Julie's Jabberwock

Tropical Breakfasts

Tropical Breakfasts

          UNDER CONSTRUCTION                                                

A Bluey Birthday Pavlova For Isabelle

A Bluey Birthday Pavlova For Isabelle

          3 Year’s Old! Pavlova For Isabelle Season 3, Episode 17 Pavlova Bonjour!  Bandit becomes a French speaking chef who tries to get Bingo to eat Edamame instead of the Pavlova that she wants.  Bluey becomes an advocate trying to have 

Summer Italian Cocktails and Apps

Summer Italian Cocktails and Apps

 

 

 

 

 

Under Construction 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Italian Sangwitches

Italian Sangwitches

            Buongiorno (Good Morning) What a Great Day to Have a Cafe and a Breakfast Sangwitch (The breakfast sandwich that you see above is something I picked up in the frozen foods section of the grocery store.  It is a 

That’s Amore Italian

That’s Amore Italian

          Welcome To That’s Amore Italian… That’s Amore (Love) My Stuffed Meaty Cheesy Shells With Cheeses, Spices, And Lots Of Herbs Or A Few Shells On A Bed Of Salad Greens And Cheeses ———————————————————————————————– When I think of Italian Food I 

Julie and Gordon Whann Way Mexicana Seis!

Julie and Gordon Whann Way Mexicana Seis!

 

 

 

Hola!  Buen Dia!

Es Hora De Desayunar

(Time For Breakfast)

Out The Door Early, Just Something Fast

Cornbread Toppers with Mexican Chili Crisp

(The yellow you see above is a flower or two shredding it’s petals, and me not wanting to clean it up.  I liked it.)

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Quickie Easy Breakfast

Onions, Some Chopped, Some Rings, Chopped Red Bell Pepper…

Turkey Sausages,

Eggs, with Salt and Pepper Added to the Onions and Bell Peppers,

Sauteed in Butter on a Medium Heat

Add a Jalapeno Cheddar Muffin from Sprouts, some Tropical Mexican Juices, and a Drizzle of Avocado Hot Sauce

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My Chorizo and Potato Hash Brown Breakfast

Spring Onions and Hot Sauces are Always a Must

Right Out Of The Cast Iron Skillet

Cornbread Toppers Made Into A Sandwich, With Scrambled Eggs, Mexican Cheese, Sliced Tomatoes, And My Hash Browns

Topped With A Nice Hot Sauce

(Recipe Down Below)

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Es Hora De La Merienda

(Time for a Snack)

Mexican Stars

I found these perfect looking crackers at Sprouts.  I loved that they were shaped like Stars so I bought a few boxes of them.  At the time I purchased them I was contemplating a great dip to dip them into.  But, when I opened the box and tried them I was really take aback by how plain they were.  Kind of like eating cardboard.  That is when I got the idea to season up the crackers, and worry about a dip later on.

(I always saw these as Mexican, and not anything but.  Which is why this was so easy to create.)

(Recipe Down Below)

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My Mexican Cornbread Butternut Squash, and My Mexican Cornbread Jalapeno Muffins

I got the idea to make these into Mexican because I had already done it with some other squash I was experimenting on.  The cornbread worked great baked into the squash.  I was really pleased with how easy it was, and how delicious they all turned out.

The Squash are a Meal in Itself

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Cornbread/Onions/Broccoli/Cottage Cheese Muffins

My Cornbread Muffins with Onions, Broccoli, and Cottage Cheese

Great With An Egg Or Two

(Bacon and Herbs a MUST!)

Making The Broccoli/Onion/Cottage Cheese Cornbread Muffins:

I just wanted to do a quick write up here as I didn’t take photos of this food project because I already have photos of this food project on other website pages.  This is the first time I made them into muffins though.  In the past I made an entire cast iron skillet of them!

I just follow a cornbread mix directions either on the box, tube, or bag, and then I add my Chopped Onions, Thawed Broccoli Florets, and a 4-5 heaping spoonful of Cottage Cheese.  I add it to the already prepared batter before it goes into a skillet or muffin tins to bake.  You can eyeball the amounts that you want.  You can see for yourself the amounts that you like in the mixing bowl as you add it to the batter.

Then, all you do is to transport the Cornbread Mixture into whatever you will be cooking it in.  Just continue to follow the package directions and bake according to the recipe.  Use toothpicks to test to make sure the cornbread is ready when done.  Allow to cool, and then enjoy!

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Es Hora De Comer

(Time for Lunch)

   

Making a Chicken Pattie Sandwich out of my Cornbread Jalapeno Muffin

(Just add some greenery, tomato, and some mustard.)

