"Grown Up Grilled Cheese"

(This was aptly named by my husband when I concocted them last week.)

I was struggling, yet again, with our weekly menu. I guess I'm feeling the pressure of actually posting what I'm cooking to the two of you reading this little blog. (Thanks again you two!!) And then it came to mind... I don't know about you but there is nothing better on a lazy, chilly week night than tomato soup & a grilled cheese! It's cheep was cheep, easy and reminds me of my childhood. I had remembered seeing on the Food Network some pretty fancy grilled cheeses. I had some applewood smoked bacon in the fridge (bacon is good with everything) and it just came together! Sorry I didn't take an ingredients picture, I realized how awesome these were going to be after I had gotten started.

What you'll need:
8 slices of loaf bread
12 slices gruyere cheese
10 slices applewood smoked bacon (2 are for munching on while assembling or for your spouse to grab on the sly)
1 large onion, sliced
Mayo
Butter (softened not melted)

**This recipe will make 4 sandwiches.

Start by putting a hearty pat of butter in a med skillet on med-high heat. Once melted, add your onion & add a pinch of salt.

Let them cook down until caramelized. Really cook the mess out of them! You want them soft and browned.

Cook the bacon on a rimmed bacon sheet at 400 for 20 mins flipping half way through. Once done, transfer bacon to a paper plate with paper towels to drain and crisp up.

Now it's time to assemble!
1. Spread mayo on bread
2. Add caramelized onion
3. Place bacon on top of onions
4. Top with 3 slices of cheese
5. Close up sammich

Lightly butter outside of bread & toast in a skillet or on griddle on med-low until beautifully golden brown. Y.U.M!

I found a delicious organic roasted red pepper tomato soup at the grocery... I wish I could have taken credit for the soup but Pacific got it right so I've got give credit where credit is due!

Hope you enjoy!

XOXO

Changing Christmas 2012

This year we have decided to celebrate Christmas a little differently this year around Casa Team Carver... okay, a lot differently! To explain our decision, I feel the urge to give a quick peek into our families lives. I don't know if it's the guilt creeping in or the fear/anxiety of what's to come this holiday season...

I honestly enjoy shopping for Christmas presents for the people I love. I like bundling up in my scarf & boots and trucking through town from store to store searching for that personal gift for my husband or mama or niece or Godchildren or whomever is on my mile long list of gift getter's. I would bring home the presents, bust out the Christmas wrap, pour me a glass of wine and sit by the Christmas tree wrapping presents for hours. I love bringing joy to my family. Last year, my husband, sister & brother-in-law surprised my sweet mama with a new TV. The emotion she uncontrollably released when she tore into the "big gift" was priceless. She started bawling... like sobbing... all over a TV. A TV that we have sitting in our house, my sister has & pretty much everyone I know. It wasn't a plasma or 3D or 52 inches but it was just a regular Vizio. It was an awesome feeling & it's hard to imagine what Christmas will be like this year with NO PRESENTS!

Besides the emotional response like my mama's last year, the genuine excitement of gifts has become few and far between... the spirit Christmas has started dwindling rapidly for me. Please don't misinterpret as me being a scrooge or not in the Christmas spirit this year. It's not like that at all. I remember for the past couple of years, sitting & admiring our Christmas tree and as I would look at all the boxes, bags & bows (literally spilling out half way across our den floor) having this feeling of "This isn't right. I don't think this is what this is suppose to look like..." Which brings me to "Changing Christmas 2012".

I give thanks to God regularly for the financial well-being our families have. We all have jobs and food on the table. I don't know of any of our relatives that are in a financial bind or are doing without. I'm not saying any of us are rich by any means nor am I bragging but just simply saying that we are blessed. So what it seems that gift giving has come down to is swapping money. I'll get you a picture frame & you'll get me a sweater. Or better yet, let's just give each other a $25 gift card to Target or the mall. What's the point? Do you truly need that picture frame? Do I really need to go spend $25 at Target? My honest answer is no, no we don't. (I feel like I sound like a bad person!! That sounds terrible right?? I know it does. Black & white can be brutally honest.) So back to our plan... 

This year J & I have asked our loving family for no gifts this Christmas & delicately explained (well, J delicately explained) that we will not be giving gifts to friends or family. Instead, we are donating!!  We are giving from our family to another. We are so excited about this change of Christmas tradition! We haven't quite decided how much or which organizations yet but we do know that it will go to someone or something that needs it more that we do. Isn't this the true meaning of CHRISTmas after all? Being selfless & giving to those in need? We're going to give a try & see how it all works out. I'll let you know! Please say a pray for us to make this a positive experience that leads to good things. That would be a great gift... pray for us. It's free & there's no waiting in line.

XOXO

Sick & Saucy

Last week, Jason & I were both sick with sinus's and just completely worthless. The worthlessness is partly due to being under the weather & partly due to our free 30 day Netflix trial. We are 100% addicted to Breaking Bad and have a lot to catch up on... "I mean 'ey, priorities Jack"! (We're also addicted to Duck Dynasty if you can't tell. Man, I love Si!)  Now that I have thoroughly justified by lazy ways, on to the menu!

