MAKING COOKING A LITTLE EASIER -KRAFT ITALIAN DRESSING

This is my new best friend in the kitchen.  I had the most tender tasting chicken, and when I asked how they got the chicken so soft and tender, this is what it was,  Kraft Zesty Italian.

I have been marinating everything with it.  Meats and veggies come out yummy.  I have also been using for salad dressing, haha, of course.   

It has the perfect blend of seasonings, garlic, vinegar and oil.  The food doesn't come out sour from the vinegar.  I also just add a couple tablespoons when I am sauteing meat or making any side dish.  

Today I took cheery tomatoes and sauteed them in a  1TBS. dressing until soft. You don't need any more because the tomatoes release some liquid.  I added cooked microwaved brown rice, 2 squirts of dressing,  a bag of spinach and warmed everything through.   Chicken would complete this dish, but I didn't have any.  It was delish!  

It also comes in Fat Free(mmm I don't know if I like this one) and one made with olive oil, but I'm going to try different flavors too.  Saves me the time and money of buying all the different seasonings.  It's easy in a bottle.

What is your secret cooking weapon?  What's your favorite dressing?

LOOK WHAT I WON

I am Super excited because I won this Le Creuset baking dish.  Teresa from Diagnosis Deferred blog, had a contest on what you would bake in this dish.  I had a recipe with baked peaches or apples drizzled with honey and rum and topped with nuts and brown sugar. I'm not a huge baker, but I do make that recipe and just thought it would look beautiful in this dish.   And I won!!!  I love Le Creuset cookware, but it's so expensive.  This for me is very special.   

Thank You Teresa XO

What is your favorite tool, dish, or gadget that makes cooking easy?

VALENTINES DATE NIGHT

Happy Valentines Day!  We had a day with the kids & then it was out for Valentines dinner!

Can you tell we're excited to go?  We don't get anything on these holiday's, but make a point to do something alone, even if it's a coffee.  We went to an amazing place called Chateaux Lounge in Irvine, California.  Chateaux is beautiful and romantic.  It looked like a chateaux with different rooms, a lounge, jazz band, and fireplaces everywhere.

The food was amazing.  I took a few pics and the rest I was too busy shoving in my mouth to remember.

It was a 5 course meal with oysters to start with.

Crab cake for me and Tuna Tartar for the hubby.

Now here there should have been a picture of my short ribs with porchini mushroom  mashed potatoes and veggies, but it was already all gone!

They also gave us wine for dinner and Champagne with blackberries for dessert.  

This was a chocolate souffle cake, with a chocolate covered strawberry & fresh whipped cream for dessert.

It was  really good and we sat next to a fireplace, with a live jazz band playing.  It was one of my best Valentines!

How was your Valentines?  What is your favorite Valentines memory?

GUESS WHAT THIS IS CALLED?

This is called the Bulldog!  A huge margarita with a Coronita as the garnish.  your supposed to drink the margarita first, and chase it with the beer.

                                               

We went for drinks on Saturday night at our newest Orange County find, Sol Cocina and Bar.

It's a Baja Mexican restaurant in Newport Beach, California.   The food is expensive, but its very fresh, and the street tacos are amazing, 2($6).  Our #1 favorite are the margaritas.  They are made with fresh squeezed juices, no pre-made mixes here, & top shelf tequila.  

The interior is beautiful.  They have a fire pit in the Bar & its located on the water.  It's something to see day or night.  It's a great place for friends or a romantic dinner, and it's a lot of fun.  The staff is so friendly.  

Coming from Michigan, we didn't have good mexican, now here in California, I can't get enough.  The margarita is my favorite drink of all.  

What's the food you never ate or drink that you never drink, but now do?  Any SoCal suggestions for yummy food & drinks?

LOOK WHAT'S FOR DINNER

Baked pasta casserole!

You can find the recipe on recipe zarr here. This is a great website for recipes, ideas, & menus!

This is a simple recipe that you just put in a pan. mix, & bake. It tastes like lasagna without the work!

What's your favorite recipe or recipe website?

LOOK WHAT'S FOR DINNER

Went for Italian with my family at Roman Cucina in Costa Mesa, Ca. They have a couple of locations in SoCal. The place has a great feeling with the big black booths & old family pics on the walls, but a metro feel. The drinks are strong & 1/2 off Martini Monday!!

I ordered Steak Milanese in a freshly baked baguette w/the house salad on top. This is what my sandwhich looked like-Huge & Yummy!!

The hubby had lasagna w/meat sauce, also delish & huge.

We love italian food, but it's so hard to find GOOD italian in orange county.

What's you favorite italian dish? Any suggestions for good Italian in SoCal?

SOME FOOD & LOTS OF LOVE

I stepped out with my hubby this past weekend. We ate dinner with the girls & just decided to go out for a date! We weren't hungry, but we wanted something to munch on.

we shared this yummy calamari. It was so delish. My hubby's favorite.

Another favorite is the Caesar salad they have. It's so fresh. The dressing is made from scratch & the lettuce leaves are crispy. I didn't eat the anchovie, hubby loved it though. It looked way too huge. Looked like a sardine to me!
What did you over the weekend?

DESSERT PORN

I was at my aunts for dinner, which was also FAB, but this was so GOOD & YUMMY!!! She made it fro scratch while we ate dinner.

Strawberries covered in Godiva Chocolate. Guess whose stem that was?

Apple strudel with dried cranberries & raisins
The best one was the grilled peaches topped with raspberry sorbet! It was hot & cold. The sorbet melted on top of the warm peach & made a sauce, too yummy!
I want to say I didn't eat them all, but I would be lying!!!

What's your favorite dessert?

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE BIRTHDAY CAKE?

This did say Happy Birthday underneath, before the girls covered it up. This was my daughters cake that she & her friends decorated.

My older daughter hates cake. I buy donuts & pile them high for her cake.

My hubby either doesn't want a cake or he likes flan.

I love Entemann's chocolate fudge a la mode.

I was looking for a Birthday cake today & realized what a personal choice it really is. It's your day to do what you want, a day your celebrated, where you can eat whatever you want. A no diet day! It's an important choice!!

What is your favorite Birthday cake? What is your indulgence that day?

LOOK WHAT'S FOR DINNER!

BBQ meatloaf, roasted sweet onion, Smashed potatoes with bacon & cheese, & mixed vegi's w/olive oil & lemon jest. This is my double duty meal. Tomorrow it will be meatloaf sandwiches. It's even better the next day.

What did you have for dinner?

CONFESSION!

This was lunch.  Bad, Bad, Bad!

Need I say more.

p.s.  It was sooooooo good!