(Recipes Down Below)

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Mexi-Corn

(Write Up By Gordon)

I took two ears of peaches and cream corn which is white and yellow corn mixed on the same ear.  I shucked it leaving most of the outer husks in tact removing all the fine silk strands.   I wrapped the corn in a single layer of paper towel, and then wet the paper towel.  I then placed both ears of corn in the microwave and cooked them for 5 min.  Then I turned the oven onto 350’F and placed the corn in a pie pan topped with aluminum foil.  I then topped the corn with some butter, Chili Powder, Queso Quesadilla Cheese and Spring Onions, salt and pepper to taste, and placed it in the oven for about 8 min. or until the cheese became brown as shown in the picture.  Make sure the Chili Powder makes its way all around the corn.  These turned out really good, so give them a try, now that corn is in season.

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Recipes Start Right Here

When In Doubt, Get Take-Out

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My Chorizo and Potato Hash Brown Breakfast

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Ingredients:

5 or so, Russet, Idaho, or Yukon Gold Potatoes Work Best

14 oz., Chorizo Sausage

Wash Your Potatoes And Remove The Skins

Remove The Chorizo From The Casings, Place Into A Cast Iron Skillet

Turn The Burner On To A Medium-High Heat To Brown Them

Use A Grater and Shred Your Potatoes Into A Medium Mixing Bowl

Continue To Brown Your Chorizo In The Skillet

Drain Off Any Excess Fat Into The Sink To Discard

(When Done Remove The Chorizo From The Heat And Set Aside)

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Place The Potatoes On Top Of The Chorizo In The Skillet

Time To Add The Spices:

Chili Powders (I like to use a few different ones as they have different tastes.)

Jalapeno Powder

Hawaiian Sea Salt

(I really just sprinkled them on top and didn’t mix them in.)

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Into a 350F they go for about 25 minutes.

I Then Removed Them From The Oven and Flipped Them Over With A Large Spatula

I Did Do A Taste Test And Decided To Cook Them Longer

I Put Them Back Into The Oven For Another 10 Minutes

When Done, Allow To Cool

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Time To Make The Eggs

Simply Add Butter To A Frying Pan And Place On A Medium Heat

Add The Eggs And Scramble

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Setting The Table

Eat Up and Enjoy!

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Mexican Stars

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Ingredients:

3, 4.5 Ounce Boxes Star Shaped Crackers

(Valley Lahvosh Baking Company Crackers)

1/4 Cup Vegetable Oil

1/2 t. Cumin

1 1/4 t. Lime Pepper

1 T. + 1/4 t. Chives

1/2 t. Cilantro

1/2 t. Mexican Oregano

1/4 Ground Jalapeno

1/4 Jalapeno Sea Salt

1/4 t. Chili Powder

1/4 t. Chili Powder (Another brand.  They have different tastes.)

1/4 t. Lime Powder

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Gathering All Of My Ingredients

 

I Wanted To Use Lots Of Herbs And Spices

(In the photo far right, above, you see two Chili Powders.  Every Chili Powder is different in taste.  Some stronger than others.  I like to sometimes add a few of them to give more spicy flavor.)

In a Mixing Bowl add all of the Ingredients

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On a Baking Sheet Spray a Cooking Oil Spray..

Then Place all of the Star Shaped Crackers on it….

And Pour Over the Herb/Spice/Oil Mixture, Stir Together

Make Sure The Star Crackers Are Coated With The Mixture

Place Into A 300F Oven for 15 Minutes

Remove From Oven, Stir Around, Then Place Back Into The Oven For Another 15 Minutes

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When Done Remove From Oven And Sprinkle Some Jalapeno Sea Salt Over Top

Also Sprinkle A Pinch Of Lime Powder Over Top

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You Can Place Them Back Into The Oven For Another 10 or 15 Minutes

When Done, Place On Paper Towels To Cool

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My Mexican Cornbread  Butternut Squash, and My Mexican Cornbread Jalapeno Muffins

Making Them Mexican Was The Best Thing I Did!

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Ingredients:

1 Butternut Squash

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Quaker Corn Meal (Yellow)

(And everything that the recipe on the tube requires to make the Cornbread.  What you see above on the far left are the ingredients that are required in making the Cornbread itself.)

Now For The Other Ingredients…

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1 Medium Spanish Onion, Chopped

1 Can Black Beans, Drained

1 Medium Orange Bell Pepper, Chopped

Ground Oregano (amounts to be determined)

Ground Chili Powder (amounts to be determined)

Ground Jalapeno (amounts to be determined)

Spring Onions, Chopped (amounts to be determined)

Jalapeno Peppers, Deseeded and Sliced into rings (amounts to be determined)

Jalapeno Sea Salt, to Taste

Mexican Cheese (Queso Fresco)

Fresh Herbs:  Cilantro or Parsley

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The first thing that I did was to slice my Butternut Squash right down the middle into 2 halves.

