Bless My Heart I Married A Yankee

Here in the South, it is rather warm.  As in it is hot, steamy, and sticky outside.  No Southern lady should be seen a sweaty mess.  So, that means you have to stay inside at the hottest part of the day.  Yes, right, huh?  That is almost impossible when you have everything that we have going on around our house.  Which means this heat that has set into the area is probably here to stay.  I do not know about you but when it gets this hot the last thing I want is something hot to eat.  A cool salad or a light meal seems more pleasing to the palette.  Which leads us to a quantum of what to fix that has protein but cool to the taste.  Why not some ceviche?  I mean come on you can not get a better light but cool meal that will fill you with all kinds of nutrients for your body. If you have been reading my blog, you know a few things about me by now.  If you have not, you need to go back and catch up.  But, I will let you ...

I think this salad first came to my attention around 4 to 5 years ago.  I had traveled with my husband on a business trip to Massachusetts.  He was going there pretty regularly for business and had his favorite spots to eat.  I really wish I knew the name of the place but it was basically a hole in the wall watering spot for locals.  You know the best places to eat are this way.  Scott would go there for their burger specials but one day while he was at work I decided to drop by for some lunch.  While sitting at the bar eating whatever I had ordered a guy ordered this salad.  I had looked at it on the menu but to be honest it all sounded rather weird for me too stomach.  However, the guy loved it and since then I have been wanting to make it.  Have no clue why I waited 4 years to make it because while it might sound like a really strange combination it really works.  As I said I did not taste it so I have no clue exactly what type ...

Evidently today I am all about Asian food.  It really all started out with me wanting to make the  chicken lettuce wraps  for dinner but I wanted to switch it up some and see if I could sub out some ingredients to make it a more frugal dish and the flavor stay the same.  This morning I got to thinking, that we sure ate the last 2 batches of these yummies very quickly and just maybe I needed something more to go with it.  Which got me thinking about some Hibachi style rice .  I love using my instant pot for rice so why not.  Once my rice was done, I wondered if I could find that wonderful Yum Yum sauce that Japanese restaurants serve with their hibachi style food.  Do not know what I was thinking because of course that is out there on the internet.  The recipe I went with came from the blog So Damn Delicious.   It is quick, easy, and rather painless to toss together.  The only drawn back is you really need to make this ahe...

I am making  chicken lettuce wraps today and decided to make some rice to go along with our meal.  I decided to make Hibachi rice.  Well, my version of Hibachi rice.  Yeah, I changed up a few things.   I know making Hibachi rice probably makes no sense because if you know anything about chicken lettuce wraps, it is a PF Chang copycat recipe.  AND PF Chang's is a Chinese style restaurant and Hibachi rice is Japanese style rice.  Hey, it works for me. I just felt like the meal needed a bit more substance that is why I chose to make rice.  I did not want plain rice.  I wanted some good rice that could be enjoyed as a side dish, not as part of the main course. Since getting my instant pot I have not made rice any other way.  Honestly, rice comes out so good in the IP.   I chose to use Jasmine rice.  Rinse your rice really well. Rinsing your rice helps to get rid of the starch. Instead of water, I chose t...

SEE BOTTOM FOR UPDATES Chicken lettuce wraps are so very delicious.  I have loved/ate them at PF Chang for a while but now that I know I can make these babies at home, well it is on.  I am pretty sure this is going to become my go-to recipe for a quick but delicious meal to make. When I say they are quick to make I am extremely serious.  It is a meal from start to finish, at most, is 30 minute or less to put on the table.  I honestly have no clue why I have not made them before.  Maybe fear of the unknown.  Which is crazy considering I love to cook and I love making a meal for pennies compared to what you pay for in a restaurant.  Now I know you can say but it is a pleasure to go out to dinner and I will agree but come on sometimes you just do not feel like going out but you have a craving for something that you can eat at one of your favorite restaurants. Or maybe, if you are like me, just do not wish to deal with the crowds and wait time to e...

I am always on the lookout for new and exciting recipes.  Especially chicken recipes.  You can do so much with chicken.  This recipe proves that.  I love balsamic vinegar and for some reason, I just have always loved it on chicken.  However, this recipe kicks it up a notch by not only marinating your chicken in a homemade balsamic dressing but by making a balsamic reduction and drizzling this over chicken that you have topped with mozzarella cheese and sliced tomatoes.   First, you make your balsamic marinade.  I like thinly sliced chicken for this recipe.  I marinade my chicken in a ziplock bag for at least 2 hours but overnight is even better.   You can do this in the oven but the grill just makes the chicken melt in your mouth.   Slice your tomatoes and mozzarella.   Right before you chicken is totally cooked, add the cheese and tomatoes.  You want the cheese to melt.  Drizzle w...