Shopping Around the World

Welcome my friends to a new year of adventure and great food!

Today we are highlighting great sandwiches of any kind.  Mom/dad here at the Hotel Thompson are the king and queen of sandwiches.  Sometimes they are huge and sometimes they are just something thrown between two slices of bread.  You never know with those two.  One of dad’s favorite sandwiches is a club on wheat bread.  There is a local sandwich shop that he always wants to frequent… that is until mom created this monster for him.  Now dad welcomes mom’s club sandwiches any day.  So without further ado – take it away mom!

What you will need:  Hoagie buns (a package of six cost $2.00 – $0.33 each bun); Meats – you get whatever you want from the deli.  We get a 1/2 pound of roast beef, ham and turkey.  Of course, a 1/2 pound makes multiple sandwiches.  They range from $4-$6.00 for each selection.  If you had to break it down, it would be somewhere in the neighborhood of $1.75 per sandwich with all three meats.  Cheese – we also get 1/2 pound of provolone for $3.50.  It costs around $0.50 per sandwich for each sandwich.  Chips – we buy the store brand of chips for $1.00 a bag.  There are multiple servings per bag.  So somewhere around $0.25 per serving.  And we always keep pickles and olives on hands – always for nibbling.  So each sandwich will cost you around less than $3.00 per sandwich.  Not really bad and they are yummy!

Here is the fun part – arrange the sandwich however you want.  Pure and simple, right?  LOL – we prefer a little mayo on one side of the sandwich and  a little mustard on the opposite side.  You can use a sampling of all three meats or just the ones you want.  Add the cheese.  Now we have even used a panini press in the past and squished this sandwich making it hot or you can just serve it cold like this picture – whichever works for you.  It’s a simple sandwich but so delicious and easy.

You can even make them in advance and cut them into little pieces for a big football party.  We’ve done that before as well.  These are so easy to fix ahead of time.  Just a thought with the Super Bowl coming up my friends ❤

 

Shopping Around the World

This month we are focusing on desserts/cookies or other yummy treats that you create or love to eat this time of the year.  This holiday season has been a little challenged here at the Hotel Thompson – with mom’s surgery, recuperation and other trying things that showed their ugly head.  Usually mom fixes this dessert, boxes them up in little Chinese containers that are decorated with pictures of us anipals and hands them out.  This year, she just didn’t get a chance to play around and have fun.  BUT she wanted to share this recipe because it’s fun and the treats are delicious!

So here is mom –

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What you will need:  bag of shelled pecan halves ($7.00); bag of Rolo candies ($4.00); and a bag of square pretzels ($3.00) = total cost $14.00

The most time consuming part of this recipe is unwrapping all of the Rolo’s.  Usually I will sit in front of the television with a two bowls – one for wrappers and one for the unwrapped Rolo’s.  Watch some television and start unwrapping.  It makes it go faster.  Trust me, this is the annoying part.

After you are done, get out a cookie sheet and wrap it with aluminum wrap.  Put your square pretzels on it and put one Rolo on top of all of the pretzels.  Your oven needs to be set at like 200 degrees.  Place the pan in the oven for about 2-3 minutes, until you see the Rolo’s getting soft.  Take them out and immediately push a pecan half on top of the pretzel.  We call these Reindeer noses.  Cute huh?

Now make a mental note.  Don’t put so many pretzels on the tray with Rolo’s that when you take them out of the oven they soften before you can put the pecan half on them.  I can usually do about three trays with the ingredients above.  Happy eats!

 

Shopping Around the World

Sorry for the delay dear friends.  December is always a challenge for finding time to do anything, isn’t it?  Well this month for Shopping Around the World, we are going to focus on desserts/cookies or other yummy treats that you create or love to eat this time of the year.  What snack desserts do you give out or put out for guests that come over?  It can be something simple or something elaborate.

Shopping Around the World will be on Friday, December 29th.  Be sure to write down your ingredients, costs and link back to my blog so we can all drool over your dessert ❤

 

Shopping Around the World

Welcome my friends to another edition of Shopping Around the World!

