Soup's On! - Roasted Cauliflower & Smoked Gouda Soup

Look everyone! A new feature!!! I know I've been gone for a bit, but what better gift upon my return than to introduce a new feature? I have to preface this post with a bit of background. 

I've never made soup. Let me rephrase, I've never made soup that didn't start out by opening the can and finished with the words "Add water". I was raised on Campbell's! It's all I knew. Many years ago someone (I have no idea who) gave me an entire cookbook full of nothing but soup recipes. That book has sat on the shelf with the rest of my cookbooks for well over 20 years.

Now that I'm single again (long story, short Post-It Note!), I thought this would be a great time to attempt to dabble in the liquid food arts (Liquid food arts that didn't involve cocktails, I mean).

Being that I am following a Low-Carb lifestyle at the moment, this has meant that I need to stay away from noodle soups and anything that might incorporate dumplings of any size, shape or texture. I did some online research and found some amazing soups that I am going to try and then share with you here. Yes, the cookbook is still on the shelf. I just find that the internet has a lot more lurking out there than any book could provide me. That, and you can't Google search a book!

My first foray into the hot and bubbling liquid food arts is a Roasted Cauliflower & Smoked Gouda Soup. Granted, the recipe called for aged white cheddar cheese, but I am a huge fan of smoked gouda so I went with that. Other than that change I followed the recipe to the letter (Something, I don't usually do). I didn't want to screw this up by attempting "Flair!". You will find the recipe at the end of the post, but first, lets talk about the process and see some pictures.

Roasted Cauliflower goodness!

I have never been a huge fan of Cauliflower. I mean, any vegetable you have to cover in cheese to tolerate, can't be all that great. Roasted tho, it is amazing! For this recipe, you toss it in oil...salt and pepper it and let it roast for 30 minutes in the oven. What you get are toasted nuggets of goodness that I just wanted to eat off the pan.

You could stop right here...but you don't!

You add the roasted Cauliflower to onions, garlic, Thyme and chicken stock. That combination gets cooked for 30 more minutes until the Cauliflower is soft and then you grab your Immersion Blender and go to town! 

I had bought an Immersion Blender years ago, and it has languished in the "Special Utensil Drawer" forever. I never had a chance to use it...until now! Once you blend up the soup you then add the cheese and cook it without boiling it any longer until all the cheese is melted. What you wind up with is this...

And yes, you then add some bacon to it!

What I wound up with was an incredibly creamy and delicious soup. Till all is said and done, you don't even really taste the Cauliflower. It lends a delightful bulk to the dish which makes it quite filling.

Roasted Cauliflower & Smoked Gouda Soup

         

         Ingredients

               1        small head cauliflower- cut into florets

               2        tablespoons oil, additional oil for saute

               1        medium onion diced

               2        cloves garlic chopped

               1        teaspoon thyme chopped

               3        cups chicken stock

               11/2   cups smoked gouda cheese grated

               1        cup milk, cream or half & half

                         salt & pepper to taste

         Instructions

1.  Toss the cauliflower florets in the oil along with salt and pepper and arrange them in a single layer on a large baking sheet.

2.  Roast the cauliflower in a preheated 400 degree oven until golden brown. Approx 30 minutes.

3.  Heat oil in a large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onion and saute until tender. Approx 5-7 minutes.

4.  Add the garlic and thyme and saute until fragrant, about a minute.

5.  Add the broth, deglaze the pan, add the cauliflower, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer, covered for 30 minutes.

6.  Using an immersion blender, puree the soup until it is of an even consistency. Reduce stove heat to insure the mixture no longer boils.

7.  Slowly add and stir in the cheese.

8.  Add the milk/cream/half & half, stirring constantly and ensuring that the soup doesn't boil or burn.

9.  Season with salt & pepper to taste. Serve, adding crispy bacon or addition cheese as garnish (or both even!) 

I hope everyone enjoys this recipe. Let me know if you try it out and what the results were in the comments section.

Cookography: Fried Green Tomatoes

I am a somewhat "genteel" southern woman at heart. I love my southern cooking. Be it a good spicy gumbo or boo fries. I really enjoy the huge comfort content of dishes served in the southern states.

This past weekend I took a stab at fried green tomatoes. One of my coworkers had a bumper crop of tomatoes this year and was lamenting how many of them were green, he doubted that he could get them ripened before they rot.

Me to the rescue! I told him I would take the green ones. I'm sure he thought I was crazy...but then, people often do. So, I brought them home, sliced them up and let the magic happen.

