Monday, January 25, 2016

The perfect winter dish...

I love casseroles, total comfort food. I also love potatoes, you could probably do anything to a potato and would still eat it! Ha, ha! French fry, bake, mash, so versatile, so yummy...creamy, dreamy potato.

After eating the scalloped potatoes at the LaJolla Marriott, quite a few times now, I decided it was time to attempt them at home. As usual, I scoured the Internet, Pinterest, YouTube. I came across the best scallop potato recipe. Very rich and creamy with a golden topping. Heaven on a plate I tell ya!

But, first things first, I had to buy the handy dandy, slicer, dicer, shredder, for my Kitchen Aid mixer, because I don't know how much time you have but I don't have the kinda a time it would take to slice potatoes for this dish! The slicer shredder attachment sliced me up a whole casserole dish of perfect potato slices in 2 minutes!! Someone at Kitchen Aid is a genius. Thank you.

So here it is:
Heavenly Cheesy Scalloped Potatoes:
Sorry not my pic,
I will replace as soon as I make them again,
I know I had a picture of mine but cannot find it!

4-5 potatoes, washed, peeled.
2 cups medium cheddar cheese.
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons onion-fine dice (so hubby doesn't know they are there)
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper

oven 350*

Slice the potatoes 1/8 inch thick, use the large slicer attachment on the KA mixer. Shred the cheese using the small shredder attachment, finer shred makes the cheese melt easier.
Melt the butter in a pan, saute onions in butter until translucent, maybe 4 minutes, add flour and mix until flour is incorporated into butter/onion mix, slowly add in milk, so your mix stays at a slow boil, turn heat down and add cheese and salt and pepper, once melted, remove from stove. Grease the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish, add one layer of potatoes, pour on some of the sauce to cover, layer more potatoes and top with sauce, add a little more grated cheese on top. Bake for 1 hour.
Remove from oven and let sit up about 15 minutes. Dig in to that creamy, dreamy dish.

With the help of the Kitchen Aid mixer this dish is just as easy as the scallop potatoes I have been making for years from a box. Well, those box days are over and it is just real potatoes from here on!

Sunday, January 17, 2016

Scrapbooking is my passion....

I thought I would share some of my favorite scrapbook pages I have made. I love scrapbooking, I love the travel involved, the weekend getaways, the search for the perfect paper or embellishment that pulls the photos all together...







This is the last page from my Scandinavian albums, I finished them just in time to start our new adventure,-British Isles and Ireland, we leave in May!
After we get back I will be scrapbooking that trip in 2016-2017, in 2018 we will embark on another adventure! Perhaps, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany! You never know where life will take us next!

Monday, January 11, 2016

Scrappin-Escapes

Got to go to San Diego for scrappin-escapes weekend! We had fun, about 85 scrappers! On saturday we all pooled some money and went in on the powerball! Wouldn't that have been fun to see us on the news winning the big one!! We put in 10.00 each and we did win some so they will roll it over for wednesday so there is still hope!

Christy cropping!

Me cropping!

Patti had fun little props to play with!




Wore the shirts I made!

christy, patti and me, oh I had to chop my hair off. It was dry and scraggly and I could not take it any longer!
Hope you had a fun weekend! If you want to have fun and scrapbook with a lot of fun gals, go here:
www.scrappinescapes.com

Wednesday, December 30, 2015

Salmon, Cricut, and 2016

Made an iron on with my cricut!

Gourmet meal! 

Highly recommend this crack!
I am having so much fun playing with my cricut explore air machine, this baby can do everything!
Tried out the iron on stuff using a pre-made design, but I am now off and running and making my own designs now!

I took a tamale making class (will blog on that another time) at Sur La Table, while on break I bought this rub for my salmon dinners.
Last night I made the most amazing dinner using it. I made salmon, rice pilaf, and oven roasted asparagus with lemon pepper. I kid you not, it was better than any gourmet meal at a fancy restaurant!! We cleaned our plates! Even the hubby loved it and he is not a big salmon fan.

