Brown Rice (Beef Consume Rice)

Hello, everyone!  Happy Tuesday!  I don't know about you, but I, for one, am very excited to be going through a new week!  I was horribly sick last week, and am very excited to say that I'm feeling much better!  I'm still pretty weak, so I figured I would put together a quick and easy recipe for today's post! 

This is a very easy recipe that is always a crowd pleaser - for some reason, we usually had it on holidays growing up; I still don't make it that often, and every time I make it, I always question why I don't!  

Peanut Brittle

Hello, everyone!  Happy Thursday!  A couple of weeks ago, my daughter was out of school for the day, and, as always, she asked me what we would be cooking up in the kitchen!  I had planned ahead, and had everything ready to go to make peanut brittle.  

Peanut brittle is one of my favorites, although it isn't something I make or eat all that often.  However, honestly, what's not to like?  There's peanuts, and there's caramel!  Count me in!  This is a pretty basic recipe, and you can feel free to swap out the nut for your nut of choice.  If you have a peanut allergy, I think almonds are a safe swap to make, but, of course, check with your allergist or doctor first.  

Chicken Florentine Gnocchi

Hello, everyone!  Today, I have a really simple treat for you.  Simple, yet tasty (I seem to say that a lot...what can I say, I like foods that are easy to prepare, yet can be dressed up for entertaining!); it is somewhat involved, time-wise, but very, very easy to make parts ahead of time.

I made this in two separate...sections, if you will.  I started off making the gnocchi, popped them in the freezer, then, at supper time, threw the rest of this together.  Each section took about 30 minutes, so even if you wanted to make it all at once, you're looking at an hour, tops.  That's not so bad, is it?

Chicken Cacciatore

Hello, everyone!  What a crazy week!  Yesterday was my birthday, and it was a really, really lovely day, from the overflow of love from friends and family, down to the amazing weather; hard to ask for a better day!

My husband took our daughter to school with me (she loves when Daddy is able to come with us!), after which he and I went to one of our favorite cafes for a quick breakfast!  

After that, I went over to the dollar store, and picked up a ton of stuff for my daughter's Easter basket!  I love that they have licensed Disney stuff, all for a dollar!  I know Easter is a couple of weeks away, but I'm a big time planner, so I'm happy now that her Easter basket is all together and ready to go!

Wow!  That was a little bit off course from why we're here today, wasn't it?
Anyway, my point is, I had a really lovely birthday, and while I didn't have this for my birthday supper, it is one of my favorite suppers to have.  

Individual Cherry Cheesecakes

Happy Tuesday (and St.Patrick's Day), everyone!  As you probably don't know, tomorrow is my birthday, so, instead of doing a traditional green something or other for St.Patrick's Day, I figured I would do up a birthday cake of sorts, for myself.
I would love to do a standard birthday cake, but my husband isn't a big cake person, and I don't need a whole cake staring at myself all day!  That just wouldn't do!  

Guinness Beef Stew

Hello, everyone!  It looks like we're in the countdown to St.Patrick's day, and the internet being filled with green foods and beer.  There's nothing wrong with that, but I wanted to do something slightly more authentic.  This beef stew is really lovely, with the soft potatoes, tender meat and the slightly biter flavor of the Guinness, it is in pretty steady rotation in our house!

Roasted garlic, Ricotta Cheese and Spinach Ravioli

Hello, everyone, happy Tuesday!  A couple of weeks ago, my husband and I were wondering around one of my favorite stores, Sur La Table, and as we were talking with the clerk (after we had finished checking out), I mentioned that I'd been looking more into a ravioli mold.  

I love the idea of making ravioli, and I'd tried once before.  Once.  It didn't go well.  I'm not sure if I didn't get all of the air out, or maybe I didn't seal the ravioli well enough...I'm not sure, but it put me off trying to make them again, when the little beauties exploded as they were cooking.

Mint and Chocolate Macarons

Hello, everyone!  Welcome to Thursday!  Is it just me or has this week gone by equally slowly and fast?  It's weird how that works.  

Anyhoo, French macarons have been exploding lately - you can't turn your head without seeing one.  Okay, that may be a slight exaggeration, but not by far.  My husband and I were out doing some shopping the other day, and not only did we see an adorable kids apron with macarons on them (which, of course, we had to get for our daughter), but I noticed macarons in two other stores, on clothing prints!  I guess if you can't make them, you can at least wear them.

But, don't worry about that, because they are surprisingly easy to make!

Chocolate avocado mousse

Hello, everyone!  I went to the store the other day, and on the rack where they keep produce that is coming up to its "sell by' date, they had two large avocados marked down to $1.  At first, I walked past them; I'm not a huge fan of avocados.  If they're on a sandwich, I can make my peace with them, but in general, I'm not going to go out of my way to buy them.