Just. Breathe.

I'm going to have to rename the series to "Tasty Some Random Day of the Week" if I keep this up. For whatever reason, I want to do the cooking ON Tuesday, and then I don't have time to write it up the same evening. I need a different strategy. Whatever. So I made this last week and skipped the post until today. You're welcome. And apparently I'm on a shrimp kick on Tuesdays. For you shrimp/fish haters, hang in there and eventually I'll write about something else.  This was honestly the easiest meal. You could make it with chicken instead of shrimp, but the combination here was really, really good. Check out the easy ingredients:    Peeled shrimp (or cubed chicken), EVOO, chili powder, salt and pepper, and chorizo sausage. I know, the sausage looks like it doesn't belong, but trust me that the flavor it gives the shrimp is divine.    Just brush the shrimp with the olive oil, then sprinkle the chili powder and salt and pepper. Toss it around...

It's not news that there are things about Facebook that aren't ideal. You hear all kinds of crazy stories of people getting ripped off and identities stolen, etc. Who knows if they're true. But one thing Facebook does really well -- reconnects old friends who would have very little chance of renewing a friendship otherwise. It has been fun catching up online, but the in-person meetings are my favorite! A few months ago, I met up with a friend from 8th grade -- we'd literally not seen each other since then. Different high schools, colleges, lives... This girl just makes me laugh. I got to see her last weekend when I went to visit my mom. And this came out of it: My friend has a shop that sells lovely things. She's closed on Saturdays, but we got a special opening just for us! I scored a nice Washington state chardonnay, and this notepad. I have a fetish for paper. THIS paper just makes me happy. Look inside: My brother-in-law said it was like a fancy Bi...

In lieu of a recipe posting today, I've got some random kitchen stuff to share. Let's see where this goes. Mesquite Country Seasoning - I discovered this seasoning mix at a home show last year. I had been looking for flavor with no sugar or MSG or any of that stuff that's bad for you. I use this almost every time I roast vegetables - it's spicy but not over-the-top - and I've tried it on everything from chicken to pork. I'm running low so I either need to go to another home show or get online . Iced coffee - Pioneer Woman has this recipe that I thought was ridiculous and too much trouble. I didn't try it until a few weeks ago, and now I don't ever want to run out. I use her process, with 4 ounces of coffee and 2 quarts of water (less than she makes at a time). I tried a recipe out of the newspaper last week and it was a disaster. So I'm sticking with her recipe. Thanks, PW! Mrs. Meyers cleaning products -- BASIL scent! This one is still ha...

I know it's Wednesday -- I've been technically challenged this week and couldn't get this to post! Oh, and I procrastinated a bit... I've written about this place before : I found a new spice mix there that I used to make these beauties: It's the "Coastal Blend" and it is light and lemony and garlicky and all the good things that shrimp needs. And very, very easy. I put about a dozen cleaned shrimp into a Ziploc bag and added about 2 tablespoons of olive oil. Mixed that around to coat the shrimp, then sprinkled in about 2 teaspoons of the spice. Tossed the shrimp in the bag and took a look -- they all had visible spices on them, so I decided that was enough. (Like how exact I am?) Then I added a couple of teaspoons of lime juice and let the shrimp sit until the grill was hot. This time, I just put them in a grill basket. So metimes I'll skewer them, but was too lazy to work that hard. About 7 minutes on the grill, tossing them around a b...

Seriously, people, somebody help me with these blog titles. I'm only using days of the week to try to force some structure on myself, but this is going to be boring really quick. Okay, moving on to the topic. This month, I finally was able to start running again after injuring my foot. I'm now in in week three of fairly consistent workouts. Go me! Running in Texas in the summer is an iffy proposition. Either you have to get up before dawn, run after dark, or find a treadmill inside. I don't have a treadmill, so that's out. RDub won't let me run after dark without the dog along, and he's a big baby. So, early morning it is. Yuck. And seriously, if you wait until 8am, it's too hot already. RDub and I tried running together a couple of times. 5:30am isn't as impossible for me as it was a few years ago, but it definitely isn't my favorite thing. But he needs to run, too, and before work is the only option. The first day was okay - got a couple of m...

This meal (and variations of it) has become one of our go-to, too-tired-to-really-cook meals. For a while, it was every Friday, then it started sneaking into Wednesdays, and I've been known to make it when I'm the only one around to eat it! When I was doing cookups every week, this skillet dinner became the best way to use up the chicken/beef/sausage as well as leftover veggies I'd cooked during the week. Before long, though, I'd gotten attached to the sausage I use almost all the time now -- it's "close" to Paleo (sausage has a tiny bit of sugar in it). The variations are almost endless -- so let's get to it. What you need: Already looks complicated, doesn't it?   Favorite frozen vegetables - I use sugar snap peas and California blend Cooked meat(s) - tonight it was my beloved Andouille sausage and some frozen shrimp EVOO Minced garlic Favorite spices or spice mix -- I use a mesquite blend with a little kick Heat the oil and add the...

Other than the color, eggplant is not one of those vegetables I'd expect to like. It's weirdly shaped, and I've really only eaten it in restaurants. I've tried cooking it myself and never liked how it turned out. That changed a couple of weeks ago, and to prove it wasn't a fluke, I made this eggplant recipe again. I know it's not for everyone, but if you'd like to try, just get your grill ready. Grilled Eggplant with sun-dried tomato vinaigrette (from Weber's New Real Grilling )     What you'll need: For the vinaigrette: 4 sun-dried tomato halves, packed in oil, minced 2 Tbls balsamic vinegar 1 Tbls shallot, minced 1 tsp honey 1 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt 1/8 tsp pepper 1/3 cup olive oil Whisk the vinaigrette ingredients together, excluding the olive oil. When they're mixed, drizzle the olive oil in a steady stream, whisking constantly. Set aside. For the eggplant: Slice into 1/2 inch slices. Brush both sides wi...