Wasatch Back Gill and Deli

My actual burger.

I cannot remember a burger and fries this good.  Mel, my beautiful bride, took me to Wasatch Back Grill and Deli in Heber City, Utah this afternoon.  I got the Wasatch Back Burger, hold the onion.  It comes with grilled onions, mushrooms, bacon, yellow pepper rings, provolone cheese and Wasatch Back special sauce. The patty was cooked just right.  The bun was delicious.  The toppings all worked together really well, with fries as a perfect complement.  I can not recommend it more highly.

The menu is huge with several specialty burgers and deli sandwiches, but if you want, you can build your own.  Next time, I want the Pastrami Burger.  You can check out the menu at wasatchbackgrill.com.

Next time you're in Heber, forget Ganny's and Dairy Keen with their nasty patties and one-taste-fits-all food, and go to Wasatch Back Grill and Deli.  It has only been two hours and I want to go back. 

Christmas Reinbeer

nope, not a typo.  to our favorite friends and family this year, we gave christmas reinbeer.  yes, you should absolutely read into that that if you didn't get one, you are not our favorite.  bwahahaha.

tied around the reinbeer's neck is a recipe for delicious beef beer stew.  i found the recipe here from baked in the south.  i have tried several of her freezer meals, all of them delicious!  and one or two of them actually made it into the freezer as a plan ahead meal.  i wish i could be better organized to plan ahead like that, but i just don't see it happening.  ever.  from the freezer or cooked the day you buy the ingredients, or anywhere in between (although there really isn't much in between) this beef beer stew is a keeper.

Beef Beer Stew

2 lbs stew beef

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 Tbsp butter

2 celery stalks, chopped

2 large carrots, chopped

3 large potatoes, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 bay leaves

1 Tbsp dried parsley

1 can tomatoes with green chilies (Like Rotel)

1 cup dark beer

1 cup beef stock

Season beef with salt & pepper. Place all ingredients in crockpot and cook on low for 8-10 hours.

this can be assembled in advance and thrown in the freezer in a ziploc without the beer and stock. just add those to the crockpot the day you cook it.

Thanksgiving Appetizers

happy thanksgiving!!  yes, i fully acknowledge that we have recently passed groundhog's day, but it is never too late to share recipes, right?  so this year for thanksgiving i was tasked with providing appetizers.  well, i guess technically it was last year for thanksgiving.  anyhoodle, i had recently made an appetizer for a crossfit birthday party that was a huge hit, so i decided on a repeat.  enter the cheeseball.  this recipe comes from my dear, dear friend.  when she has made it in the past, we didn't even take the time to form it into a ball, but just ate it right out of the bowl--it's that good.  and it's easy to make to boot, so it's the perfect recipe if you're ever responsible for bringing appetizers to a party.  (even if that party is at an unmarked house in a snowy neighborhood, just sayin'.)  to help celebrate thanksgiving, i turned my cheeseballs into turkeys.  i underestimated what 1/2 the mixture was when forming the balls, so they ended up being momma and baby turkey cheeseballs rather than the same size, but they were still delicious.

Cheeseball

1 jar Olde English Spread

2 8 oz packages cream cheese

1 c mild cheddar cheese, grated

1 tsp lemon juice

1 tsp onion salt

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp parsley flakes

crushed pretzels or slivered almonds (any nuts) for rolling

Combine Olde English Spread and cream cheese in a large bowl and mix well.  Add grated cheese and mix well.  Add lemon juice, onion and garlic salt and parsley flakes.  Mix well.  Pour nuts or pretzles into a bowl, spoon half of cheese mixture into nuts/pretzels and start forming into a ball.  Repeat with remaining mixture.  Cover each ball with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to serve.  Serve with crackers, pretzels, veggies, or whatever you please! 

but of course turkeys wouldn't have worked for the crossfit birthday party, so we had muscle man cheeseballs.

