You say potato..

I say BAKED POTATOES OLE!!
The Hub and I are both potato fiends, there is no denying that - and I think the potato gets a bad rap, personally... The humble potato isn't just a dangerous carb bomb waiting to explode and leave you reaching for your stretchy pants - that is just not true at all!!
What can a potato offer? How about half your rec. daily Vitamin C intake? Loads of Potassium (take that, banana!) and fiber too? Yep - it is in there... (eat the skin please!)

And potatoes really aren't the calorie-cow people assume (How many people remember their moms doing baked potato diets when they were younger? Funny how perceptions change, eh?)

So when we do have baked potatoes, I like to make them the star of the show and do a toppings bar so everyone can have what best suits their needs and wants.
Last night was my "famous" baked potatoes ole - with Mexican themed topping selections and lean ground turkey spiced with cayenne, garlic, and cumin on top of the 'taters. The Hub went for light sour cream, shredded cheddar, and jalapenos on top of his turkey-covered potato; while I chose lots of spicy salsa and a measured tablespoon of light sour cream as well..
Mmmmmm... I love you potato...

Poll -Good or Gross?

Researching "healthy alternatives" to some of my biggest junk foodie weakenesses, I came across this recipe from Hungry Girl for "fries" and my first thought was "Yum!"

But let's get real - do you actually think it would work and turn out "french frie-y" - or would it be like roasted squash? What might make the difference?
Is it worth a try, or should I just drive on - What do you think?

Use what you have entertaining!

My fabulous friend MG came over for a little HH at Home last night, and I mixed up some martinis (duh - that is like second nature now - VICTORY, I have succeeded in making the cocktail hour come alive again!) and decided to skip the store and use what I had at home to make some munchies to accompany our drinkys..
Apples have been on sale for a song all over the place lately (hello Target and your free apple opportunities) so I cut up an apple, half of a giant cucumber, some sharp cheddar (2% even, what a healthy snack!) and grabbed some tortilla chips... I piled it all around a container of Spinach Artichoke dip that I had in the freezer and TAAAAH DAAAAA! - Quick, healthy, yummy, and affordable!!

It was perfect... I would have set it outside for some quality patio time, but alas, the wind was a whippin' like crazy right then!! Oh well - you can't control the weather, right?

Sneaky Veggies + healthy family

The Hub doesn't really "do" veggies... not the ones that are really good for you anyway. So I have to sneak things in sometimes. For instance, you can obviously see the zucchini here on my plate (above) from last night's spaghetti. HOWEVER, The Hub would never eat that - but what he doesn't know is that all of those flecks of green in the sauce are not basil, most are actually the finely chopped fresh spinach I tossed into the sauce along with browned lean ground turkey, a bit of basil, and some crushed red pepper. HA HA, Take that Mr. Picky Eater Man!!

Just toss the spinach in OFF of the heat and right before serving, otherwise it starts to give up a lot of water and can make the sauce too watery.

(Incidentally, mine with the zucchini was DELICIOUS, and adding veggies cuts down on the amount of actual pasta I am eating...)

Grilled Chicken Ceasar Salad

Nothing fancy here, kids - this is just old faithful b/s chicken breast that I seasoned with olive oil and Herbs De Provence and grilled on my beloved Patio Caddie. I used a light ceasar bottled dressing, and tossed iceburg lettuce, jullianned carrots, and slices of roasted peppers that I defrosted from my freezer to pump up the nutrition... and a bit of parmasan cheese for salty goodness, of course! It may be simple, but I love, love, LOVE grilled chicken... it is so flavorful and yummy!!!

Cinco De Mayo! Shredded Beef Tacos

I cooked a big chuck roast in the crock pot all day on Tuesday (with a bit of beef broth, some minced garlic, some thyme and some pepper) , and I reserved most of it for a traditional Pot Roast and roasted veggies meal later on in the week - but I shredded up a bit of it, mixed in a sprinkle of cumin, crushed red pepper flakes, and diced jalapeno and used that to top some corn tortillas I had baked until crispy. Each got a dusting of shredded cheddar and then got a toasting from the broiler. I cut them in half for easier eating and served with our favorite tex-mex toppings. Ole! (And hooray for dishes that do double duty!)

knocking off Steuben's (again)

Sunday was The Hub's birthday... I wanted to do something really special, so I made my "famous" (ok, just with my husband) knockoff version of Steuben's Skirt Steak. (I made it once before, here.. I made mine with flat-iron steak again, because I really do love that cut of beef, and because King Soopers had some really great looking ones when I went to pick my steaks.. in addition to a skirt steak, a flank would also work well for this (think any cut you would use for fajitas).

This time I maranaded it in lime juice, garlic powder, some adobo sauce, and a touch of red wine vinagar for about an hour before I cooked it. I cooked it on the indoor grill for 13 minutes and rested it for 5 in tightly wrapped tin foil before setting it on top of a pile of crispy shoestring fries and adding a generous pat of my chimmichuri compound butter, (this time with garlic, cumin, red pepper, and dried cilantro) to the top of the steak.. (OK, for the birthday boy I cheated and put a pat UNDER the meat as well, because his favorite thing at Steuben's is how the butter melts down on to the fries under his steak).

I served it all with a glass of white wine in a tumbler for me, and a couple ponies of the "Champagne of Beers" for him - just to up the Steuben's vibe a bit. He loved it and got one of his favorite restaurant meals on a shoestring (french fry, that is) budget!