The assembly line!

So yes, a few of the tomatoes managed to ripen a bit before I got to them, but I decided to slice them up too. I prepared my buttermilk and egg bath (one egg and buttermilk to cover) and combined a "Shake & Bake" package with a healthy helping of Parmesan Cheese as my crispy goodness.

Then, I grabbed my extra large skillet and placed about a quarter of an inch of oil in it. Use whatever oil you like...I went with Canolla. Once it was hot, I took each tomato and dipped it in the liquid, and then heavily coated it in the crumb mixture. Into the hot oil they went...SIZZLE!!!

Crispy tomato goodness!

I fried them for 2 minutes on each side. You don't want the tomato to become too soft and mushy. The trick is to get them brown and keep the tomato a little firm. So, vary your cooking time with that goal in mind.

In the south, they also serve these with a spicy remoulade (aka...dipping sauce). To replicate this, I took a couple of tablespoons of mayo and added a healthy few shakes of Tabasco sauce to it and mixed it up.

Fried Green Tomato HEAVEN! These make a great side dish to any meal. I coupled them with a roast pork I had slow-cooked in the crock pot all day long. The combination of the fall-apart-in-your-mouth pork and the crispy tomatoes was fantastic!

Bake-A-Liciousness: Spiced Apple Chutney & Brie Tartlets

I came up with these delights for a contest at work. I won the contest, but it was because I was the only contestant. Damn coworkers! Anyway, it's a great fall recipe, sweet and savory at the same time. It can also be whipped up days in advance and assembled as needed.

The test batch...YUMMY!

For work I put the Brie on top where you could see it. Either way works.

Spiced Apple Chutney & Brie Tartlets

            

            CHUTNEY:

            1/4 cup orange juice

            1/4 cup water

            3 Tbsp. firmly packed brown sugar

            3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar

            1/2 tsp. cinnamon

            1/2 tsp. Kosher salt

            1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

            2 shallots, minced

            1/2 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced

                   or 1 tsp of jalapeño pepper hot sauce.

            1 clove garlic, minced

            2 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and finely diced

            2 tsp. Butter

            3-4 Boxes Filo Dough Tart Shells

            1 8oz wheel of Brie, rind removed and cut into ¼ inch squares

Preparation

For Chutney, in small bowl, combine orange juice, water, brown sugar, vinegar,cinnamon, salt and pepper. Mix and set aside.

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in medium saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, jalapeño and garlic and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until shallots are tender, about 5 minutes. Stir in apples and orange juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until apples are tender, about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Assembly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place the tart shells evenly on a baking pan.

Place one square of Brie into each tart shell and spoon a small portion of the chutney over top (Or reverse it if you prefer). Fill each tart shell, but don’t overfill or you’ll have a mess on your baking sheet. Bake the tarts for 5 - 7 minutes or until the Brie is melted. Remove from oven and serve warm.

A Diner Isn't Always a Diner

Last week a coworker and I took the HR Manager out to lunch for her birthday. We decided to try out Family Meal. It's one of the newer creations of Bryan Voltaggio, owner of Volt in Frederick, MD. We had a great meal, even tho there was some confusion as to who our waitress was at any given time.

Great Design, this used to be a car dealership

We all started off with an Iced Tea. I really loved the detail of branding the sweeteners. It's just one of those little things that are so often overlooked. Why advertise Equal or Splenda when you can use it as an opportunity to advertise your establishment? The other cool thing was the ice. It's square and melts really slowly so as to not water down your drink.

We started off with the Chicken Pot Pie Fritters. They were kinda like tater-tots, but with the yummy goodness of Chicken Pot Pie inside. Great comfort food re-imagined!

Turns out, you can fry anything!

One of coworkers got the burger. It is topped with cheddar, bacon and caramelized onions. I did sample a bite and was burping those onions the rest of the afternoon. Darn my tummy!

The pickle was really good too.

I got the Mac & Cheese, of course. Anytime I see it on a menu I have to sample it. It was perfectly crispy and made with Tillamook Cheddar, which is one of my favs.

Warm cheesy goodness!

The HR Manager ordered the Grilled Chicken Sandwich. It includes roasted peppers, provolone cheese, shiitake mushroom and a delightful basil mayo. I tried it too and it was delish, but darn those peppers!

They had pounded the chicken thin...nice touch!

Ok, we ate a lot of food, but I was not leaving till we sampled the Duck Fat Fried Potatoes. They come with 3 dipping sauces...a spicy mayo, smokey ketchup and an amazing pesto. I couldn't get enough of them and wanted to order a second, but they stopped me.