I then removed the seeds with the silver tool you see in the photos above.  It is actually for fish, however I use it in many other ways than just fish.

I then placed the Butternut Squash halves down onto a foiled lined baking sheet.

(I did place them into a 350F Oven for about 8 minutes to soften the squash.)

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When I removed them from the oven I used a knife to cut into the squash, as you can see.  I made the cuts vertical and horizontal.

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Time To Make My Glaze For The Squash

I want to glaze the squash with some Butter, Salt and Spices to brush over the squash.

1/4 Cup of Butter/Margarine

Dashes of Jalapeno Powder, Chili Powder and Ground Oregano.  Use as much as you like.

A few pinches of Jalapeno Sea Salt

Melt the Butter in the Microwave and then add your Salt and Spices to the Melted Butter.

Mix together, and then brush onto the Butternut Squash generously.

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Place Back Into The 350F Oven For Another 8 – 10 Minutes

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Time To Make Our Cornbread

We Are Simply Following The Recipe On The Tube Of Yellow Corn Meal Mix

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Time To Remove The Butternut Squash From The Oven

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Working On Our Cornbread Mixture To Place Into The Butternut Squash

Chopping My Jalapeno Peppers (3) Into Rings

My Spanish Onion, Chopped

My Spring Onions, Chopped

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You Can Pretty Much See The Amounts I Am Adding:

The Sliced Jalapeno’s

About 1/4 t. Each Of My Spices

3/4 Of The Can Of Black Beans, Drained

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The Butternut Squash Is Ready To Take The Cornbread Mixture

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Time To Chop The Orange Bell Pepper And The Spring Onions

Add All That You Want To The Cornbread Mixture, Like So… Mix Together

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Now It Is Time To Dollop The Cornbread Mixture Into the Butternut Squash

I Also Added Some Jalapeno Peppers Down The Squash As Well

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Into A 350F Oven For About 10 -12 Minutes To Cook The Cornbread

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You Want To Make Sure Your Squash Is Fork Tender, And The Cornbread Is Done As Well.

Sprinkle Some Mexican Cheese On Top And Then Place Back Into The Oven To Melt The Cheese

When Done Remove From Oven Sprinkle Jalapeno Sea Salt and Allow To Cool

Garnish With Some Cilantro or Parsley

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My Jalapeno Muffins

I am placing the remainder of my Cornbread Mixture into Muffin Tins.

I used a Vegetable Oil Spray into each cup, and now I am dolloping the Cornbread Mixture into each cup.

I Topped Each Muffin With A Jalapeno Pepper Ring

My Delicious Butternut Squash Cooling

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Mexican Cheese and Jalapeno Salt left, My Muffins out of the oven Right

Time To Sprinkle Some Mexican Cheese Onto the Muffins, And Place Back Into The Oven For A Few Minutes To Melt The Cheese

Cool On A Rack

Beautiful and Delicious!

Again, Beautiful and Delicious!

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Adios!

Julie and Gordon Whann

 

 

 

 

65 and Beyond, (Finger’s Crossed)

65 and Beyond, (Finger’s Crossed)

        On February 13th., 2026 I Turned 65 Gordon and I ‘Out and About’ on My Birthday 65 Feels Pretty Good —————————————————————————————— When I Turned 60 I Started this Website Page: Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?), We’ll See, Right? (If you would like 

Julie Barefoot 2026, (‘Puke Punaewele, (Blog)

Julie Barefoot 2026, (‘Puke Punaewele, (Blog)

          2026 A Morning Aloha (Hawaiian Kona Coffee) —————————————————————————————— Brodie In Our Backyard Plumeria Tree in Ewa Beach, 1996 ————————————————————————————- E Komo Mai Welcome to My Aloha Julie Barefoot 2026 ‘Puke Punaewele (Blog) Ready for 2026 This year will be a 

www.VintageJulieBarefootArchives.com

www.VintageJulieBarefootArchives.com

 

 

 

I Created A New Website:

Click Here For:  VintageJulieBarefootArchives

I gave my Web Designers in India instructions on what I wanted, and they did the most remarkable job of bringing my vision to life.

I could not be happier with it!

My current website:  (This one.)

BarefootInFloridaWithJulie

..Was no longer working accurately. 

Therefore, I decided to instruct my Web Designers in India, to create a “New” Website in order for me to house some of my “Old” content.

