RV Life and Food

Creamy Crunchy Chicken Bundles

2013-05-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

I pinned this recipe for Chicken Crescent Bundles over at What's Cooking Love? nearly a year ago! Well I finally made them and they were awesome. I reduced the amount of chicken, added frozen corn, increased the cream cheese slightly and decreased the bread crumbs. I have posted a couple of times now about the trouble I've been having with my oven. Well this is what I was making when I finally gave up on my oven entirely and have decided to quit using it. The baking times mentioned will be from the original recipe since my oven went off three times while baking this. At least it was yummy enough to make up for the frustration!

4 oz cream cheese, softened
1 Tbsp butter, softened
1 1/2 cups cooked cubed chicken
1/2 cup frozen corn
1 Tbsp dried chives
1 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp milk
1 8 oz can crescent roll dough
1 Tbsp butter, melted
seasoned bread crumbs, about one Tbsp per bundle (I used roasted garlic panko)

In medium bowl mix together the softened cream cheese and the softened butter.

Stir in the chicken, corn, chives, garlic powder, salt, pepper and milk until well combined. Preheat oven to 350 degrees, 325 for RV ovens. Separate the crescent rolls into four rectangles, pressing perforations firmly to seal. Spoon about 1/2 cup of the chicken mixture into the center of each rectangle.

Bring the corners of each rectangle together, twisting them together over the chicken mixture, pinching edges to seal. Brush each of the bundles with some of the melted butter and sprinkle with desired amount of seasoned bread crumbs. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Saucy Beef Bangers

2013-05-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

The term bangers for sausages is a new one for me. So of course I had to find out why they were called this. It turns out it began in the early 1900s but became more common during WWII. Due to rationing, sausages would be made with water making them likely to explode under high heat if not cooked properly. So they became known as Bangers because they were likely to go bang during cooking. You can look up more info on this HERE.

Now on with the recipe. I pinned the recipe for Saucy Pork Bangers about eight months ago. I had to deviate from the original due to the fact that there was no chutney to be found at my local heb and I had no desire to make any. The recipe did not specify any particular type of chutney, just chutney but absolutely NO kind of chutney whatsoever to be found at this store! I was surprised since this is a fairly large store and due to the wide variety of chutney, you would think they would have at least one.

Anywho, I found a sauce/spread that I thought would work nicely with the flavors in this recipe. It turned out GREAT! I have sauce leftover and am trying to decide how to use this wonderful, yummy stuff - I am thinking pork chops!

Another, more obvious switch would be that I had grabbed beef sausage out of habit, rather than pork. I really like the beef much better! Oh, and my oven doesn't like to work at low temps, very frustrating - it goes off in the middle of cooking but is less likely at higher temps - STRANGE! So I ended up simmering these on the stove top.

1 pkg sausage links, 12-16 oz
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 med/lg onion, chopped, 1 1/2 to 2 cups
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup beef broth
2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
8 oz tomato sauce
1/2 cup worcester sauce
1 tsp louisiana hot sauce
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 sm/med tomatoes, chopped, 1 1/2 to 2 cups
1 8.25 oz jar roasted bell pepper and chipotle sandwich spread

First, brown the sausage in a large skillet. I like mine VERY brown.

Remove from skillet and set aside. Heat the oil in same skillet, then add the onion and garlic. Cook until the onion is softened. Add the remaining ingredients, stirring well.

Simmer for five minutes. Return the sausages to the skillet and continue simmering for an additional 20 to 25 minutes.

Serve and enjoy!

Menu Plan 052013

2013-05-20T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well my oven is on the fritz and making me completely nuts. It will randomly go out in the middle of cooking something. It works best at temps of 400+ but lower temps it won't even stay on for ten minutes! Our RV is still under warranty and we've had it in a few times for this. The first time they couldn't find anything wrong. The second they had to order a part. The third they replaced the part they had ordered after which the problem became worse. The fourth time we had bigger problems for them to look at and a limited time for them to keep the RV so they did not get to it. Hopefully the next time we take it in they will actually be able to fix it. It has gotten bad enough so that I am not planning to use my oven for anything! Everything is either stovetop or grill. With temps here in south Texas already reach the upper 90s, this could be a good thing. So this is the plan for this week:

Monday
Hot Rice Casserole with Salad

Tuesday
Crockpot Buffalo Chicken with Chips

Wednesday
Pork Chops with Salad

Thursday
Spicy Manburgers with Grilled Squash

Friday
Coconut Shrimp* with Rice and ?

Saturday
Dinner Out

Sunday
Thai Chicken Pasta with Egg Rolls

*New Recipe

Shrimp In Garlic-Wine Sauce

2013-05-17T07:00:00.000-05:00

I made this nearly a month ago for mine and John's ninth anniversary. It was good and I would make it again but served differently. I served it with small shell pasta, I think orzo would have been much better. I found the original recipe HERE. They recommend serving over risotto or orzo pasta. I will try one of their recommendations next time.

