Our Blissfully Delicious Life

There's no place like home. Or an old fashioned family dinner, southern style!

We're been in FL for the past week on vacation. First, we went to Tallahassee for my brother's wedding. It was a traditional, Hindu wedding. We had 3 days of Indian celebration & food- it was fabulous! Hands down, one of the best weddings that I have ever attended. And I'm not just saying that because it was my brother's wedding! My new sister in law's family & friends were so hospitable & fun. I loved learning all of their traditions & had such a great time celebrating my brother & Vandna's marriage. We got to try lots of delicious (and spicy!) Indian food too. It was a great experience, I'm so happy we were able to spend the weekend with them. After the wedding festivities commenced, we headed to Orlando for a few days at Disney & visiting with my best friend & John's sister's family. It was a wonderful vacation & we had a great time with our family & friends. But after being gone for a week & eating out for every meal we were desperate for a real home cooked meal! So the first Sunday we were home I cooked an old fashioned, Sunday Dinner.

Classic Deviled Eggs

Herb Roasted Chicken

Old Fashioned Dressing (or Stuffing)

Collard Greens

and (not pictured) Mashed Red Skinned Potatoes & Gravy.

The whole house smelled like Thanksgiving. It was wonderfully comforting & just what we had been craving. I don't know why we save meals like this for once or twice a year?!? Honestly, the last time I roasted a whole bird, made dressing & gravy- it WAS Thanksgiving!! Everything was so delicious, my husband ate himself into a comma! Recipe postings to follow. In the mean time, here are some pictures from our FL Trip. Enjoy! :)

Hannah's Henna Tattoo, from the Mehndi celebration

Me & my best friend, Sarah's, Henna tattoos

Hannah & her Uncle Michael (the groom)

Vandna (the bride) at the Manglik Prasango

Hannah ready for the wedding

Hannah & Uncle Michael

Celebrating Uncle Michael's arrival at the wedding!

Lots of dancing at this celebration!

During the wedding...

Hannah was the flower girl.

The happy couple

T-Rex in Downtown Disney, Orlando, FL

Rachel, Hannah & John

Our appetizer- Brachiosaurus Bruschetta. It was delish!

Hannah's favorite dinosaur, the baby Woolly Mammoth

Hannah & Aunt Sarah on the Dumbo ride in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World

Hannah & Daddy on the Tea Cups at the Mad Hatter's Tea Party!

And of course we had to see all the Princesses! Here is Aurora (Sleeping Beauty) & Hannah.

Cinderella & Hannah

Mickey & Minnie with Hannah

The whole family with Tiger & Pooh

Spaghetti with Garlic

This is one of those 'What's in the pantry?' types of dishes. We had been on vacation for a week, so on our first night home we were in desperate need of a quick & easy, home cooked meal. But of course, we were exhausted & didn't feel like going to the grocery store so I searched the pantry. I had bought a spaghetti measuring tool while we were in Italy at Disney's Epcot park in Orlando, FL so I thought of this simple, but delicious dish. It was perfect!

Ingredients: (For 2-3 servings)

1/2 lb Spaghetti

4-5 Garlic Cloves, minced

2-3 tbsp Olive Oil

1-2 tsp dried Parsley

Crushed Red Pepper Flakes (optional)

Freshly Grated Parmesan Cheese

Salt & Pepper

Directions:

Set out 1 large sauce pan to cook the pasta & 1 large skillet. Fill the sauce pan with water & bring to a boil.

Here is the beautiful spaghetti measuring tool that I bought on our trip. I thought it made a lovely souvenir! It's made out of olive wood, which I love!

Add the pasta to the boiling water & cook according to the package directions. Don't forget to add salt to the water!! You want to make sure you season the pasta well. While the pasta is cooking, add olive oil to the skillet, just enough to coat the bottom well (2-3 tbsp). Heat to medium heat & add the minced garlic.

Cook the garlic until golden, make sure not to burn or it will be bitter! You can add some crushed red pepper for heat, if you'd like too! Reduce heat to low.

When the pasta is al dente, add it directly from the pasta pot to the skillet with the garlic & olive oil. Don't drain with a colander. Reserve the pasta water, you will be using it later Using tongs, toss the spaghetti in the garlic & olive oil.

Add the dried parsley & a couple of ladles of the starchy pasta water & continue to toss. Like I said, we had been gone for a week so I didn't have any fresh herbs on hand. If you do, by all means use that instead of the dried! Use as much of the water as you need to coat the pasta. Taste & adjust the salt & pepper if needed. You can add a pat of butter at the very end to make it extra glossy too. Serve immediately with lots of freshly grated Parmesan cheese. Trust me & try this the next time you want a simple, quick but delicious pasta dish! You won't believe how good it is!

