Thank You For Reading

What Good to a Nook is a hook cook book?
Dr. Seuss One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish

Thank you everyone for reading my blog and being interested in the recipes and the little tips and stories that go with them. We have eclipsed just over a thousand views so far and I am impressed with myself that I have been able to some what keep up with it. 1,000 hits in over a year isn't much really compared to my brief stint writing about the Florida Gators on SBNation where each article would get 1,000 views a day. Considering I am the only writer, I only post once or twice a month and I don't network very much I am surprised people still read it almost every day. I know the main readers are my family and friends, which was the intent of this blog so it makes me motivated to keep posting for you and hopefully you will continue to enjoy reading!

Restaurant French Toast

 I learned how to make French Toast when I was about nine years old. It's probably one of the first things I learned how to cook on a stove. Even now as adult I still I really enjoy it for breakfast with my kids. Now I can make it a little fancier but not much has changed in how I make it.

Ingredients: 5 slices of bread (sour dough if possible)
5 Eggs
1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup powdered sugar or brown sugar
1 tsp. salt
1-2 cup syrup
(Serves 2 adults or 1 adult plus 3 children)

Savings: 10-20$

Surf and Turf Kabobs

Kabobs on the grill are a great way to save time and still have a great dinner. Forget about a long clean up after dinner of washing pots and pans and cleaning the kitchen. Forget about slaving over the stove preparing the main course and all of it's side dishes. The biggest challenge is cutting up the vegetable's and meat and sliding them onto a skewer; fire up the coals and your done!
Savings: 10-30$
Ingredients: 1 pound Top Sirloin/Flat Iron
 1 pound Swordfish/Tuna Nuggets
 1 Green Pepper
 1 Yellow Onion
 1 Tomato
 6-8 ounce mushrooms
 Marinade (Make your own marinade found here or to save more time buy some)
Serves 4

Zesty Baked Chicken

 Want muscles like that? Try this for recipe for a healthy protein packed dinner. Using a whole chicken is one of the most efficient ways to make a healthy and delicious meal. It is packed with lean protein and even the dark meat is full of nutrients like iron, zinc and B vitamins. A six ounce portion of white meat has 48 grams of protein and only 240 calories (dark meat has a little more calories but more essential nutrients). Healthy adults should consume about half of their body weight in protein a day and adults trying to build a lot of muscle should consume about one to one and a half times their body weight in protein. Try this recipe for a really painless meal that churns out a lot of flavor and necessary vitamins for the whole family.(She will probably be mad for posting this picture by the way!)

Savings: 10-15$
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken (try all natural for more flavor)
                      1 tbsp Sea Salt
                      2 tsp Pepper
                      1 tbsp Chili Powder
                      1Orange
                      1 Lime
                      2 tbsp Butter

MAD TV Meat Beaters

Such a great recipe I had to share!

Braciole: Stuffed Sirloin Steak

 Just so you know, I could get in big trouble for this recipe. This is insider information and I am willing to put my life on the line to leak it to you. At Publix, you'll find an item in the meat department called "stuffed Flank steak". Flank steak is not a great cut of meat but the way it is prepared, it's actually pretty good. But this recipe right here, is even better but does require a little work and a meat tenderizer. Instead of Flank, I decided to go with Top Sirloin Fillets. Top Sirloin is more tender and has better flavor, but it requires a little more work to stuff it and roll it. The extra work pays off in the end, trust me.

Savings: 5-10$
Ingredients: 1.5-2 lbs Top Sirloin Steak or Fillets
Fresh Spinach (1 bag)
Provolone Cheese (8 oz)
1 tbs salt                             
2 tsp pepper
1 clove garlic minced
1 cup EVO
1 tsp paprika
1 meat tenderizer

What's This? What's This?

What's in your pantry? Part II

This is my list of recommended items necessary to efficiently try new recipes at home. With these items, you should be able to try just about any basic dinner recipe. Don't forget about all the items listed in part one as well, it's kind of important.

I included a funny little story about my Uncle Wayne tricking me into eating a jalapeno too!