1 lb lg shrimp, peeled and de-veined
2 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp white wine
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet over med-hi heat. Add the red pepper flakes and cook for about 30 seconds. Add the garlic and continue cooking for about one more minute, should be quite fragrant.

Stir in the shrimp, wine, lemon juice and paprika. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally for four to six minutes or until shrimp are done. Sprinkle with parsley and season with salt and pepper.

Serve and enjoy!

Crispy Mahi Fish Tacos

2013-05-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

I have been seeing this fish on sale at my local HEB for quite some time but have been reluctant to give it a try. I finally gave in and bought some. The fact that it came with free corn tortillas, cilantro cotija sauce and slaw mix helped convince me. I love free stuff! The fish was wonderful, we loved the tacos!

On Corn Tortillas

1 lb mahi
1 cup southwestern cheese and breadcrumb mixture
2 cups slaw mix
3 oz cilantro cotija sauce
avocado slices
pico de gallo
corn or flour tortillas

Preheat oven to 350 degrees, 325 for RV ovens, Spray baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray.

Coat fish with cheese/breadcrumb mix. Place fish on baking sheet in single layer. Bake in oven for 10 to 14 minutes or until fish is flaky and opaque in color.

While fish is baking mix together the slaw mix and cotija sauce, set aside. Warm your tortillas. When fish is done place the fish on the warmed tortillas.

On Flour Tortillas

Top with slaw, avocado slices and pico. Serve and enjoy!

Pico de Gallo

2013-05-15T07:00:00.000-05:00

I love pico de gallo but have only made it a few times. It is great on tacos, enchiladas, tostados, with chips or on anything you want to add a bit of fresh, spicy flavor!

1 medium tomato, chopped (about 1 cup)
1/3 cup red onion, chopped
1 serrano pepper, chopped
1/4 cup snipped cilantro leaves
1 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
2 Tbsp lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and refrigerate for one hour or more. Serve with your favorite Mexican dish and enjoy!

Shared with:

Wonderful Restaurants Worth Visiting Again and Again - Part 3

2013-05-14T07:00:00.000-05:00

As promised part 3 will cover restaurants in all areas other that San Antonio or Lake Jackson. There are MANY that I have already mentioned in previous posts. Here is a list of those:

Pepe Boudreaux's - Three Rivers, TX
China A - Rockport, TX
Blackbeard's - Corpus Christi, TX
The Roadhouse - Bastrop, TX (not to be confused with the Texas Roadhouse or Logan's Roadhouse)
Guadalajara - Lockhart, TX
Jim's Pizza - McKinney, TX

That's a pretty good variety - Cajun, Chinese, Seafood, Burgers, Mexican and Pizza! Even with all those already listed I have plenty more coming up in this post! Wow - it looks like we eat out a lot, just keep in mind these are places we have frequented over the past three years since moving into the RV, plus a couple from Brownwood/Early where we lived before then.

Con Queso - McKinney, TX
From everything I am finding online it appears that this place has closed down, which is surprising because it was awesome and always busy!

Shrimp Pasta Diablo - Yummy!

The service was always great and we loved the food. My fav was their fish tacos served with a wonderful maple chipotle sauce. John's fave was the chimichanga. So sad to hear they are no longer open!

Clay Pit - Dallas, TX
We first tried this restaurant while on vacation in the Dallas area after discovering that our go to Indian restaurant had closed (for remodeling?). It was very good and we returned a couple more times when in the area. We never can remember the names of the Indian foods we enjoy so we always try to find a place with a good buffet.

Jodha Akbar Restaurant & Bar - Plano, TX
This was the ONLY Indian restaurant we ever ate at for a long time. Then on one visit to the area we found that it was closed. We took that as a sign that it was time to spread our wings and venture out to other Indian restaurants. Fortunately they did open back up.
This is another place where we always hit the buffet and everything was GREAT!

Daddy's Seafood & Cajun - South Padre Island, TX
We had the shrimp fondue as an appetizer and I had the almondy fish with a side of roasted red potatoes.
It has been a while since we have been to Padre but when we return I definitely want to visit this spot! The service and food were BOTH excellent!

Mi Familia Mexican Restaurant - Early, TX
We have loved this place for YEARS! We were each going here before we ever dated!
I LOVE their street tacos - seasoned sirloin with avocado on soft corn tortillas. John is a big fan of their chimichangas. Their salsa verde is awesome!