Duck fat! Who knew???

I ordered coffee because I love the blend they use at Volt. If I'm not mistaken, this is the same creature. Even cooler was the vessel the cream came in.

I sooo want to steal one of these cream containers!

Since it was the HR Manager's birthday, we had to order dessert. I know...the horror! We let her choose, so gracious of us! She chose the Chocolate Earl Grey Donuts. They come with hazelnut pudding on top and a scoop of Coffee Ice Cream. Now I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but these were great. They were crispy on the outside, but warm and almost fudge-like on the inside. The ice cream was great, but for 3 of us it would have been nice to have an additional scoop.

Yes, we sang to her!

It was a great meal. I'll be going back, but I hope to see some changes to their menu. Typically a diner has a huge menu and Family Meal...not so much. I would love to see their take on meatloaf! I would also like to check out their breakfast menu someday. Tho, when am I ever out of bed early enough to do that???

Cookography: Brie, Cranberry & Pecan Tarts

We interrupt this Holiday Season to talk about the last one...Thanksgiving. Yeah, I 'm behind on posts, sue me! Anyway, I am always tasked with bringing a light appetizer to Thanksgiving dinner. It's my lot in life. Also, it's easily transportable. Last year I took the Pumpkin Garlic Bites. They were a huge hit and just the right savory combination of flavors.

This year, I was looking for a baked tart of some kind. I found something along the lines of what I was considering on the web, but it wasn't exactly what I wanted so, as I tend to do...I modified it. Here are Brie, Canberry & Pecan Tarts.

Warm, yummy, sweet and savory

They're incredibly simple to put together and since everyone complains that I never provide recipes, here is a stab at one. Remember, I hardly every use them, so take this with a grain of salt.

          Brie, Cranberry & Pecan Tarts

                    8 T   Chopped Pecans
                    8 T   Chopped Craisins
                    4 T   Honey
                    8 oz  Wheel of Brie
                    30     Filo Tart Shells

         Mix together the pecans, craisins and honey in a small bowl. Add a little extra honey if it's too dry. Here is what that will look like. Everything nicely coated, but there shouldn't be extra honey pooling anywhere.

Yeah, I could just eat this by the spoonful.

Leave it to sit at room temperature while you cut the skin off the brie and cube it into roughly half inch by quarter inch cubes. (Note: I found it easiest to cut the wheel into the half inch cubes first and then simply cut each of those cubes in half and then cut the skin off).

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees and place the tart shells on a non-stick baking sheet. Place a cube of brie in each tart shell and cover with the pecan/craisin mixture. Use all of the pecan craisin mixture. They may look over-filled, but as the brie melts it all fills in nicely. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them. I found in order to get things nicely combined I wound up baking them a little longer.

Let them cool a bit before tasting. I got anxious and burned the heck out of my mouth. That honey is hot!!! Even at room temperature they still tasted great. My Mom also just took these to a Christmas Party and they were a huge hit.

One last Thanksgiving thought...I ate too much!

My view of the table.

San Fran: The Food

Let's travel back in time to a few weeks ago. I was in San Francisco. I don't know exactly where any of you might have been. Even if I did know, I 'm sure I've forgotten by now. What I haven't forgotten is all of the wonderful food I was able to sample in San Francisco while I was there.

I have found a new love...don't worry Hubby, it's a burger. A Super Duper Burger to be exact. Around here we have Five Guys Burgers & Fries, but in San Fran, they have Super Duper Burgers, and I have to say...they are super duper! 

You can get a double or a single burger and their garlic fries are to DIE for! Yeah, I ate here 4 times during the trip. Twice was to prove to other people how amazing the place is. The sacrifices I make for others!!!

Heaven on a cute little metal tray!

You really do need that wrapper on the burger in order to eat it. They are so juicy that your hands are a mess till your finished even with the wrapper. A word or warning...if you order the garlic fries, you will smell like garlic through the following day. I woke up the next morning and even my pillow smelled like garlic.

My coworkers and I took the client out to dinner one evening to a delightful little place called oola. Right off the bat, I have to tell you that the service was less than exceptional. We were a group of 10 and they really didn't seem to have the ability to service a group that large. I would guess that a party of 2 or 4 would have a delightful experience here. 

Yeah, they need to clean the bird poop off their sign.

