Banana Daiquiri #SundayFunday

 We are still enjoying warm weather here in Michigan, and we are heading to Cabo in a few days, so I am dreaming of cocktails poolside.  This Banana Daiquiri is the perfect Indian Summer cocktail.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are celebrating International Banana Day......

A Magical Small Sourdough Loaf #SundayFunday

This delicious little boule of bread is the perfect size to serve with dinner for a family of four.  If there are only two of you, you can enjoy the remaining slices toasted in the morning with a shmear of butter and marmalade.

The Sunday Funday Bloggers are celebrating National Homemade Bread Day.......

Celebrate Mardi Gras with these Oven Baked Cajun Sweet Potato Fries #FoodieHoliday

Sweet Potato slices tossed in Cajun spices and baked until crisp outside and tender inside.  These potatoes are the perfect side to your Mardi Gras Feast this year.

Today is Potato Lovers Day and we are having a Foodie Holiday Celebration......

Chicken Buffalo Dip #FoodieHoliday

This dip has all the flavors of your favorite wings without the sticky fingers.  I served this up with scoopable corn chips but it would be delicious with celery sticks too.  This is perfect game day fare.

Today is Hot and Spicy Food Day and we have some recipes to help you beat the Winter chill.......

Leftover Oatmeal Muffins #NationalOatmealMonth

These muffins, starting with leftover oatmeal and filled with your favorite oatmeal toppings is a delicous, nutritious, grab and go breakfast.

It's National Oatmeal Month........

Shaved Celery Salad with Sauteed Scallops #FoodieExtravaganza

Crunchy, crisp celery mixed with crunchy almonds and sweet raisins is a wonderful contrast to the sweet, creamy, meaty scallops topping this salad.

The Foodie Extravaganza gang are celebrating National Celery Month......

PBJ Banana Bread #NationalPB&JDay

This moist, tender, luscious bread is so rich and tasty you will feel like you are enjoying dessert for breakfast.  But not to worry, it is chock full of healthy bananas, protein rich peanut butter and includes whole wheat flour for added nutrients and fiber.

The Festive Foodies are celebrating National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day.......

Deep Dish Pizza Casserole #NationalPizzaMonth

This delicious, hearty and filling deep dish pizza is baked up in a casserole.  It is sure to make the whole family happy.

Welcome to National Pizza Month..........

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy #FoodieExtravaganza

Lean ground beef mixed with breadcrumbs and egg, formed into patties and fried a perfect golden brown before being smothered with a delicious mushroom and onion gravy.

This is the perfect dish to celebrate National Mushroom Month with the members of our Foodie Extravaganza group.......

Valentine's Day Recipe Round-up and #Giveaway

Hi all and welcome to the February Recipe Round-up.  This month is all about Valentine's Day recipes, from the sweet to the savory. We are sharing some of our favorite recipes just in time for you to show your love to your Valentine.

We also  have another awesome GIVEAWAY for our readers.  You will find the form to enter at the bottom of this post.  But first, let's share some LOVE.....

Peach BBQ Sauce for #FoodieExtravaganza

Welcome to this month's edition of Foodie Extravaganza.  I went over to The Nibble and discovered that August is National Peach Month.  It is my turn to host this party so I invited the others to join me  in sharing their favorite Peach recipes with our readers.

 

Peaches are a big crop here in Michigan and August is the prime harvest season.  In fact, a neighboring town that is known for it's fruit orchards celebrates with a big Peach Festival the first week of September.  There are parades, carnivals, music, dancing and, of course, peaches.  Peach Pies, Peach Doughnuts, Peach Cakes, Peach Struedels.  You name it.....if it is made of peaches you will find it at this festival.

Each year, I buy a bushel of peaches for us to enjoy.  We eat many of them fresh.  I puree them and pour them on top of pancakes for a FMD friendly breakfast.  I make margaritas, lemonade, salsa, salads, appetizers, pie, cake, and  clafouti.  

I grill them, make an ice cream topping from them, turn them into compotes and preserve them in numerous applications.

For today's recipe I used a mixture of white and yellow peaches.  I found a recipe for Peach BBQ sauce at Epicurious and followed it with a few, very slight adaptations.