Prima Pasta - Early, TX
Wonderful Italian food!
Their pizzas are HUGE and yummy!! I love all of their baked pastas. John is a big fan of their spinach dip and chicken parmigiana. The fettuccine alfredo with chicken is also a great choice. I have tried about half the menu and have never had anything I didn't enjoy. The service is good for this area, an area where the word service seems to be foreign. It is one of our favs when returning to the Brownwood/Early area.

Babe's Chicken Dinner House - Several Locations in the Dallas Area
The locations differ in what meat choices they serve. Anywhere from two to six choices. All locations have the basic two - fried chicken and chicken fried steak.
Choices at some locations include fried chicken tenders, fried catfish, hickory smoked chicken and hickory smoked ribs. Although all the locations do not offer all of these meat choices they all offer the same sides. The sides are served family style.
Each person at the table order which meat dish they want and all of the sides are brought to the table for everyone to share. The sides are all you can eat, you just have to ask your server and another bowl of whatever side you like is brought out. These include Green Salad (iceberg lettuce with a sweet vinaigrette dressing),
Grandma's Corn (sweet, creamy and extra yummy), Green Beans, Mashed Potatoes, Cream Gravy and Buttermilk Biscuits! It is also a lot of fun. During your meal they may start up the Hokey Pokey in the middle of the room. You can participate or just watch! Great fun for the kids!

Purple Cow Restaurant - Plano, TX
Wonderful food with the best shakes EVER, served soda fountain style.
I love the sliders - three mini versions of their best burgers.
Hot Mama - pepper jack cheese, pico de gallo, jalapenos and chipotle mayo. The Western - bacon, sharp cheddar cheese and smokey BBQ sauce. Herbed Butter - a basic burger with herbed butter. John likes the original Hot Mama. The onion rings are amazing!!

I'm sure there are other spots I have missed but that'll be a future post. This is all the best restaurants as far as I am concerned!

Menu Plan 051313

2013-05-13T07:00:00.000-05:00

We did fairly good at sticking with last weeks plans. One meal got bumped because of having many leftovers in the fridge. I don't know of anything coming up this week that should derail our menu plans but you never know. Here is what I hope to be having for dinner this week:

Monday
Almost Healthy Sloppy Joes with Crunchy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

Tuesday
Saucy Pork Bangers* with Slaw

Wednesday
Spicy Bacon Burger Pizza (maybe moving this up to an earlier day in the week will make it actually happen? It has been bumped from the menu the last two weeks)

Thursday
Chicken Crescent Bundles* with Green Beans and Mushrooms*

Friday
Pork Carnitas* with Chipotle Corn Salad

Saturday
Dining Out

Sunday
Spicy Chicken Peanut Fried Rice with Egg Rolls

*New Recipe

Southwestern Crusted Shepherds Pie

2013-05-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

I found a recipe for Mesquite Crusted Shepherds Pie at the kraft website. The store I was shopping at did not carry the Fresh Take Smokey Mesquite BBQ Cheese and Breadcrumb mix, so I substituted Fresh Takes Southwestern Three Cheese Cheese and Breadcrumb mixture.

I also only prepared half the recipe and added mushrooms. It turned out yummy!

3/4 cup lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped red onion
1/2 cup chopped mushroom
1 clove garlic, minced
3/4 cup frozen corn
4 oz tomato sauce
1/2 6 oz pkg of fresh take southwestern three cheese mixture, mixed together (1 cup), divided
2 cups mashed potatoes

Brown meat with onions, garlic and mushrooms, draining if necessary.

Remove from heat and preheat oven to 375 degrees, 350 for RV ovens. Stir in corn, tomato sauce and 1/2 cup of breadcrumb/cheese mixture.

Pour beef mixture into bottom of 7"x11" casserole dish. Top with mashed potatoes and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumb/cheese mixture.

Heat in oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. Serve and enjoy!

Shared with:

Fiesta Mac and Cheese Dinner

2013-05-09T07:00:00.000-05:00

I found this recipe on the back of a box of HEB brand easy melt shells and cheese. After many adaptions, additions and subtractions I came up with my own version of the recipe. It was VERY good, much better than I had expected it to be. It also made a LOT, not a meal for two unless you want leftovers for lunch or dinner for at least two additional meals. I will definitely make this again but may wait for a time when I have more than the two of us to fee.

Here is what I came up with:

1 24 ox box shells and cheese
1 1/2 cups chopped zucchini
1-2 Tbsp olive oil
1 10-12 oz chicken breast, cut into thin strips
1 lg jalapeno, chopped (about 3 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp chili powder
1 tsp minced onion
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp adobo seasoning with pepper
1 cup chopped tomato
1 lg avocado, chopped
cilantro (optional)

In large pot cook shells according to directions on package, adding the zucchini during last two minutes of cooking.

