Smoky Mountain Spanish Rice Stir Fry

I've told you all in the past that my family is a serious group of rice eaters.  Me, I'm a pasta person but this rice is now one of the most requested side dishes in my house.  It's quick, fresh tasting and gone in an instant.

Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil a skillet over medium heat. Add 1 chopped medium Vidalia or yellow onion and 1 chopped poblano pepper and cook just until they "begin" to soften. Note - you can also use Anaheim peppers if you want more heat.

Add 2 cups of cooked and slightly cooled white rice and toss evenly blend.

Now add the 1/2 teaspoon paprika, 1/2 teaspoon chili powder and 1 heaping teaspoon of minced garlic.  Toss to thoroughly blend and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Rice may brown slightly and this is good..

Slowly add 1 8 ounce can of tomato sauce in 2 ounce increments to cook off the liquid just a little.  You want the rice to have a nice red coating but not mushy. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and garnish  with green onions.

Now this is a seriously delicious rice dish!

Last Call!

Just wanted to remind all of you about our First Ever East Tennessee Blogger Get Together on Saturday, June 5 at Big Dude’s near Greenback,TN.

If you are planning to attend send an email directly to Larry at grandpop1@yahoo.com by May 21, TODAY so you can get the skinny on this shindig!

Circle Saturday, June 5 with a GREAT BIG SMILEY FACE on your calendar:

Date: June 5, 2010 – rain or shine

Time : Noon – til everyone leaves, eat at 1:30

Who: Any fellow blogger who’s willing to make the trip and significant other, or not.

Food: We thought we’d provide a few main dishes and let everyone else bring their favorite. If bringing something is inconvenient, please don’t let that keep you from coming. We’ll have the kitchen available if you need it and there is a frig, power, and a grill at the dock for keeping items hot or cold.

Drinks: We’ll provide tea and soft drinks but feel free to BYOB.

Come out and join us and meet your fellow bloggers!  We'll have a awesome time and see who can put their money where their spatula is when it comes to cooking and grilling!

Poppin' Squash Casserole

While grocery shopping Saturday, I hit pay dirt.  I found a package of Smithfield's andouille sausage.  The Smithfield products I have tried have been sensational. I am not a sponsor of theirs paid or otherwise, and the andouille, while not authentic tasting to real andouille in the least, was a pretty good spicy sausage.  it lacked the smokiness of real andouille.  Not know the sausage was spicy, I thought it would be good in a sausage casserole I had been thinking about.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and add1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and on tablespoon of butter.  Once the butter has melted, add a couple of generous handfuls of baby bella mushrooms.  Don't move them around too much, you want them to sear and turn golden brown very quickly.  Once the mushrooms begin turning golden brown, add 1/2 lb. of sliced andouille sausage or your favorite smoked or spicy sausage.

Allow the sausage to cook for about 5 to 7 minutes then add in 1 medium diced vidala (or yellow) onion and saute until the onion becomes soft.  Add 2 teaspoons of minced garlic, stir to thoroughly combine.

Peel and slice two yellow (summer) squash and two zucchini and add to the skillet.

Saute for another 5 minutes, you want the squash to brown slightly but not turn squishy.

Add in one can of Original Rotel Tomatoes and Green Chilies!

Stir to blend.  Season with salt to taste.

Pour into a buttered casserole dish.

Top with Manchego or Monterrey Jack cheese and some seasoned bread crumbs.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. 

Blogger Get Together - LAST POST!!!

Greetings fellow bloggers. We’ve posted twice regarding our blogger get together on June 5 at Big Dude’s near Greenback,TN. This will be our final blog post and if you plan to come, we ask that you send an email directly to Larry at grandpop1@yahoo.com by May 21, and he will correspond directly with you thereafter. The details so far are:


Date: June 5, 2010 – rain or shine
Time : Noon – til everyone leaves, eat at 1:30
Who: Any fellow blogger who’s willing to make the trip and significant other, or not.

Food: We thought we’d provide a few main dishes and let everyone else bring their favorite. If bringing something is inconvenient, please don’t let that keep you from coming. We’ll have the kitchen available if you need it and there is a frig, power, and a grill at the dock for keeping items hot or cold.


Drinks: We’ll provide tea and soft drinks but feel free to BYOB.

So if you’d like to meet some of the people you talk with regularly, or you’re just hanging around the house that day, or you need a place to go for a day trip, or a weekend in the smokies, or….., come join us. If you need more info to help decide, contact Larry at the email above.