This month my brother Phenny is hosting SATW – thanks bro!  This month we are highlighting pumpkin recipes.  This should be fun because my mom loves anything and everything pumpkin.  Doesn’t pumpkin just scream fall?  In fact, mom just posted a funny on her Facebook about pumpkin spice.  I thought I would share with you and let mom take it away  with our recipe.  Again thanks brother Phenny for helping us out here at the Hotel Thompson ❤

 

 

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mmm – pumpkin – one of my favorites this time of year.  Put spice behind it and I’m in hog heaven – sorry Bacon.  My favorite recipe is Pumpkin Spice coffee.  I love it so much throughout the year – not just at Halloween.  And yes, you can ‘buy’ it in those fancy coffee shops and even McDonald’s has a great one; but, why not make it at home yourself.  I mean think about, coffee shops will range from $3.50 to $5.50 a cup.  And that’s just enough pumpkin spice coffee to make you want more.  A second cup at a coffee shop and you will be getting out a loan – LOL.  So what do you need?

Now I’m a sugar free girl.  Of course fully leaded you get more of a pumpkin spice taste but sugar free gets me there.  I use the following:

⇒ Skinny Syrup Pumpkin Spice (costs $9.00 a bottle.  A full bottle can last about 30-35 cups = that’s only $0.26 a cup!)

⇒ International Delight Sugar Free Pumpkin Pie Spice (costs $2.50 a bottle.  A full bottle can last about 20 cups = that’s only $0.13 a cup!)

⇒ Your choice of coffee.  We use Maxwell House here.  We buy a medium can for about $5.50 on sale.  That has enough to last 52 pots!  So basically how do  you price that, right?  LOL

⇒ Two packs of Splenda (a box costs $4.00 for 200 packets = $0.04!)

So let’s talk price first.  For somewhere around $0.50 a CUP at home vs coffee shop prices.  Doh!  It’s a no brainer for sure.

Prepare your coffee as you normally do in your coffee pot.  On our coffee pot, we have the option of making one cup or an entire pot.  When I want one cup, I put my Splenda in my cup along with a shot of my Skinny Syrup Pumpkin Spice.  I then place my cup on the coffee maker and hit Latte (I know I’m blessed).  While that is percolating and the aroma is driving you crazy, pour some creamer into a glass container.  Then froth that cream… again my coffee maker has a frother – don’t hate.  Froth that cream as much as you want.  I find the glass container keeps it cold. 

Once your coffee is done, pour the froth into your cup.  Then sit on the couch, prop your feet up and enjoy that pure delight.  And then go back for another cup… .you’re welcome ❤

 

 

 

 

Shopping Around the World – Mark Your Calendars

This month and next month Shopping Around the World is being hosted by my brother Phenny  (thanks bro).

This month brother Phenny is asking for:

PUMPKINS

or squashes or gourd…anything from the cucurbita furmily goes…you can make a cake, soup, snack… whatever you like…

and the day for shopping around the world hop  is: FRIDAY OCTOBER 27th

grab your shoppingcart, buy a pumpkin and share the prices of the things you used and the recipe of your pumpkin-dish

 

 

Shopping Around the World

Hello sweet friends.  Welcome to another edition of Shopping Around the World.  This month we are highlighting things that we cook in this hot weather outside.  So without further ado, here is mom – take it away mom!

What we have this month is a meal that keeps on giving – LOL.  Friday morning before work, I put a beef roast in the oven.  I got a nice beef roast (around 3 pounds) at the market for around $14.00.  That night when I got home, I cut all of the meat up and put it aside.  In the meantime, I took a head of lettuce ($0.98 head) and chopped it all up placing it in a huge bowl.  On this date, I didn’t add anything extra – just the salad mix so far.  I then poured in some 1000 Island salad dressing into the lettuce (probably 1/3 bottle for the entire salad $0.34).  I tossed and coated all of the salad with the dressing.  At this time, you can add a little more if you need it.  Just make sure your lettuce is coated.

I then used some big plates and put some salad into the plates.  Next up, the beef that I had previously sliced was put on top of the salad.  Just as a garnish, I took some barbeque sauce I had on hand and drizzled it over the beef.  There you go – dinner is served.  The entire meal cost $15.32 and we had salads for two all weekend in this heat.

