7 New Recipes

I have been unbelievably lazy about typing in and posting new recipes. I freely admit this and apologize for it. The truth is, this trend would undoubtedly have continued ad nauseum had I not faced relentless nagging from Mandi to get some of them typed in. So I did 7. Just do me a favor and act like that's a lot.

The new recipes are somewhat thematic . . 2 Piccatas, 2 shrimp dishes, et cetera. The Tilapia Piccata is one I would recommend were someone trying to, say, make dinner for a group of 4 or 5 friends. You know who you are. It's super easy, fast, and tastes very fancy. It's not, but they don't have to know that. The Shrimp and Couscous Jambalaya is another quick and easy one that will make you feel good about your cooking skills, even if you don't have any. If you can chop some veggies and remember to pre-boil the shrimp, you're in there. Finally, those trying to sneak extra vegetables into their kids' diets will appreciate the Beef, Cheese, and Noodle Bake. The trick is to put the onions and carrots into the food processor before cooking, causing them to essentially disappear into the sauce of the finished product. Consider omitting the small amount of ground nutmeg if your kids are particularly picky eaters. If they're not picky, can we trade?

10 New Recipes

For those who are interested, there are about 10 new recipes available on the site (since Monday). The Crispy Crusted Red Snapper recipe works well for a variety of similar fish choices (Tilapia or Catfish come to mind) and is really tasty. The Coconut and Beef Curry with Noodles was VERY spicy, but cutting the amount of curry paste back would accommodate your preferences and still yield a very tasty dish. Almond Chive Salmon is quick and easy and can be varied in many ways, such as substituting different herbs or nuts. The Banana Bread recipe came from a friend of ours from our restaurant days, and it's unbelievable. Even Avery eats it!

I added a new poll question today, so take a minute and give me your thoughts on it. Any comments on recipes you've tried are certainly welcome!

New Recipes Available

For those of you who are interested, I put 5 or 6 new recipes online this week that are all serious home runs. The Banana Bread recipe (without the oatmeal) is great. The Basil Roasted Vegetables over Couscous was on the menu at our wedding and has been a favorite ever since. It pairs really well with salmon (try the recipe with roasted cherry tomatoes for a complete wedding-day throwback). Chicken Linguine is one of our favorites for making and freezing, it tastes better after being frozen than it does made fresh. I put the pumpkin cheesecake recipe online because a dedicated reader told me the other day she was craving it. I don't expect her to make it, but I like to taunt. We tried the Steak with Peanut Sauce and Broccoli on Monday and absolutely loved it. I recommend serving that one over an aromatic rice, such as Basmati or Jasmine. Chicken Enchiladas with Salsa Verde is a Cooking Light recipe that is a favorite of ours. It's a little bit of a chore, so set aside some kid-free time to try it out, but it's definitely worth it and it also freezes well. The Cajun Shrimp Orecchiette, on the other hand, was super easy and the kiddos loved it . . just cut back the Cajun seasoning a little bit if you plan to feed it to them, you can always season it more at the table. And finally the Taco-Stuffed Pasta Shells, which were another great option for freezing. The best part about them is that Avery actually ate them and asked for more. Serve them with yellow rice.

There are a few more that I want to get online before this weekend, so keep checking back! If you have problems downloading any of the recipes, just leave me a comment and I'll get it resolved.

Enjoy!

Some New Elements

Good Lord, 2 posts in the same day . . what's gotten into me? It's just too hot to do yardwork today, honestly. Anyway, I just wanted to 'splain a few new items for my dedicated readers (I think there's more than one now).

First, I've fixed the mistake on the recipe list, the Penne with Sausage, Artichokes, and Sundried Tomatoes recipe should download correctly now. I will try to add some new recipes this weekend, we've had a couple of good new dishes lately and there's one more on tap for tonight.

Second, you'll notice a new link for the "Moss Creek Bluebird Trail". While the link currently leads nowhere, I plan to put together resources for the residents of our neighborhood to use as a guide for helping a large community of Eastern Bluebirds establish a strong presence in our backyards. So keep checking on it periodically, if you're interested. Eastern Bluebirds rely almost exclusively on man-made nestboxes, and they pay their human landlords back with their beautiful colors and sweet songs.

Finally, I've added a link to Daveramsey.com. Dave Ramsey is a radio talk-show host and author who Mandi and I have turned to for guidance in our financial struggles. We have dug ourselves out of a pretty big hole with a not-so-big shovel, as Dave would say, and in the future I plan to add helpful "Personal Finance Primer" page to the website as an additional resource. Dads, if you're going to be the Chief Family Officer, being smart with money is essential! I'm not Dave Ramsey, but I can summarize, offer personal stories and advice, and help Dad's win with money. Ironically, Dave's show is not on the air in Charlotte, a fact due in large part (I'm sure) to the fact that the big banks run the city and they don't want anybody bad-mouthing their credit cards. I listen on XM Radio, and I get a podcast every day on iTunes which I usually listen to at the gym or while I'm mowing the lawn/weeds. I recommend Dave highly, not that he needs it.

So keep reading, I'll be adding more items all the time.