Sunday, September 30, 2007

Tony Made Dinner - Yummm!

Yes, even though it is Sunday and football is on Tony made us dinner! I guess he felt badly that I had to go to a 3 hour birthday party for the kids and it was outside. Now if we lived in the north that wouldn't be such a bad thing but it is in Florida which even at the beginning of October we are still weeks and weeks away from some cool weather! We were pretty lucky though there was a really nice breeze blowing and it was only about 89.

Anyway dinner was great he made what he is calling Buffalo Stroganoff Casserole.



Ingredients:
1 pound ground buffalo meat ( we can get it at Publix now)
4-6 cloves garlic (minced)
1 tsp Kosher Salt
1/2 tsp white pepper
1/8 tsp white pepper
1 tsp olive oil (or vegetable)
1 pound sliced mushrooms (baby bellas if you can)
1 lrg onion (diced)
1/4 cup dry vermouth
16 oz sour cream
1 /12 tbsp course ground dijon mustard
4 cups cooked egg noodles (whole wheat are what he used)
2 tsp "Better Than Bouillon" Beef base (or 2 cubes beef bouillon)


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray 13X9-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

Place buffalo meat in a large skillet; season with salt and pepper. Brown the meat until it is no longer pink. Drain any fat from the meat (buffalo will have very little) and set aside.

Heat the oil in the same skillet until hot. Add onion and garlic; cook and stir until onion is tender. Add the Vermouth and the beef base or bouillon. Cook for about 2 minutes and add the mushrooms. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the sour cream and mustard until well combined. Stir in the buffalo meat.
Put the noodles in the greased casserole dish. Pour the meat mixture over the noodles and stir until well coated. Bake uncovered for about 30 minutes or until heated through.

***This should easily feed about 6 people. Regular ground beef can be substitute for the buffalo meat but the buffalo is very nice and lean.

Try this for a quick meal during the week. He made it between football games!!!
Happy Entertaining!
Judy

Saturday, September 29, 2007

Things you like slightly burned or burnt? - General Chowhounding Topics - Chowhound

Deep into another busy Chiappini weekend!

But the other day I saw this post on Chowhound and thought it was really interesting when I read all of the comments. Made me think of all of the things that I like burnt...marshmallows, toast (is it that I really like it or am just so used to it by now!), bacon.......

Things you like slightly burned or burnt? - General Chowhounding Topics - Chowhound

What do you like slightly burnt or burnt?

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Friday, September 28, 2007

Orange Belt and a celebratory dinner!


My oldest daughter got her Orange Belt last night! I am such a proud Mama! She has been doing Karate for almost 2 1/2 years now and has flown through the Tiger belts and is now on the "Big kids" ones. What a great thing for a little girl to accomplish. I am so incredibly proud!
Breaking the board with an Axe Kick

So to celebrate she wanted to go to the "place with the really good food" that Tony had been to the night before! She is definitely a foodie in training. She wanted to go to Cin Cin which is a nice restaurant that has a really huge tapas (appetizer) menu. Well she was not disappointed. But I have to tell you it so amazing to listen to a 7 year old describe and try to guess what is in the food that she is tasting.
I ordered the smoked salmon on fried goat cheese with a lemon caper vinaigrette and the lamb and rice stuffed grape leaves served with a lemon yogurt sauce. I didn't really think that she would try any of the stuff that I ordered but she did. She wasn't crazy about the stuffed grape leaves but she sure loved the salmon and goat cheese.
For the girls meals they ordered the Crunchy Fried Calamari (their top choice at any restaurant).
Tony had the garlic-chili shrimp and chorizo sausage which my youngest one really liked but the most amazing one was the stuffed quail - They took a quail and stuffed it with Fontina cheese and walnuts then wrapped prosciutto around it and cooked it...Yummmmm. Now the funniest thing though was that my 7 year took a bite of this, cocked her head to the side and had a really perplexed look on her face and said "Mmmm I wonder what the crunchy is in this...could it be nuts?" So funny. That sure made her Daddy proud! What a great food adventure her life will be!!!


As Always...
Happy Entertaining!!!
Judy

Thursday, September 27, 2007

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies

Halloween is coming up fast and I am always looking for some new recipes. We have all had the sugar cookies decorated but this year I found something different!

You can search for more cookie recipes and aticles on www.cookierecipeonline.com .

Halloween Pumpkin Cookies
by Diana Rattray

These pumpkin cookies are topped with a browned butter icing and chopped walnuts. Halloween cookies are great for a party or any other Autumn get-together.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter
1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, firmly packed
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin puree
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 cup chopped pecans or other nuts
Browned Butter Icing, below

Preparation:

In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and brown sugar until light and smooth. Beat in eggs, pumpkin puree, and vanilla. In another bowl, stir together flour, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, baking powder, salt, and baking soda. Add to the first mixture and stir until smooth. Stir in chopped pecans or other nuts. Drop cookie dough by spoonfuls onto lightly greased cookie sheets, or use Silpat-type sheets or parchment paper to line baking sheets. Bake pumpkin cookies at 375° for 10 to 15 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool cookies on racks then spread with browned butter icing (below).

Browned Butter Icing

6 tablespoons butter
2 cups confectioners’ sugar, unsifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 to 4 tablespoons milk, or enough for spreading consistency
chopped pecans or other nuts

Brown butter in a heavy saucepan over medium heat; remove from heat. Blend in confectioners’ sugar and vanilla. Beat in milk to desired spreading consistency. Frost the Halloween cookies and sprinkle with chopped nuts, if desired.