 

 

 

 

 

Shopping Around the World

Hello sweet friends ❤  For the month of June we are focusing on something that you have cooked lately that you absolutely went bonkers for and everyone enjoyed.  This could be anything – even a cheese cracker.  Just make it the best cheese cracker you ever had and post prices… and pictures are awesome.  That gives us something to drool on while we read your recipe.

Today, I’m handing our recipe over to mom.  Can you believe that me and dad actually got her to cook dinner for us one night?  Now don’t get me wrong.  She cooks for us but she’s been watching her diet lately so we have to say she went overboard with this dinner.  And *we* all appreciated that – trust me.

So without further ado, take it away mom!

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Hello friends.  If you know me really well, then you know here in the south I just can’t get enough of fried chicken – ever.  I’ll admit it.  Usually instead of taking the time to fix it, I will usually just buy it from the store or a local restaurant.  Every once in a while, I will bring out my southern experience and fry some for the family.  Of course when I do, everyone wonders what they’ve done to deserve it – HA!  It just keeps them on their toes I say.  What you will need:

♦ A package of chicken.  We enjoy thighs.  You get whatever pieces your family likes – mixed or whatever.  This date, we bought a package of thighs.  There was 8 of them for $3.23

♦ You should have some of these ingredients on hand:  flour (3 cups – $0.75); buttermilk (2 cups – $0.50); eggs (3 – $0.50); frying oil (4 cups $2.50); salt/pepper/cayenne pepper

Now this is a pretty basic recipe that we have used in our family for years.  You can also use the same ingredients with different types of  meat – fried fish, shrimp and you know that other white meat that we can’t mention on Bacon’s blog.  You can also use different spices that you like.  Be creative and have fun.

Now is the time to get your assembly line going.  It gets a little messy.  You will need two bowls.  One bowl you will put your ‘dry’ ingredients in – the flour, salt, pepper and shake cayenne pepper to your taste.  Now test your taste.  Remember you can add more, you can’t take out.  In the other bowl, put your 3 eggs and beat them.  Add your milk, salt, pepper and more cayenne pepper.  As that is sitting, put your grease in a frying pan (we like to use an iron skillet) and let that start to get hot somewhere around medium/high.  Now while that is getting hot, put about 4 pieces of raw chicken (that you have already washed) into the wet ingredients.  Let the oil get hot.

Once hot, here comes the fun part. You want to take the pieces of chicken out of the wet ingredients and coat them in the dry ingredients.  Get everything coated.  Now repeat that step.  Yep, I believe in double coating for an extra crispy skin on the chicken.  Dip the floured chicken back into your wet ingredients, back into the dry ingredients and then place the chicken in your hot oil skin side down.  Your pan should comfortably hold 4 thighs – don’t overcrowd.  I cook the chicken about 8 minutes and then flip the chicken over to the other side for about 6 more minutes.  Once it is nicely golden brown, put on paper towels to drain and do the remainder of your chicken.

There you go – a classic southern dish from the Hotel Thompson.  Eight wonderful fried chicken thighs for around $7.50 – great for a Sunday meal.  Enjoy ❤

 

Shopping Around the World – Reminder

Hello sweet friends ❤  Did you miss Shopping Around the World in May?  I know we did – snorts.  I tell you things have been going on weird here at the Hotel Thompson for the past couple of months – but I digress.  That’s another posting for another day.

Shopping Around the World is back for June and with a new badge courtesy of Phenny’s dad. (Huge shout out and thanks to them ❤ )  Please feel free to share and use this badge on your blog postings for Shopping Around the World.

For June we are going to focus on something that you have cooked lately that you absolutely went bonkers for and everyone enjoyed.  This could be anything – even a cheese cracker.  Just make it the best cheese cracker you ever had and post prices… and pictures are awesome.  That gives us something to drool on while we read your recipe.

So my friends.  That’s your assignment for June.  We will all post Shopping Around the World on Friday, June 30th.  Remember to link back to my blog so everyone can check your postings out.   Can’t wait to read your recipe!

 

Shopping Around the World – Mark Your Calendars

Hello sweet friends ❤  Did you miss Shopping Around the World in May?  I know we did – snorts.  I tell you things have been going on weird here at the Hotel Thompson for the past couple of months – but I digress.  That’s another posting for another day.

