Blog Makeover

Now that I am settled out here in California, the road trip portion of my blog is no longer necessary.  I have decided to try on the "normal blogger" title for a while to see how it feels.  I asked myself what I like to read about on other people's blogs and I came up with anything involving food, movies, funny youtube clips, interesting pictures, traveling, etc.  So here is my attempt to incorporate those things into my "new blog."

Clip of the Day
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdylQeg5B9I&feature=player_embedded

If I wasn't in California, I would want to be:

on the Crystal Coast of North Carolina!

Recipe of the Day:

Roasted Portobellos topped with Vegetables and BACON

(Inspired by Pam Dolan) 

So this might not be the prettiest picture ever, but it sure is delicious and easy!

Ingredients: (makes enough for 2 mushroom caps)

2 portobello mushrooms

olive oil

S&P (salt & pepper)

1/2 yellow onion

1 pepper (any color that you like)

1 head of broccoli

2 strips of bacon

1 clove of garlic

1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Turn oven on to broil (low).  Put mushrooms in a small oven pan, drizzle both sides with olive oil so that majority of the surface is lightly coated, S&P both sides.  Broil on each side for 5 minutes.  

While mushrooms are broiling, chop up bacon and cook in a frying pan (no oil needed because of the fat that will render from the bacon) until done.  Remove bacon and reserve on a paper towel while you cook the other ingredients.  Chop up the onion, pepper, broccoli, and garlic (you can add any other veggies that you have in the fridge) and add them to the pan with the bacon grease (it won't be much since you only cooked 2 pieces) and cook until tender and done.  Once they have finished, add the bacon back to the pan and mix together.  Taste the mixture and determine if it needs salt or pepper.  

Remove the mushrooms from the oven once they are done and place half of the mixture onto each mushroom.  Then grate a little parmesan cheese on top of each and put them back in the oven (still on broil-low) until the cheese melts; this should only take 20-30 seconds because everything is already cooked; you are just trying to melt the cheese. 

I serve this with either rice, orzo, couscous, etc.  You can add any seasonings or flavors to it such as oregano,  cayenne to make it a little spicy, etc.  And you can leave the bacon out if you want to make it vegetarian and it's still delicious!  Enjoy!

Picture of the Day:

If you have been on vacation with my family (or just over for game night),

you will appreciate this picture of the 6 dice that make the game: "Italian Dice."

Movie(s) of the Week:

While they are completely different from each other, I still love both of them for very different reasons.

Midnight in Paris

and

Horrible Bosses

Happy Friday!