Happy 2016!!

https://img.evbuc.com/http%3A%2F%2Fcdn.evbuc.com%2Fimages%2F15816144%2F82507907569%2F1%2Foriginal.jpg?rect=229%2C132%2C582%2C291&s=b2aabe6435d3db568c52139f2d9a989d (460×230)
The Monkey is the ninth sign in Chinese astrology. Number “9” is associated with ambition, activity, smartness, mischief and adventure.

I want to wish all my friends and family a wonderful 2016!
I hope you are healthy and happy all year long.
Peace and love to you all,
Jackie 

Tuesday, December 22, 2015

Merry Christmas...

I wanted to share one of my favorite, favorite, never get tired of hearing Christmas songs...
Kenny Loggins, Celebrate me home.
I love this video that goes with it, because more than ever we need to support our soldiers who keep us safe and free to live in America! Thank you for your service and I hope you all can celebrate Christmas with your loved ones, Merry Christmas everyone!

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Vegas Day, Penguins, and Lobster!

This is the tale of Christmas in Vegas...


It starts out with me and my reflection in a Christmas ball on the tree located at the four seasons hotel...



the four seasons had a display, a tiny little gingerbread town, that was all....



now the bellagio goes all out with their display, a rocking horse just the size for the jolly green giant!

They had  Top Gun Tom Cruise penguin getting the cold shoulder from Kelly Gillis penguin...

The first family penguins taking a stroll with secret service penguin following close behind...

The secret service always on the job...

even Adele the penguin showed up to sing carols!

Boys to men penguins...

the coca-cola bear was there, we think he had a little too much eggnog, goofy bear!

Kim K penguin, the paparazzi was going crazy getting her picture!

The people trapped in the globe, we tried to hang out long enough to see them get their feeding...

the joker arrived...

the flag was flying...

I had the lobster omelet, fabulous, Tanya had banana foster waffle...

the bears were dancing...


Bellagio flowers, looked like jellyfish...

last but not least this Christmas pooch, what cutie pie!
Merry Christmas everyone!

Thursday, December 10, 2015

It's chilly out, time for Chowder!

I love clam chowder, it is always available on Fridays anywhere in this town (Vegas Baby!)
Some are good, some are better, you just find the one that is right for you and it is always on the soup menu!
I always thought it was hard to make so I never attempted it, until now. Gotta thank pinterest for this one, not sure which blog to give credit to as I went to so many before printing one out and then could not find the source again! Ugh! It is so easy to get lost in the Internet!

Give this one a try, was a quick easy dinner, I served it with sourdough rolls, gotta have sourdough with clam chowder! Oh and a glass of Riesling. Next time I am going to serve some shrimp cocktails with it as well.

INGREDIENTS:

  • 8-10 bacon strips, divided
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • 2 celery pieces, chopped
  • 1 leek, finely chopped
  • 1 large onion, chopped
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 3-4 small potatoes, peeled and cubed
  • 1 cup broth
  • 1 bottle (8 ounces) clam juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
  • 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups fat-free half-and-half, divided
  • 3 cans (6-1/2 ounces each) of whole clams, undrained, chop into chunky pieces
  • Bay leaf
  • Chopped fresh chives or green onions, for garnish
1. In a Dutch oven, cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove to paper towels to drain; set aside. In the butter, saute celery, leek, onion in the drippings until tender. Add garlic; cook 1 minute longer. Stir in the potatoes, broth, clam juice, salt, pepper and thyme. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 15-20 minutes or until potatoes are tender.
2. In a small bowl, combine flour and 1 cup half-and-half until smooth. Gradually stir into the soup. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened.
3. Stir in clams and remaining half-and-half; heat through (do not boil); turn down to low heat; add the bay leaf. Add 4 strips of bacon (crumbled).
4. Crumble the reserved 2 strips of bacon. Garnish chowder with crumbled bacon and fresh chopped chives.