Their real claim to fame is their cocktail menu. They offer a lot of prohibition era cocktails that are made with the finest ingredients. I was intrigued by the Dark & Stormy. It's a combination of incredibly dark rum, ginger and lime. It is indeed dark, so much so that I had to light it from behind with a candle to get a photo of it.

A storm is brewing

Pretty amazing cocktail. I need to start making these at home. I just need to find some really dark rum to do it with.

For dinner, I chose their 4 Cheese Mac & Cheese and roasted brussel sprouts. Everything was very tasty, I just wish it had arrived faster. I do have to say...the waiter did keep the cocktails coming, that's a plus. I apologize for the lighting, the cocktails aren't the only dark thing at this place.

I don't remember what 4 cheeses...but does it really matter?

Tender, perfect!

The meal really was delicious. I am so glad I wasn't paying for it. I mean, those cocktails were $12 a piece and I know I drank more than 6 of them. Thankfully the big wigs didn't say a word. Cause if they had I would have answered with, "13 years...last show...pay up!"

That was all of the savory food from the trip. Some nights we were finished so late and I was so tired that I just grabbed a sandwich at Subway. One nice little treat were the cupcakes that the convention & visitors association brought to us. Yes, I ate one or two despite the carbs involved.

At first glance, I thought this cupcake was cussing at me.

Well, I don't travel again until New Year's and that will be to Las Vegas. So I might not have much on-the-road food to talk about until then.

A Dream is a Wish Your Stomach Makes

Scott, Tod and I were on our way to Altoona, PA for what has become our annual pilgrimage to the AIDS benefit at Escapade Bar. Abigail wasn't performing this year due to "The Blood Clot Incident" so Scott and I were along as Drag Lackey and Cocktail Lackey.

Last year our hosts had taken us out to dinner at Cracker Barrel. Very thoughtful of them, but certainly not a place I would ever choose to dine on my own. So this year when I heard they were taking us to dinner I asked Tod that we please not eat at Cracker Barrel. Certainly Altoona has to have some local cuisine that could outmatch the "Barrel". I mean, on any given day Denny's pretty much does. We wound up at...

Just a quick hop over to Holidaysburg.

The Dream, and it was pretty dreamy. We had a very brief wait for our table and while we were waiting we were simply blown away by the bakery's display case. Sorry, I didn't get a picture of that. It was just bursting with every type of pastry you could ever need, want, or desire. They even had gluten free items, which I think is a great sign of the times.

Anyway, we were seated and then came the difficult task of choosing what to order.

Fairly sizable menu.

Usually when I'm confronted by a menu of this diversity, I wait to hear what the specials are, and I'm glad I did. We all ordered and then the waitress brought the bread. If you've followed my blog at all, you know my stance on processed flour, but even I couldn't resist the hot, fluffy goodness that was placed before us.

I did stick with the whole wheat one tho. No sense goin crazy!

I  did not sample the cinnamon/sugar butter that came with the bread. 100% butter was just fine with me. The guys said the flavored butter was great and Scott even took the leftovers back to the hotel with him. Next came our salads.

Creamy, savory cole slaw

I opted for the cole slaw once I discovered that it wasn't a sweet version. I have to be fairly cautious with my veggie choices because of "The Blood Clot Incident", too much green stuff and my blood thickens up like molasses on a winter day. I am a sucker for a good cole slaw. This one was creamy enough to stick to the cabbage, but still delightfully slick on the tongue. I really liked the addition of the paprika, it gave the dish a nice little splash of color.

Ok, I've been teasing you a bit with my choice of main course...and I'm going to continue for just a bit and discuss what the other ordered. Tod got ribs, which were one of the specials. Huge serving, he couldn't finish it and still be able to perform later. Scott got some sort of something with steamed veggies. He seemed to like it but I still have know idea what it was. Tod's friends got hot roast beef and hot turkey sandwiches which looked amazing and was making be debate whether I had made the right selection. But then my plate came and any doubt immediately vanished.

Chicken Cordon Bleu and FRIES!

Heaven! OMG!!! There were a few things about this dish that were different from other CCB's I've had. First, it wasn't rolled. The cheese and the ham had been rolled, but then they were just placed beneath the chicken breast and baked. I found this style more enjoyable from the slicing and eating standpoint. It created a much more balanced flavor. You weren't getting more chicken than filling because there was only one layer or chicken, not a roll. The other delightful aspect of the dish was that the ham was sliced very thin. So often with CCB's it's just a chunk of ham stuck in the middle. No fun. The fries were amazing too. Crispy, hot and tender in the middle...exactly the way I love them. Not to mention the fact that there was, what I believe to be, homemade ranch dressing to dip them in.

