Whole Lotta Cookin' Went On...

Nope, didn't do the marshmallows yet!
But I had a very busy day...
In fact, dinner time was the first time I sat all day..ouch my back!

I did a bit of Christmas decorating, and then cooked....

A little snack for Mike after a long drive and shopping at Costco...

Chicken salad...



Roasted some of those monster chicken breasts you get these days, chopped it, added onion, celery, mustard powder, splash of oj, packet of Geo Washington gold, s&p, and mayo..

Dinner was ribs done low and slow, and some steak and broccoli over rice..





And I made a trio of pot pies since I was roasting chicken breasts anyway. I will bring one to dil...I will see her at the Baby Shower for her sister tomorrow...an hour away..and the others for friends..





So that was the day! Doesn't seem like much accomplished..but I was busy all day!

Last night we had dinner at a friend's house. People we have been friends with for over 35 yrs...4 couples. A delicious standing rib roast was the main course.
Always fun to be with old friends!

So I will be on the road again tomorrow..
Hope to get those marshmallows done Sunday. Maybe I can pay Mike to make them for me while I am gone tomorrow! :)

Have a great Saturday, everybody!

A New Adventure.....

Tonight I join the millions of bloggers and become a Bloggin' Betty!

At the urging of my friends at What's For Dinner and More, I have taken the leap..I have no idea where I will land, but I know they will be there to help pick me up! I hope to learn from them, and they are willing teachers. We share many of the same interests, and although most of us have never met, there is a strong sense of friendship...

I hope the name isn't too lame, but all my genius ideas for a name...well, lots of other geniuses had the same idea!

I like to cook..set the table and SHOP!..I love a bargain, and if 1 is good 3 or 4 are better!

I am not a recipe follower, like to "wing" things and hope for the best..

If I have something in a restaurant that I like...I will try to recreate it, Dr. Frankenstein has nothing on me! Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't!

I saw this in BHG magazine, Nov 08 issue, and decided to give it a try...

Vertical Pear Salad



It's a keeper...

Vertical Pear Salad
- 4 smooth skinned pears
- 2-3 cups water cress ..I used baby spinach-
1/2 cup toasted pecans used walnuts,
- 1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese ..I used feta
- vinagrette dressing (your choice: raspberry vinagrette?.)
- honey
- lemon juice
- Cut pears horizontally into four slices each. Use a knife to cut out the cores so the pieces look like donuts. Leave the stem on the top piece. Brush lemon juice on each cut side of the pieces.
- Toss the pecans, blue cheese, water cress, and dressing until coated.
- Reassemble the pear, vertically, with the watercress salad in between each slice. Once assembled, Drizzle with honey.

Phew, now Jain can't nag me anymore! :) I meant encourage...