I heard a rumor there may be soon good grillin' and jambalya there, but that's just a rumor!

So Gone Pork Tenderloin

I miss you all so very much!  But I did find a couple of minutes to blow off the stuff I'm supposed to be doing to sneak in and share this fabulous and easy pork tenderloin recipe with you.  This size tenderloin will feed the four of us and provide plenty of leftovers, BUT, let 3 teenage girls serve themselves and me and my poor husband had to fight over a slice!  Seriously, four thin slices were all that was left.

Perfect to cook for Mom this Sunday - hint, hint, HINT!

I guess this is about a 2 lb. pork tenderloin and by the way, this is a Smithfield pork tenderloin and I'm not going back to any other brands.  This was completely trimmed of silver skin and fat; does it get any easier?  If you do find another brand of pork tenderloin, be sure to cut off all of the silver skin so you won't wind up with a tough, chewy piece of meat.

In a shallow bowl, combine 2 tablespoons grill seasoning, 2 tablespoons honey, 1/4 cup soy sauce (Tamari is great in this), 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 2 scallions chopped, 2 cloves minced garlic and a drizzle of vegetable oil.  Once combined, place the tenderloin in the marinade and let it sit out for about 10 to 15 minutes.  Turn the tenderloin and let it sit for another 10 to 15 minutes.

Heat up your grill and place the tenderloin on the hot grates and let it cook for about 7 minutes over direct heat.  turn and let it cook another 7 minutes over direct heat.  Move the tenderloin to the other side of the grill and let it cook over indirect heat until thorough cooked.  Brush baste with remaining marinade about ever 10 minutes.

You'll probably need to grill two of these because with one, there are no leftovers and that makes me sad.

Happy Mother's Day!!!  Have a wonderful weekend!

Chocolate Chiffon Pie

Hello bloggers! My name is Kaitlin, some of you may know me as one of the "homegirlz".  I am almost 15.  I enjoy helping my mom in the kitchen doing several different things, but my favorite is definitetly licking the batter while she is baking!  So I guess you could say I like to bake and make desserts.  Not to long ago it was a Saturday afternoon and I was in the mood to get in the kitchen.  I took it upon myself to open the dessert cookbook and look to see it had to offer.  After consulting with Mom we decided on Choclate Chiffon Pie. I know, I know you some of you are probably thinking "I'm trying to quit", but I am not taking that for an answer. This is just something you have to try.  It is a very simple desert.  I recommend it to all of you, especially the chocolate lovers out there.

Chocolate Chiffon Pie:

2(1-oz) squares unsweetened chocolate, chopped.
1(14-oz) can sweetened condensed milk.
1 envelope unsweetened gelatin
1/3 cup water
1/2 half tea spoon vanilla extract
1 cup whipping cream whipped
1 chocolate pie crust

additional whipped cream(optional for topping)

shaved chocolate (optional for topping)

In a medium saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate with condensed milk.  In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over water; let stand 1 minute.  Over low heat, stir until gelatin disolves.  Combine chocolate mixture and gelatin.  Add valilla.  Cool to room temperature.  Fold in whipped cream.  Spread into crust.  Chill 3 hours or until set.  Garnish with additional whipped cream and shaved chocolate. 


Hide left overs!

Kaitlin!

Catching Up and East Tennessee Blogger Get Together

First, I want to thank all of you that have emailed me and left comments wondering where I have been.  You are so thoughtful and I am blessed and so appreciative.

Second, nothing has happened and nothing is wrong.  I have been really swamped at work which is a good thing and the homegirlz are having crazy Spring athletic schedules.  Kaitlin is running track and Lauren the statistician for the boys soccer team.  They aren't home much for dinner during the week and on the weekends they are hardly home either so I just flat out haven't been cooking.   I pass out on the sofa and wake myself up when I start drooling.  Oh don't even, you know you do it too! 

Actually I'm getting in to growing herbs from seeds.  I'll have to show you.

To make up, I have a treat for you.  Kaitlin did some baking and is very proud of her creation and has asked me if she could guest post. 

She will put her post up either tonight or tomorrow morning.

Now on to really important business!!!  Our Blogger Get Together is SATURDAY, JUNE 5, 2010.  If you are going to be in the East Tennessee area on Saturday, June 5, 2010, get in touch with me, Larry or Chris for details.  We'd love for you to join us!