Let me know how you like them. You may get around to making them before me!!!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

This is soooo funny-I dare you not to laugh!!!

I got this as an email today and seeing as it is kinda food related (It is about a chili cookoff) I thought I would share it! This was the funniest thing I have read in a long time. I had tears running down my face as I was reading it and then again as I was writing it in here!

texas chili contest...............good one

If you can read this whole story without laughing then there's no hope for you. I was crying by the end.

Note: Please take time to read this slowly. If you pay attention to the first two judges, the reaction of the third judge is even better. For those of you who have lived in Texas, you know how true this is. They actually have a Chili Cook-off about the time Halloween comes around. It takes up a major portion of a parking lot at the San Antonio Citypark. The notes are from an inexperienced Chili taster named Frank, who was visiting from Springfield, IL.

Frank: "Recently, I was honored to be selected as a judge at a chili cook-off. The original person called in sick at the last moment and I happened to be standing there at the judge's table asking for directions to the Coors Light truck, when the call came in. I was assured by the other two judges (Native Texans) that the chili wouldn't be all that spicy and, besides, they told me I could have free beer during the tasting, so I accepted." Here are the scorecards from the advent: (Frank is Judge #3)

Chili # 1 Eddie's Maniac Monster Chili...

Judge # 1 -- A little too heavy on the tomato. Amusing kick.

Judge # 2 -- Nice, smooth tomato flavor. Very mild.

Judge # 3 -- (Frank) Holy shit, what the hell is this stuff? You could remove dried paint from your driveway. Took me two beers to put the flames out. I hope that's the worst one. These Texans are crazy.

Chili # 2 Austin's Afterburner Chili...

Judge # 1 -- Smoky, with a hint of pork. Slight jalapeno tang

Judge # 2 -- Exciting BBQ flavor, needs more peppers to be taken seriously.

Judge # 3 -- Keep this out of the reach of children. I'm not sure what I'm supposed to taste besides pain. I had to wave off two people who wanted to give me the Heimlich maneuver. They had to rush in more beer when they saw the look on my face.

Chili # 3 Ronny's Famous Burn Down the Barn Chili...

Judge # 1 -- Excellent firehouse chili. Great kick. Needs more beans.

Judge # 2 -- A bean less chili, a bit salty, good use of peppers.

Judge # 3 -- Call the EPA. I've located a uranium spill. My nose feels like I have been snorting Drano. Everyone knows the routine by now. Get me more beer before I ignite. Barmaid pounded me on the back, now my backbone is in the front part of my chest. I'm getting shit-faced from all of the beer...

Chili # 4 Dave's Black Magic.

Judge # 1 -- Black bean chili with almost no spice. Disappointing.

Judge # 2 -- Hint of lime in the black beans. Good side dish for fish or other mild foods, not much of a chili.

Judge # 3 -- I felt something scraping across my tongue, but was unable to taste it. Is it possible to burn out taste buds? Sally, the barmaid, was standing behind me with fresh refills. That 300-LB woman is starting to look HOT...just like this nuclear waste I'm eating! Is chili an aphrodisiac?

Chili # 5 Lisa's Legal Lip Remover...

Judge # 1 -- Meaty, strong chili. Cayenne peppers freshly ground, adding considerable kick. Very impressive.

Judge # 2 -- Chili using shredded beef, could use more tomato. Must admit the cayenne peppers make a strong statement.

Judge # 3 -- My ears are ringing, sweat is pouring off my forehead and I can no longer focus my eyes. I farted and four people behind me needed paramedics. The contestant seemed offended when I told her that her chili had given me brain damage. Sally saved my tongue from bleeding by pouring beer directly on it from the pitcher. I wonder if I'm burning my lips off. It really pisses me off that the other judges asked me to stop screaming. Screw those rednecks.

Chili # 6 Pam's Very Vegetarian Variety...

Judge # 1 -- Thin yet bold vegetarian variety chili. Good balance of spices and peppers.

Judge # 2 -- The best yet. Aggressive use of peppers, onions, and garlic. Superb.

Judge # 3 -- My intestines are now a straight pipe filled with gaseous, sulfuric flames. I shit myself when I farted and I'm worried it will eat through the chair. No one seems inclined to stand behind me except that Sally. Can't feel my lips anymore. I need to wipe my ass with a snow cone.

Chili # 7 Carla's Screaming Sensation Chili.

Judge # 1 -- A mediocre chili with too much reliance on canned peppers.

Judge # 2 -- Ho hum, tastes as if the chef literally threw in a can of chili peppers at the last moment. **I should take note that I am worried about Judge # 3. He appears to be in a bit of distress as he is cursing uncontrollably.

Judge # 3 -- You could put a grenade in my mouth, pull the pin, and I wouldn't feel a thing. I've lost sight in one eye, and the world sounds likeit is made of rushing water My shirt is covered with chili, which slid unnoticed out of my mouth. My pants are full of lava to match my shirt. At least during the autopsy, they'll know what killed me. I've decided to stop breathing it's too painful.
Screw it; I'm not getting any oxygen anyway. If I need air, I'll just suck it in through the 4-inch hole in my stomach.

Chili # 8 Karen's Toenail Curling Chili...

Judge # 1 -- The perfect ending, this is a nice blend chili. Not too bold but spicy enough to declare its existence.