The real shame is that after all of this food, none of us had any room left to sample anything from the bakery case. I really wanted to try one of those gluten free brownies and in hindsight probably should have gotten one to go.

Oh well...that just gives me a good reason to dream The Dream again!

Not "That Cuban Place"

Things are a little confusing here in my little town. We have a restaurant called "That Cuban Place", but this post is not about that cuban place. This post is about the cuban place that is better than "That Cuban Place".  This cuban place is Sabor De Cuba.

It is located in Frederick, MD right in the thick of the downtown area. We have so many great restaurants in that area, many of which I have spoken about here. My coworkers and I hit Sabor De Cuba one day for lunch.

Don't tell my boss!

I decided I had to try one of their Mojitos. You can't feast at a cuban restaurant and not sample this iconic drink. Besides, it was a Friday and I didn't have a lot on my plate back at the office. I have to say, it wasn't as good as the ones I make, but in the grand scheme of the Mojito Universe it was quite good.

Minty, limey goodness

One trick I noticed is that here the bartender blends the ingredients before placing them in the glass rather than muddling them in the glass. The upside of this is that the mint pieces wind up small enough to make it up the straw as you're sipping. The downside is that it tints the cocktail green. Not the typical color of a muddled Mojito. I've always enjoyed the contrast of the clear cocktail with the mint leaves myself.

For my lunch I ordered the Cuban Sandwich, how could I not? This place definitely gets these right...perfect, in fact.

Yes...I ate the bread.

A Cuban Sandwich, for those of you who have never sampled one, consists of roast pork, ham, swiss cheese, mustard, and pickle. It is then pressed like a Panini so the insides get nice and gooey and the bread gets nice and crispy.

I have sampled this sandwich all over the country and there is only one restaurant in Miami who makes one that is better than this one at Sabor De Cuba. I warn you tho, they don't reheat very well so be prepared to finish this delight all in one sitting. It's really not that difficult, just skip the appetizers.

NOTE: In all fairness, I have personally not tried "That Cuban Place", but coworkers of mine have and didn't have the best things to say about it. I plan to check it out for myself at some point and will post my review here.

Presto Pesto!

I have a terrible weakness, ok fine...I have many. But, one of my most crippling is the search for really great Pesto. I try Pesto dishes whenever I can at restaurants, hoping that they've gotten it right. Some have and some haven't. So, the easiest way for me to satisfy my hunger for the Perfect Pesto is to make my own.

This weekend I harvested our Basil plant and proceeded to turn it into amazing Pesto...like MAGIC! Now, let me first say that I don't use a recipe for this. A good Pesto "recipe" is all about feel and consistency. Some people prefer a wetter Pesto, some a dryer. I fall into the latter. I will walk you through my process.

Fresh from the garden...Thanks Hubby!

Granted, I should have harvested this Basil two weeks ago in it's prime, but my schedule just didn't allow for it. Still, it worked just fine. One should always start with very fresh green Basil when making Pesto. That being said, I have whipped up some passable Pesto in the past (wow alliteration!) using some high quality dried basil, but I certainly don't recommend that...except in the case of Zombie Apocalypse. 

Now, lets talk nuts. I use Pine Nuts, but there are folks that say that Walnuts work just fine...I don't agree with them, but they are entitled to their opinion. For me, Pine Nuts impart an unusual flavor your just can't get from the namby pamby Walnut. Save your Walnuts for cookies people!

Toasting is touchy!

When toasting Pine Nuts, you have to be paying attention. Pine Nuts go from browned to black in like 3 seconds! These took about 10 minutes on low heat and I was constantly flipping them around in the pan. I used just slightly over a 1/3rd of a cup pretty much because that is how many were in the bag.

Garlic! It's one of the main ingredients of Pesto and I like a lot of it!

Heaven in a hard to peel container.

I used 4 cloves of garlic for my Pesto. I was going to go for 6 cloves, but I got tired of peeling it. OK, so once you have assembled everything, you throw it all into your food processor.

About to be pulverized!

Here it is. My Basil, the Garlic, the Pine Nuts, Parmesan Cheese, and a dash of salt and pepper. Heck, I could eat is as a salad just like this. I pulse this about a dozen times in the food processor just to get everything chopped up and saying, "Hi" to everyone. Then, with the food processor on high, I begin to very slowly drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil into the mix. 

