Kicked Up Cornbread

This morning after doing TurboFire 55 minute workout all I keep thinking about was cornbread.  But not any old cornbread but a kicked up version of cornbread.  I scoured the pantry to see what I could put together.  I think I found the perfect ingredients to kick up my cornbread.  This cornbread would taste so good with chili or a hearty stew.

Kicked Up Cornbread

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup Albers Yellow Corn Meal

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 package Lipton Recipe Secrets Onion Soup & Dip Mix

Pinch of freshly ground pepper

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

4 shakes Tabasco sauce

1 1/4 cups milk

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

1/3 cup vegetable oil

3 Tbsp butter, melted

15 1/4 oz can of corn, drained

Preheat over to 350 degrees, grease a 8 inch square baking pan.

Combine flour, sugar, corn meal, baking powder, onion soup mix, cayenne pepper, black pepper in medium bowl. Combine Tabasco, milk, cheddar cheese,  eggs, vegetable oil and butter in small bowl; mix well. Add to flour mixture, stir just until blended, add can corn and mix together. Bake 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Can also be made into muffins, fill 2/3 full and bake 18 to 20 minutes. or until wooden toothpick comes out clean.  Cool 5 minutes, serve warm.

Until Next Time,

Pam

Best Garlic Bread Ever

Since leaving California there are places that I miss and one place is the Smoke House in Burbank right across from the Warner Brothers Studios.  The Smoke House had the best garlic bread I have ever had.  When we would have special occasions I would call up and order 2 or 3 loaves.  I have been thinking about their garlic bread and I think I finally have the recipe down.

Smoke House Garlic Bread

1 loaf sourdough bread, halved (I used ciabatta bread)

1/2 cup butter

3 large garlic cloves, finally chopped

1 packet of Kraft Macaroni and Cheese cheese sauce mix

1/4 cup parmesan cheese

Saute garlic in butter let set at room temperature for at least 8 hours or overnight. Melt butter and brush on loaves. Mix cheese packet and parmesan cheese together, sprinkle on bread and lightly rub in.  Bake at 350 degrees for 5 minutes, place under broiler until starting to brown.

I have not had this much praise from my husband and my daughter in a long time.  It's a winner.

Until Next Time,

Pam

Love Cookbooks?

Do you LOVE Cookbooks as much as I do?  Well there is a new place for us on Facebook.

Join me at The Cookbook Junkies to share your love of Cookbooks.  My dear friend Jenny has started this wonderful group just for us "Cookbook Junkies"

Until Next Time,

Pam

Las Vegas - Part Two

Day two of Vegas started with hitting Starbucks and heading back to the room to get ready.  Las Vegas has a monorail system that nobody seemed to be using or maybe it was because it was weekday.  For only $12.00 per person you can get a all day pass on the monorail. Each stop would cover 4 or 5 hotels on the strip.  At 10am we were off first stop Fashion Show (mall/shopping center) It was so nice to go into a real shopping center since we really don't have anything like that in Southern Utah.  Mostly we window shopped.  We stopped in at Neiman Marcus and had a bite to eat in their cafe.  They have the best popovers with strawberry butter.

The last time I really spent any time in Las Vegas was before New York, New York had even opened and Anna was around 7 years old.  

Anna has been to Las Vegas more than me so she wanted me to see some of the hotels.  Wow things have really changed.

The two pictures above are in the Wynn.  What a beautiful resort I would like to stay here one time

This is the ceiling in the Venetian Resort

One thing on Anna's list was to go to Planet Hollywood she wanted to go to the Bettie Page Clothing store.  What darling clothing and Anna came home with a jumper, blouse, sweater, t-shirt and dress. I tried to pull some photos of the clothing off the Bettie Page website however it wouldn't let me.  I will have to wait until Anna gets all dolled up and take photos to share.

It was starting to get dark so it was time for dinner and there was one place I really wanted to go.  We headed over to Caesar's Palace to eat at Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill.  I knew the food was going to be wonderful but let me tell you I was so impressed with the staff.  They knew that menu backwards and forwards, answered all your questions, checked on you often and my ice tea never was past half full.

We started our meal with a Queso Dip

Anna had Sophie's Chopped Salad which she tweaked it a bit having them leave off the chickpeas and white beans.  She requested avocado on the side instead.  She was in salad heaven.

I had the Coffee Rubbed Filet Mignon with Mashed Potatoes with Green Chili Queso Sauce we did not have a dessert we were too full from this incredible meal

Outside of Cesar's was this beautiful Buddhist Prayer Shrine

Las Vegas Strip

After walking around seeing the sights and shopping for over 10 hours we headed by to MGM for a good nights sleep.  Oh you ask did we do any gambling?  We each put $20.00 in the slot machines and lost it quite fast.  For me Las Vegas just isn't the same when it comes to the machines.  Maybe I'm getting old but I like the dials that spin and hearing the coins clinking not the digital machines that you get a cash out slip.  Next trip I would like to try Morimoto's restaurant and go to at least one show and of course some more shopping.

The third day we skipped Vegas and went to Henderson, NV we went to Dick's Sporting Goods to pick up training shoes. Anna and I are starting TurboFire but that will have to wait for another post.

Until Next Time,

Pam

Viva Las Vegas - Part 1

Last week Anna and I went to Las Vegas for 3 days.  We needed a girls trip of food and shopping.  We stayed at the MGM Grand.

 This was our suite

Beautiful and very comfortable

Here is Anna in the bathroom - we made jokes about the tiny stripper pole

Our first day there we walked around which was pretty scary in the afternoon to evening.  Watched kids doing drugs right out on the strip.  People handing you cards with half naked women on them finally started to tell them I have a pair of those and can look at them anytime I wanted to.

For dinner the that night we stayed at the MGM and went to Wolfgang Pucks.  So glad we did it was amazing.

We started our meal with Truffled Potato Chips with a Maytag Blue Cheese Sauce. Anna doesn't like any of those things and she said that the one of the best things she has eaten.

 Anna got the Spaghettini and a side of Yukon Gold Potato Purée (which I didn't post a photo of the potaotes) 

I got the Pancetta wrapped meatloaf with Yukon gold potato purée with mushroom gravy.  Both of us only ate half of our dinner to save room for dessert.  

Our waiter Robert suggested this dessert and I'm happy he did. Chocolate Beignets, cream brulee, mango and strawberry sorbets, vanilla ice cream and fresh berries.  All I can say it was to die for.

Part two tomorrow

Until Next Time,

Pam

Time Mangement Needed and a Day Trip

I am not going to lie I need to learn to manage my time better.  It's been almost a month since I last blogged. I need to start dividing up my time so I can blog, Pinterest, talk with friends online, cook, craft, oh and clean. There does not seem like there are enough hours in the day for everything I want to do.

With winter not too much going on here.  We have not received the snow levels we did last year and it has been a whole lot warmer in the 40's to 50's.  Instead of keeping the snow on the ground we have a muddy mess.  We can not even get our truck up to the house.  We walk the 1/4 mile driveway to get to the house after we have gone downtown and I don't see things changing until everything drys out.

A few weeks ago we headed to Zion for lunch in Springdale, UT.  What a ghost town it is during winter and there wasn't even any snow on the ground.  Here are some photos I snapped along the way.

Zion with a little snow

Apple Orchard and Zion in the background

I love old buildings

Shoe Tree

Anna and Olive (Olive looks big in this photo she is only 27 lbs)

Olive is pooped out from our little trip

Tomorrow I will share photos on Anna and my trip to Las Vegas.

Until Next Time,

Pam