The basement, City County Building

Unbeknown to many, there is a cafe in the bottom floor of the City / County Building. It is called the Washington Square Cafe.  It is a beautiful place to grab lunch.  The floor is tile and there is a beautiful wood counter in front of the kitchen.  The tables are not too close together, so it is perfect for gossiping about work.

There are many items on the menu that look delicious and unusual.  I had the clam chowder in a bread bowl.  It was good, not great. The portion was smaller than I expected, but what I had was yummy.  I have had the burger there (see earlier posts, I think).

Worth a look, and a lunch,

Farewell, Friends

no, i'm not leaving.  but as some of you know, the series finale of dexter was this weekend.  don't worry, there are no spoilers here.  this is a blog about food, not what happens on a tv show.  but, to dexter, deb, angel, quinn, harrison, masuka, and the rest of miami metro, we bid you adieu.  for nearly a decade we have welcomed you into our home on sunday nights.  so on your final night, we will have a special dinner:  steak and beer.  for those of you who are familiar with the show, you know why i went with this option:  whenever deb and dexter have dinner together, they have of course, steak and beer.

 

 

now, you know we couldn't just have steak and beer.  we also had brown rice and fresh green beans.  do you know the secret to cooking the perfect steak?  let me share it with you, as my good friend, uncle vo, shared it with me years ago.  1.  hot grill, like 400+ degrees.  2.  throw steak (lightly seasoned with a little salt and pepper) on there and cook for 2 mins.  3.  turn steak 180 degrees to get perfect grill lines and cook an additional 2 mins.  4.  flip steak over and cook for 2 mins.  5.  repeat step 3.  and voila.  perfect steak in 8 mins.

 

but our "dexter meal" wouldn't be complete without blood splatter cookies.  completing the look by wrapping them in cellophane.

 

 

have you ever had a sugar cookie from kneaders bakery?  mr d ranks them as number 1.  i found their recipe online here.  not a copycat, but their actual recipe.  pretty cool that they give it out.  mostly because they know that even with their exact recipe, theirs are much better than how mine turned out.  but they were pretty good.  a good first effort.  the recipe indicates that it will make 4 dozen, so i halved the recipe, and still ended up with 3 dozen.  also, i could not find lemon flavoring, which is supposed to be a powdered ingredient found near the lemon juice, so i just used lemon extract.  it turned out fine, not overpowering on the lemon flavor.

 

Kneaders Sugar Cookies

1 c butter

1 1/8 c sugar

2 eggs

1/2 c milk

3 7/8 c flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp lemon flavoring

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tbsp honey

 

Cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.  Add eggs and milk, scraping down sides as necessary.  Add in remaining ingredients.  Dough will be soft and sticky.  Place dough on a well floured surface and gently roll out until 3/8 inch.  Cut into desired shapes.  Bake on baking sheet lined with parchment paper at 325 for 10-12 mins, or until edges barley start to change color.

 

Icing

4 1/2 c powdered sugar

4 tbsp corn syrup

3 tbsp milk

1/4 tsp lemon flavoring

 

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.  Decorate cookies as desired!

 

 

 



It Must Be Fall

while sitting in court yesterday a colleague from the dark side, looking for matt, asked when my "lunch buddy" would be making his appearance.  i had to explain to some folks sitting around me that he was in fact looking for matt, and matt is in fact my lunch buddy.  i was shocked that they didn't already know this information.  we are on the internet after all.  and i verified that these folks had heard of the internet.  well, one made a comment that it has been awhile since we've posted.  yes, indeed it has.  so, lumberjack, jr, this post is for you. 

as september is nearing an end, fall is definitely in the air here.  to commemorate the season, i made a simple fall dessert:  chocolate dipped strawberries.  i know you were all expecting something like pumpkin chocolate chip bread, and believe me, that will come as the season blazes forward.  but before we say goodbye to summer completely, we will still enjoy its fruits.  we will just decorate them to look like fall.  the goal was to put jack-o-lantern faces on my "pumkins," but alas, we were too eager to eat them. 

