my hashbrown casserole with sausage...

not feeling 100% tonight, spent 3 1/2 hours in Urgent Care to find out that I have what I already googled...(hip bursitis) and that there is not too much that they can do about it...it hurts to stand, to sit, to cough, to sneeze, basically do just about anything...but since I was told today that I will have it for awhile, I had better learn quickly how to deal with life with pain...

I wanted comfort food for dinner tonight...I need something to make me feel better...

I have posted about this recipe many times, it is one of our family favorites...little boy when he comes over tomorrow, will be delighted to see that this is made...he will love to come home from school tomorrow to have this for a snack...LOL...I like to see him happy...

I am posting about this tonight cause it turned out so so so yummy, absolute perfection...so I am trying to remember exactly what I did with it tonight that made it so delicious...

ok...

here is what I did tonight...

I took one bag of frozen hash browns and I let them sit on the counter for about 40 minutes or so to take some of the frozen-ness out of it and then I lightly fried them in a very small amount of oil till a little browned...
mixed in one container of sour cream (16 oz) and it was just enough to coat the other ingredients (think other times I might have put too much sour cream?), also added cheddar cheese, some garlic salt and black pepper and I used already browned sausage crumbles...also added 6 lightly scrambled eggs...mixed together and put into baking pan and added a layer of cheddar cheese to the top...

baked at 350 for about 35 minutes or until bubbly...

so good tonight...

was going to make pumpkin pancakes to go with this, but was hurting too much to stand and make them...Tim agreed...

hot ham and cheese party rolls for dinner

http://www.kevinandamanda.com/hot-ham-cheese-party-rolls/

this is one of those recipes that has been on my favorite list, like forever and I keep meaning to make them...they look so good and I figured everyone would like them..
I like to know the night before what I am making for dinner the next night...I just like to plan it in my head so I have most of the night and the next day to plan for the ingredients...if I do not plan ahead, we tend to eat out more...so for a couple of days I told myself that one day this week, I would definitely make them...tonight was the night...

and now I wish I had made them a lot sooner...let me tell you, they are so delicious...and everyone in this family loved them, well except for hubby who even refused to try them...(I give up with him) he is the one that lost out...Tim even went back for seconds and when I was telling Sam on the phone how good they were, she made me promise to save some for her...

I was a little worried about the sauce that is poured over the top of them...I really do not care for mustard, but the little bit of it that is mixed in with the rest of the sauce ingredients was not over the top...
these were so good and so easy, very do-able for a quick lunch, dinner or snack...I am also thinking of the other possibilities with this idea...

we paired with tator tots and veggies and dip...

yummy, you much try this, you will not be disappointed...

very hot day here, hamburgers, steak and potato salad

guess the heat thought we did not have enough of it this summer and decided to pay us another visit before fall hits...OMGosh 105 here today...I am dying (but not quite like I have in previous years...yes, people central air is sooooooo nice...what the heck did I do for 15 years in an unair conditioned house?)  now I am spoiled...was planning to BBQ hamburgers and steak and then thought it much too hot to go outside to cook...
made the burgers in a George Foreman and the steak I cooked on a grill pan...

not feeling good today, the hip pain is quite bad...hurts to take even one step, I am thinking like a bursitis...so Sam and Zo came over today and she made the potato salad...she knows how I like it made and she does a very good job at it...Tim had bought some teeny tiny potatoes of all colours at Whole Foods and we used those for the salad and it was so good...

for our potato salad here is what we do...
to diced cooked potatoes we add...
diced celery, green onions, chopped kosher dill pickles, black olives, plenty of hard boiled eggs, chopped, mustard, seasonings (garlic powder, celery salt, black pepper and onion powder...) a splash of pickle juice and just enough mayo to combine it all together...

yum...

playing at being on Chopped...cranberry bread strata for breakfast

Tim absolutely loves Whole Foods and since we do not have one around us, when he does go to one, he goes crazy...there is one very close to MIL's house and he takes advantage whenever he goes down there...
so, he came home with cranberry rubbed bacon and a loaf og cranberry nut bread and asked what I could do with it...thought for about a week and decided this morning was a good morning to try what I had come up with...

loosely based on this recipe:
http://www.recipetineats.com/cheese-and-bacon-breakfast-strata-cake-bread-bake/

and it turned out really good...altho there are a few changes I would make to it next time...I most definitely would make it the night before and let it soak in the milkk and eggs better...it calls for 6 eggs and 1 1/4 cups of milk...I might increase to 9 eggs and 2 cups of milk...

to be truthful in my whole life I have never tried a strata or bread pudding or anything along those lines but now am intrigued and want to try some more...

he also got some teeny tiny potatoes of all different colors and I am going to make potato salad with it for tonight...supposed to be 105 here today so we are BBQ'ing...

Monday night dinner chicken mozzarella pasta

little boy soent the night and I love to have a good stick to your ribs dinner for him...

http://www.365daysofbakingandmore.com/chicken-mozzarella-pasta/

this really fit  the bill an dhe loved it...said he might be making a decision to change his favorite from chicken and wild rice to this recipe...LOL...


this really made good leftovers too...

Zoie made orange dreamsicle pie

so I guess this girl has been craving this pie and has bugged me all weekend about making it...I bought the ingredients and left everything else up to her...

to softened cream cheese (8 ounces) she added 1 cup of orange juice and creamed together...she added 1 small package of orange jello and 1 small package of vanilla pudding...she then folded in 12 ounces of Cool Whip and put all ingredients into a prepared graham cracker pie shell...

she wanted to surprise Tim...

she is anxiously awaiting it to chill...

cat's away...tuna melts, pigs in blankets and creamed chipped beef

whenever my husband is away for a day or so, I always say that when the cat is away the nice will play and we left at home, will get to eat what we like for a change (things he will not eat...)
such has been the last couple of days...
he and Tim went to LA to see MIL who is 91 this week...cat is not doing that well health wise but I thought it important to see his mom...

yesterday for lunch Zoie and I had creamed chipped beef on toast...yum...she and I love this stuff and it was perfect and went pretty well for my gallbladder diet (I was surprised that it was OK)...

    I take a jar of dried beef (sold in the aisle of tuna and other canned meats...)  and I rinse the salt off and paper towel dry the meat and then stir into 8 tablespoons of butter in a fry pan...I let cook for a few minutes until almost crisp...I then add 8 tablespoons of flour and let cook off the flour tast lte and add 3 cups of milk and stir lumps out and continue stirring until thickened...yum...

 I cannot believe Zoie and Cj have never had pigs in blankets...that was lunch today...
    I take a refrigerated can of crescent rolls and wrap the biscuits around a hot dog and bake...LOL paired with tator tots...it also was OK for my diet...

then Zoie asked for tuna melts last night for dinner...she has not had one for a long time...she made chips and dip to go with hers...
    I make mine with sourdough bread and because of my diet I added minimal amount of mayo and used american cheese...they were so good last night...

alas, cat and Tim are home this afternoon...so back to my usual way of cooking...