Judge # 2 -- This final entry is a good, balanced chili. Neither mild nor hot. Sorry to see that most of it was lost when Judge #3 farted, passed out, fell over and pulled the chili pot down on top of himself. Not sure if he's going to make it. Poor fella, wonder how he'd have reacted to really hot chili?


Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Tuesday, September 25, 2007

Urinalysis: The lowdown on asparagus pee - CHOW

I thought that this article was so funny I just had to share!! Just be careful when you serve this at your next dinner party...LOL

Urinalysis: The lowdown on asparagus pee - CHOW

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Monday, September 24, 2007

Dinner tonight!

I made dinner tonight just as I had promised!!! Did it ever turn out good. Even the 2 girls (7 and 5) didn't complain about there being too much garlic. You could cut down on it a bit and it wouldn't really be noticed but I liked it just the way it was!!!

Play around with it if you like and let me know how you liked it!

Garlicky Roasted Chicken with Garlic Jus on Garlic Toast Recipe - CHOW

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofeaentertaining.com

No Fear Entertaining - Cooking 101

Most of you have my new e-book "No Fear Entertaining - Cooking 101". If you don't yet have it you can get it by signing up for my Free monthly newsletter in the form on the top of this page. You will automatically gain access to the e-book which is full of information on the techniques of cooking. I have covered every technique and broken it down into every day terms and expressions.

One thing that I think I should cover in a new e-book is equipment. Yo can not underestimate the importance of having good quality equipment that will not fail you! How many times have you tried to bake cookies on a pan that just wasn't as good as it was last year? Either they stick or they burn don't they? The same thing happens when you use equipment that is not up to par for he job you are doing. Now I am not saying that you have to go out and buy the best of everything to be able to cook but some of the basics will help!

MetroKitchen.com is amazing in the selection of goods that they offer. You can get high quality merchandise at very good prices.

Right now they are running a special on All-Clad pots and pans as well as offering free shipping on orders over $49!!! We use All-Clads here at home and they will last a lifetime. They are easy to use, I never burn things because of the even heating, and they are easy to clean.

All-Clad on Sale - Free Gifts & Shipping!


Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Sunday, September 23, 2007

Tough Day at the Beach!

It is Sunday and football was on but boy, oh boy, do I ever love TIVO! Tony is in the living room right now watching a game that aired at 1. I keep thinking I should check out the final score and go running in there and tell him who won???!!! I guess I shouldn't or we will never go to the beach again on Sunday. But it would be funny, wouldn't it?

Well I decided to shelve the chicken recipe that I posted last night and I think I will make it for dinner on Wed. If anyone else goes and tries it before me please let me know how it turned out!

I have been finding my way around Chowhound (http://www.chow.com/) and it has become my new favorite website. If you are a true foodie or just want to be this is the place to be (as well as right here!)

I just read a really good post about cookware. People don't really give too much consideration to their pots and pans but you should! A good set will last you a lifetime.

Check out Metro Kitchen. They are running a special on All-Clad Cookware (this is what we use in our home, hang from a pot hanger for everyone to see and highly recommend) and there is FREE SHIPPING on any orders over $49!!! This can't be beat!

Check it out here Metro Kitchen . This is a limited time offer!

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Saturday, September 22, 2007

Garlicky Roasted Chicken with Garlic Jus on Garlic Toast Recipe - CHOW

Yum...I think this is dinner tomorrow night!!! Might try and find someone to invite who is not too afraid of garlic!!!

Garlicky Roasted Chicken with Garlic Jus on Garlic Toast Recipe - CHOW

Happy Entertaining!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

A diet we all can follow!

Wow, finally a diet that I can follow!!! I really dislike dieting but I have gotten to the age where the wieght just won't cut me any slack...I guess that and the fact that I have 2 children and very little time to take care of myself. I am currently doing WeightWatchers Online which I really love becasue I can take all of the philosophys that I have regarding food and still hold onto them. I am still able to eat everything that I would normally eat but now I am very conscious of how much! For me it has worked amazingly well (I will never talk numbers but I have lost wieght). Contact me for more info on WeightWatchers...I love to talk about it!

Check out this article. It is pretty interesting!

Breaking News Latest News Current News - FOXNews.com

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Friday, September 21, 2007

Halloween craft for a party

I know this isn't really about entertaining but it is really cute and would make a cute easy decoration for a Halloween Party either at home or at a school party. I am not even sure that most children even have school party's anymore. I think I remember hearing that they weren't allowed to in public school here in our district but my children go to a private school and they have a real fun Halloween walk where we set up stations for them to go and get treats. Then they have a little party in the class and then it is back to work for them!



My friend Barb, has graciously given me some pictures of the craft that she has done for the classroom every year that she had been at the school.

This is what you need to make the spiders. I was able to find the webs last year at Big Lots. Which is a close out store. Maybe try one of those places or dollar stores?


Lollipop Spider Materials:

Lollipop (We use Tootsie Roll Pops)

Three 6 inch pieces of black pipe cleaner

Small movable eyes
Glue


1.Wrap pipe cleaners around base of Tootsie Pop, in the center of the cleaners to form an x.

2.Glue eyes on pipe cleaner.

3.Bend ends of pipe cleaner to make them look like legs.


That's it! ( other than attaching to the web!)

