Mr. Prof designer home

Living near Philadelphia, we are big fans of cheesesteaks. Many restaurants near us make their own cheesesteaks and, of course, there are the popular restaurants in the city itself. SP even made his own version recently. So when I saw this recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes on Kelly's blog, I had to give it a try.


These couldn't have been easier and the results were delicious. I added some green pepper for color and flavor and I think mushrooms would also be good. We only had two tablespoons of steak sauce left in the bottle, but that ended up being plenty. The cheese sauce is a great addition and made these taste like the cheesesteaks we know and love. I hollowed out the rolls to make a little bed for the meat mixture to sit in, which really helped keep everything together. I'll be making these again for sure.

Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes
Adapted from Rachael Ray

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground beef
1 softball-sized onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 tablespoons steak sauce, such as A-1
1 cup beef stock
Salt and ground black pepper
4 dinner rolls
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon flour
1 cup milk
1 cup provolone, shredded

In large skillet over medium-high heat add the oil and then brown the ground beef, about 5-6 minutes. Add the onion and green pepper and cook another 3-4 minutes, until the vegetables start to get tender. Stir in the steak sauce and beef stock, season with salt and pepper, bring up to a bubble and cook about 2 minutes.

Split open rolls and remove most of the soft insides, leaving a bed to hold the meat mixture. Toast the rolls and set aside.

While the meat is cooking, melt the butter in a medium-size pot over medium-high heat. Stir in the flour and cook about 1 minute. Whisk in milk, bring up to a bubble and let thicken, about 2 minutes. Turn off heat and stir in the cheese.

To serve, place a scoopful of the meat mixture onto the bottom of the rolls, then top with the cheese sauce and replace the top of the roll.

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Here are the rules:

1. Your project must be made or bought for $10 or less. Crafts, Makeovers, Thrift Finds, Recipes, Kids Projects...

2. Please do not link up Online Shops or Giveaways.

3. You can link up multiple projects.

4. Link to the specific post and not to the main page of your blog.

5. Add the Terrific Under Ten Tuesdays button to your post, side bar, or linky party list.

6. Visit at least one other project and leave a comment. We all love comments!

Then I'll feature some favorites on the next Terrific Under Ten Tuesday.

*By linking up, you give me the permission to use your photo(s) from your post.

Look closely... Do you see it?

MOMMA HAS A BABY!

I'm so happy for her! She let me get really close to snap some pics. I have no idea when the baby hatched, I just happened to notice more than one shape in the nest today.

HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY EVERYONE!

LET'S ALL KEEP THE BRAVE MEN AND WOMEN WHO SERVE IN OUR MILITARY IN OUR HEARTS TODAY AND EVERY DAY. AND TO ALL WHO GAVE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE FOR OUR COUNTRY, GOD BLESS AND THANK YOU.

My friend Melissa raved about these Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps and then submitted them for one of the recipe swaps where the recipient also raved about them. I'm trying to cook out of my comfort zone while also finding healthier recipes that are more suited to the summer heat. This sounded perfect.


These were delicious, with just a hint of spice from the Sriracha and a vibrant burst from the cilantro.

I had some chicken breasts in the freezer so I used my food processor to grind my own chicken. I made the filling in the morning after Baby Girl and SP left for the day. The smell was intoxicating and I couldn't wait for dinner. I subbed butter lettuce for iceburg and served the wraps with white rice and Asian-Style Broccoli. Because I'd used chicken instead of turkey the filling was a little dry, but that can easily be remedied by upping the amount of sauce ingredients. I reread Melissa's blog entry after I'd made them and was kicking myself for not adding the water chestnuts she suggested - they'd make a great, crunchy addition so I added them to the recipe below so I won't forget next time.


I can't wait to make these again. Thanks for a real winner, Melissa!

Spicy Asian Lettuce Wraps
Adapted from I Was Born to Cook

2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons ginger root, peeled and grated
1 1/2 lbs. ground chicken (or turkey)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons Sriracha
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 small can water chestnuts, chopped
1/3 cup chopped peanuts
1 head butter lettuce (or iceburg)

Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan, add onion and saute about 2 minutes, then add garlic and ginger root and saute another minute. Add ground chicken (turkey) to frying pan and break apart, then add soy sauce and Sriracha. Cook until the chicken (turkey) is brown and crumbling apart, and the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes.

While chicken (turkey) cooks, wash and chop cilantro. Remove the core end from lettuce and separate leaves. Chop peanuts and put in small bowl to serve at the table. When turkey is done, add chopped water chestnuts and chopped cilantro and cook 1-2 minutes more.

To serve: place chicken mixture on lettuce leaf, sprinkle with peanuts, and fold the leaf closed to make it easy to grab and eat.

I have edited this post after receiving a couple e-mails on how to fix our problems..

ROBIN at http://thecrankycrow.blogspot.com/2011/05/blogger-comment-help-if-youre.html has posted this…and also Pamela from http://seasonsofthyheart.blogspot.com/ suggested the same ‘fix’.