 

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries



1 c white chocolate chips

red and yellow food coloring

strawberries

black gel frosting

 

melt the chocolate chips in the microwave 15 seconds at a time, stirring in between, until they are melted.  add food coloring until the desired hue of orange.  stir.  dip strawberries in chocolate and place on wax paper.  refrigerate until chocolate hardens.  with black gel frosting, add jack-o-lantern faces.

 



as halloween draws nearer, you could also make ghosts.  this would take less effort than the pumpkins because you wouldn't have to dye the chocolate.  and you would only need 2 black dots for eyes.  i'm always looking out for you, my lazy friends.

Dinner was a B.L.A.S.T!

mr d and i had dinner at the black bear diner a few weeks ago.  on the menu was a "B.L.A.S.T. Sandwich."  i was so close to ordering this bacon, lettuce, avocado, swiss cheese, and tomato treat.  but alas, i opted for pancakes instead.  yet, the idea of the B.L.A.S.T. intrigued me.  i was thinking about how i could do a salad with bacon bits, lettuce, avocado, something, and tomato.  but then i'd need to add more protein.  so the tomato turned into turkey.  ok, a club salad.  but what to do for that s?  then i got spinach in my bountiful basket, and all problems were solved.  then mr d and i were at a bbq, and someone had brought a salad with raspberries.  i love raspberries.  sub berries for bacon.  but then, does avocado really fit in anymore?  i think avocado always fits in, but mr d is not that big a fan.  enter almonds. so dinner was a B.L.A.S.T:  berries, lettuce, almonds, spinach, and turkey.  and it was a perfect summer dinner.  do you really need a recipe for this?  not really.  i cooked a turkey breast in the crockpot in chicken stock, shredded it.  in a large bowl, mix together some lettuce, some spinach, and a pack of raspberries.  top each serving with some shredded turkey and a sprinkling of sliced almonds.  for the dressing i used a greek vinaigrette.

Ruth's on Wednesday and Moochies on Friday

I am making up for lost time on the old, go to lunch thing.   On Wednesday the General Nonviolent Felony Team went to lunch at Ruth's for Administrative Professionals Day.  It was only a couple of months late, but we wanted to get the whole team together if possible, and when one of your team members goes to France for three weeks.... I had the meatloaf burger.  It was served with fires, on a bun, with regular burger fixin's.  The meatloaf was good, and smothered with BBQ sauce.  A little too much BBQ sauce.  It took over the whole burger.  The fries are battered and crispy. I'd give the food a C+, but the location and ambiance a B-. Barely worth the $10.00.

Moochies was a quick trip with my co-blogger Mikelle.  I got the egg plant parm sandwich, potato salad and a drink (by making it a "Moochis Meal" for an extra $2.99).  The bread was perfect, the egg plant and marianna were good, but not great.  I'd give it a B.  The company was great, and the birch beer was scrumptious.  Go to Moochies.  It is one of the good ones.

Burgers in Coeur d'Alene

It has been far too long.  I am back on the blog, and ready to post, ya'll.  I was in Coeur d'Alene last week end for the Ironman.  It was AWESOME.  I am really happy with my time, I beat my first Ironman by  44 minutes.  Beautiful course, great swim.

I eat at a place called Hudson's.  They have been there and making burgers since 1907.  It was a tiny little place, with only a counter at which to sit.  The burger was one of the best I have ever come across. Cooked to perfection, the meat was the star.  The only toppings available were pickle and/or onion, and cheese, although there were three sauces on the counter in those old-school ketchup type squeeze bottles, ketchup, hot ketchup (think heavy horseradish with a bite) and spicy mustard.

If you're ever there, and you love a burger, stop in.

