Boiled, Mashed, Baked Potatoes

6 to 7 red potatoes
2 tsp Dried thyme
2 tsp Garlic powder
2 tsp Garlic salt
1 tbsp Ground pepper
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a stock pot bring salted water to a boil, add potatoes. Boil until tender. In a glass pan spread olive oil evenly. Put potatoes in a single layer in glass pan smash with a potato masher. Sprinkle the rest of ingredients over the potatoes including butter. Bake for 35 to 45 minutes. Enjoy!

*use leftover potatoes for breakfast burritos, yummy!
Adapted from: www.thepioneerwoman.com

Roasted Cabbage Slices

1/2 cabbage, sliced
2 tbsp olive oil
3 tbsp butter sliced
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tbsp crushed red pepper
Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place olive oil in bottom of glass pan, then add sliced cabbage. Sprinkle garlic powder, red pepper, ground pepper on slice cabbage. Place butter on cabbage and bake for 30 minutes.

This was so delish, I'm very proud!

Adapted from Martha Stewart, original recipe.

{&} Pilow

Yesterday I purchased this throw pillow. I pinned one awhile ago that I wanted to make. This pillow had such a great price I decided to just buy it for our living room. This blue leather chair is very special to me, it was my dads and actually belongs to my brother. I'm just keeping it for now until he settles down.

What do you think? I just love it!

I'm thinking I may get two pillows a "J" and a "R" and putting them on our couch. I also have our red chair in this room, I would like to incorporate both colors. How would you enhance the look of this room? I want to stay away from the "americana" look. Any ideas would be greatly appreciated.

La Jolla Roadtrip

Happy 29th J!

My husband turned 29 today!!! I couldn't be happier or luckier than to have picked such a perfect mate, he is the most genuine person I have ever met...I am thankful for him everyday. He is also the biggest Chile  Rellenos lover I have ever met, more than my family and I.

My mom came over tonight and made her should be FAMOUS Chile Rellenos. They were so good and a nice surprise for J. He usually makes them, as seen in this previous post. I'm not sure if it's the special tomato broth sauce or the chile itself but I have never had a better one than my mom and now that she has taught J, J's. I've had one restaurant chile relleno that was very good, we were living in Sonoma and it was at a place called Taqueria La Hacienda they have the best Restaurant Chile Rellenos I have ever tried but it still isn't the same. Sometimes I'm scared to order them if we are out, fearing it will get to the table and be covered in brown beef gravy, People please don't eat a chile relleno covered in gravy, that's so gross and ruins the chile flavor. I need to post a tutorial on how to make them, I would one day love to have a chil roaster in my back yard, wouldn't that be amazing?!?!

Happy Birthday J, you big Chile!

Sarayo, Siracha Mayo

Yesterday at the the grocery store I saw Sarayo. It's basically the best hot sauce known to man (Siracha aka rooster sauce which retails for about 3.50) mixed with mayo for four dollars. Great concept but it's so much easier to make your own and not to mention less expensive. The ratio is about 3 to 1, 3 tablespoons mayo to 1 siracha, depending on your hotness level. I commend the makers of Sarayo, however the price is a bit steep. So buy Sarayo or make your own, either is great and delish on hot dogs or especially sushi.

Cheesy Garlic Herb Sticks

I saw these on pinterest. I worked at a pizza place growing up and have a big place in my heart for breadstick and anything with cheese on it. I was in a hurry so I used the trader joe's garlic herb dough ($1.29). Instead of the dough recipe that was on pinterest (see link).

Ingredients:

1 Trader Joe's garlic herb pizza dough (next to the cheese)

2 tablespoons melted butter

3 cloves garlic, finely minced

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

1 cup grated mozzarella cheese

Preheat oven to 500 degrees place pizza stone in oven. Roll out pizza dough on parchment paper, I did not...BIG mistake, HUGE.  In a small bowl combine butter, garlic and garlic powder, melt in microwave. Brush butter mixture on dough, sprinkle parmesan and mozzarella. Transfer to stone which was a huge catastrophe for me, that's why my cheese is all in the middle (see pics). Bake on stone for 8 to 10 minutes. Slice with pizza cutter and enjoy!

Adapted from Laurens Latest.

Watermelon Salsa or Watermelon Salad

Watermelon is not my favorite but this salad is amazing and I could not get enough of it! You can serve it as Salad or Salsa...

1/2 of a Large Watermelon (seedless)

1 Jalepeno

1/2 of a bunch of Cilantro

1 small Red Onion

2 Limes

Chop watermelon into bite size pieces. Rip cilantro from stems and chop. Take seeds out of Jalepeno, then chop. Dice onion. Mix all ingredients together squeeze lime over salad while mixing. Serve chilled. You can add salt to taste, if you'd like.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Baked Taco Bowls

I love Mexican food. I could eat it everyday, which is funny because growing up we had beans, rice and fresh salsa at every meal and all I ever wanted to eat was pizza. I suppose I could start doing that, hmm wonder what Joe would think of beans, rice and salsa daily. One of my favorite things to eat is taco salad, but deep frying a shell seems gross and so unnecessary.  My mother in law bought these tortilla shell pans they are amazing for taco salads bowls. She may have got hers at bed bath and beyond or world market, if you love Mexican food you should definitely buy these.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Place tortilla in pan and bake for 8 to 10 minutes.

Serve hot or let cool and use later.

Egg and Ham Cups

From The Simple Delights

12 Eggs
12 slices of ham ( I used the really cheap stuff)
1/2 Cup of Parmesan cheeses (for the top)3 green onions sliced
Salt & Pepper

Preheat the oven to 400. Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Place a slice of ham in each hole making a ham cup. Crack one egg into each muffin tin hole and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

I like my eggs a little more well done. so I baked them for about 10 minutes the turned the broiler on high for 2 minutes.

Remove from muffin tin and sprinkle with parmesan cheese and green onions.

Two Layered dips

If you're not sure what to make for super bowl this weekend try one or both of these, guaranteed hit. This is a reblog from my original blog, I figured since the superbowl is bascially a repeat I can repeat a post... Wish the SF 49ers would have made it (that's me whining).

On the left:
1 can of refried beans
2 avocados (you can buy the already smooshed avo at TJ's)
8 oz container jazzed up Sour Cream
1/2 jar of TJ's salsa autentica
1 cup shredded cheddar
1 small container sliced olives


On the right:
1 jar TJ's fat free black bean dip
2 avocados (you can buy the already smooshed avo at TJ's)
8 oz container jazzed up Sour Cream
1/2 jar of TJ's salsa autentica
1 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 c sliced jalapenos

Jazzed up Sour Cream

For use in dips, tacos, tostadas or as dip it self.

16oz container of Sour Cream
2 to 3 Tablespoons of your favorite hot sauce ( I used Tapatio)
1 Tablespoon Galric Powder
1 Tablespoon of Ground Cumin

Mix and and use!