Some Odds And Ends – Two Meals And The RV

Bev had picked up a stuffed beef roast on a whim the other day and we decided to have it for our Friday card group. 

I’ve cooked these in the past and the cheese always ran out so I first browned it in a skillet.

Then, I set the open smaller end on a pan bottom, propped it to sit vertical, and topped it with the cheese that ran out into the browning pan.

Unfortunately, the cheese still mostly ran out.

Forgot the platted pic but it was still pretty good, but not to be bought again.

The RV

Remember this pic.

This is what it looks like now.  No it's not about the snow it's about the coach now sitting at the new owners place and we are out of the RVing business.

Shrimp And Grits

Bev has been wanting grits for breakfast and I opted to make enough to have shrimp and grits for supper while son, Rhett, was visiting and to ensure leftovers.  I used House Autry Stone Ground grits and cooked them using the recipe below. 

Cheesy Grits

Ingredients:

4 cups grits

8 cups whole milk

7 cups shrimp stock

1 tbsp. salt

2 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper

2 tbsp. garlic powder

24 oz. shredded cheddar

2 sticks butter unsalted

1 cup white wine

For the sauce, I used the same recipe as previously but I used shrimp stock from the freezer.

The Verdict

It’s hard to beat shrimp and grits, but I would have liked using larger shrimp rather than the smaller ones that I used and while very good, Bev

Photos can be slightly enlarged by clicking on them and the blue words are links.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

2/4-2/10/25 event dates

The Greenback Diner For Lunch With Kathy

For the second meal as part of Kathy’s Christmas present, we decided to go to the local Greenback Diner where we had not been in many years.  After we retired, we ate two to three times per week at the locally famous Greenback Drug Store which at one time was a drugstore with a pharmacist and they served meals as well.  It was where the local farmers gathered early every morning for coffee and solving the world's problems and they occasionally brought their instruments and played a little music and politicians would come by stumping for votes.  After the original owners sold, it changed hands several times, the food quality and service went down hill and we gradually quit going.  Even though it’s only a 10 minute drive, we haven’t been in more than 10 years so when Kathy suggested it, we decided to give it a try.

Soup-A-Thon For A Very Cold Week And Snow

I rarely eat soup in warm weather but with highs in the 30’s (cold for here) predicted for 10 days, we decided to have a soup-a-thon beginning with chili on Friday before the predicted winter storm.  We used our normal Anson Peckham’s Chili Con Carne recipe and once again we thought it was delicious.  This is Bev's topped with cheese and onion.

A Couple Of Very Good Meals From Leftover Chili And Meatballs And A Little Snow

We had some sauce and several meatballs left from our recent meal and in thinking about something other than the same meal, I decided to make a casserole dish by cooking additional spaghetti.

The Best Italian Meatballs And Winter Storm

We sure dodged the bullet with the winter storm impact here especially compared to Nashville.  We had a trace of snow on Saturday then rain which continued thru Sunday (while we made the meal below) then about a quarter inch of snow on ice fell overnight Sunday which made our road too dangerous to drive on so our Monday plans were cancelled.  And most importantly, we didn't lose power which I feel very fortunate about since I need it to keep the RV warm.

You know you are a serious Italian cook when you name your blog La Belle Vita Cucina (My Beautiful Life Kitchen), go to Italy to visit and cook with family members, and you attend the famous Mama Agata Cooking Class on Italy’s Amalfi Coast.  And so it is with Roz who takes us on her cooking journey via her blog and who recently published a post titled “Secrets For The Best Italian Meatballs.”  Since Bev and I had just discussed wanting spaghetti and meatballs, Roz’s recipe immediately moved to the top of the list.

Yet Another Tuscan Dish - Creamy Tuscan Chicken Breasts And Cindy Update

When I saw the recipe for Creamy Tuscan Chicken Thighs on the “Café Delights” blog, I knew I had to make it.  But since my ladies prefer breasts to thighs, I made that substitution and I cooked six of them (three for this meal and three for leftovers).

Tuscan White Beans

When Pam posted the recipe for Tuscan Gigante Beans on her “For The Love Of Cooking” blog I new I wanted to make it, but I also know that Bev doesn’t like lima beans in any form – it’s the texture and also applies to chickpeas.  However, she does like white beans so I decided to just make the dish with Great Northern Beans.  Since I was sure we would like the beans, I made a double recipe as shown below.  Click on the link above to check out Pam's site for the original recipe and some great pics.