Fava What?

apparently it's called a fava bean.  apparently people like them.  i'm not a fan, of either the time consuming cooking or the flavor.  so these appeared in my bountiful basket.  i had no idea what they were or what to do with them.  but since mr d has been asking for more veggies with his meals, i thought i'd try the recipe that other bountiful basket participants were posting on facebook and serve them alongside a sloppy joe and corn on the cob.

Fava Beans

fava beans

olive oil

garlic, minced

Shell the fava beans and blanch for 10-15 mins.  Remove the bean from the casing and saute in olive oil and garlic until fragrant, about 5 mins.

these had kind of a bitter taste i wasn't expecting, although i'm not sure what i was expecting.  and then it dawned on me that they kind of tasted like peas, which is probably why mr d was a fan.  and was a fitting taste given their appearance as "giant pea pods."

Paleo Steak Roll Ups

mr d and i went to the crossfit regionals competition this weekend.  it was all you would expect it to be.  here is the one blurry picture i took while we there.  this is the crew setting up for the second team WOD (workout of the day).  it consisted of 21 deadlifts, followed by 21 box jumps, then repeated by 15 reps of each, then 9.  one team set a world record.  i guess it was a pretty big deal.

 

because this is a blog about food, you must be wondering why i'm mentioning the cxfit games.  well, it just so happens that i had lunch there on saturday.  at a food truck called "the paleo wagon."   now, this food truck had two lines, each line had about 20 people in it, at all times.  it was ridiculous.  the other food vendor there sold soft pretzels, soda, and pizza.  i think they had 5 customers, all weekend.  as you can probably gather from their name, the paleo wagon was selling meals that complied with the paleo diet.  if you aren't familiar with the paleo diet, google it, my friends.  but the short version is this:  eat like a caveman, i.e., meat and vegetables with limited fruits, no grains, no dairy, and obviously, no processed foods.  i wish i had a taken a picture of our lunches.  i got the scaled plate, meaning one meat, and mr d got the prescribed plate, meaning two meats.  our plates consisted of a hearty scoop of carne asada, 1/2 an avacado, 1/2 of a cucumber, 2 sweet peppers and a strawberry.  and mr d's second meat was a chicken sausage link.  mr d was really excited about his paleo lunch, and long story short, it inspired me to make a paleo approved dinner.  enter the steak roll up. 

 

the recipe came from here, which includes a balsamic glaze to serve over the steak.  the glaze looks and sounds delicious, but i was hungry by the time i'd gotten the steak in the pan and decided to forego the sauce and eat the roll ups as is.  they were really good.  i would definitely make them again, either with steak or with chicken.  and i'll have to try the sauce out.

 

 

Steak Roll Ups

1 1/2-2 lb sirloin or flank steak

salt and pepper

worcestershire sauce

olive oil

1 glove garlic, minced

2 carrots, matchsticked

1 red bell pepper, matchsticked

4 green onions, sliced

4 asparagus spears, matchsticked

 

Prepare the steak by slicing into thin strips. (i butterflied mine, then cut into 8 strips.)  Season steak with salt, pepper, and worcestershire and let marinate for 30 mins.  While the steak is marinating, heat olive oil in a medium pan and cook the garlic for 1 min.  Add the remaining veggies and saute for 2-3 minutes.  Set the veggies aside.  When the steak is done marinating, place a handful of veggies on each strip of steak and roll them up.  Secure with a toothpick.  Cook the steak roll ups in the same pan you cooked the veggies in until the desired doneness.  (i cooked them about 7 mins on each side.  they probably didn't need to be cooked that long, but raw meat makes me nervous.)  Serve with more veggies, or with rice if you're not into the whole paleo thing.



Sloppy Phil

what happens when a sloppy joe and a philly cheesesteak have a baby?  the sloppy phil.  what a delicious concept i came across on foodgawker, which linked me over here, to the dainty chef.  as you can see, there isn't anything dainty about this meal.  it was spilling off the bun in all its glory.  i thought these were yummy.  mr d was not that impressed.  but i think he was judging them unfairly based on my "misrepresentation."  when he asked what we were having for dinner, i said "sloppy philly cheesesteaks."  he took a couple of bites and then asked, with a puzzled look on his face, if it was ground beef.  i replied in the affirmative, to which, he disappointedly said, "but you said they were cheesesteaks."  so he was under the impression the meat was steak, rather than ground beef, so i don't think the sloppy phil got a fair shake.  hey, it's not my fault sloppy phil got his meat from his father's side.