Let me know if anyone else has any quick and easy decorating ideas for Halloween!
As Always...
Happy Entertaining!!!
Judy

Thursday, September 20, 2007

Halloween Treats

Can you believe that Halloween is just around the corner! What a great time to be a kid. But I am always trying to find some treats that are a little healthier than the average candy bar (that's not too hard now is it?). We don't let the girls eat a whole lot of candy and Lauren can have nothing with red dye in it. We always end up with enough candy to last them a whole year and I am not exaggerating in the slightest. If I were to look on top of the fridge I am sure in the "candy bag" I would be able to find some Halloween candy from last year. But anyway this year I have made it a goal to be able to have fun and most importantly healthy treats. http://www.familyfun.com/ is a great resource for all kid related things.

Check out some of the recipes that I have found that I am going to try for the Halloween party at school this year!

Family Fun: Apple Bites Recipe

Family Fun: Bat Chips which will go well with the Carrot Finger Food Dip!

Family Fun: Carrot Finger Food

Family Fun: Crunchy Witches Brew

Contact me with any other fun ideas that you may have for a Halloween Party this year!

Have an amazing day!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Roasted Whole Chicken

I though now that seeing that I had finished and sent out my e-book (if you have received it great...if not you should sign up for my newsletter and you will receive it FREE) I would like to try out one of the methods of cooking. Today it is all about roasting a chicken. Now for a quick family meal without all of the trimmings this is a great thing to do. It needs no supervision just pop it in a wait! I use a big Dutch oven (this is the one we use http://www.nofearentertaining.com/lecreuset.htm) to roast this type of chicken (a deep casserole dish will work just as well). If you really want a nice crispy skin you need to use a roast pan (This is the one we have : http://www.nofearentertaining.com/roastpan.htm). For a quick chicken in the middle of the week cooking it in a Dutch oven dish makes for a nice moist, no hassle meal.

Roasted Whole Chicken

Ingredients:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees

5-6 pound chicken
whole head of garlic
2 Tbsp of butter
1/2 lemon
1/2 tsp poultry seasoning (Usually I just sprinkle by sight. A nice light dusting is good)
salt
fresh ground pepper

Directions:

  • Rinse out the chicken and remove the bag of giblets (these can be frozen and used at Thanksgiving or some later date). Place the chicken breast side up on a cutting board. (I once cooked a chicken upside down so now I always check by holding the bird up and pretending it's walking. The breast is on the bottom so I know I need to flip the bird over. This was years ago when we first married but I have never lived it down!!!).
  • Mince about 5 cloves of gralic and mix it with the butter.
  • Take 5 or 6 cloves of garlic (peeled and cleaned but still whole) and place it the cavity.
  • Take the half lemon and place it in the cavity as well.
  • Take the butter and garlic mixture and pat onto the birds skin. This will add flavor to the juices as well as make the skin nice and brown.
  • Sprinkle poultry seasoning and salt and pepper on the outside of the bird.
  • Gently place the chicken in your pot and place in oven.
  • Cook uncovered for about 1 3/4 - 2 1/2 hrs or an internal temp of 180 - 185 degrees.

You can use the juices from the pan to make gravy which is great over rice!!! This one is a family favorite.

Happy Entertaining!!

Judy

http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Tuesday, September 18, 2007

FOXNews.com - Load of Croc? Popular Shoes May Pose Danger to Toes on Escalators - Business And Money | Business News | Financial News

Unbelievable - I swear they just might ban Crocs after all of this I keep hearing about Crocs and escalators!! I think they need to ban escalators and make all the people actually climb the stairs for a change. Do you remember when you were a child and used to walk around with your shoe laces undone? I used to do that all the time until one day my shoe laces got stuck at the top of an escalator! Tied my shoe laces after that! Don't they still have warnings as you are getting on the escalator telling you to pay attention and walk off the escalator at the end? Who knows what the answer is. If you want to read more about this click on the article below.

FOXNews.com - Load of Croc? Popular Shoes May Pose Danger to Toes on Escalators - Business And Money Business News Financial News

I know this entry has not been very Entertaining but my e-book is giving me fits and I have spent all day trying to fix that so I can get it out to you! Hopefully later on today!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Monday, September 17, 2007

Wow...what a night???!!!




Wow!
We had a storm blow through here last night that was one wicked storm. You have to remember that we live in South West Florida. It storms just about every afternoon in the summer so for us a bad storm has to be really bad or we really don't even notice it passing. The one last night sure got our attention. We had a tornado touch down not too far from us and those poor people lost the roofs off of their homes, cars flipped over and piled on top of one another. Just craziness. We were pretty lucky though. We did lose a tree but it didn't blow into the pool screen or the house. It just blew over into the yard. I certainly feel for the people who have lost their homes. 3 years ago we lost our home to Hurricane Charley and we had to move into a rental home for 6 months while we had our home redone. That memory never leaves!
Onto some work now! I had told you all that my e-book would be out today. Well I think I was a little bit ambitious. If I do get it out today it will be very late. I am working on making it he best that it can possibly be so it will definitely be worth the wait.
Have you signed up to receive it? You can either sign up for my newsletter here to the right (my e-book will be a sign up bonus) or on my website at http://www.nofearentertaining.com/ .
Have a great day!
Judy

Sunday, September 16, 2007

Wonderful, Lazy Saturday

Happy Sunday-



Yesterday was a nice and lazy wonderful Saturday! We went to the skating rink (funny thing to do in Florida) in the morning and saw some of our friends there and then we had to go shopping. Now, I know I have mentioned before that I own a ton of shoes...well I seem to have come to a point where I don't need any more right now!!! Very weird. I still love shoes so now I have taken to buying them for other people???!!! I ended up buying my sister 2 new pairs of shoes and I felt very satisfied. Hmmmm... maybe I do need to talk to a professional about this?