While shells are cooking, heat oil in skillet and add chicken. When chicken is almost done add the chopped jalapeno and continue cooking until chicken is done. In medium bowl mix together chili powder, minced onion, garlic powder and adobo seasoning.

Using a slotted spoon, remove chicken and jalapeno from skillet and add to bowl with seasoning mix, tossing to coat the chicken with the seasoning. Drain the shells and zucchini and return to pot.

Place pot over low heat and add the cheese sauce, mixing well. Then add the seasoned chicken and the tomato. Stirring well and continue heating over low heat until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in avocado. Top with fresh cilantro.

Serve and enjoy!

Wonderful Restaurants Worth Visiting Again and Again! Part 2

2013-05-07T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well I mentioned before that there would be three parts to this. Here is part two - San Antonio area restaurants. Now Rosario's is my favorite Mexican food place in this area, I already did a post on Rosario's HERE. So I will not be mentioning it further in this post. I was surprised that this is the only restaurant in the San Antonio area that I had done a review on. Here are some other fabulous places that we really enjoy:

Cheddar's
This is a fairly recent discovery for John and I. I had eaten at one in Austin years ago and liked it but had never been back. While shopping at Academy we decided to give them a try since they were close by.
We loved it! Appetizers - we have had both the queso and the spinach dip, both were wonderful but I am partial to the queso! On our last visit John had the philly cheesesteak sandwich with fries and I am pretty sure he has tried their burgers. Our last visit I had the sweet heat chicken and shrimp, the chicken was just a tad salty but not so bad that I wouldn't try it again. It is one of their seven under 700 calories and is served over ginger rice with a side salad that is topped with their house-made tomato vinaigrette - very yummy! On our previous visit I had the monte cristo sandwich with fries, very good! I have also been quite impressed with their prices. You can get a great meal at a very reasonable price!

Matamoros Restaurant y Cantina
The food here is really good! Not quite as good as that at Rosario's and it is further from us. However, it might be worth the drive since unlike Rosario's (which is downtown), Matamoros has plenty of parking. We have only been here the one time on a trip to northwest San Antonio to go to Costco.We definitely need to make plans for a return trip! I had the shrimp enchiladas.

They were very good but also very different than expected. It was basically cheese enchiladas topped with shrimp and wonderful creamy chipotle sauce! Although different it was still very good.

Acadiana Cafe
This is another great place that we have visited only once.
We will have to correct that fairly soon! On that one visit John and I ordered the same thing! Cajun boudin served with red beans and rice! Sooo yummy, I don't know if I even want to try anything else on the menu, I am ready for more of their boudin!

Mexico Taqueria
Yes, more Mexican food! I love Mexican food and fortunately so does John! We have it often both at home and when we go out.
My favorite item at this little spot is their mini tacos. You get five mini tacos with a choice of meats served on mini corn tortillas, my fav would be the al pastor. If you want a good Mexican meal and are watching your budget this is a great place. The food is good and the price is right!

Fogo de Chao
Now this is NOT a place I would ever call budget friendly so it is a rare treat when John and I get to go here.
If you can go for lunch on a weekday it is much cheaper than dinner and they serve the same great food. Fogo de Chao is a Brazilian Steakhouse with locations across America. The one in San Antonio is located downtown and they offer valet parking.
You start off with their wonderful salad bar, of aound 30 items including smoked salmon, prosciutto, fresh mozzarella, aged manchego cheese, Brazilian hearts of palm, asparagus, and the list goes on and on. You can order only a salad bar and leave satisfied but I would recommend going for the full meal. At your table each person dining has a round card in front of them. One side is red, the other green.
When you are ready for them to start bringing the meat, simply flip the card to the green side and anywhere from three to five gaucho chefs swarm the table, each bringing a different cut of meat that they slice directly off the spit onto your plate.

filet mignon and bacon wrapped chicken breast

John's fav is the filet mignon, mine is the lamb - either the lamp chops or the leg of lamb. The pork loin, crusted in parmesan and the bacon wrapped chicken breast are also wonderful. They offer these and many more. As soon as you have all you want remember to turn your card back to red, otherwise the gaucho chefs will keep coming and offering you more. They also have great side dishes which are brought to the table and served family style. They have cheese bread, garlic mashed potatoes, crispy hot polenta and caramelized bananas, all wonderful but I wouldn't eat too much of them with all that wonderful meat headed your way! Of course the service is top notch, I have never seen anything like it! They have a head waiter who watches the dining room (actually more than one) and makes sure the other waiters are staying on top of things and if they are not all it takes is a nod from him in their direction and a look towards are table and drink glasses are instantly refilled. They say you don't go here for the food but for the experience. Well it IS an awesome experience but the food is super great as well and it's the food that will bring you back!

