baconized bagel

my breakfast 3-4 times a week. a twice toasted everything bagel with veggie cream cheese and crumbled crispy bacon.

real pizza

this was a really good pie. red onion & andouille sausage topping, mozzarella, sauce (crushed san marzano, bit of evoo, oregano, salt/pepper and a pinch of brown sugar. the crust, although cooked too long to get desired texture (which makes it somewhat tough), was probably the best yet. the sauce with a hint of brown sugar complimented the sausage well and the onions gave it a robust flavor. check out the bottom. mighty fine.

weenie roast

so i got off a weekend shift i wasn't supposed to work at noon today. brooke called and said the boys wanted to go out in the woods and explore when i got home. we started a fire (hell yea) in the back yard in the pit to cook up some great nathan's weenies. dogs + slice wheat bread + spicy mustard + smoke and fire + survivorman rig = something special! check it out.

rustic chicken sandwich

i have never been a fan of grilled chicken sandwiches. never been to a restaurant to seek one out and probably never will. so i manipulated the norm to make one that seemed somewhat interesting to brooke (which just had my baby girl) and i.

ok, here it is.

how its built from the ground up:

• bottom of a small toasted sourdough roll



• just a bit of shredded cheddar cheese



• grilled chicken (not the regular stuff; bone- in thighs that have been marinating in garlic, salt & pepper for at least three hours, thrown on the grill and pulled from bone)



• 1/8in thick onion rings, lightly floured and fried in evoo



• one slice vine ripe tomato



• red leaf lettuce



• and i love mustard on top but brooke puts mayo so whatever you like



• top of a small toasted sourdough roll.

that's good y'all!

sunday brunch

i was trying to build a bacon, egg and cheese biscuit this morning for brooke but it didn't work out. although the biscuits were really good, they were crumbly and wouldn't hold a sandwich.

so... we had bacon, garlic eggs w/ cheddar cheese, and biscuits. it worked out mighty fine.

spaghetti

spaghetti with southwestern meat sauce

real spaghetti is southern American mixed w/ a little Italian influence. this is a twist on my version of the dish. half chuck/half sirloin base with roasted veggies (vine ripe tomatoes, tomatillos, ton of garlic, sweet onion, pablano pepper), thyme, oregano, basil, bay leaf, salt pepper, ancho Chile powder, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, tomato sauce (cento or furmanos), paste, and a couple of other thins i cant remember. top w/ 2/3 Parmesan, 1/3 Romano (im hooked on Romano right now), and put on top of whatever kind of pasta you can get your hands on. real.

hump day sliders

these will definitely get you thru the week. forget Krystal & White Castle these are real sliders. chuck + a bit of salt, garlic, ancho chile powder, black pepper, cheddar, and sauteed brown sugar onions on a grilled dinner roll; good grief.

brownie & cream

these are definitely real.

puffy tacos take two

puff daddy was in the house tonight for mr. mike's b-day. this time we made them w/ beef instead of chicken, way-roasted salsa, cumin sour cream, shredded lettuce, and a blend of Parmesan/Monterrey jack cheese. brooke sealed the deal with gramma's brownies morphed into a brownie sundae w/vanilla bean ice cream; holy goodness baby.

lasagna

how can you go wrong with five cheeses? ricotta, provolone, parmesan, romano, mozzarella. add in a bit of baby cow (veal), sausage, and chuck for the meat sauce; wow.

real burger

i love sliders but real burgers, if not overcooked, take the cake. this one is accompanied by vidalia onion, tomato, dill pickle chips, lettuce, a ton of spicy brown mustard, and an english muffin (the best "bun" for big burgers).

The Puffy Taco

took my first stab at the the "puffy taco" last night. there is a science to making the shell, which has to be made from scratch (wouldn't have it any other way) and executed strategically. we then built the taco with cumin sour cream, grilled chicken, colby jack, shredded lettuce, and homeade roasted salsa. as paula deen says, "that's good y'all".

sub-par pizza but nailed the sauce

Hand Tossed Goodness

You'll see a ton of homemade pizza pics on this blog. If I could only get my home oven to reach eight hundred degrees they would be greatness. This one was sausage and monterey jack, I believe.

• One dough (from Lou's pizzeria)


• base is EVOO, shallot, fresh garlic


• jack cheese


• sliced sausage

I would also throw in tomatoes but brooke wouldn't eat it if I did.

Porterhouse Training

Cade & Jax have officially mastered Porterhouse Handling Boot Camp. It was a 2.10lb angus cut grilled medium rare that was hard to beat.

meatball sliders

I haven't had a chance to make these puppies yet but Lou and fam nailed it.

real good blue cheese dressing

this is a great blue cheese recipe second only to mom's, which i can't find. imagine that?



2/3 lb blue cheese (preferably solid, not crumbles)
1-2 cloves fresh garlic
salt/pepper to taste
1/4 cup wine vinegar
2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp texas pete
1 cup sour cream
2 1/3 cups mayo (not miracle whip)
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tbsp shallot

mix everything together well and fold in blue cheese. let refrigerate 2 hrs.