Travels in the South

Doesn’t that look delicious?  A couple of weeks back mom/dad were craving pizza which is unusual.  Well not for dad.  He’s always craving pizza of any sort.  But mom, she never craves pizza.  So when she does, dad takes full advantage of the situation.  So today I’m going to let daddy finish this Travels with the South.

When the wifey craves pizza, I know exactly where to head to make us both happy.  There is a local pizza joint that has stuffed crust pizza.  The wife loves stuffed crust – all of that extra cheese in the crust of the pizza.  It somehow makes eating pizza seem so much more of a delightful experience.  This day I even went one step further for my honey.  This pizza place also offers seasoned crusts.  So today I got stuffed crust with a pretzel crust.  Can you say yum because that’s exactly what we both said… almost at the same time.

And we know that I’m a meat eater so I added my favorite toppings:  pepperoni, italian sausage, ham, bacon, beef and black olives.  I have to admit that this pizza came out amazing!  Even the waitstaff was drooling.

 

Travels in the South

They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and I agree.  Mom has fixed me omelettes for breakfast and dinner.  However, I’ve never had an omelette like this one before.  It seems mom likes something called a Colorado Omelette.  It has all kinds of wonderful yummy stuff in it – some things I can’t mention because well I’m an oinker and it wouldn’t be good for me so I’m letting mom take it from here.

For obvious reasons – this omelette is loaded.  Loaded with goodness that is.  It has bacon, sausage, shredded beef, ham, onions, green peppers, mushrooms and cheddar cheese.  And let’s not forget to top off that deliciously wonderful omelette with salsa.  Yum.  Have you ever had an omelette topped with salsa?  It just brings so much more to the table.

 

 

Travels in the South

Welcome my friends to another week of Travels in the South.  My dad says that sometimes you just need a good hamburger, something solid and substantial.  This week he wanted just that – an awesome hamburger.  You’ve heard us talk about the great pizza that a restaurant called Mellow Mushroom has but did you know they have build your own burgers?  Daddy saw it on the menu and just had to try it… of course while mom had a wonderfully delicious salad – poor mom.

The burger is 100% black angus beef topped with dad’s favorites:  pickles, lettuce, tomatoes, cheddar and swiss cheeses and bacon – gulps.  Dad said it was a handful and was so delicious.  Of course, it did take two hands to eat and plenty of napkins.  I guess that’s a good sign to a great juicy burger, huh?

So if you have a Mellow Mushroom close by, check them out for their burgers.  They also have vegan burgers which mom says sound delicious.

 

Travels in the South

Yes you are right.  It is hot outside for any likes of chili.  However, we had a couple of rainy days/nights last week. So mom/dad was craving something warm for their bellies.  So off they went to one of their local restaurants that has the best chili – so they say – snorts with piggy laughter.

Let me introduce you to some Texas style chili.  I give you that it doesn’t look tantalizing.  But mom/dad says that it is the best chili that they have had in some time.  It has tender beef throughout the chili mixed with secret spices that no one will tell.  It all has jalapenos in it so expect some kick to it that stays with you for a bit.  Mom/dad both got theirs served with aged cheddar and crackers.  You gotta have crackers… or good loaf bread which they also got smothered with butter to combat the heat.

 

Lean Beef

Courtesy of Pinterest

 

Travels in the South

  Welcome friends to another edition of Travels in the South.  Today is being brought to you by daddy.  Recently McDonald’s launched a bigger Big Mac called the Grand Mac.  Now dad loves his Big Mac’s of any kind but he has been opting out of trying this because of eating clean.  Well this past weekend, he couldn’t help himself.  He had to try one and of course mom was there to interview him and take pictures – that’s my mom.  She didn’t try one or any of his french fries – go mom and your will power!

Now this is from the McDonald’s website:  “A regular Big Mac is two pure beef patties, Big Mac sauce, sandwiched between a sesame seed bun, American cheese, crisp lettuce, onions and pickles.”  And a regular Big Mac has 540 calories.

Now here is the description from McDonald’s website on the Grand Mac:  “Sink into 1/3 pound of real beef seasoned with salt & pepper sandwiched between a sesame seed bun.  All dressed with special sauce, crisp lettuce, onions, pickles and two slices of American cheese.”  And a Grand Mac has a whopping 860 calories!

Okay, a little more beef, an extra slice of cheese and 320 more calories.  And the pictures on television and on the McDonald’s website show there is a size difference and we all know that size matters, right?  So what did daddy think about the Grand Mac?

Daddy shrugged his shoulders at it.  The Grand Mac that he got did not look much bigger than a regular Big Mac.  It didn’t taste any different per say.  It was just okay.  In fact, if dad had to do it all over again, he said he would pass.  It just wasn’t that awesome.  So there you go – from the dad’s mouth.