Initially, I didn’t figure in that it would be my Florida Website Pages, but it did evolve into just that.

My First Blog Posting On The New/Old Website

I Debuted This New Site On Brodie’s Birthday, November 29, 2025

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Welcome To VintageJulieBarefootArchives.com

(As Taken From Blog Posting from the new site.)

Brodie Keith Kanakaleo Whann

I decided to create this new website because our live site, www.BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com, was getting a bit too big.

(Admittedly, I was hoping to get a place in The Guinness Book of World Records as the largest amateur website on the internet known to man. But alas, another dream squashed by reality, or human intervention.)

I thought that if I were to create a new website and move a lot of our old content over, that it would lighten the load to our current live site, and I could make this new website about our Florida Life. So, I specifically chose website pages that were of a Florida nature. We love Florida! My ties to Florida go back to when I was a baby in the 60’s, living in Rome, Georgia with my mother, grand-parents, and great-grandparents. Every summer was spent vacationing in Florida. Also, prior to me being born, it was where my mother and her friends, and their families vacationed as well. I have some really great old photos of my grand-parents, great-grandparents, and great-aunts and uncles wearing their old fashioned swimsuits with their old timey cars parked on the beach. Once upon a time you could do that. Drive onto the beach and park your car.  Mostly on the East Coast of Florida, they had the longest stretches of beaches.

I’m the tall one with my cute petite friends.  St. Pete left, Daytona right.

I can remember the Florida vacations very well. We would leave Rome in the evening, and drive all night down to Florida. I would be asleep in the backseat, wearing pajamas.. My grand-father would do the driving. If I had to use the bathroom on the way down my grandfather would pull over to the side of the highway, they would open both doors, the front door and the backdoor, and I would take my winky-tink between the two doors. Sometimes, cars would honk as they would drive by. I was always in a panic that someone could see me. My grandmother always assured me that no one can.  (She was probably lying.)

St. Petersburg was usually our destination. My grand-father would look for Motels with a VACANCY sign flashing towards the street. He would just drive down what is now Gulf Blvd. looking for a Motel that he thought looked nice. He would then pull into those Motels and inquire within for something suitable for all of us. I can remember that we were always on the ocean side, most of the time there was a pool. I can even remember one place we stayed at where we walked out of our motel room door directly onto the beach. There was so much beach sand outside our door.

I have beautiful memories of many Florida vacations with my grand-parents. My grand-father was one to lay on his back in the ocean, floating, and falling asleep. He was a big man, very tall, with lots of cushion. He floated very easily. I can remember one time he fell asleep and was drifting out to sea, a lifeguard was blowing his whistle trying to wake him up to get him to swim back towards shore.

Most every night we would eat at a seafood restaurant. The restaurant was always located on an ocean front, or a canal front. I have so many great memories of finding little fishies trapped between the rocks by the ocean or canals. I would use a paper cup to capture them and take them back to the motel room with me. I loved having them with me in the motel room. I loved watching them. Sometimes I would set them loose the next day, if they even made it through the night. Upon reflection I wish I had known more about helping them. But I didn’t. I was just a child.

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Hello Rosy Cheeks

I remember this very well. It was at one restaurant that was busy that evening for dinner. There were many people waiting to get seated. My grand-parents and I were sitting at a table in the entryway when suddenly this cute boy sat down right beside my grandmother, he sat across from me, he then looked at me and said with all the confidence in the world, “Hello rosy cheeks.” I was in my early teens. My grandmother instantly adored him! I guess charmers must recognize each other because my grand-mother was a charmer. She then burst out laughing.

This cute, charming boy sat there flirting with me. I knew I could fall for him in a minute! But, I was just too shy to do anything about it. But, I have always remembered that cute boy that made this awkward girl feel special.

Oh, and the rosy cheeks were from my being sunburned that day from staying out too long in the sun, on the beach.

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Florida is not just a great state to vacation in, it holds so many happy memories for me and my family growing up. It makes sense that Gordon and I would settle here and live out our days until we are gone. Hopefully that won’t be for a very long time. But, until then we have a grand-daughter to help raise and make many happy Florida memories for her to take with her in life.

An old timey Motel, a Shuffleboard Court, Sun, Sand, Shells, Beach, Oranges, Orange Juice, Drawbridges, Souvenir Shops, Boat Rides, Seafood Restaurants, Summer Friendships with other Tourists, Salt Water Taffy, Vintage Beach Buckets, Sand Shovels, Flamingoes… and being Barefoot!

This is what I carry with me every day.