Kyra Skating



Anyway when we got home from all of our Saturday errands we were all a little pooped. So I turned on the computer while everyone else went to their own quiet spots in the house. I was checking out all of the things that I check out every day for No Fear Entertaining. After checking all of that I opened up my website building program to make a few small changes and to my absolute horror my info was no longer there???!!! In a panic I called one of my girlfriends (who thank goodness has so much more knowledge than I have) and we were able to get it all back together. I think sometime that technology just burps and if you are in the vapor line you are screwed! But we got it all figured out and all is well.



After all that excitement though I think Tony felt really bad for me and took us all out for dinner! So it really worked out as an advantage to me in the long run!!!!



Hope you have a great Sunday. We have a birthday party to go to this afternoon so even football can't get into my way this week.



I am making the finishing touches on my ebook so I will have it ready late tomorrow. I am so excited. I have never done an ebook before so this is really thrilling. Boy do I love challenge! Check it out late Monday or early Tuesday. If you have signed up for my newsletter you will receive it as soon as it is done but if you haven't you will need to sign up before you will receive it. It is only going to subscribers of my newsletter. You lucky folks!!!

To sign up you can enter your info in the form to your right or you can go to my website at http://www.nofearentertaining.com/ and sign up there.



Happy Entertaining!!!



Judy

http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Saturday, September 15, 2007

My e-book will be ready on Monday!

Well after working hard, hard, hard all day Thursday on my e-book I took yesterday off and went to the beach with my family and a friend! What a beautiful day it was. The water was clear as clear can be, the waves were just nice and gentle, the sun was hot with a beautiful breeze. Just everything you could ask for from a day at the beach. The shark's teeth were everywhere as well as all of the other fossilized things that we can't ye identify. What a wonderful day!

Well anyway back on track...today we are going to the skating rink for the girls weekly lesson and then to Costco (our weekly pilgrimage). Then my plan is to come home and finish off this book. It will make things so much clearer for all of us aspiring cooks! I am going to be offering it FREE to everyone that has already signed up and FREE to anyone else who signs up. If you haven't signed up you will not get a copy of it! You can sign up were on my blog...the sign up form on the right hand side or on my website at www.nofearentertaining.com. Choose which ever one you want to sign up on...just sign up now.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend! I sure am!

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Friday, September 14, 2007

Do you have friends that are vegetarians?

Do you have any friends that are vegetarians? We sure do. I found this kind of amazing but on Labor Day at our home we had about 30 people here and can you believe that we had 2 vegetarians here??? When you figure that as a percentage it is almost 10%. To me that seems like a whole lot. Does that mean that in the real world close to 10 in every 100 people are vegetarians? It certainly is starting to seem that way. Now...don't get me wrong. I could not be a vegetarian. I love meat and I also like nice leather purses, shoes etc. Anyway you get the point. But when we invite people to our home for a meal I think it is very important to be able to accommodate peoples religious and personal preferences so we always prepare a special something for them. On Labor Day Tony outdid himself. Everyone was hoping for a little taste of what they were eating!

Here's how you can duplicate this. This is not just for our vegetarian friends!

****Tony helped me out and wrote out this recipe. He is a true foodie and his recipes always sound complicated when he writes them. This one is not. Do yourself a favor and try it out. If you have any questions about it or anything that you need clarified please email me at info@nofearentertaining.com .

Boursin Cheese Stuffed Portabella Musrooms (serves 2 but can be doubled or tripled)

4 large portabella mushroom (with stems removed)
2 small blocks of flavored boursin cheese (found in your specialty cheese section)
olive oil
1 shallot (Green onion) minced
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 cup Port Wine
1/2 cup Red wine (whatever you have)
salt
pepper

Do ahead of time:
Red wine and Port reduction
over medium heat flash sear (heat quickly) shallots stirring constantly 1 minute
add garlic and saute additional minute it will toast or brown and that's a good thing
add Port wine watch for flame up (keep your head back) scrape down pan
add Red wine ( I use Cabernet but any decent red will work)
reduce to thickness that will cover the back of a spoon (syrupy)
salt and pepper to taste
You can hold his for days in the refrigerator. Congrats you just made a sauce to die for

Mushrooms
Brush all sides with olive oil
Put Boursin in a freezer bag and warm to room temp
season mushrooms with salt and pepper thoroughly
and grill over medium heat bottom side first for 3-4 minutes
flip mushrooms grill 2-3 minutes
cut the corner of Boursin bag and pipe Boursin onto mushroom caps evenly
put the Mushrooms up on the warming rack of the grill and close lid 4 minutes
Remove mushrooms and plate 2 to a plate
Warm your Port Reduction in the Microwave and drizzle over mushrooms.
Serve and wait for the pats on the back
Your vegetarian friends never eat this well at a gathering they will Thank You.

****Tony wrote this recipe and it is not nearly as complicated a it sounds. He is a real foodie and loves what he does (so does everyone else!!!). If you need any further info on this email me at info@nofearentertaining.com . It really is worth the work!!!!!

Happy Entertaining!!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Thursday, September 13, 2007

E-book!