Jason helped me out last week by find a couple of great recipes. I was running low on ideas because let's face it... cooking the same ol' same ol' gets old quick. I fixed the chicken with caper sauce & decided this is the one I wanted to blog since we loved it so much. Anybody that thinks a recipe's going to be bad when it starts with cooking the meat in butter is a nut! But I digress...

Here is the link to the recipe Jason found on AllRecipes but I put it below too with a couple tweaks I recommend. I also made rice & broccoli for the sides instead of the pasta it showed in the picture.

• What you'll need:
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
• 1 teaspoon lemon pepper
• 1 teaspoon salt (I will omit this next time & add later if needed)
• 1 teaspoon dried dill weed
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup whipping cream (I used more like 3/4 cup)
• 2 tablespoons capers, drained and rinsed (Be sure to rinse!! I didn't & yowza!)

Directions

1. Season chicken breasts with lemon pepper, salt, dill weed, and garlic powder.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Place breasts in skillet, and increase heat to medium-high. Turn chicken frequently, until brown, about 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook 5 to 7 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Remove chicken to a warm serving platter, and cover with foil.

3. Return skillet to stove, and increase heat to high. Whisk in whipping cream, whisking continuously until     reduced to sauce consistency, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in capers. Pour sauce over chicken, and serve.

Caper Cream Sauce... YUM!

** Cook your rice in low sodium chicken stock instead of water. It's amazing the flavor it will have! 

XOXO

Pecan Pie (Say it with me... P-can!)

I have been trying to think of which super nutritious item to blog first for a few days now. Well folks, it finally hit me... Pecan Pie!! Yummy, gooey, delicious pie! It doesn't get much more southern than that. 

What you'll need:
1 cup Karo syrup (I like dark but the light is good too)
1 cup sugar
3 eggs
2 tbls butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 frozen 9" deep dish pie shell
1 cup pecans (halves)

In a medium size bowl, you'll combine the 1st 5 ingredients but WAIT here's a little trick for the syrup. Spray your measuring cup with Pam before measuring the syrup! The sticky syrup will gloriously pour right out with no messy scraping or spatula needed. (This also works well with honey.)

         

Pour that silky goodness into the frozen pie crust & place on a baking sheet. The baking sheet will save your oven if the pie is too full & bubbles over.             

This next step is an OCD trait of mine because I love pretty pies. Please people, don't chop up your pecans. Take the extra couple of minutes & display those beautiful nuts in a way to be admired! I cannot stand a pecan pie that's all jibbled up randomness!

         

Now it's time to bake! Place it on the middle oven rack & bake at 350 for 55 - 60 mins & let the magic happen.

Remove from the oven & let cool completely. I always make my pecan pies the night before so they can set up. If you cut it while it's warm, all the gooey inside is going to run everywhere & destroy your pie. Have some patience people!

I have used this recipe for years but it's no secret... it's actually quite obvious! Let me know if you find it! :)

...XOXO

The Great American Carver Cafe

This started out a long time ago as a silly weekly email to my husband, Jason. He works retail and I have bankers hours, therefore many days we seem to be passing each other. (Oh what I'd give for that man to come home to a hot, home cooked meal every night!) So I email him what I am thinking about cooking for the week before I head out to the grocery after work. This has become tradition. I figure that since he has to eat leftovers then I want them to be something that he will enjoy.

I have recently started posting Team Carver's weekly menu's on Instagram & Facebook and have had an overwhelming response from family & friends to do something with it. I have had this blog for a couple of years & as you (as in the two of you that have read it) can see... I have never really done anything with it so here is what I plan on doing. Here is this weeks menu for example...

I will post our weekly menu then show you a couple of the recipes I cooked & how to cook it. WARNING! I am NOT a professional, I am a southerner. (As a matter of fact, I lovingly prepared last weeks Fried Ravioli with Chorizo Brussel Sprouts & it was an epic fail. It was edible but Jason asked me to never cook that again. Ha ha ha! I know that when he stares at his plate & doesn't say a word that it was not my best work. Sorry love!) I get 99% of my recipes online or from family.

So what better time to start, yet another foodie blog, than 2 days before the holiday that allows us Americans to celebrate it by stuffing our bellies for 4 consecutive days?? I personally can't think of anything more appropriate! Here we go & Happy Thanksgiving!!

Answered prayers...

I just noticed that it has been WELL over a year since I have blogged & a year since the last so here is apparently my annual blog! 2012 has been a wonderful year so far for Team Carver. No, I'm not pregnant... but we have had people come into our lives this year that have certainly been a welcomed blessing.
My husbands New Year's resolution this year was for us to become more social & active in our community. I was skeptical due to my shyness with meeting new people & we live in Albany, which just so happened to be the Murder Capitol of the World in the 1980's. Thank goodness my husband is outgoing & very funny. He can claim the attention of a room without even realizing it. Let's just all admit it... if you know him, you love him.
So my husband & I (by his side) set out to make a few new friends. Jason met a few guys through a long term friend of his & off we went. A few social events, invitations to dinner & 1 amazing boccie ball tournament later we feel like we have a life outside of work & our humble abode again. It's pretty amazing that a few smiling faces & warm invitations can make you remember that just because life may not be going down the path YOU had planned, it does not mean you have to walk it alone.
So thank you new friends & old for welcoming us, loving us & accepting us into your lives. I hope that one day we can return the favor!