Happy Vintage Julie Barefoot Memories,

Julie Barefoot

(Julie Lancaster-Whann)

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Florida is Beautiful and Unique,

Located in the South, yet not Really Southern.

Although Florida is the East Coast, and Canada’s Destination

My Florida Favorites

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Some of Veronica’s Artwork 

I asked her if she had some of her art that I could display on the new website.  She sent over these.  This was all she had in her possession.  People do hire her to draw and paint for them.  I would love to had seen those paintings, but she did contribute some nice things.

Busch Gardens 

I told my guys in India that I wanted an Alligator on the bottom left, and Flamingoes on the bottom right.

I do think the landscaping you see in the graphic above looks like Africa, but then again we do have Busch Gardens here in Florida that is theme based on Africa.

  So, I guess it all goes together nicely.

Web Design is a lot of fun but it isn’t really something tangible.  I mean, the moment I quit paying the monthly fees, it can all just disappear.  Or an experienced hacker can just come along and delete the whole thing forever.  As much as I love my website’s they aren’t anything that I can hold in my hand, or place onto a shelf for display, or even own forever.  My experience with having websites is that they are very vulnerable to those that know how to penetrate them, and abuse them without any conscious or authority whatsoever.

I guess what I am trying to say is that they are very temporary, so enjoy them while you can.

 

See You At The Beach!

Julie Barefoot

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Sunny Morning Breakfasts

A Sunny Morning Breakfasts

          JUST WOKE UP, CHECK BACK LATER…                                    

This Jezebel is NUTS!

This Jezebel is NUTS!

    Currently Under Construction                   ———————————————————————————— Also Check Out My: Click Here For:  Julie’s Jezebel Sauce AND, Aloha Wahine Jezebel Sauce AND, An Oriental Jezebel AND, An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce) AND, One HOT Jezebel for 

Quickie Italian – The First

Quickie Italian – The First

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quickie Italian

Sometimes, All You Need is a Ready Made Tomato Focaccia, and some Wine

I Call It Herb Bread  🙂

When I think of cooking Italian food, I imagine a long list of ingredients, carving out a significant portion of the day, and sipping a nice glass of red wine or two during the entire cooking experience.  After all, to me it is an experience.  (And nibbling on lots of bread sticks.)  Also, I don’t really view Italian food as being “Quick.”  However, I think in our busy world that it can be.  It can also be just as delicious as if we spent hours in the kitchen.

With the exception of Gordon’s Italian Mac N’ Cheese, I never really considered any of these other dishes on this page to be ‘actual’ recipes.

They were more ideas with things we just thought about and threw together, mainly me.  (Julie)

I suppose that to me a ‘Recipe’ is something that requires great thought and testing.  Kind of like an Experiment in a Lab, or in this case, a Kitchen.  But, we never do those things.  In many cases we just know that the ingredients we choose are going to taste good together, without us even trying them out.  We just throw it together and let our photos tell the story.  Some ingredients that we may feature never go into the recipe.  After all, we make this up as we go, grabbing things from the pantry.  Always have.

However, these ‘Ideas’ have sometimes morphed into excellent Recipes.  Ideas that we have become very proud of.  And, we’ve even passed some of these Ideas on to our children and others who now cook our Ideas on a regular basis. 

So, without hesitation, here are a few very simple Ideas from us for that ‘Quickie Italian’ Dinner.  🙂

GRAZIE MILLE,

Julie and Gordon

This Basil Pesto Cheese is the best I’ve ever had.  I haven’t been able to find it again. 

The quest continues….

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This “Idea” was just ready made frozen Ravioli, with some Pasta Sauce in a jar, and us throwing in a few spices to jazz it up.  Bread Sticks and Flat Leaf Parsley, not optional…essential!

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I LOVE BREAD!

I found this Bread on the sale rack at our Commissary for just a few dollars, and I snagged it instantly! 

It looked beautiful and tasty, and it WAS!  All you need is some great cheese and meats, and a good mustard, then you have a great meal.  Oh, and don’t forget the wine.  🙂

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Gordon’s Italian Mac N’ Cheese

All you really need is one great Italian Dish, and the rest can be just Nibble Foods.

As in Roasted Garlic, lots of Great Bread, Open Jars of Italy to spread on that Bread, and a nice bottle of Red Wine.

