Pasta So Good I Threw Out My Back

Okay that's not entirely true.  The food did not directly make me walk like a hunchback.  It was a pretty good dish though.  Definitely worth being in the rotation.

I'm sort of bedridden right now, but I'm hoping that won't affect my cooking and posting too much.  Before this started yesterday, I was watching The Rachael Ray Show as I am wont to do at 9am.  She was making French Onion Mac 'n' Cheese, and for some reason that just sounded like the best thing in the world.

I hemmed and hawed at Fresh Market because I couldn't decide whether I really wanted to make it, but it was the only thing that spoke to me.  Such is life.

I definitely didn't realize how long this would actually take me.  I suspect my onions were twice the size of Rachael's because the slicing and caramelizing were the parts that took the longest.  It's also when my back started to go Benedict Arnold on me.  Wear supportive shoes if you have massive onions.  That's not a euphemism.  Or maybe her stove is a lot more effective than mine.  Anyway, it's worth the time if you have it, but definitely start it earlier than 7pm if you want to eat at a decent hour.

Fancy Po-tah-toes

Did you know that in 28 days, football season will be upon us?  Glory, hallelujah, amen!  Carolina will play their first game of the 2011 season against East Carolina at 7:00 p.m.  This has absolutely nothing to do with the rest of the post, mind you.

Anyhow, we wanted sliders for dinner the other night, but we didn't have any sides thought up.  Y'all know I love Fresh Market, so I picked up their paper of weekly specials.  I didn't realize they have recipe suggestions, so when I saw potatoes pan-fried in duck fat I was sold.  I've secretly been itching to have a reason to buy the duck fat they sell.  I know, it might sound gross, but it's really no different than having bacon grease hanging around.  And if you're skeptical about bacon grease, I really can't help you.

3 C's: Country Concert, Chow Mein, and Chocolate

Let's start with the Rascal Flatt's concert I went to with Kaitlin.  It was an absolute blast.  Her mom and cousin went with us, and we tailgated at the Verizon Amphitheater with subs and Coronas.  Ballin'.

How do I love Sara Evans?  Let me count the ways.  She was flawless.  It's nice to hear a voice that hasn't been auto-tuned to death.  Don't get me wrong, auto-tune can be used for some cool effects, but to hear someone with a crystal clear voice just can't be matched.

I'm pretty sure she was singing "A Little Bit Stronger" at this point.  Her set was simple and feel-good.

Then came the big boys!  Oh yeah, they definitely came in three separate doors down staircases.  It was fantastic and a little over-the-top in all the right ways.

I really liked the background they used here.

They played a little bluegrass ditty!  Basically, it was a blast.  They worked the crowd, we danced, and fun was had by all.

That same weekend my sister's mother-in-law came for a visit.  Miss Susan is an incredibly nice lady who happens to make bangin' chow mein.  I'd show you a picture of it, but I was too busy eating it.  No joke, 4 bowls in 2 days.  The beef gets a little marinade-time with what we call Happy Cow Sauce.  I have no idea what the real name is because I can't read Chinese.  I have a jar of it my sister gave to me, so I'll make some chow mein soon for you guys.  The Happy Cow Sauce gives a bit of spice to the beef, which takes on a caramelized quality during cooking that flavors the noodles.  Then you have bell peppers, onions, and carrots for even more flavor.  I might be obsessed.

Now for the chocolate.  I had a hankering for a chocolate cookie, and I had some chocolate chips that needed to be used.  Thus the triple chocolate chunk cookie bar was born.

Cream Sauce? Check.

Well I had a most fun Friday!  My dear friend, Kaitlin, won tickets to the Rascal Flatts concert in Charlotte and invited little ol' me to go with her.  I have a bajillion pictures that I took at the show of Sara Evans and Rascal Flatts, but I have yet to go through them and edit; so they'll have to wait.

I do, however, have a sweet little pasta dish I made the same night as the pineapple upside-down cake.  It's fairly simple and mostly a one pot meal (except for the noodles that are boiled separately of course).  The point is, it doesn't have a million different components that all need separate pans.

I'm a sucker for pasta in a silky cream sauce.  I don't like it to be gunky and the noodles all stuck together.  I also don't mind if prosciutto and leeks are involved.

The finished product is salty and creamy, otherwise known as great comfort food.

Not Your Granny's Pineapple Upside-Down Cake

Unless your granny likes a kick of rum and cardamom.  Seriously, it was cardamom craziness.

Does your granny use fresh pineapple?  Okay, I'll stop talking about your granny.  Because maybe she makes an out-of-this-world pineapple upside-down cake.

I'm fairly certain I've never had pineapple upside-down cake before this one.  Who knows why?  I love pineapple, and I love cake.  The best thing about this cake was definitely the fresh pineapple because we'd let one get really ripe on our counter.  After my mom cut it up I taste tested a piece.  For good measure of course.  Gaw, it was sweet and pineapple-y and yum.

Easy Leek Tart and My New Favorite Thing

Before I get into the feature food for today, I have to tell you about my new favorite snack.  As in, I just made this and ate it and fell in love.  Pardon my run-on sentence.  I've been eyeing the honey at Fresh Market the past few times I've been in there.  I caved today and bought some raw tupelo honey produced by The Savannah Bee Company.

The label says it never crystallizes and has a buttery taste and smooth texture.  Um yeah.  Honeys are sort of like snowflakes; no two are exactly the same.  The notes of honey are determined by the flower the bees decide to snack on that day. So this tupelo honey will taste different from orange blossom honey or clover honey.

I bought this almond butter packet the other day (also from Fresh Market) mostly because I thought it was brilliant marketing.  I've always wanted to try almond butter but didn't want to invest in a whole jar of it if it turned out I didn't care for it.  Enter this little squeezy pack of Justin's Almond Butter.  I'm pretty sure I saw him on the Cooking Channel the other day after I'd bought this.  Anyhow, it's enough for a sandwich or two, so I used some today.

So I made a half sammich with the honey and almond butter.  Remember those kind of gross sandwiches they served at school with peanut butter and honey that may or may not have been from 1995?  Yeah, there's no competition.  I don't have a picture of it because I ate it and then decided to tell you about it.  Oops.  Do yourself a favor and buy some good honey and a packet (or two...or a jar) of almond butter and make a sammich.

Now for the big to-do.  I made an easy leek pastry last night with goat cheese and prosciutto.  Yummm.  Truth be told, my mom and I probably could've eaten it as dinner, but we both ate two slices and a bowl of chili.  Overkill.

Rainy Days and...Tuesdays

We've had three straight days of rain.

Lots of this.

And this.

Not that I'm really complaining because heaven knows we've needed some drought relief.  The first day cooled off the temps so much it was actually pleasant to walk onto the porch during the day.  It's gotten a little muggier since then but nowhere near the relentless heat we and most of the country have been feeling.

I actually like when it rains because I like a nice summer storm.  I don't mind the thunder and lightning except that it absolutely terrifies Puddin.  He's phobic.  Even the flash from my camera freaks him out.

Note:  He was quite comfortable in this picture.  There was no thunderstorm, and he had a comfy bed to lay on.  Of course, I had to work around him when I made up my bed.  He didn't mind.

Anyhow, the thing is, the rain sort of kills my mojo.  Crazy, right?  It eliminates any desire I have to go to the grocery store.  Wah.  I have an idea floating around in my head though for tonight.

Tune in tomorrow to see if I can pull it together!