You want to keep an eye on this step. Too much EVOO and you wind up with really runny Pesto, which...if you like it that way, go for it. I prefer a dryer Pesto so I add just enough to incorporate the ingredients.

Once processed it looks pretty much like this.

Heaven in a Food Processor!

This was still a little lumpy for my tastes, so I processed it for a bit longer on high giving the blade time to cut it down even further. Here is my final result.

Just looking for some fresh pasta to mate with!

So, even after all of my careful oil pouring this turned out a little runnier than I prefer it. No problem, I just added some extra Parm to it. The cheese absorbed the oil perfectly.

Now comes the hard part. What to pair it with? Pasta? Chicken? Pork? Spread it on a piece of bread and be done? Eat it by the spoonful right out of the food processor??? That is the great thing about Pesto, you can do ANYTHING with it. I have opted this evening to coat a chicken breast in it and bake it. Nummy!

What so you like to do with Pesto? Sound off in the comments.

The Last...

...Mojito of the Summer Season. Breaks my heart, and it should break yours as well.

In all it's Limey/Minty goodness

Now I'm not saying you can't make a Mojito after Labor Day, but to do so, just wouldn't be the same. This drink epitomizes summer for me and to drink it at any other time of year just seems unnatural.

You can check out my previous post for my amazing Mojito recipe. I hope you all had a wonderful summer!

Best Explanation I've Ever Seen

I've talked a lot about the low carb lifestyle on this blog, but I've always been at a loss for words to describe how it works. That is, until I found this info graphic.

Thank you Massive Health!

Not to mention the fact that it finally explains to me what a triglyceride is. Not even my doctor could do that!

No Trip Complete

I would be remiss if I didn't talk about 2 food items in Rehoboth that are simply unmatched in comparison with items I have found in my other travels.

The Chicken Salad from Lori's Oye Vey Cafe

Chicken salad is one of my staples in life. I've always been a fan of the stuff my mother whips up, but sorry Mom...Lori's is so much better! It's chunkier, which isn't always my choice, but then she adds sliced apples, slivered almonds and just a hint of bleu cheese. On our first day there I always order a side of it with my sandwich. Then I go back and order an entire pound of it to keep in my cooler and snack on. This trip, I went through 2 pounds of it. Nummy!

Death Fries from Arena Deli

This year Tod and I made a new discovery. We were at the pool the day before we left and decided we would order in from Arena Deli. Knowing that we had our dinner at Mixx that evening we decided we should order a light lunch. We would split a sandwich...very light. Well, then Tod decided he wanted an order of their fabulous Mozzarella Sticks and from there we just went downhill and ordered the Death Fries. What are Death Fries you ask? French fries that are fried and placed in the oven covered in cheese and bacon. After baking they are then drizzled in BBQ sauce and ranch dressing. I know, horrible for you, but soooooo good! I convinced myself they were low carb, because once you fry a potato in oil, it's not a starch anymore...it's a fat. That's my story and I'm stick'in to it!

MIxx It Up!

When in Rehoboth Beach, our last traditional activity is to go to Half Price Martini Night at Mixx. 

Also on that night they offer $8 burgers...who could ask for anything more? Well, I think next year we will arrive on Wednesday so we can do this our first night in town instead of our last. It sucks having to drive home with a hangover the next day.

Mixx always features the art of a local...well, I don't know how local, artist. This time there were these great comic book inspired paintings. If I had an extra $250 with me that night, I would have purchased this one.

Pretty much me, in a nut shell.

Ok, now on to the martinis and food. I started off with a refreshing cucumber martini.

Veggies! See, cocktails can be healthy.

I'm not a huge fan of cucumbers, but as you can see from this next picture, once they soak in vodka...they're quite good.

Yummy!

My next choice from their extensive martini menu was a little closer to home. And by home, I mean it was my cocktail of choice, just in a martini form.

The Mojito Martini!

Basically, it was a Mojito without all that nasty ice to get in the way and water it down. I will need to start making these at home. For dinner, (I know, the liquid dinner was going so nicely) I chose the Chicken Caprese Burger.

AND Sweat Potato Fries!!!!

It's a combination of a ground chicken patty that is topped with basil pesto, fresh mozzarella, and grilled tomatoes on the bottom. It is heaven, between two slices of Focaccia Bread. On to dessert!

Yes, dessert is more martinis

I mean, come on...they are half price! How can you blame me? I had the Expresso Martini and Tod had their Chocolate Martini. They were the perfect end to the perfect meal. Any meal is perfect when it contains an abundance of martinis!