SHEILA over at http://seasonsofthyheart.blogspot.com/  said she has been commenting through Anonymous and then it will go through…so let’s try that!!
Thanks Sheila

SO PLEASE CHECK OUT ROBIN’S SITE AND MAYBE YOU TOO CAN BE ‘FIXED’.

But here’s my original post anyway….

SORRY EVERYONE...I'VE BEEN LIKE SOME OF YOU AND CAN'T POST COMMENTS.

I'VE TRIED MANY TIMES TO POST A COMMENT AND IT TAKES ME TO THE SIGN IN...I DO THAT AND IT TAKES ME BACK TO THE POST AND REPEATS ITSELF OVER AND OVER.

What in the world is going on with Blogger????

I see that some of you have many comments...why is that????
Am I doing something wrong???

On my last post here I got some comments and some bloggers had to e-mail me with their comments because of this issue.

I PROMISE I WILL GET BACK TO YOU THROUGH AN E-MAIL AS WELL IF I CAN’T COMMENT DIRECTLY.

Does anyone know what is happening - why some CAN and why some CAN'T???

Please let me say THANK YOU  to everyone who commented and e-mailed about my DECISION...still don't know what I'm going to do - as I was fighting this issue an order came in...LOL

I know there are down times with website sales...I've just never experienced it in the 6 years I've been doing this. Guess I can call myself one of the lucky ones. And a couple months with slow sales is probably very normal.

I will tough it out and see what the rest of summer brings. I do know I'm always busy at holiday time though.

AGAIN 'THANK YOU' TO EVERYONE FOR CARING AND HELPING ME WITH ALL YOUR WONDERFUL SUGGESTIONS.

 

IT’S GRADUATION TIME!
Yesterday our neighbors had a graduation party for the 5th and last daughter.
It was held in the street right outside our side yard/driveway...we attended for about 2 hours then retreated to the quiet of our house.

GERANIUMS…
I did get a few of my Geraniums out on Friday – I only put out a few this year and left the rest packed away. Seems as time goes on I do less and less of everything. The ‘less is more’ phrase is sounding better and better as I go along.

Simple pot on kitchen counter

In my trencher – this time I put it on the hutch in my den because and not on the dining room table  - I like the Goose in the grain box now – I guess found something I like better than the trencher there.

And then on the table in the kitchen by the back door. I have them sitting in one of my favorite tin dough risers.

And my most favorite is my Patriotic ones in the screen room with the Red and White Geraniums in the blue box.

Have a wonderful Memorial Weekend and remember all those who served our country and paid the price and for all those others went before us.

Karen

I got into a discussion on my life board recently that resulted in one of the women sharing a recipe for Asian-Style Broccoli. We love broccoli but sometimes I get tired of steaming or roasting it, so I was excited for a new recipe.


I still need to perfect the balance of salty and sweet, but this was a real winner. Thanks, erosa!

Asian-Style Broccoli
Recipe from erosa

2 tablespoons olive oil
4 broccoli crowns, cut into florets
2 garlic cloves, minced or grated
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon corn starch

Heat oil in a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Add in the broccoli, garlic and ginger and cook 2 minutes. Add a splash of water and cover the skillet, allowing the broccoli to steam (for crisp broccoli, 3 minutes).

Mix the soy sauce, chicken stock, brown sugar and corn starch in a small bowl until the corn starch dissolves. After the broccoli has steamed to your desired doneness, add the liquid to the pan, stirring to coat the broccoli in the sauce. Allow the sauce to thicken, about 2 minutes.

This past weekend I had a craving for a gooey, cheesy grilled cheese sandwich. I sliced some tomato to add color and freshness to the sandwich:


The next morning I used the rest of the tomato to make myself a tomato and cheese omelet with breakfast potatoes:

Hey guys! A few posts back I talked about the premier fabric and how it was on sale for $5.58 a yard. I spent my 5 bucks for 1 yard, and it was enough to cover both of these chairs I got at the thrift store for $14 a chair. I took off the awful fabric, sanded it, primed it, painted it black, and then covered with the new fabric. Here they are before.........

It was $49 and I think it looks alot like this one, and mine was half the price.

Updated July 18, 2011 with a new picture. This time they didn't fall apart and I was able to make them with fresh basil from my garden.

I love tomatoes. I eat them every day and can never get enough, especially this time of year. I've been wanting to make these Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes for awhile, but finally put them on the menu this week.


We were grilling steak anyway, so I wrapped these up and put them on the top rack of the grill to cook. We both kind of forgot they were there, so they ended up cooking way too long, but they were still utterly delicious even if they were falling apart. I just wish the photo had been better. I can't wait to make these with fresh basil once I've got my basil plant growing this summer.

Cheese Stuffed Tomatoes
The Novice Chef

4 medium tomatoes
1/4 cup of your favorite breadcrumbs
2 tablespoons butter, melted
8 basil leaves, chopped
1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Parsley for garnish

Slice off top of tomato, hollow out (leaving 1/2 inch thick shell), and chop pulp and set aside. In a medium bowl, combine bread crumbs, butter, basil, salt and pepper. Next stir in cheese and tomato pulp. Fill each tomato shell and then wrap each tomato individually in foil.