I thawed a couple of chicken breasts & sauteed them in a skillet to serve with the spaghetti. A simple green salad rounded out our meal- Yummmm! It was great to get home!

Pepperoni & Mozzarella Pizza Bites

Oh my gosh! I am so glad I came across this fabulous recipe the Noble Pig's blog. It is so quick & easy, I couldn't believe how fast it came together. These yummy little pizza bites are perfect for snacks, appetizers or a fun alternative in your little one's lunch box!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Flour

3/4 teaspoon Baking Powder

3/4 cup Milk

1 Egg, lightly beaten

4 ounces Mozzarella Cheese, shredded (about 1 cup)

4 ounces Pepperoni, cut into small cubes (about 1 cup)

Pizza Sauce (See ***Note)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease a 24cup mini muffin pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder.

Then whisk in the milk and egg.

Chop up the pepperoni & shred the cheese.

Add the chopped pepperoni & shredded cheese. Stir to incorporate, then let it sit for 10 minutes. While the batter is resting, make the pizza sauce in a small sauce pan. (See ***Note)

Stir the batter and divide among the mini-muffin cups.

Bake until puffed and golden, 20 to 25 minutes.

Yummy little pizza muffins!

Serve with the pizza sauce for dipping & watch these little treats disappear!

***Note: I Combined an 8 oz can of Tomato Sauce with 1 tsp of dried Italian Seasoning in a small sauce pan on low until heated.

Marinated & Grilled Chicken Kabobs

You are going to love this marinade! Cutting up the chicken & grilling kabob style insures that every little piece will soak up all the delicious flavors. Plus, it's fun to have the meat on skewers- you can serve them simply as they are, with hoagies to make a sandwich or on top of a green salad! These would be great for tailgating too! You can do all the prep at home & grill at the game!

Ingredients:
(For the Marinade)
1/3 cup Olive Oil
1/4 cup Red Wine Vinegar
3 tbsp Balsamic Vinegar
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/4 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Basil
1/4 tsp Rosemary
4-5 cloves of Garlic, minced
Salt & Pepper

2 Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into 1" pieces
Skewers

Directions:
Whisk together all the ingredients of the marinade.

I added a touch more Rosemary, just because we like it a lot.

Place the cut up chicken pieces into a large, resealable, plastic bag or casserole dish. Then pour the marinade all over it, make sure that all the pieces are evenly coated.

Marinate for as long as you can, I did it for 11 hours. I would do a minimum of 2 hours & up to 24. If you are using wood skewers, remember to soak them in water for an hour or so before grilling! After you have marinated the meat & soaked the skewers, make your kabobs. I pour it all into a casserole dish so the marinade can stay with the meat as long as possible. Try to get even sized pieces of chicken on each skewer so the meat cooks evenly. You can also make some veggie kabobs to go with these using onion, peppers, squash, zucchini, etc. But I wouldn't mix the meat with the veggies, especially when grilling chicken because the veggies & chicken don't cook for the same amount of time.

Grill your kabobs on direct, high heat for about 6-8 minutes, rotating on sides, until the meat is fully cooked.

This evening I served with my Pan Fried Gnocchi with Parmesan Cheese and Oven Roasted Broccoli, it was delish!

Buffalo Chicken Dip

Football season is officially here & this is one of our favorite football foods! We make this for tailgating or for snacking while watching games on tv. It's all the flavors of buffalo wings without all the mess!

Ingredients:
2 Boneless, Skinless, Chicken Breasts
1- 8oz Cream Cheese Block, softened
1/2 cup Blue Cheese Dressing
1/4 cup Buffalo Wing Sauce
1/2 cup Mozzarella Cheese, shredded
2-3 tbsp Blue Cheese Crumbles
1 small Carrot, finely chopped
1 stalk of Celery, finely chopped
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Roast the chicken breasts, drizzled with a little olive oil, salt & pepper for 30-35 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked. While the chicken is roasting, chop the veggies & saute in a small skillet with a little olive oil over medium/ low heat just until they are soft.

When the chicken is cool enough to touch, shred the chicken.

Add the shredded chicken to the pan with the celery & carrots, then add the wing sauce & stir to combine. We used Franks Hot sauce but use what ever is your favorite. Also, I never really measure the sauce, just add enough to coat the chicken & veggies well.