Menu Plan 050613

2013-05-06T07:00:00.000-05:00

We have a few carryovers from last weeks menu. We received the information about John's meeting last week on Monday, after I had left to run errands and shop but before I had actually done my shopping so I was able to adjust my shopping list. We ended up leaving Monday afternoon and arrived home Wednesday afternoon. So far it appears that this week should go as usual. That could change and if it does that is what makes life interesting.

Monday
Chicken Mole with Rice and Leftover Slaw

Tuesday
Fiesta Mac and Cheese*

Wednesday
Southwestern Crusted Shepherds Pie*

Thursday
Spicy Chicken Breasts with Fruit served over Rice

Friday
Crispy Fish Tacos* with Guacamole

Saturday
Dinner Out

Sunday
Spicy Bacon Burger Pizza

*New Recipe

Vacation Time with Friends

2013-05-03T07:00:00.000-05:00

I've shared family time while on vacation but a larger amount of time was spent with our friends, Jason and Patty. We have known Patty since before John and I were married and before she married Jason. There is actually just a few months difference in our anniversaries. However, we had let our friendship lag until last year when they came out to a gate that we were working. This was the first time I had met Jason. Since then we have been to Lake Jackson to see them a few times. They are such great fun to hang out with.

We spent a couple of evenings on the beach with them having chili dogs one night and manburgers another. It was rather chilly on the beach in the evening so we lit a fire in the chimenea and roasted marshmallows. Jason had to work most of the week and John had a meeting to go to on one day while we were there, so Patty and I got together and did some shopping at the local mall.

She helped me pick out John's birthday gift, which he enjoyed very much.

We very much enjoyed hanging out with them and their two boys - always a good time! Our last night of vacation was spent with Jason, John and Patty fishing and me just sitting by the water and relaxing. Of course before we could head out to fish we had to stop for bait.

This particular shop I thought was cute, being shaped like a boat. The lady who worked there was very friendly as well.

Then we headed out to fish and watch the sunset over the water.

Wonderful Restaurants - Worth Visiting Again and Again!

2013-05-01T07:00:00.000-05:00

Normally when I post about a restaurant I do one at a time. I am so far behind on posting these that I have a LOT of places to talk about. So I decided to do three posts by area that the restaurant is located in - Lake Jackson area, San Antonio area and the third is just anyplace that does not fit into those two areas. I am going to start with the Lake Jackson area since we just went there on vacation, however the places listed aren't just from vacation but from our weekend visits there as well.

The Red Snapper Inn - Surfside
This is where we went with our friends for John's birthday lunch. Through Jason's job he is able to pay $10 for a $25 off discount or something like that. The food was VERY good with service to match. Their menu says "our fish spent last night in the gulf". Everything tasted sooo fresh that we could really believe this! John had the fried shrimp and oysters (sampled one of the oysters, it was great!). Patty had the fried shrimp (I think this is the only seafood she ever eats). I do not remember what Jason had, it was a filet of some sort.

I had the fried crab patties - wonderful! They only serve lunch from 11 - 2 on weekdays. Our friends had something come up that caused them to run a little late. So by the time they arrived and we ordered it was already getting close to 2 and it was 3 by the time we got out of there. NEVER at any time were we made to feel rushed. On leaving we apologized for keeping them so long. Our waitress kindly explained that they take food orders until 2 but are open for as long as it takes the last person to finish. She was great!

El Torro - Clute
Of course no matter where we are at we have to find good Mexican food. Fortunately our friends already know all the best places in the area so we didn't have to do any searching, just follow their advice!

We have been here with them more than once, so remembering what we all had when is impossible. I can't even tell you what all I have had for sure. I can tell you that Patty had the chicken fajitas, every time. She knows what she likes and once she finds it she sticks with it. When it comes to food, I can't do that, I always have to try something new.
No matter how wonderful the last dish I had at that same restaurant was, I'm on to the next one! Here I have had the seafood enchiladas but was not crazy about their white wine sauce; the pollo loco platter was great, no complaints there and the chicken fajita taco made me see why Patty loves the chicken fajitas here; and the Laredo Dinner, a LOT of food, all YUMMY! The chips and salsa (along with pico and an avocado sauce) they serve is wonderful, no appetizer needed! The service here is iffy, sometimes so-so, sometimes great. The only consistency in the service is that once you pay your bill you NEVER see your waitress again. So do NOT pay if there is a chance you may want or need something else (like a drink refill), it won't happen. Fortunately the food is good enough so that this can be overlooked.