I am working furiously on my new e-book. I am still trying to come up with a name for it but I can tell you what it is about! It is filled with all of the methods and techniques that you will need to know to follow any recipe. I am going to cover them all. You guys are so lucky!!! Now when you see a recipe and it calls for braising you will know exactly where to go to find out what that is and how to do it. I will be sending this out to all of the people who have already signed up for my FREE monthly newsletter and it will be offered as a FREE bonus to anyone new who is signing up. Please pass this information on to your friends and family and have them sign up now. They can sign up either here on my blog or on my website at www.nofearentertaining.com . This e-book is going to be and amazing reference tool for already seasoned cooks and for you cooks that are on your way.

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Andrew Zimmern?

Has anyone watched Bizarre Foods with Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel? I was thinking about food (as usual) and I thought about how a TV show like his would have been so off the wall about 5 years ago but now with the internet and the hundreds of TV channels that we can get it is almost normal to see someone on TV eating bugs and all of the organs etc. that he eats! I guess that just goes to show you that by us seeing something over and over it can make it almost normal. Now that we have all of the access to other cultures we are finding that maybe some of the things that we normally eat another culture and country would find it bizarre! In many cultures cows are sacred animals and they would never eat cow whereas we eat beef all the time and think nothing of it! Very funny.



I have a link to an internet business that makes it's living from selling things that some of us may find kind of strange but others may find perfectly normal. Some of the items you can get are Kangaroo, Antelope, Llama and Guinea Fowl. They have recipes and cooking instructions to go along with the meat that you buy...Tony swears by wild game (no antibiotics, no hormones just pure meat the way it was meant to be enjoyed)! Follow the link to see if maybe there is something that you might like to try or just to satisfy your curiosity!http://www.exoticmeats.com/store/index.php?ref=112&affiliate_banner_id=4

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Beef Offer?

Have you signed up for my Free monthly newsletter yet? I am in the final stages of working on the offer that I am going to release. I am just waiting for an email form the confirming everything. It should be releasing it tomorrow or Friday. Unfortunately, if you have not signed up for my newsletter I will have no way to send it to you. I am only going to be sending it to people who are signed up for my monthly newsletter. If you want to sign up I have made it real easy. You can either sign up here in the form to the right or on my website at www.nofearentertaining.com . Sign up now...you don't want to miss this special offer!

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Sign up for my newsletter!!!

I am working on a great newsletter for the month of October. I am going to have a special feature on Halloween (no big surprise there) but I am also going to do a special section on hostessing shopping parties.

Now I know we have all gone to the old Tupperware parties and we all know how me we hate them but the parties now are a bit different. Now they have home goods parties, lingerie parties, cooking parties...you name it it's out there now! Every year I am hostess to a PartyLite party and that is coming up in the month of October. I am such a fan of PartyLite products so for me this is a no brainer. I have 2 dogs and I always feel like my house stinks so I have candles going all of the time! But it is also a fun time for all of us Moms to get together without the children running around! Think about hostessing a small party for a group of your friends...it's a great excuse to get together. I will also take all of the brain work out of hostessing. No fear entertaining.

Sign up now for my FREE monthly newsletter! You won't want to miss an issue!

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Monday, September 10, 2007

Grey cloudy day in sunny South West FL!

It is turning out to be a very blah looking weather day today. Not very normal here in SW FL where the weather is either sunny or stormy with sun following but today even getting up was hard as it was pretty gloomy even at 7 AM! Makes me think comfort food! Dinner tonight is going to be Fried Chicken!

This set of breading pans are indispensable when you are making fried chicken or anything else that need to be breaded. Breading Pans - 3 pc. Set.

Fried Chicken:

Ingredients

Whole chicken cut up (or just pieces of your favorite parts)
1 carton of Buttermilk
Peanut or Canola Oil
5 cups of flour (I use whole wheat)
2 Tbsp garlic powder
1 Tbsp cayenne
2 Tbsp onion salt
1 tsp onion powder
1 Tbsp ground pepper
1 Tbsp garlic salt

Directions:

In a pan or bowl soak the chicken in enough Buttermilk to cover for about 15 - 20 minutes (or longer if you have more time). Heat a cast iron skillet (Lodge Logic 3-Quart Pre-Seasoned Chicken Fryer) with about 1/2 to 3/4 inch peanut or canola oil. It is hot enough when you drop a small piece of food in and it bobs right to the surface your oil is hot enough to fry. Now if you have thermometer (Taylor Candy-Jelley-Deep Fry Thermometer) you can just place that in the oil and heat until the oil reaches 365 degrees.

  • Mix together all of the dry ingredients and take the chicken piece from the buttermilk and place it in the flour to cover. Remove the chicken from the flour and remove any excess flour and place in another bowl or pan and allow to sit until the oil is up to the right temperature.
  • Place each piece of chicken in the oil gently turn only when the chicken is a golden brown. Turn and cook the other side. You can test the chicken the old fashioned way (by cutting into it) or you can use a meat thermometer to check and ensure that it has reached 170 degrees. Allow to drain on a rack for several minutes and then serve immediately!

This recipe can be increased by doubling the ingredients to serve larger crowds.

Enjoy and...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy

http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Special Beef Offer

I am currently working along with another company right now that sells all natural beef "grass fed - granola finished" to bring you a couple of special offers. Now these offers will only be available to people who have signed up for my newsletter. If I don't have your email address you will not know about these special offers. Here is just an small taste...free shipping! If you need to sign up you can either sign up right here on my blog or your can go to my website at http://www.nofearentertaining.com/ . I promise you this offer is pretty special.