Shopping Around the World is back for June and with a new badge courtesy of Phenny’s dad. (Huge shout out and thanks to them ❤ )  Please feel free to share and use this badge on your blog postings for Shopping Around the World.

For June we are going to focus on something that you have cooked lately that you absolutely went bonkers for and everyone enjoyed.  This could be anything – even a cheese cracker.  Just make it the best cheese cracker you ever had and post prices… and pictures are awesome.  That gives us something to drool on while we read your recipe.

So my friends.  That’s your assignment for June.  We will all post Shopping Around the World on Friday, June 30th.  Remember to link back to my blog so everyone can check your postings out.   Can’t wait to read your recipe!

 

Shopping Around the World

Shopping Around the World this month is being hosted by our great friends Shoko and Kali with Canadian Cats – thanks ya’ll! ❤

  This month we are highlighting seafood recipes.  Now mom/dad usually go out to eat seafood but there is the rare occasion when mom uses the big box in the kitchen for something more than a paper weight and actually cooks dinner.  Now having this assignment of seafood, mom thought she would fix one of dad’s all time favorite meals in the world.  She fixed it and then dad sat and wondered did he miss an important date?  Was he in trouble for something?  Did mom overspend on a credit card?  What was the special occasion.  That’s when mom told dad that she loved him ❤  So, here it is my friends – mom’s seafood special.

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 Are you hungry yet looking at that picture?  I had to fix the hub unit’s favorite meal – ribeye steaks, french fries and fried shrimp.  Of course you don’t see the salad on the side.  I have to get the hub’s veggies in somewhere with this meal.  I’ll tell you the prices for everything and break down the shrimp for you.

◊ Ribeye Steak – I had some in the freezer.  I usually buy the entire loin and have the butcher cut them for me.  The last time I bought steaks, it cost me around $50 and I got 16 steaks. I then take them home and wrap everything up individually to freeze.  By buying the entire loin like this when it is on sale, the price per steak comes out around $3.15 per steak.  Two steaks $6.30

◊ Two large baking potatoes.  Buying a pack of potatoes at Sam’s Warehouse it costs $8.00 for about 20 potatoes.  That’s around $0.40 each potato.  Two potatoes $0.80

◊ One pound of fresh shrimp (or frozen but make sure they are thawed out).  I got large 31-35 count shrimp this date from the market.  They cost right $8.00 a pound.  And trust me, I fixed them all for dinner and none were left.  My hub will snarf these down like potato chips ❤

So the entire meal will cost less than $17.00 for two people.  And yes we could stretch the meal; but, this was the hubby’s special meal and he likes to pig out on it – and you will too.

How to fix the shrimp:

I like to put all of my shrimp in a colander and run them under cold water for a few minutes.  This makes sure that they are all thawed out.  Shake the colander and make sure all of the excess water is out and pour them in a bowl.  Here’s the fun part – making sure they are all clean and deveined.  Take this kitchen hint, you can buy them cleaned and already deveined.  You may have to pay a little more.  I have been cleaning shrimp all of my life.  It’s something that my dad taught me so it takes no time to fix them right up.  Once they are all cleaned, wash them again to make sure all of the ick is removed.  Once you start cleaning the shrimp, you will know exactly what that ick is that I’m talking about – LOL.  I like to take a mallet and pound my shrimp out a bit.  Don’t whack them too hard.  Just enough to smoosh them a little so they will lay flat.  (Look at mine above for size for flattening).

In a bowl mix together a cup of flour, a cup of cornmeal, salt, pepper and a little cayenne flakes.  In another bowl mix together, milk, 3 eggs, salt, pepper and cayenne.  (We like them a little spicy – you put as much or not at all according to your tastes).  Go ahead and put your grease on the stuff and let it get hot.  Here’s the secret to a really good crust on shrimp or chicken.  You want to dip your shrimp in the flour/cornmeal first, then to your wet mixture and then back to your dry.  After that, the little shrimp go for a swim in the hot oil.  When they turn a pretty brown, they are done.  If it’s like our house, most of the shrimp won’t make it to the dinner table because every one is hanging out in the kitchen eating them as they come up hot from the grease.  They are highly addictive.  Don’t say I didn’t warn you 🙂