Mmmmm, dinner tonight was deeeeelish! Nicholas and The Girlfriend haven’t seen each other since last Friday (horrors!) because she has been suffering from the same nasty head cold that Nicholas and I have … come to think of it, I think she had it first. ;)
We couldn’t keep the lovebirds apart any longer, so we all converged tonight for a nice easy, impromptu night of grilling and outdoor play. The kids had fun racing around the backyard and taking turns on Nicholas’ mini-trampoline (a steal for $5 from a garage sale last year!), but when I tried to get a cute picture of them jumping on it together, they out and out refused. Blasphemy! The nerve! The Girlfriend with her hand on her hips and Nicholas and his arms firmly clenched across his chest. Geesh, I don’t take THAT many pictures!
For starters tonight, I made a tried-and-true, Sweetnicks Chinese Chicken Salad. It’s very simple to make and full of healthy goodness. One of Nicholas’ favorites, it’s an easy way for me to sneak in those veggies with him being none the wiser. Carrots? What carrots? For the main course, in keeping with my Rediscovering My Library segment, I turned to Steven Raichlen’s How To Grill in search of a new steak recipe and found Tuscan-Style Steaks, which The Husband grilled up. With the fresh rosemary and sage, it is a perfect entry for Kalyn’s Weekend Herb Blogging. It smelled insanely delicious when it came off the grill. I would definitely make this one again, since you can’t beat how easy it is, but next time, I’d cut back on the olive oil. Waaaay back. I halved it while making it and that was still too much.
For this week’s nod as New (to Me) Blogger on the Block, I’d like to introduce you to The Cooking Critic. Whether she’s being creative with risotto, making Greek Chicken Strudel three ways or even taking part in a Grilled Cheese Championship (yes, you read right), I think you’ll enjoy this site.
One more thing before I sign off for the night. Need Easter inspiration? There’s still time to get creative … check out my latest article for Paper Palate here for some ideas. I love Martha’s Spring Chick Cakes… too cute!
Alright folks, that’s a wrap for tonight. Tune in tomorrow to find out my exciting new discovery that’s perfect for ARF/5-A-Day Tuesday. Until then…
A year ago today … mmmm, delicious pasta.
{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
i heard about yer blog through 28 cooks. thought i’d pop by.
my food blog started out as a knitting blog (not that i have time for knitting these days – i’m so busy in my kitchen!) so i’m out of the food blog loop somewhat.
i’m going to have to spend more time with your links!
I think that picture is cuter than if you’d caught them mid-air!
I agree with Amy- love the sass! :)
And what a nice-sounding salad for a light supper… summer’s right around the corner!
That Chinese Chicken Salad looks great — I can’t find the ginger paste. Any suggestions on what to substitute (and how much)?
Thanks,
Jae – thanks for dropping by … always nice to have a new visitor. :)
Amy – they’ll definitely be happy to hear that! ;)
S’kat – sass is definiitely nothing they’re short of. The salad is delicious — I usually switch to more salads this time of year in an effort to keep kitchen time low, and this one works great.
Anonymous – you can substitute fresh ginger, and the salad will also work well without it (I usually add a little bit extra garlic in lieu of it when I’m out of it). I find my ginger paste at an Indian grocery store, in case you happen to have any Indian or Middle Eastern food stores around you. Hope this helps!
Well, I can smell it just by looking at the photo. Saliva puddling in mouth….must have steak!
Sher – it smelled insanely good, hope you get a chance to try it.