(Recipe Down Below)

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Red And Green Pasta Sauce w/ Plant Based Meatballs

(Recipe Down Below)

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Spaghetti, and Plant Based Meatball Sub Sand

(Recipe Down Below)

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Spaghetti Between Two Toasted Buttered Garlic Bread, Sandwich

(Recipe Down Below)

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Our ‘Throw Together’ Italian Dinner

With TONS of Bread!  🙂

(Recipe Down Below)

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Happiness is Being a Tutu  🙂

The “I Don’t Know What To Call It Pasta/Pasta Sandwich”

(Recipe Down Below)

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Peachy/Beigey Pasta

(Recipe Down Below)

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My “V” Pasta

(And I’m not going to tell you why I am calling it that.)  🙂

(Recipe Down Below)

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Julie’s Mystery Pasta

(Because I can’t remember what I did here.)  🙂

But, It Does Look Good, Doesn’t It?

(Recipe Down Below) 

Once I Remember It

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Easy Basil Pesto/Sun Dried Tomato Penne Pasta Dinner

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Turning Loaf Bread Into Great Bread

(Recipe Down Below)

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Recipes Start Here

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Gordon’s Italian Mac N’ Cheese

There was a Mac N’ Cheese Contest at his workplace on the base.  (2023)

Gordon tied for 2nd. Place!  🙂

The win is significant for him because he made it the night before and not that morning as some did, including the winner.  It does make a difference when it is nice and fresh from the oven, as the winner’s was.  Regardless, it is truly spectacular!

Truly Spectacular!

Ingredients:

32 oz. 33% Less Sodium Chicken Broth
~3 – ½ inch Thick Slices of Pancetta – reserve the fat

(NOTE: diced Pepperoni Mini’s can also be used)

~4 Cups Fusilli Pasta
Flour – as needed (equal to the amount Pancetta fat
~2 Cups Milk
~1 Cup Half & Half
~1 Cup White Cheddar Cheese sliced and ~½ Cup shredded
~1/2 Cup Parmesan Cheese sliced and ~¼ Cup shredded
~1/2 Cup Asiago Cheese sliced and ~¼ Cup shredded

1 Tbsp. Dried Italian Herb Seasoning
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
2 Tbsp. Butter
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 Tbsp. Himalayan Salt

Pam Cooking Spray – as needed

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The milk and Half and Half used.

The pots we used…

the left pot was used for the sauce and the other was used to boil the pasta.

Start by pouring the Chicken Broth into the large pot… this will give your pasta some flavor instead of just
having plain water.

Then add enough water to cover the pasta when added.

Pictured are my thick slices of Pancetta.

You can get your local Deli to cut them this thick for you.

Slice the Pancetta into dice sized pieces as shown.

Place the Pancetta pieces into a medium sized pan and heat to medium heat.

While the Pancetta is cooking, add your Fusilli Pasta to the pot and cook as directed or until the pasta is
al dente or cooked so as to be still firm when bitten. Be sure to stir the pasta occasionally so it won’t
stick to the bottom of the pot.

When done and still partially firm (al dente) pour the pasta into a colander and immediately rinse with
cold water to stop the cooking process. Then set the pasta aside to drain.

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Still cooking the Pancetta until it is well browned.

It is almost done and looking great!

Use a non-splatter cover in this next step to stop the Pancetta pieces from falling out of the pan. Pour
the Pancetta fat into your medium sized pot and turn the heat to medium high.

Then place the Pancetta onto a plate lined with paper towels to catch the excess fat.

Very nice pictures
Julie!!!

 

 

Now, add your flour in equal amounts to your fat. When mixed, it should have the consistency of wet
sand. You have now made a roux! The second picture is a good example of what I mean.

Stir the roux consistently for about 2 min. Cooking it this long will remove the flour taste without
browning the flour. I am also slicing the cheeses while this is happening.

When cooked for two minutes, turn down your heat to low, and add some of your Milk and Half and
Half to the roux.

Stir this mixture until well combined adding more milk if needed to get to the thickness you desire. You
want your sauce thick, so don’t add too much of the Milk and Half and Half in the beginning. You can
always add more later. You have now made a Bechamel Sauce. Over time the sauce will continue to
thicken, so keep your Milk handy. Be sure to continue to stir your sauce now with a whisk from time to
time to remove any lumps. Still slicing cheese while the sauce heats.

This is Mac N’ CHEESE!

Add ~1 Cup of your White Cheddar Cheese to the Bechamel Sauce.

And add ~1/2 Cup of the Asiago cheese to the sauce. Now you have made a Mornay Sauce.

Slicing the Parmesan Cheese

And add ~1/2 Cup of the Parmesan cheese to the sauce. This is also great as a Fondue sauce to dip
bread and vegetables into. Stir your Mornay sauce with your whisk until the cheese is thoroughly
melted and well combined.

While still melting the cheese, add your dried Italian seasoning to the sauce…

Then add your dried Oregano to the sauce.