I simmered the peaches with onions, jalapeno and spices until the peaches were falling apart tender.

Then I transferred that mixture to a heavy duty blender and pureed away.  It was very hot so use caution when blending.

I transferred it to a mason jar and allowed it to cool before refrigerating.  I only made the one batch but I think that I will be making more to preserve using a water bath system before peach season is complete. 

I brushed it onto some boneless pork loin chops while they grilled and they were to die for.  I was afraid that Frank was going to think the sauce had too much bite but he loved it every bit as much as I.  I used it on burgers and chicken and it was just as wonderful as with the pork.  This recipe is definitely a keeper.

Make sure you stop by and see what other creations are being shared to celebrate National Peach Month.  You will find links to them all following this recipe.

Peach BBQ Sauce

slightly adapted from Epicurious

3 large peaches, peeled, pitted and roughly chopped

1/2 Vidalia onion, roughly chopped

1 small jalapeno pepper,stemmed, seeded and roughly chopped

1 T. olive oil

1/4 c. apple cider vinegar

1/4 c. bourbon

2 1/2 t. honey

2 T. Dijon mustard

1/2 t. brown sugar

1/4 t. chili powder

pinch of kosher salt

In a dutch oven over medium high heat, cook the onion and jalapeno in the olive oil, stirring occasionally, until softened.  Stir in the peaches, vinegar, bourbon, honey, Dijon, sugar, chili powder, and salt.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until peaches start to fall apart, about half an hour or so.

Transfer mixture to a heavy duty blender and carefully puree until smooth.  Transfer the sauce to a container and let cool to room temperature before covering and refrigerating.  This sauce will keep for up to 1 week refrigerated and can be preserved using the water bath canning method for longer shelf life.

More "Peachy" Recipes

• Halloumi Freekeh Peach Salad by Food Lust People Love
• Honey Peach Ice Cream by Tara's Multicultural Table
• Mini Peaches and Cream French Toast Casserole by Cookaholic Wife
• Peach and Orange Smoothie by Sneha's Recipe
• Peach BBQ Sauce by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Peach Crumble Bars by Palatable Pastime
• Peach Panna Cotta by Caroline's Cooking
• Peach Sorbet by Hardly A Goddess
• Peach Tomato Salad with Herb Vinaigrette by Culinary Adventures with Camilla

Slow Cooker Chinese Spare Ribs #FoodieExtravaganza

Hello all and welcome to this month's Foodie Extravaganza that just happens to fall on Independence Day here in the USA.

Our friend, Sneha of Sneha's Recipe, went to The Nibble and discovered that today is also National Spareribs Day.  She asked us to share a Spare Ribs recipe that our family would enjoy, be it braised, slow cooked or grilled.

I found this great recipe for Chinese Spare Ribs by Grace Parisi that used all of the applications. First you slow cook the ribs in a ginger-garlic braising sauce.  I adapted the sauce to use ingredients that I had on hand, popped them into the slow cooker and we headed out the door.  

Frank went to our daughter's to finish the room they are building in the basement.  I headed out with my Danish family and our Little Miss to spend the afternoon at the zoo.

Frank got home before we did, so while we were fighting rush hour traffic, he finished up dinner so it was ready and waiting when we walked in the door.

He put some Sweet Potatoes on the grill to bake when we let him know we would be home in about an hour.  When we called the second time to let him know we were 15 minutes out, he grilled up some asparagus and removed the ribs from the slow cooker.  He finished the ribs on the grill with the asparagus, brushing it with some of the braising liquid so that they were covered with a sticky, gooey and flavorful glaze.

We were all famished from our busy outing and our stomachs were grumbling the minute we walked in the door and could smell all the wonderful aromas wafting from the kitchen.  This is a wonderful way to make spareribs and I found them to be much more tender than the Chinese Ribs that you would get from carryout.

Slow Cooker Chinese Spare Ribs

adapted from a recipe by Grace Parisi

4 lbs. Spare ribs, cut into individual pieces

1 small (3") piece of ginger root, peeled and chunked

6 garlic cloves, smashed

1/2 c. teriyaki sauce

1/2 c. honey

1/4 c. coconut aminos

1 T. Chile sauce

1/2 c. water

Place ribs in the crock of a slow cooker.  Place the ginger, garlic, teriyaki, honey, coconut aminos, chile sauce and water in a blender or food processor and puree until smooth.  Pour over the ribs and allow to marinate for 1 hours before turning heat to low and cooking for 6-8 hrs.