Landry's Seafood - Galveston
This is our friends favorite seafood place, or at least it was before we tried the Red Snapper Inn. They have a membership here that allows them to earn points each time they dine here or at any of the other participating restaurants. These points once so many have accumulated get you $ off your ticket. You also get extra points for things like birthdays. Last time we went there with them they had enough points for $50 off the ticket! Jason gets the stuffed flounder here, every time, he loves it! Patty - fried shrimp. I think John has had the fried seafood platter but don't know if he had that both times we've been or not. I have had the cedar planked salmon (YUMMY) and the broiled stuffed shrimp pontchartrain (I think?). Everything here is wonderful and the service consistently great!
They also have wonderful desserts you can share or not, they are so yummy you don't want to share but already so full you have to!

Last but not least - Bella Roma - Clute (they do not have a website that I could find)
If you are in the mood for Italian, this place is GREAT! We have been here twice and the service is always great. It tends to be a bit crowded but with great food and service we can overlook that. John has had the chicken parmigiana alfredo on one of those visits, maybe both times I'm not sure. I have had the cannelloni and the baked ziti with meat sauce (I think). Both times we've been we enjoyed the food, whatever it was, and had a great time!

Menu Plan 042913

2013-04-29T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well it's been another interesting week with more to follow! We arrived home from vacation on Sun the 21st, then on Tues morning the 23rd (hubby's birthday) we went to work a gate that was supposed to be closing in a couple of days.

We were supposed to be there until Wednesday evening or Thursday morning (our anniversary). Well the landowner left town and apparently closing the gate hinged on him, so we were there until Sat when the boss sent another couple to relieve us. Even with all that we were able to stick pretty close to the menu plan, just switched some things around as far as what day we had them on. This next week looks to be VERY unpredictable. There is a meeting that John is supposed to attend sometime this week but we do not have the details yet. We know the meeting is close to Brownwood so we will prob stay a couple nights there with John's folks but other than that we know nothing! So I am making a plan but it is not expected that is will be followed much. I'm just hoping we can find out something BEFORE I go shopping so I can adjust my shopping list accordingly.

Monday
Shrimp Tacos* with Cilantro Lime Slaw and Beans

Tuesday
Mac and Cheese Dinner? with leftover slaw - not sure exactly what I'm going to make here?

Wednesday
Sausage Cheese Bread with Spinach Salad

Thursday
Mesquite Crusted Shepherd's Pie*

Friday
Spicy Chicken Breasts with Fruit served over Rice

Saturday
Dinner Out? - Depends on trip out of town, if we are eating out those days we may stay in.

Sunday
Spicy Bacon Burger Pizza

* New Recipe

Vacation Family Time

2013-04-27T07:00:00.000-05:00

While on vacation we were able to see two of the three kids as well as one of the grandkids, the oldest and the youngest, who live in the Houston area. Of course it was not on the same day. Logan came on Thursday, in the midst of out moving off the beach to RV park. He jumped right in helping us get set up at the RV park. We had a nice visit at the RV then headed into town to pick up a hose and then we hit Red Lobster for dinner. After dinner we headed over to our friends house and visited with them for a little bit, then back to the RV and it was time for Logan to head home since he had work the next day.

Christina, along with Crandle and Hailey came the next day. It was a bit short notice so we were at our friends house having an early celebration for John's birthday. They joined us there where we had cake and ice cream. Hailey and our friends son are the same age and they had a great time playing together.

I don't get to see them nearly as often as I would like too, so both visits were wonderful!

Sausage Potato Skillet

2013-04-25T07:00:00.000-05:00

I found this wonderful dish for Skillet Sausage and Potatoes when looking for good camp recipes. It can be cooked over a campfire or on a stove top. I cooked mine inside. It makes a great breakfast but could be a simple lunch or dinner as well. This was breakfast for two mornings for us and we loved it!

4 links sausage, about one pound
3 to 5 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs unpeeled red potatoes
1/2 of a very large yellow onion
1 tsp dried thyme, crushed
2 tsp cumin seed, slightly crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Cut potatoes into cubes. Heat oil in skillet. Add potatoes.

Cut onion into small wedges and add to skillet with potatoes. Cook over med-high heat for 12 minutes or until potatoes are nearly tender, stirring occasionally. Slice sausage about 1/4 inch thick and add to potato mixture. Add oil one Tbsp at a time as needed to prevent sticking. Cook for about 10 minutes until potatoes and onion are slightly brown and tender. Stir in thyme, cumin seed, salt and pepper and continue cooking for one minute.

Serve and enjoy!

Shared with:

Vacation Mishaps

2013-04-23T07:00:00.000-05:00

As you know, even when on vacation not everything goes as smoothly as we had hoped. So I thought I would share our mishaps with you in my first vacation post and be done with them. These are the adventures that were not so much fun but we made it through.

As I shared before we left, we parked the RV on the beach and boondocked for our vacation, or at least for most of it. We arrived on Friday, found a nice spot and got set up. We were having a great time on the beach. Then Sunday about mid-morning, high-tide happened.