Another nice closeup picture Julie!

Here you can see the cheese is melted and the other ingredients are well combined. Taste the sauce to
see if you need to add more seasoning.

Here, I am adding the Mornay sauce to a large mixing bowl, then adding a few Tbsp. of butter to enrich
the sauce. This will also provide a little more flavor and silkiness.

Stir in the butter well.

Add your well drained pasta to the sauce as shown.

Use a rubber spatula to remove every drop of the sauce from the pan.

Then gently mix the sauce and
the pasta together.

———————————————————————-

Add your freshly cracked Black Pepper to the bowl…

Then add your salt. Himalayan salt isn’t as salty as table salt, which is why you can add so much as the
milk products and pasta in this dish are very bland. Stir to combine. Taste the pasta to see if you need
to add more seasoning.

Now, preheat your oven to 400’F.

Add your Mac N’ Cheese to a casserole dish or dishes that have been sprayed with a non-stick cooking
spray.

Fill the dish almost to the top.

Here I am shredding more of the three cheeses to the top of each casserole dish.

Add as much or as
little as you like.

They are now ready to go into my preheated 400’F oven.

——————————————————————————-

You may want to place the casserole dishes onto a cookie sheet just in case your casserole spills over
during the baking process.  (Although we didn’t.)

Here I opted not to as the cookie sheet isn’t large enough to hold both casserole dishes.

Bake the Mac N’ Cheese for about 25 minutes or until the top is well browned.

If needed, you can always turn your oven’s broiler on to brown the top as shown in this pic.
This was a somewhat complex dish to make, which does make enough for two meals.

We hope you give
this “from scratch” Italian inspired Mac N’ Cheese a try… we are sure you will love it!

—————————————————————————

Red And Green Pasta Sauce w/ Plant Based Meatballs

This Quickie Came From My Idea of Wanting Red and Green Pasta, with Red and Green Sauce

Simple Really

It’s just a Red Pasta Sauce, and a Green Pesto Sauce

Heating the Sauces, Boiling the Pasta

Proceed to Mix the Sauces with the Pasta…

Bake the Veggie Meatballs as Directed…

Then Combine!  🙂

———————————————————————————–

Spaghetti and Meatball Sub Sand

The four things that I love the most are Spaghetti, Plant Based Meatballs, Bread, and Cheese.

Something Easy and Delicious to do with Leftover Spaghetti Pasta

Bake the Plant Based Meatballs, (According to package directions), Butter the Hoagie Buns and then Bake them to brown up a bit in the oven.  You can always use the Broiler.

Buttering The Breads

A Sprinkling of Garlic Salt…

Plant Based Meatballs Into The Oven

Buttered Hoagie Breads Into The Oven

Leftover Spaghetti Pasta…

Adding the Red Sauce…

Heating Up The Sauce in the Microwave

Heating Up Some Sauce for the Hoagie Buns

Spreading The Sauce In The Buns

Now, Adding the Heated Up Spaghetti Pasta and Sauce…

—————————————————————————————–

Now, Add The Plant Based Meatballs…..

…Some Shaved Parmesan Cheese…. Fresh Parsley…..

Top with a bit of the Red Sauce

DONE!

————————————————————————————————–

My Favorite Spaghetti Sand

I didn’t grow up in a particularly sophisticated family where food was concerned.  Oh, my grandmother that took me under her wing knew the fine arts of southern hospitality, and did teach me those, but for some reason my mother rebelled against such things and didn’t pass any of that knowledge on to me.  I think it was because she married my step-father and he was the one that rebelled against such things.  She just did whatever he wanted her to do. 

I believe that sophistication was looked down upon in my family when I was growing up so we ate like poor people did.  After all, my step-father, the surgeon, grew up poor in Texas so we did tend to eat like poor people did, even though there was money to eat like upper middle class people ate.

Having said that, sometimes my tastes do gravitate toward the more humble eating classes.

We didn’t grow up having our Spaghetti or Pasta Dinners with some lovely Italian Bread, it was always our Sandwich Bread smeared with some Butter and Garlic.  I have since added some Paprika to it as well.

When you grow up eating something simple then you get used to it. 

It then is no longer simple, but delicious.

Baking Sandwich Bread. Garlic Bread in the Oven (Broil)

Perfect to ME!

Browning The Other Side

Now, just place some Spaghetti and some Fresh Basil and then you have an excellent Sand!

