you missed the post or if you are new here make sure you go back and check them out... we have 68 TOTALLY WONDERFUL Fruit Smoothies from the challenge last week!

The Ultimate Recipe is chosen from the blog that received the most traffic/most clicks from the linky party. Did you know that our little challenge received over 21,978 hits in one week. You guys are AMAZING! That's so wonderful and many bloggers who participate say that their challenge recipes are their most popular posts. If you want more details about this challenge or joining this challenge for next month read all about it here. Next month we will be baking and blogging about the ULTIMATE FRIED CHICKEN. Please come join us!
Now, let's announce the June WINNER of the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. We had a CLOSE tie.. and I am so honored that my recipe the Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Smoothie was the top recipe again this month. But I wanted to highlight the second place recipe instead.... so here it is! A BIG ROUND OF APPLAUSE to.....

The Ultimate FRUIT SMOOTHIE Recipe
Strawberry Cheesecake SmoothieMelissa's Cuisine
Thank you, Melissa's Cuisine for finding this recipe over at The Royal Cook. We'd like to thank you for sharing your recipe with the CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE. You deserve a big round of applause and you are entitled to the ULTIMATE CRAZY COOKING CHALLENGE BUTTON, please feel free to grab it below if you wish and post it proudly on your blog.

<a href=" http://momscrazycooking.blogspot.com/p/crazy-cooking-challenge.html"><img src=" http://i1112.photobucket.com/albums/k498/Hudgens6/Buttons/CrazyCookingChallengeButtonVotedUltimateRecipe-1.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket" ></a><br /> </body>

Also a BIG THANK YOU to the bloggers below who participated in the challenge!
Here is the current list of the bloggers from the June Challenge!