It began washing the sand out from under us. We knew this was not good and began preparing to move further down the beach where the tide had not come in so far.

In the midst of our preparations, our trailer jack slipped off the brick it had been sitting on and was buried in the sand. I thought for sure we were going to need a tow truck. Fortunately my hubby was able to retract the jack and get something solid under it to get us up out of the sand enough to hitch up.

We got moved to a new spot and set up again. This time we made it until Thursday around noon when the tide came in to claim us again. We were watching it rather closely and thought we were going to be okay. The water was still a few feet from the RV and had appeared to have stopped coming in any further. About ten minutes after thinking we were safe we were literally ankle deep in water getting hooked up to move again.

This time we decided we had had enough of the beach and went in search of an RV park.

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We ended up at Shipman's Landing, where we spent our last few nights while on vacation. Now if all you are interested in from an RV park is a place to park your RV this park would suit you. It was one of the cheaper ones in the area at $35 for 30 amp and $45 for 50 amp. They did not have 50 amp spaces available so we took a 30 amp spot and used our adapter. The only thing this park had to offer was a nice pavilion by the water with a couple of picnic tables and a charcoal grill. No restrooms or laundry on site.

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The spaces are very small with just enough room to park your RV and one vehicle and that one vehicle is parked in the small space between your RV and the one next to you. This can be a problem if you have anyone come visit. It does accomplish giving you a place to park but that's about it.

Menu Plan 042213

2013-04-22T07:00:00.000-05:00

Well we made it back from vacation and are now trying to get back into a routine. Thanks to everyone who stopped by this past week and left such wonderful comments on different posts. I will try to catch up on responding to these comments if for some reason I miss yours please know that every comment on and visit to my blog is appreciated.

Many exciting things happened while we were gone and I will be sharing some of those stories over the next couple of weeks. For now I am just going to get this weeks menu posted and get back to trying to clean the rest of the beach out of the RV. Wow! I think we could create our own small beach here in San Antonio, lol!

Monday
Velveeta Chili Cheese Dip with an Extra Kick

Tuesday
Chili Mac with Salad

Wednesday
Crispy Chicken Tacos with Charro Beans

Thursday
Shrimp in Garlic-Wine Sauce* with Pasta and Garlic Bread

Friday
Chicken Tamale Pie with Black Beans

Saturday
Dining Out

Sunday
Sausage Wraps with Crunchy Baked Sweet Potato Fries

*New Recipe

Avocado Egg Bake

2013-04-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

It is time for this months Improv Challenge hosted by Kristen at Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker. The two ingredients for this months challenge are bacon and eggs. When I realized I had not yet published this post but still had it as a draft, I decided it would be perfect for this months ingredients. It is truly a great idea for an egg bake! It uses the hollow created by the pit in the avocado as the cup for the egg! You can't hardly beat avocado, egg and bacon together. I found this recipe for Avocado Bacon and Eggs at Steak 'N Potatoes Kinda Girl. Since we love all these ingredients I knew it would be a hit. However, I would do one thing different next time. John's eggs I broke the yolks, mine I did not, so they did not cook evenly. His cooked faster. Either way will work but they all need to be the same. Also something to be aware of is that the avocado halves do not always sit balanced. I placed small bits of foil under the smaller end of the avocado to hold it up and prevent the egg from spilling out. Super yummy breakfast, just add some toast and your set!

2 lg avocados
4 eggs
salt and pepper or other seasoning to taste
4 slices bacon, cooked crisp

Preheat oven to 425 degrees, 400 for RV ovens. Cut avocados in half and remove the pits. Scoop out enough of the avocado to make a hole large enough to hold the egg. Set aside the avocado that you scoop out.

Crack an egg into each avocado half. Break yolk slightly, if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Crumble one slice of bacon on top of each egg. Bake for about 15 minutes or until egg whites are set.

While eggs are baking, mix reserved avocado with salt and lime juice to taste.

When eggs are done top with a little of the avocado mixture.

Serve and enjoy!

Easy Spaghetti Sauce

2013-04-16T07:00:00.000-05:00

This is a revamp of my recipe for Quick Spaghetti Sauce. I made a couple of adjustments to make it into a sauce for two as well as adding zucchini to sneak in some veggies. I had planned on using only 1/4 cup of onion but after I had it chopped and in the pan I realized I had used the wrong side of this measuring cup that attaches to my cutting board.

So, if you don't love onion you may want to reduce it. For us the amount of onion was fine.

1/2 lb ground turkey or lean ground beef (I have used both and like it either way)
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cloves minced garlic
8 oz Italian seasoned tomato sauce
6 oz tomato paste
1 small zucchini, chopped
2 mushrooms, sliced
salt and pepper to taste
3/4 cup water
1/2 tsp Itailian seasoning
1 tsp sugar
generous dash of cinnamon
7 oz spaghetti or other pasta

Brown ground turkey, onion and garlic.