 

Sloppy Philly Cheesesteak

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 lb ground beef

1 medium onion, chopped

1 green pepper, chopped

2 Tbsp steak sauce

1 c beef broth

buns

provolone cheese, sliced

 

Heat oil in a medium skillet.  Add beef and cook 5-6 minutes until brown.  Add onions and peppers and cook 3-4 minutes, until veggies are tender.  Stir in steak sauce and broth.  Bring to a boil, and cook an additional 5 minutes, until sauce thickens.  Serve on a toasted bun with a slice of provolone cheese.

 



i served the sloppy phil with some roasted new potatoes and leeks.  i chopped up the potatoes and leeks and tossed with some olive oil and a dry onion soup mix.  baked in the oven for 40 mins, stirring and rotating every 10.  with the exception of the potatoes, this was a quick meal that would be perfect to repeat on a busy weeknight. 

Pizza Casserole

i kept seeing this recipe popping up all over the facebook and the pinterest for a pizza casserole that looked delicious and nutritionally wasn't that bad.  but when i'd click on the links, it would just pull up the picture and the recipe on a page, not on any particular website, if that makes sense.  so i have no idea where to attribute this most fabulous dinner to.  did you catch that?  fabulous!  it was so good!  mr d helped himself to seconds.  seriously, the flavor on this pizza casserole was so amazing.  the original recipe i saw calls for olives and mushrooms, but i don't like mushrooms, and mr d doesn't like olives.  so i decided to switch out those ingredients for the ingredients we like on our pizza:  green peppers, jalapenos, and red onion.

 

Pizza Casserole

16 oz package rotini noodles

1 lb ground italian sausage

24 oz jar spaghetti sauce

1 green pepper, diced

1/2 red onion, diced

1 jalapeno, diced

16 oz container cottage cheese

1 1/2 c mozzarella cheese, shredded

pepperoni slices

 

Preheat oven to 350.  Cook the noodles al dente according to package directions.  In a skillet, cook sausage until evenly browned, add cooked noodles and spaghetti sauce.  Put meat mixture into a 9 x 13 casserole dish sprayed with cooking spray.  In a small bowl, combine green pepper, onion, jalapeno, cottage cheese and mozzarella cheese.  Layer on top of meat mixture.  Top casserole with pepperoni slices.  Bake for 25 mins, until bubbly and lightly browned.

 

of course i used whole wheat noodles, non-fat cottage cheese and low-fat mozzarella cheese, and it was so good.  when i make it again, i'd like to try making it even more healthy by using chicken sausage or maybe just ground turkey, with some additional spices to add some of the flavor i'd be missing from the spicy italian sausage.

 

Denver-ish Omelette

you know those nights when you didn't plan on making dinner and you're not really in the mood to cook, but you also want to make a better choice than eating out?  on nights like that, our go to meal is a denver-ish omelette.  denver-ish, because i'm not really sure what the ingredients have to be for an omelette to be considered denver, and because this is generally cooked as an uplanned meal, i just use what we have on hand.  sometimes we have green pepper.  sometimes we have jalapeno.  sometimes we have ham.  sometimes we miraculously have all 3 at the same time.  and we always have cheese and onion.  and of course we always eggs.  the first time i ever made an omelette, i watched a couple of youtube videos on how to make the perfect omelette.  it's all about tipping the pan and lifting the cooked part of the egg up and letting the uncooked egg run underneath so that it can cook.  if that doens't make sense, jump on over to youtube.

 

Denver-ish Omelette

 3 egg whites

1 whole egg

splash of milk

cheese

veggies and meats of your choice, chopped

 

sautee veggies in a small skillet until tender.  (for this omelette, i used 1/2 a green pepper and 1/2 an onion).  in a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk until frothy.  pour the egg mixture in a medium pan sprayed with cooking spray.  as the omelette cooks, push the cooked edges into the middle, and tilt the pan so the uncooked egg runs underneath.  repeat until the egg is cooked thru.  add cheese to entire omelette, then place veggies and meats on 1/2.  fold over and serve.

 

 

it never looks that appetizing, but as a quick and healthy meal, it tastes amazing!

 

Tuna Burger

While going through the pantry last week end, I found two cans of salmon,  I knew they had been kicking around for a while, but when I checked the date, and saw "best by July 2011" I thought it might be better to chuck the fish, than to risk eating it.

All is not lost because the cans of salmon inspired me to try a recipe that I found on a similar can of salmon, salmon burgers.  As the title of this post already spoiled, I made burgers with tuna.  It was really easy.  Just drained a can of tuna, mixed in mayonaise, then bread crumbs until the concoction was a good consistency to shape into a patty.  Fry it, serve it on a bun, SUCCESS!

Give it a try, loyal bloggists.  And check in tomorrow for Rula's, Part II.

Meatballs

I have been, most recently, making one of my old standbys; meatballs.  Take a:
                pound of lean ground beef
                1 large egg
                1/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumbs
                3 Tablespoons of grated Parmesan cheese
                1/4 teaspoon salt
                1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a medium bowl mix the beef, egg, crumbs, cheese, salt and pepper and then form into 16 meatballs.
Cook in a skillet.  When they are done, add in a can of tomatoes, some garlic, what ever sounds good.
Serve with egg noodles.

Quick and easy and best of all, delicious.

A Product We Love

after a workout, or for a quick lunch when the work day doesn't really offer any time for lunch, premier chocolate protein shakes are a product we love.  they come packed full of 30 grams of protein, which is just what your body needs after a workout (remember, 30 grams of protein within 30 minutes for optimal recovery) and they taste good!  i've tried other premade protein shakes, as well as many different powdered proteins added to milk, and these are definitely at the top of the list for flavor.  they don't have a chemical aftertaste that some of the others have.  i started following Happy Being Healthy, and she thinks premier products are great too.  in fact, she's going to be giving some away, keep reading...

here is a snapshot of some of their other products.  i look forward to trying the vanilla shakes.  i'm not huge into protein bars, but the reviews on these are pretty good.  and again, 30 grams of protein per bar would make them filling and a great on-the-go meal.  if you'd like to win everything in the picture above (2 chocolate shakes, 2 vanilla shakes, and 6 protein bars), check out Happy Being Healthy's wesite here and enter the giveaway!

Taco Cupcakes

looking for a new twist on tacos?  these are a big hit.  a big hit in a small package.  taco cupcakes are a favorite at our house, because mr d is always craving mexican, and this is a healthy alternative to using taco shells or tortillas, but is more exciting than using lettuce leaves.  you'll have to excuse the picture.  i didn't plan on posting this picutre, but it's come to my attention that someone out there needs a good taco recipe.  i originally got the recipe from here http://www.emilybites.com/2011/08/taco-cupcakes.html (you'll want to visit her site if only to see how much better her pictures are!)  but i made some adjustments to the recipe based on what i had on hand, and to make it even more healthy by swapping out the beef for turkey.

Taco Cupcakes

1 lb ground turkey

2 Tbsp taco seasoning

1 can black beans

24 wonton wrappers

1 c salsa

1 c cheese

Preheat oven to 375.  Brown turkey in a skillet and add black beans when the turkey is cooked thru.  Spray a muffin tin with cooking spray.  Place a wonton wrapper in each muffin cup, top with a spoonful of turkey mixture and a spoonful of salsa.  Top with another wonton wrapper, another spoonful of turkey mixture, andother spoonful of salsa, and a pinch of cheese.  Bake for 20 mins.  Let cool for 5 mins, top with your favorite taco toppings, and enjoy!

i topped mine with guacomole and sour cream.  mr d kept his healthy and topped only with shredded lettuce.  also, i used a can of black beans that also had jalapenos for an extra kick of flavor.  i have made these multiple times, and each time they turned out awesome.  a quick dinner with a lot of flavor that is easy to make and healthy is always a winner!  

Healthy Blackberry Cheesecake

yes, you read that right, this is a healthy cheesecake.  a dessert that has protein, is low fat, and low sugar.  and it's good!  if you are like us and are trying to eat healthy but still want to indulge your sweet tooth, this is an awesome cheesecake that seriously compares to restaurant quality.  the recipe comes from bill phillips, in the eating for life cookbook that goes along with the body for life diet.  bill phillips makes a strawberry cheesecake, but we got lots of blackberries from bountiful baskets, and really any fruit is a great topping to cheesecake.

Blackberry Cheesecake

1 c non-fat cottage cheese

1 Tbsp vanilla

3 Tbsp Spelnda

12 oz non-fat cream cheese, softened

1 c egg substitute

1 graham cracker crust

1 c blackberries

Pre-heat oven to 350.  Blend cottage cheese in blender until smooth, scraping down sides if necessary.  Add vanilla and Splenda and blend for 15 seconds.  Add cream cheese and blend for 30 seconds.  Gradually add the egg substitute and continue blending until the mixture is smooth.  Pour into the graham cracker crust and bake at 350 for 35 mins.  Let cool for 15 mins.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours before serving.  When ready to eat, top with berries and enjoy!

if you are making this completely healthy, just top with fresh berries.  i was in the mood for something more exciting, so i made a blackberry topping by mixing the berries with 1/8 cup sugar and a tablespoon of water in a saucepan and cooking until the juices were thick and syrupy.

if you're going to make a similar topping, be careful not to cook it too long or the berries will become mush.  this pic is after about 5 mins, i love that you can see it boiling, but the camera lens would steam up before i could snap a good shot.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

every once in a while i crave a good chicken salad sandwich.  and it's such a simple dish, i really should make it more often.  this week, i wasn't craving the salad as much as i was craving some homemade bread.  but if i made bread, i'd need something good to eat with it to make sure it got eaten and wasn't a wasted effort.  and so, the idea to have chicken salad sandwiches for dinner this week was born.  i've tried several recipes for chicken salad, and i've come to the conclusion that you can pretty much put whatever you want in it!  so i decided to use this recipe for the general idea, http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/05/chicken-salad-the-way-i-like-it/, but then i made modifications based on what i like and what we had on hand.  (i omitted the dill, because yuck, and i didn't have a lemon, so that was out, i wasn't in the mood for almonds, so they were out, and i replced the half and half with skim milk because 1, that's what we had, but 2, because it's lower in fat!)  overall, i thought this was a really good chicken salad, and i like that with the addition of the greek yogurt, it's healthier than other versions i've seen and tried.

Chicken Salad Sandwich

2 c chicken, cooked and shredded

2 stalks celery, diced

3 green onions, diced

2 c grapes, chopped

1/4 c mayonnaise

1/4 c plain greek yogurt

1/4 c milk

1 Tbsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl, combine chicken, celery, green onions and grapes.  In a second bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  When the flavor of the dressing is just right, pour over chicken mixture and mix well.  Chill before serving.

yes, that picture is of a 1/2 eaten sandwich on a napkin on my desk at work.  but i wanted to be sure and get a picture!  the bread is a homemade honey grain.  i inherited a new bread maker a few weeks ago, so it was easy peasy to make this delicious bread from scratch.  the recipe came in the instruction booklet, but the ingredients include:  water, butter, honey, salt, bread flour, wheat flour and oatmeal.  yum!