Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Dog Poop

In my house we call El Husbee "The Poo Slave".  I am not sure how this all started but it's pretty funny.  He will tell you that I never pick up poop.  In my defense, I picked up poop everyday the first year of Khloe the pup's life.  After year one I cannot vouch for myself.

dog poop
Image from: http://www.corgidogs.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/dog-poop.png

After seeing this poster I have a very different view about poop.  I for sure don't want Khloe the pup getting sick and I for sure do not want to get sick.  AND I hate flies.  So I am going to work a lot harder on picking up poop.  

Pooper scooper in training signing off!

XOXO

Monday, September 23, 2013

Superior Dairy

Many people I know talk about Superior Dairy and the amazing ice cream.  I have heard about it from friends for years.  My bestie and her family always talk about how good the ice cream is.

Social media has mixed reviews.  It seems based on Facebook, Yelp and urbanspoon people either love it or hate it.  However, the people that hate it generally hate it because of poor service.  Now, coming with a Bachelor of Science in management and a background in retail I can tell you this ... most reviews are from unhappy customers.  Unhappy customers tend to spend endless amounts of time complaining. Unfortunately happy customers don't spend the same amount of time writing good reviews.

Coming home from a recent trip out of town, El Husbee and I went to Superior Dairy for the first time.  We were lucky and there was a open table when we arrived.  The place was quite busy and there was even a line at the take out section.  There was already a menu on the table.  We decided immediately that we wanted to share a banana split.  (I mean what else do you get from a ice cream parlor?)  Our waitress arrived at our table with ice water and ready to take our order.  Now, our banana split arrived before I came back from the restroom.  This is important because I was not gone long at all.






























The banana split was massive.  We got our banana split with chocolate, vanilla, and strawberry ice cream.  I am pretty sure you can get other flavors but we wanted to try the originals before getting too crazy.  There was pineapple syrup and strawberry syrup poured over the ice cream.  I love that they put the nuts separately because El Husbee loves nuts and I am not a big fan.  So this was perfect.  All three ice creams were delicious.  The strawberry tasted very fresh and not at all like strawberry exact.  The chocolate was nice and creamy and rich of chocolate flavor.  To me the chocolate taste more like dark chocolate.

We got pretty close to finishing the banana split.  I would say we had probably 1/2 a normal size scoop left.  I will for sure coming here again.  I hear that the lemon ice cream is super yummy and for sure want to try that.

Superior Dairy
325 N. Douty Street
Hanford, CA 93230
(559) 582-0481

Support local business!

XOXO

Friday, September 13, 2013

Shrimp Avocado Salad

I love avocados!  They are super yummy.  Avocados are very versatile too!  You can put them in sandwiches, wraps, salads, burgers, etc.  You can make them into guacamole!  You can use avocado as a healthy spread instead of mayo.  Some people have started using avocados as a pasta sauce.  The possibilities are endless.  (I have seen some people use it in desserts!)

I decided to try making a avocado shrimp salad. 


Shrimp Avocado Salad
Adapted from Add A Pinch

Ingredients:
1 lb shrimp, peeled, cooked
4 avocados, cut into large pieces
1/2 red onion, diced (very small)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
garlic salt
pepper, to taste

Instructions:
1.  Add shrimp, avocado and onion to a large bowl
2.  In a 2 cup measuring cup, mix together extra virgin olive oil, red wine vinegar, garlic powder and Dijon mustard.
3.  Add dressing to shrimp avocado salad until desired taste.  Add garlic salt and pepper to taste.
4.  Chill until ready to eat

O-M-G!  I loved this salad.  I ate it more like a dip with chips.  But now I am thinking it would be a yummy sandwich or wrap too!  The vinegar gives it a good tang to make you want to keep eating.  This is perfect for a snack or on a hot day.

Soak up the warm weather because fall is right around the corner!

XOXO

Thursday, September 12, 2013

Spaghetti Squash

Trying new things can be scary for me but I know it is good for me.  I am not always happy about change especially when there is nothing wrong to begin with.  But in life you must adapt.

I love pasta.  But sometimes you need a alternative to pasta.  Spaghetti squash is your answer!




























Spaghetti Squash

Ingredients:
1 spaghetti squash
1 tablespoon garlic, chopped
1 onion, small diced
1/2lb ground turkey
 2 cups mushroom, sliced
1 tomato, chopped
1 jar marinara sauce
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon fresh ground pepper
1 teaspoon oregano

Topping: shredded colby and cheddar cheese

Directions:
1. Cut spaghetti squash in half lengthwise and scrap out seeds.  Lightly spray insides of both halves with cooking spray. Broil for about 20 minutes
2.  Brown garlic and onions in large pan.
3.  Add ground turkey and cook until done.
4.  Add mushrooms and cook until soft
5.  Add tomato and cook for about 2 minutes
6.  Add marinara sauce, garlic powder, garlic salt, ground pepper, and oregano.  Cook for about 15 minutes.
7.  Shred spaghetti squash with a fork.  Add to sauce.
8.  Enjoy!

I am not a fan of sweet dishes that are not dessert.  So I was a little worried about this dish since I have never tasted spaghetti squash.  Turns out there really is not that much flavor in spaghetti squash.  Served with sauce spaghetti squash is a great substitute for noodles.  This dish is pretty versatile and you can pretty much add anything you like in a red pasta sauce.  I am curious how this would taste in a alfredo sauce. 

El Husbee devoured a bowl of this and was quite impressed that it was squash and not noodles.

I think next time I will add some red pepper flakes to give the dish a little kick.

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

Baked Ravioli

Sometimes it is a nightmare trying to figure out what to make for dinner on the weekdays after a long day at work.  Since El Husbee and I are avid Costco shoppers we stock up on random items.  For instance, frozen raviolis.  Now I am not sure if we are the only ones with this problem but when we boil raviolis we always lose some in the process.  So when I learned through Pinterest that you can bake raviolis you better believe I was on board with this. 


Baked Ravioli
Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

Ingredients:
1 bag frozen ravioli
2 jars alfredo sauce
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded colby cheese
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Directions:
1.  Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Spray bottom and sides of a 9x13 baking dish with cooking spray
2.  Spread 1 bottle of alfredo sauce into baking dish.
3.  Arrange frozen raviolis in a single layer in dish.
4.  Pour 2nd bottle of alfredo sauce over raviolis.
5.  Sprinkle sun dried tomatoes
6.  Sprinkle shredded cheese over raviolis
7.  Bake in the oven for 30 minutes
8.  Let cool for about 5-10 minutes before eating
9.  Enjoy!

I think I went a little too crazy with the colby cheese and parmesan cheese this time.  I would definitely tone down the cheese the next time I make this.  But I am pretty sure I will never make raviolis the old fashion way again!  I love my oven!

Keep cooking friends!

XOXO