Add zucchini and mushrooms and continue cooking for two to three minutes. Stir in the tomato sauce, tomato paste, salt, pepper, water, Italian seasoning and sugar.

Simmer, covered, until zucchini is soft, about 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile cook the spaghetti. Remove from heat and add the cinnamon, stirring well.

Serve over spaghetti with garlic bread. Enjoy!

Vacation Time!!

2013-04-11T07:00:00.000-05:00

We made the decision Tuesday to move our vacation up a week. So instead of leaving on Saturday the 20th, we will be leaving Friday the 12th. We are going to the coast and planning on staying on the beach in the RV. We will be doing what is known as "boondocking" in the RV world. Boondocking refers to staying someplace without hookups. So we will be without electricity other than our generator which we plan to run sparingly. Our holding tanks will be our water source.

During that time I will not be posting. We are putting away computers for the week. I have one post scheduled for next week and if I have time will get a second one ready. When we return I am sure I will have many pics and stories to share. Plans for cooking are primarily grilling and going out to eat. Two of the three kids may be able to come spend a day with us at the beach, doubtful it would be the same day, that would be too much to ask. I look forward to telling ya'll all about it when we return.

Spicy Chicken Breasts with Fruit

2013-04-10T07:00:00.000-05:00

I pinned this recipe about a month and a half ago from HERE and could hardly wait to give it a try. I have had this on my menu plan a couple of times but something always seemed to come up and I would put it off another week. I am sooo glad I finally got around to making it. This chicken is the perfect combination of sweet and spicy. Add rice and you have a perfect meal!

2 tsp Jamaican jerk seasoning
1 serrano pepper, chopped and divided
2 lg boneless skinless chicken breasts, 10 - 12 oz each
nonstick cooking spray
5 Tbsp peach nectar, divided
2 green onions, cut into one inch pieces
1 cup frozen peach slices, thawed and divided
1/2 cup plum slices (about one average sized plum), divided
1/2 Tbsp packed brown sugar
dash salt
1/4 cup frozen pitted dark cherries, thawed
cooked rice (optional)

In small bowl mix together the Jamaican seasoning and half of the chopped serrano.

Rub seasoning mixture on both sides of chicken breasts. Spray skillet lightly with nonstick cooking spray and heat over medium heat.

Add chicken to skillet and cook for about eight minutes on each side or until fully cooked.

While chicken is cooking mix together three Tbsp peach nectar, half of the peach slices, half of the plum slices, the remaining serrano, brown sugar and salt. Set aside. When chicken is done, transfer to serving plates and keep warm.

Add the remaining two Tbsp peach nectar and the onion to the skillet, cooking and stirring over medium heat for three to four minutes or until onion is tender.

Stir in the fruit/brown sugar mixture. Continue cooking and stirring for about two minutes or until slightly thickened and bubbly. Remove from heat.

Stir in cherries and the remaining peach and plum slices.

Spoon the fruit mixture over the chicken breasts and rice. Serve and enjoy!

Shared with:

Jamaican Jerk Seasoning

2013-04-08T18:40:00.000-05:00

This seasoning mix turned out great. It's quite spicy with just a hint of sweetness. I found it HERE and made only a couple of changes according to what I had. This makes about a 1/4 cup of seasoning and is great on chicken, fish, pork or beef.

1 Tbsp minced dried onion
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried parsley
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp red pepper
1 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp garlic powder
2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp sugar
2 tsp dried chives

Mix together all ingredients. Store in a tightly closed glass jar. It is best if used within a month. A good rule of thumb is 1 - 1 1/2 Tbsp of seasoning per pound of meat.

Menu Plan 040813

2013-04-08T07:00:00.000-05:00

Last week in between the time I posted our menu plan and went to do the shopping the menu plan had already changed. Something came up and we needed to go back home to Brownwood for a few days. We left Wednesday around noon and stayed until Saturday around that same time. Since this came up before I went shopping I was able to adjust my plan and my shopping list accordingly. I moved the curry from Thursday to Tuesday and put the spaghetti sauce and spicy chicken on hold until this week. So if nothing else comes up, here is the plan for the week.

Monday
Spicy Chicken Breasts with Fruit* and Rice

Tuesday
Black Bean and Chicken Pizza

Wednesday
Easy Spaghetti Sauce* with Pasta and Garlic Bread

Thursday
Crispy Chicken Tacos

Friday
Pork Chops with Mashed Potatoes and Gravy

Saturday
Dinner Out

Sunday
Velveeta Chili Cheese Dip with an Extra Kick

*New Recipe