 

Travels in the South

Okay friends – today’s Travels in the South is brought to you by daddy.  He likes to think of himself as a professional eater.  I’ll admit it.  He’s *almost* as good as me at packing some food way.  Almost.

Now there is one restaurant that is open seven days a week 365 days out of the year.  I’m sure a lot of you will recognize the name – Waffle House.  This is a southern restaurant chain that opened in 1955.  You walk in, the waitresses and staff get to know you and call you by name.  You order and can then watch the cook prepare your breakfast right there in front of you in their kitchen at the grill.  All of the food is prepared fresh – from waffles to omelets and everything in between.

Daddy has the craving lately for a new dish on their menu.  It’s called the Philly Cheese Hash Brown Bowl.  It starts with hash browns (cooked however you want them), topped with cheese and Philly steak.  Sometimes, dad even adds add a couple of scrambled eggs.  It’s a bowl that has everything.  You can also get the bowl with other breakfast meats…. but we won’t mention them okay.  Snort sand oinks.

 

Travels in the South

Hello sweet friends.  How was your Valentine’s Day yesterday?  In honor of the sweetest day of the year, mom/dad shared a little love yesterday as well.  They went out to dinner and afterwards enjoyed this delicious concoction.  And hey, splitting a dessert means half of the calories, right?  But who’s counting calories on Valentine’s Day – snorts.

This lovely creation is called a Margarita Cheesecake which is seasonal special at a local steakhouse called Logan’s Roadhouse.  Now, it’s like other cheesecakes made with cream cheese but it has Logan’s signature margarita blend on the graham cracker crust.  And don’t forget about the sliced strawberries all over the place.  Mom said it was – what was the phrase she used – delightful to the fullest!

So, if you are near a Logan’s Roadhouse, make sure you check it out for this wonderful dessert.  You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

Travels in the South

Welcome my friends to another week of Travels in the South.  Today we wanted to share with you one of mom/dad’s favorite appetizers.  A couple of weeks ago, mom/dad was craving this delicious dish and went to the restaurant ordering and splitting just this plate.  What is it you ask?

Let me present to you Carrabbas Italian Grill Calamari.  It’s hand breaded to order and normally served with a marinara sauce.  But mom/dad, they like to get the lemon butter sauce on the side with the sliced peppers for just a little heat.

For those that don’t know what calamari is – it’s squid.  Now before you go eeww, don’t know it until you try it.  Honestly.  Even I have tried it and I like it.  Like in this dish, it’s fried crispy and is wonderful.  Sometimes it can be a little salty but for the most part it’s an awesome dish.

So the next time you are at  Carrabbas Italian Grill, give it a try.  I bet you will fall in love with it as well.

 

Shopping Around the World

This month we are highlighting items that you are known for.   Do you have that one dish that everyone asks for at a party, at dinner, at the church?  What kind of ingredients do you have in it and what does it look like? Don’t forget to include prices and pictures if you can.

Well, I have a great one to share today.  One of the things that mom is known for is something that is so easy, so delicious, so old school but done with a twist.  Hopefully, you will like it too and want to try it.  I know me and dad LOVE it.

What is it that you ask?  Meatloaf.  It sounds simple enough, right?  But mom she does meatloaf in the crock pot!  And it comes out juicy and delicious.  Do I have you intrigued now?

Now this is what you will need for your meatloaf – or use the recipe that you have.

1 – ◊ 2 large eggs ($0.20); ◊ 2/3 cup milk ($.40); ◊ 1 pound ground beef (5.29); ◊ 1 pound of ground pork ($3.49) ◊ 1.25 cups of breadcrumbs ($0.50)

2 – ◊ Your own seasonings – we use parsley, onions, garlic, a little Dijon mustard, ketchup and Worcestershire (all of this maybe a $1.50)

Now here is the key to the crock pot, line it with either aluminum foil or use a crock pot bag.  I use the aluminium foil  draped over the sides of the crock pot.  That way when it’s ready, I can lift it out of the crock pot.  Once your liner is in the crock pot, turn on low and start mixing all of your ingredients together from line 1 above.  Include your seasonings from line 2 except the ketchup.

Slowly make a ‘loaf’ out of your ingredients and place in the crock pot on your liner.  Once that is in, prepare your ketchup topping.  Now sometimes, we do this topping and sometimes we cook it without.  It depends on your liking.  And with the ketchup topping, mom adds in some garlic.  Then pour the ketchup over your meatloaf.

 

Mom cooks the meatloaf on low all day long while she goes to the worky place.  When you are ready to eat, just pick up the sides of the aluminum foil and gently pull your meatloaf out.  It should keep it’s ‘loaf’ look.

You can fix any type of sides along with it – dad’s favorite is mashed potatoes.  AND, don’t worry, you should have plenty of leftovers for sandwiches or repeats the next night.  This meal goes a long way.

In fact, mom was never a huge fan of meatloaf until she found this recipe.  We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!