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Football is on.....

Have I mentioned how much I dislike football!!! Pretty sure you have the point by now. But seriously now once it starts that is all there is. Last night Tony TIVO'd a game so when I went to bed I got to here the lovely sound of the remote and TV "boinging" through the fast forward and pause etc. Then this morning we runaround like crazy people trying to get things done before a 1:00 kick off! Oh well maybe I should do a count down to super bowl?

Enough about that! I am having a Partylite candle party in October. I would never have them but for the fact that the girl who does the party is a ton of fun and of course I love their product. I will be figuring out food and drinks as it gets a bit closer. So stay tuned in!

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Saturday, September 8, 2007

Happy Weekend!

By now we all know that I love the weekends. We went out last night as a family to Coconut Point again...I think I have figured out why I like it there so much. There is something for everyone there. Shopping, restaurants, bars, ice cream and candy stores, book stores. But anyway I was able to buy some shoes and anyone who knows me well knows that is probably the very last thing in the world I would need more of!!! By the way if anyone has any good shoe organizing tips I would really appreciate it (so would Tony)!

Tony has just left to go and show a house and we have no other major plans for the day. I guess the big day is tomorrow when "football season" officially starts.

There is a grocery store that just opened up a few weeks ago and today is their "Grand Opening" so when Tony gets home we may go to that. It is Ada's which is a natural, organic, whole foods grocery store and I am really excited about it because it just shows me that people are really starting to take much better care of themselves if a town like ours can sustain a store like that. I am currently working along with another company right now that sells all natural beef "grass fed - granola finished" to bring you a couple of special offers. Now these offers will only be available to people who have signed up for my newsletter. If I don't have your email address you will not know about these special offers. Here is just an small taste...free shipping! If you need to sign up you can either sign up right here on my blog or your can go to my website at http://www.nofearentertaining.com/ . I promise you this offer is pretty special.

Hope you have a great weekend and are sharing it with people you love and enjoy. I am!!!

Happy Entertaining!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Friday, September 7, 2007

Let's make Panini!

A panino (IPA: [pʰəˈninəʊ]) is a sandwich made from a small loaf of bread, typically a ciabatta. The loaf is often cut horizontally and filled with salami, ham, meat, cheese or other food, and sometimes served hot.
The word "panino" [pa'ni:no] is
Italian (literally meaning small bread roll), with the plural panini. "Panini" is often used in a singular sense by speakers of languages that borrow the word, including English and French, and hideously pluralised when necessary into "paninis".
"Panini" is also a brand of grill made specifically for
grilling these sandwiches.- Wikipedia

So know we know what they are let's go and make some. It is the weekend after all! When time seems to slow down just a little bit and we aren't quite as rushed. Maybe you want to make a delicious lunch before the football game on Sunday...apparently it's an "important" one????? Why not try a panino or some panini.

Classic Italian Panini Sandwich:

Ciabatta or 2 thick sliced crusty Italian Bread
4 slices of thinly sliced Prosciutto or Parma Ham
6-8 slices of thinly sliced hot or sweet Cappicola
1 Tbsp jarred pesto sauce
1 Tbsp mayonnaise
3 slices Provolone (Tony is always saying that the brand has to be something that is Italian)
roasted sweet red peppers (from a jar or from your grocer's deli counter)

Directions:

  • Slice the ciabatta for a sandwich
  • Mix together the mayonnaise and the pesto and spread on one side of the sandwich.
  • place the Prosciutto or Parma Ham, Cappicola and Provolone on one side.
  • Top with enough red peppers (dried on a sheet of paper towel) to your liking.
  • Place other slice of bread on top and follow the panini press operating instructions.
  • Slice, serve and enjoy!

If you don't have a Panini Press their are several options available. Click on each below to see and and buy!





This one is my favorite as it has that Old World charm. Like the old Italians used to use before the plug in ones!



Have a great weekend and....

Happy Entertaining

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Thursday, September 6, 2007

A True Football Widow!

Definition of a football widow: A football widow is a term for those who have a relationship with a sports fan (often a follower of football, be it American football, soccer, rugby, Australian rules football or other) who pays more attention to the game than to their partner during the sport's season of play. Football widows are usually, but not always, women. Usually the "widow" has little interest in the sport themselves. - Wikipedia

I guess that says it all right there! "Football season" officially starts this weekend. Boy am I not excited...you see this is where my family goes in totally separate directions. Tony goes to the TV and I try and drag my children to the mall to do some shopping. No one ends up real happy. I end up spending too much money and the children sure don't like shopping and Tony gets the bills and a couple of cranky kids.

This year though we might try it a little different. Maybe we should have some football parties where the guys can come and watch the game on the big screen TV ( in surround sound...apparently this is important in football???!!!) and the women and the kids can hang outside by the pool. I think if we serve some dip like maybe some spicy chili and corn chips served in this funky football crock pot?

click to learn more and purchase!

Oh well..."football season" only lasts until about January or so doesn't it???

Get yourself a football shaped crock pot and use it at your own party or a party you get invited to! It's sure to be a hit!

Happy entertaining!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

Have you heard about Fish Oil?

Yes...I did say Fish Oil!