Remove ribs from slow cooker to a platter and place the braising liquid into a sauce pan removing as much fat as possible.  Cook over med high heat, boiling until thickened and reduced, about 4-5 minutes.

Place the ribs on a grill over med high heat and brush with the glaze, turning and cooking, until glaze is set, about a minute per side. Print Recipe

More Spareribs Recipes

ChineseSpare Ribs (Slow Cooker) by Caroline's Cooking
Slow Cooker Chinese Spare Ribs by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Pomegranate Braised Short Ribs by Food Lust People Love
StickyPork Ribs by Palatable Pastime
CanhSuon Khoai Tay (Vietnamese Spare Rib Soup by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
SingaporeanCoffee Spare Ribs by Sneha's Recipe

Posting day for #FoodieExtravaganza is always the first Wednesday of each month. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you're a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.

Grilled Cheddar, Onion and Tomato Sandwich #GrilledCheese

When I worked road patrol in the southwest quadrant of Warren, which borders Detroit's northeast side, I used to love going into this divey little restaurant called House of Reuben.  It had been there for as long as I could remember.  Before I had ever dreamed of becoming an officer, I used to drive past this restaurant on the way to take my kids to school.

It never occurred to me to stop in the place.  As I said, it was small and didn't have much curb appeal. When I started working and was assigned that area, one of the senior officers took me there and OH MY YUM!!

This place had the best Reubens ever!!  They also had great fish and carried smelt which made me do a happy dance.  Their burgers were good. Their pastrami was out of this world.  It became a regular stop for me at dinner time.  They were fast, friendly and understanding when I had to leave before my order was ready and always happy to make my order fresh when I would return from whatever emergency had pulled me away.

One of the problems of working the road, for me at least, was that I got very sick of eating restaurant food every day.  Even good restaurant food gets old when you eat it constantly and are limited to the few restaurants available in the 9 square miles to which you are assigned.  

One day, I walked into the House of Reuben and none of my regular meals sounded appealing to me. They may have had the best Beef Barley Soup I had ever eaten but I was sick to death of it.  I didn't want a sandwich so filled with meat and goodies that you had to eat it with a fork and knife, even though I knew said sandwich was amazing.  I finally settled on a Grilled Cheese Sandwich.  My partner looked at me like I was nuts...who goes into this fantastic deli and orders a grilled cheese?

When the sandwich was put in front of me, I started drooling.  Two thick slices of white bread stuffed with sharp cheddar cheese, bacon, tomatoes and bermuda onion grilled up to a perfect golden brown and melting out of the sides.  I shot my partner a "hah" look and dug in.  It was and still remains the best grilled cheese sandwich I have ever eaten.

I did my best to recreate this sandwich.  I omitted the bacon because it is, after all, Meatless Monday. I used Vidalia onions and a medium sharp Irish Cheddar. The bread is a regular slice Sourdough.  I hope that you enjoy it as much as we did.

This sandwich was made as part of an event for Holiday Fun with our Blog Friends.  April is National Grilled Cheese Month so Caroline of Caroline's Cooking invited us to join her in this celebration. You will find many more Grilled Cheese creations following my recipe.

Grilled Cheddar, Onion and Tomato Sandwich

2 slices sourdough bread per sandwich

butter, room temperature

1 oz medium sharp Irish Cheddar Cheese, sliced thin, per sandwich

2 slices tomato, per sandwich

1 thin slice of Vidalia onion, per sandwich

Butter both slices of bread  Lay one slice down onto a hot griddle or pan.  Cover with cheese.  Add the tomato and onion slices and top with the other slice of bread, butter side up.  Reduce the heat to medium high, and place a cast iron skillet on top of the sandwich, weighing it down.  Cook for 3-4 minutes until bottom is golden brown.  Flip and replace the skillet onto the toasted side.  Cook for another 2-3 minutes, until cheese is melted and bottom is golden brown.  Print Recipe