Grill, or bake (at 400 degrees) for 10 to 15 minutes, until cheese is completely melted. Garnish with parsley and serve hot.

The garden is struggling a bit these days as we can't buy a drop of rain here in Florida. Color is not abundant except here in my collection of old buckets and other containers scattered about the back patio.

These blue salvias remind me so much of lavender, which does not do well in our normally wet climate.

They start out with buds that are white...


And then, they explode into these gorgeous blue blossoms. I've been experimenting with soft focus, hope you appreciate the effect...


Scaveola in two shades of purple make a pretty showing in my old triple sink.



Purple cat's whiskers in an old cast iron kettle frame the garden cottage in the background.

And it’s a difficult one…sales have been getting less and less on my website and it’s getting more difficult to make the decision to close it. It’s getting so I don’t have enough in PayPal to make the monthly payment and when you start putting your own money in to cover it – it’s time to think differently.

So…do I hang on for another month or just bite the bullet now and get it over with.

But I do have a question…if I close my website, I would like to sell a few items on a Selling Blog but I don’t know how to get the BUY NOW button on and link back to PayPal.
My webhost designer did all that for me so I’m at a loss as how to do it.

Now I have my patterns on my website but they are also on the two Pattern sites so that won’t hurt anything (sell from those two anyway – none from mine…lol)

And I’m going to ask a favor if I do get a Selling Blog…
Being I’ve tried with all my might to promote all the wonderful selling blogs out there…I’m asking ‘Would you all please help me and put my Selling Blog on your blogs sidebar if I start one????
I’m asking anyone and everyone EVEN IF YOU DON’T HAVE A SELLING BLOG…If I do this I need all the promotion I can get.

So that’s my dilemma right now…that and that I CAN’T leave comments on your blogs. Blogger is being a BUGGER again and it just keeps wanting me to sign in…and I’ve been signed in!!!

Hope to hear from you with some suggestions here on my website…what would you do?

After last week's BBQ Chicken Salad I had about half a huge container of mixed greens leftover, as well as blue cheese and peach preserves. What better to make with it then another arranged salad, this time a Harvest Salad.


I made the dressing with some of the leftover peach preserves from the previous salad since we already had it on hand. It was delicious but I know the raspberry would also be wonderful. I think this salad will be making a regular appearance on our table. I love the combination of salty, sweet and tangy from the various ingredients.

Harvest Salad
Recipe from Allrecipes.com

1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Mixed greens, baby spinach or arugula
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and diced
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons red raspberry jam (peach also works well)
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Arrange walnuts in a single layer on a baking sheet. Toast in oven for 5 minutes, or until nuts begin to brown.

Arrange the greens, walnuts, cranberries, blue cheese, tomatoes, avocado, and red onion on a plate.

In a small bowl, whisk together jam, vinegar, oil, pepper, and salt. Pour over the salad just before serving, and toss to coat.

I've been having a love affair with asparagus lately, so when I saw this recipe for Pasta with Asparagus, Bacon, and Egg I couldn't wait to try it.


The more I thought about it, the more I realized how much the recipe reminded me of carbonara, which if you've read this blog for any length of time you'll know is my all-time favorite pasta dish. I decided to combine the two recipes, subbing the asparagus for the onion in the original recipe. The result was a delicious and beautiful spring dish that feels healthier because of the beautiful, crisp, green asparagus.



Asparagus Carbonara
Recipes from The Local Cook and Nigella Lawson

4 ounces bacon, chopped
1 1/2 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into 2 inch pieces
Splash of vermouth
8 ounces short-cut pasta
2 eggs
Splash of heavy cream
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)
salt and pepper to taste
Freshly ground nutmeg

Bring a large pot of water to boil and salt it. Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and set aside.

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until brown. Add the asparagus and cook to desired doneness (5-10 minutes). Once asparagus is cooked, add the vermouth and let it bubble so that, after a few minutes, you have a small amount of salty winey syrup left. Add the drained pasta to the pan and toss to coat the pasta with the winey syrup. Take the pan off the heat.

In a bowl beat together the eggs, Parmesan, cream, and pepper. Add the mixture to the pan, swiftly tossing everything to mix. Top with more grated cheese, if desired.

I know it’s just one among thousands of sock systems employed by large families far and near.  But this is the system I began when our children were just wee bitty, and it’s the one we still use today. 

Like any good system, it’s simple so it works!

It’s no exaggeration to say that these Gold Toe brand socks have changed my life.  No more sorting or stacking or looking for pairs.  When I pull out a sock from the dryer, I throw it in the sock bin and call it a day.  The gray differentiates the boys from the girls.  The stripes differentiate size.

When my children need socks, they simply find the appropriate striped sock x 2. 

Gold Toe brand socks can be found in many stores, but I buy ours at Target.  If they ever discontinue them I think I’ll cry.