Any one who spends anytime at all with us know that we are big cheerleaders for the Pharmaceutical Grade Fish Oil (Omega-3 Fatty Acids) trend. We are not taking about the fish oil that your Mom used to make you take when you were a kid and the rest of the day you you had fish burps!

It is being marketed as the big miracle cure for just about everything. Now I am pretty skeptical about things that are supposed to fix everything so I don't usually jump on the bandwagon for all of these things but I have to tell you we have been taking it for about a year now and really have never felt better. My skin feel better, my hair looks better, my blood pressure is borderline low (this was from borderline high) and I have lost weight! This is just how it has visibly helping me. The benefits of the Omega-3's are well documented and extensive: protection against heart disease and stroke, lowered bad cholesterol (Tony's was 375 now it is normal), lowered triglycerides, increased level of good cholesterol, reduced risk for diabetes, improved joint and bone health, relief from depressive disorders and ADHD, support in treatment of eating disorders, improved skin, improved recovery from burns,a lowered risk for some cancers. Omega-3s are also beneficial for treating asthma, macular degeneration, menstrual pain and any conditions linked with inflammation.

We take Omega-3 pharmaceutical grade Fish Oil daily as do the children (and the dogs but that is another story altogether). My youngest daughter has been able to greatly improved her ability to concentrate which is attributed directly to the Omega -3 Fish Oil!

I know that I have emphasized the fact that it is pharmaceutical grade Omega-3 fish oil but that is a very important factor in this mix. If you walk into your local health food store and buy fish oil you are doing yourself a huge disservice. The pharmaceutical grade removes all of the toxic heavy metals that we would naturally get from eating the fish (mercury, lead etc). Therefore you are left with a purer, healthier product. You also don't get the fish burps all day long (nice by product of the purifying).

To learn more about how this can improve your health and that of your family click here. We buy our vitamins from Dr. Vince. Check out his link at Better Health, Better Energy, Better Life.

To your good health!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Tuesday, September 4, 2007

Back to work and school!

How was your long weekend? Did you have a party yourself or go to a party at someone else's house? Add a comment to this blog and let me know how it was. Did they have something extra special, fun? What did they serve to eat and drink?

To add a comment to this blog all you need to do is click on the bottom part of this entry and it will say a number and then comment. You can add a comment without using your name or signing up but I would love to know who you are!

Happy Entertaining!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

Monday, September 3, 2007

I love a good party!

Tony smoking the pork!
It's all over and we are finally cleaned up. Everyone had a great time and I bet they are sitting around by their pools today licking their wounds. Some probably a little more hurt than others!

We ended up having about 35 people so I was really glad that we had rented some extra chairs for everyone. We are truly blessed to have the friends that we have and I hope that you are as well.

The food was amazing. We served smoked pork butt, dirty rice, baked beans, Italian salad (tomato and cucumber) and lots of great brownies for dessert (Kahlua ones are my favourite -Thanks Kathy!). I will try at another time to get you the recipe for the smoked pork butt. Way too complicated for me right now!

I am going to add some photos! I have been thinking about adding a page to my website where people can email me their party pictures and I can add them as well? Any feedback on this would be greatly appreciated!


Hope you are lounging and enjoying your Labor Day.


This was early in the day... and this wasn't!!!

Happy Entertaining!!


Judy

www.nofearentertaining.com

Sunday, September 2, 2007

I just realized that I have been keeing a secret from you!!!

Well today is the big day! We will be having 30 of our friends come into our home and eat and drink themselves into a blissful state! But I just realized that I have been keeping something from you. It is our secret weapon of sort. If you don't have one your are causing yourself a ton of extra work. You need a food processor! I really never realized how much we use ours for a party but it was whirring away all last night. These things can chop onions, celery, mince garlic and are great for salad dressings (emulsifying oils and vinegar/lemon). Do yourself a favor and check these out. It is like having an extra set of hands in the kitchen!!!

This is the one that we use -

Cuisinart DLC-10S Pro Classic 7 Cup Food Processor

but this one would be just as well

Cuisinart DFP-3 Handy Prep 3-Cup Food Processor

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
http://www.nofearentertaining.com/

Saturday, September 1, 2007

Yeah, It's the Weekend!!!



Thanks to all of you who have been reading this blog and adding comments! It really is a great way to let me know what you would like to see more of and whether or not you like it. It has also helped me to keep in touch with those of you who are far away!
But....It is the weekend and we all know how much I love the weekend and this weekend is extra special because it is a long one! We are busy getting all of the preparations done for our party tomorrow as well. Most of the food that we are making can be made ahead. The only thing that is complicated is the smoked pork butt and that is only because Tony will have to get up during the wee hours of the morning and start that smoker!!! But are we afraid? No way we entertain the no fear entertaining way! We follow all of the "7 Golden Rules of No Fear Entertaining" ( sign up for my FREE monthly newsletter and as a special bonus get the "7 Golden Rules of No Fear Entertaining at http://www.nofearentertaining.com/) and it will be as easy as pie. I already have all the paper plates, napkins, knives and forks, cups laid out ready to go. The children's juices are on ice already the margarita's for the adults will be made tomorrow. We also decided to buy a small keg of beer instead of having bottles that we had to have a separate cooler for. Saves space and has much less waste! No rushing, no fussing just a relaxing fun day with a bunch of good friends!
I hope your Labor Day weekend will be as fun as mine!
I will add some pictures on Monday of the party for you to see.
This would be cool to have for tomorrow! Maybe next time.....
Happy Entertaining!
Judy