More Grilled Cheese Creations

It's the start of Grilled Cheese Month, so we thought we'd give you lots of inspiration! Hosted by Caroline of Caroline's Cooking - see all the delicious grilled cheese ideas being shared today:

• Apple Cheddar Bacon Grilled Cheese by Jolene's Recipe Journal
• Apple Gouda Grilled Cheese by Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
• Down the Grilled Cheese Rabbit Hole by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Grilled Cheddar, Onion and Tomato Sandwich by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Italian Inside-Out Grilled Cheese by Palatable Pastime
• Polish Reuben Grilled Cheese by A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
• Quadruple Grilled Cheese by Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Roast Beef, Brie and Caramelized Onion Grilled Cheese by Family Around the Table
• Spinach Artichoke Grilled Cheese Sandwich by All that's Jas
• "The Jammin' Jamaican" Chicken Grilled Cheese by Caroline's Cooking
• Tish's Tasty Turkey Grilled Cheese Sliders by Cooking With Carlee

Phase 1 Friendly Buckwheat Pancakes with Fresh Peach Puree for #FoodieExtravaganza

Happy Wednesday and Happy Foodie Extravaganza Day.  Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly occurrence in which we take turns hosting and choosing a food to celebrate that is honored by a holiday during the month.  We find our choices at The Nibble. This month I want to thank Caroline of Caroline's Cooking for hosting but especially for choosing Pancakes.

National Pancake day is September 26th so you will be ready to celebrate with tons of delicous recipes that we are sharing with you today.  September is also National Breakfast month and National Whole Grain Month.  So Pancakes are the perfect choice and, if you have kids, is the perfect breakfast with which to send them to school, ready to start their day.

I don't have any children left at home but this was still a perfect choice for me.  Monday I began Round 2 of an eating plan called The Healthy Metabolism Diet.  This eating plan lasts 28 days and each week is divided into three phases.  Phase 1 that spans Monday and Tuesday each week requires you too eat lots of fruit and whole grains.  I started the plan off right on Monday morning with these hearty Buckwheat Pancakes smothered in Fresh Peach Puree and topped with Fresh Peach Slices.

This recipe makes 6 pancakes.  If you have leftover peach puree, as I did, refrigerate it for use in a smoothie for your snack during the day.  I am posting the recipe underneath which you will find all the other recipes posted to celebrate National Pancake Day.


Phase 1 Friendly Buckwheat Pancakes 
slightly adapted from The Fast Metabolism Diet Cookbook

1 c. buckwheat flour
1 t. cinnamon
1 egg white, beaten
1 c. rice milk
1 t. vanilla
1 t. agave nectar

For the Peach Puree

2 peaches, quartered
1 t. agave nectar
1/2 c. water

In small bowl combine the flour, cinnamon, egg white, rice milk, vanilla and agave just until combined.  Let rest for 5 minutes.  Preheat a griddle to 375* .  Pour pancake batter onto griddle making 6 pancakes (about 3 T. each) and cook until bottom is browned and top is starting to dry.  Flip and cook until other side is browned.

Cut one of the peach quarters into slices.  Place the remaining peaches, agave and water into a food processor or blender and puree until desired consistency.  Pour into a saucepan and heat through while pancakes are cooking.

Top each serving of pancakes with the puree and garnish with fresh peach slices.

More pancake ideas for this month's Foodie Extravaganza 

• Blueberry Oatmeal Pancakes by Cooking With Carlee
• Buckwheat Pancakes by A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Caramel Apple Pancakes by The Freshman Cook
• Caramelized Banana Topped Pancakes by cookinandcraftin
• Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pancakes by Sew You Think You Can Cook
• Churro Pancakes by Cookaholic Wife
• Corn Panki / Corn Pancakes by Sneha's Recipe
• Heath Bar and Banana Pancakes by Our Good Life
• Masala dosa by Caroline's Cooking
• Panqueques con Dulce de Leche (Argentinian Dulce de Leche Crepes) by Tara's Multicultural Table 
• Peaches and Cream Crepes by Fearlessly Creative Mammas
• Peanut Butter and Jelly Pancakes by Making Miracles
• Silver Dollar Chocolate Chip Pancakes by Hardly A Goddess
• Spring Onion Pancakes with Spicy Dipping Sauce by Food Lust People Love

If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE.