Mommy, They Look Like Fingers

That was my son's reaction when he saw these cooking in the pan. Well, to be more specific, my new oven safe Dutch Oven that Mr. Everyday got me for Christmas, that I am totally in love with!

Anyway, little man could see these cooking through the glass lid and asked "Mommy, what are you making? They look like fingers." I laughed and explained that he was right on the money since they were fingerling potatoes! And if you've ever seen them, you know what I'm talking about!

I actually found these in the store when I was on the hunt for some baby red potatoes, but couldn't find any I liked at a price I liked. These appeared to be something the store had gotten in for the holidays and were running on "special" to try to get rid of them since Christmas was over. I bought two packages, not knowing yet what I was going to do with them.

Now, back to this skillet I love so much! See, when I get something new in my kitchen I look for anything and everything I can cook in it. So, the day after Christmas (yeah, I didn't make it more than 24 hours without having to play with it!) I remembered those potatoes sitting in the crisper drawer and knew I could do something magical with them in my new pan. Sure, I could have just simply oven roasted them, but what fun would that have been?

If you're always on the hunt for new potato dishes, be sure to jot this one down, or Pin it. They are crispy on the outside, but tender and butter inside. And if you can't find fingerlings in your store, baby potatoes of any variety would work just as well. You just want something with the skin left on, so they can get browned and crisp.

Did you get any new kitchen "toys" for Christmas? If so, leave a comment telling me what they are! I can always add to my wish list for next year!

Pan Roasted Fingerling Potatoes

1 lb. yellow fingerling potatoes

2 TBS olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp. dried rosemary

1 tsp. dried thyme

2 tsp. dried parsley

Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large dutch oven or high sided skillet, cover potatoes with cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until just fork tender, about 5-7 minutes. Drain well. Wipe out pan. Heat oil over medium high heat. Add potatoes and seasonings. Stir to combine. Saute' until browned on all sides, stirring often, about 10-15 minutes. Garnish with extra parsley if desired.

Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 17, 2014

Soul Food Saturday #38

Good Morning! Are you starting to thaw out? Here in Indiana, anything above 0 is pretty much a heat wave! We had a few days and nights there when it was close to -45 with the windchill and the state basically shut down because of snow and the frigid cold. To take our minds off just how cold we are, Bekki is sharing something a little tropical, not to mention delicious, that can have us pretending it's summer and we're lying on a beach somewhere.

For some of us it's snowing, and others have sunshine with occasional showers. I say let's forget about that and have a salad that reminds us of warm weather and vacation time. I had this salad the first time when I worked for a local grocery store. It was a salad that was made fresh daily and always seemed to satisfy me. Imitation crab is a big player in this recipe. It's inexpensive and available basically anywhere. With a little celery, and even pineapple for a bit of sweetness. You're sure to please a crowd with this one. Grab some crackers or just a fork this one is perfectly versatile.

Crab and Pineapple Salad
1 lb. imitation crab
1 rib celery, sliced lengthwise and chopped
1 large green onion, chopped (green/white)
1/2 c. Pineapple, chopped
1/2 c. Cheddar jack cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Mayo
1 tsp. Granulated garlic
Salt and pepper to taste

In a large bowl add crab, celery, onion, pineapple and cheese. Toss to combine.  In a small bowl add mayo, garlic, salt and pepper. Mix to combine thoroughly. Taste for seasoning a adjustment. Add mayo to salad and mix to combine.

Meal Plan Jan 12- 17

*New Recipe
Links to Recipes on Blog

Sunday
Slow Cooker Beef Tips n Gravy*
Egg Noodles
Broccoli

Monday (Alex's Pick)
Fish Sticks
Mac n Cheese
Green Beans

Tuesday
White Castle Sliders
Steak Fries
Ranch Bacon Pasta Salad

Wednesday
Pork Chops
French Onion Rice*
Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Applesauce

Thursday
I'm taking my mom to the airport. We will have leftovers

Friday
Tomato, Ham and Bean Soup
Dinner Rolls

Our New Year

January 1, 2014. What was on your table that day? I know many of you are answering with pork, black eyed peas, collard greens...all those things that are supposed to bring you luck in the New Year. And honestly, most years those are the types of things that are on my table too; but not this year. Why? Simple. My hubby made a request for something a little different for our holiday meal; and was so excited when I obliged his request!

As most of you know, we spend the night before at home, as a family, eating from a huge buffet of appetizers all night long, while we wait for the ball to drop. And usually included in that array of yummy things is a shrimp ring. It's a must. Well, this year, Mr. Everyday asked since we were having so many other things, if we could skip the cocktail shrimp and wait until the next day to have shrimp instead....in a cream sauce...over pasta. Yes, he wanted me to take my tried and true Alfredo sauce recipe, add shrimp to it, and recreate one of his favorite pasta dishes of all time.

Now to be honest, if I didn't already have this easy, never fail sauce recipe, I might not have been so inclined. After all, it was a holiday and I deserved some down time, especially after preparing that huge buffet the night before. But I knew I could make him happy, and not have to put forth too much effort.

If you have tried my Alfredo sauce before, you'll be happy to know this is the same base recipe, just with a couple extra steps to add the shrimp. If you never have, and enjoy a good Alfredo sauce at your favorite Italian restaurant, I highly suggest you give this one a try! It's so easy, and tastes just like those you order out. (And if you don't groove on the shrimp, simply leave those out! It doesn't effect the sauce recipe at all!)

I hope you enjoyed something yummy on New Year's Day! If it was something traditional, maybe some good luck is headed your way! But for us, we went in the other direction and enjoyed something new and yummy that can easily be your supper tonight!

Easy Shrimp Fettuccine Alfredo

12 oz. bag frozen, small (60/80) shrimp, peeled, deveined, tail removed, thawed

2 c. heavy cream

1 stick, plus 2 TBS butter, divided

4 cloves garlic, minced, divided

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3/4 c. mozzarella cheese

2 TBS dried parsley, extra for garnish

1 lb. fettuccine

Salt and Pepper to taste

Cook pasta according to package directions. While it's cooking, in a large skillet heat 2 TBS butter over medium heat. Add shrimp and 2 cloves garlic. Cook, 5-7 minutes, stirring often, until shrimp are pink and cooked through. Melt 1 stick butter in medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add 2 cloves garlic, cream and black pepper to taste. Bring to a simmer stirring often. Add Parmesan and stir until well blended. Simmer 8-10 minutes until thickened. Add mozzarella and stir frequently until blended and smooth. Set aside but keep warm. Just before pasta is ready to drain, add shrimp to sauce. Add parsley. Stir to combine. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Drain pasta. Add to a large bowl. Pour sauce over. Mix well with tongs to coat. Garnish with extra parsley if desired. 

Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 10. 2014

Continued Resolution

Resolutions. Every new year people all over the world make lists of things they want to do in the next 12 months and vow, this time they will do them. Me? Well, I don't really believe in resolutions. Sure, every year I like to reflect. Like to look back on the past year and find things in my life and about myself I can improve on. Ways I can try each day to be just a little bit better than I was before. But I think making a set list of resolutions is just setting oneself up for failure and to feel guilty when they don't happen.

However, since I began blogging, I have tried to come up with a foodie resolution for EMM. Two years ago, it was at least one new recipe every week. And actually, I continued with that this previous year, even though I made a new goal for 2013. Last year, I decided to go back and "re-blog" many of the recipes I posted here when it was just my mom and husband reading. Share them again, take better (or even first time) photos, and have them be brand new again. Well, for this year, I've decided to take both of my previous foodie resolutions, continue them in 2014, and keep both alive. So, this year, I'm going to stick to at least one new recipe per week (some weeks more!) and still go back through the archives and find those sad, forgotten recipes that deserve to be in the spotlight again.

So, to kick things off right, I've chosen one of our all time favorite soups, and something I shared here for the first time January 21, 2011! Hard to believe almost 3 years ago!

It's the perfect feel good, taste good, absolutely delicious meal at the end of a cold, blustery day! If you've ever had the cheesy potato soup at Bob Evans, this will remind you a lot of it! In fact, that's why this recipe came to be. My husband has loved that soup since back in the day when his wife, then girlfriend, was a waitress there and use to sneak him bowls of it when he would come and visit her!

Put this on in the morning before work, come home and finish it off when you're dog tired, and your family will be so happy you did! And if you're someone who makes resolutions every year, and sticks to them, my hat is off to you. For me, I will just stick to making me a better me than before, and sharing yummy new, and somewhat new recipes!

Crock Pot Cheddar Potato Soup

32 oz. bag frozen diced potatoes

1/2 c. chopped onion

1 medium stalk celery, diced

2 (14 oz.)cans chicken broth

1 c. water

3 TBS flour

1 c. milk

3 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Salt and Pepper to taste

Real bacon bits

Chopped Green Onions

In Crock Pot, mix potatoes, onion, celery, broth, salt, pepper and water. Cover and cook on low 6-8 hours. Lightly mash potatoes with fork or potato masher. In small bowl, mix flour into milk; stir into potato mixture. Increase heat setting to high. Cover, cook 20-30 minutes or until mixture thickens. Stir in cheese until melted. Garnish individual servings with bacon and green onions.

Shared on The Country Cook Jan. 10., 2014