——————————————————————————

Our Throw-Together Italian Dinner

For Some Reason I, Julie, Love Black and Green Food Together

Eaten With A Lovely Tomato Focaccia Bread

—————————————————————-

Our Throw-Together Ingredients:

Leftover Feta Cheese and Sundried Tomatoes Packed In Olive Oil

Black Olives

Pesto in Olive Oil

Leftover Pastas

Bread Crumbs

Parmesan Cheese

Roasted Garlic Cloves

—————————————————————————

Our Leftover Ingredients

This is a Favorite Pesto of Ours, Look at that Beautiful Olive Oil!

Boil the Pasta Following Package Directions Until Al Dente

Here we Have Also Sliced and Buttered the Bread

Overdosing on Bread  🙂

(This bread was getting stale so I thought we should cook it before it went bad.)

You Just Need a Bowl to Combine Your Ingredients

Once You Have Drained the Pasta, Place it Into a Mixing Bowl

Next, Add Some of the Pesto, Bread Crumbs, and Grate Some Parmesan Cheese Over Top

(This is all done to taste.)

———————————————————————–

Adding a Few Black Olives

Mix Together, Now Add Some Roasted Garlic Cloves

(We ended up adding an additional leftover Pasta to this dish, not pictured above in the ingredients.)

Place into a Casserole Dish Sprayed with a Cooking Oil Spray

Top With Some Grated Parm and Bake for About 20-25 Minutes

Delicious!

——————————————————————————

The “I Don’t Know What To Call It Pasta/Pasta Sandwich”

 

 

Ingredients:

Creamy Basil Alfredo Sauce

Jar of Marinated Artichoke Hearts, drained

Leftover Roasted Garlic Cloves, smooshed, and use as many as you like

Sun Dried Tomatoes, as many as you like

A Good Bread, Butter, and Cheese

———————————————————————

Just place the contents of the jar into a sauce pan on a medium heat, add the drained jar of marinated artichoke hearts, and as many of the roasted garlic cloves you desire, and then just let it come to a nice simmering boil.  Turn the heat down a few notches once it starts to boil.  I Julie, love a nice thick sauce so I will allow it to simmer away until it becomes as thick as I like.  Keep stirring the pot regularly so that it doesn’t burn on the bottom.  And just keep turning it down to lower settings.  When done to your liking, just keep it on low, or warm until you are ready to eat.

———————————————————————–

In the Meantime…..

Bread and Butter

The Bread is a Tribeca Oven Asiago Cheese Loaf

The Butter is a Garlic Parmesan Basil, that I bought from Sprouts

All I did was to turn the oven on 350F.

On a foil lined sheet pan I placed the two halves of the bread, that I sliced into.  Then buttered both sides.

I then grated some Romano Cheese on each slice.  I also did a sprinkling of Paprika.

Into the oven they go.  8-10 minutes on 350F. 

Then turn off the oven and broil until a bit brown.

—————————————————————————-

When ready you can place this great sauce onto some pasta, with some of the great bread from above.  You can also add a salad to make it the perfect meal.

Don’t forget, you can also make a sandwich of it!

——————————————————————————–

Peachy, Beigey Pasta

I Julie, am known for mixing different pastas together to create a meal.  I just started pulling out ingredients from the pantry one day and that’s when I noticed that it’s all got this great peachy/red/beigey color to everything.  So….

..I decided to throw it all together, and here we are!

—————————————————————————————-

Ingredients:

Red Lintel Penne Pasta

Chickpea Spaghetti Noodles

Rosa Alfredo Sauce

Various Italian Spices

A Good Bread, and Lots of Herbs

Garnish:  Crispy Harvest Snaps

———————————————————————————-

Just Heating Up The Sauce..

If you like you can grind some Black Pepper, or add a few dashes of your favorite Hot Sauce.  Perhaps even add some Chili Powder or Cayenne.  Make it as hot or as mild as you like!

To thicken the sauce simply allow it to simmer away on a medium-low heat, while stirring occasionally.  When it is as thick as you  like, then it is done.

Cooking The Pastas….

Draining the Pastas…

Plating The Pastas….

———————————————————————–

My Herb Bread

This is a favorite bread of mine that we buy often.  I place it on a foil lined sheet pan, slice the bread without cutting through to the bottom, smear it with a butter or margarine all over it.  Place into a 350F oven for about 8 minutes.  Then turn off the heat and broil until a nice brown color.  That’s when I inserted fresh herbs all between the slices.  Then serve with your delicious pasta dinner.

Topped With Some Fresh Herbs and Some Harvest Snaps

————————————————————————–

My “V” Pasta

(And I’m not going to tell you why I am calling it that.)  🙂

This was so delicious!  I loved it! 

However at 2:00 a.m. it decided to emerge from my body via my mouth.

O.K.!  I threw it up which is why I am calling this my V Pasta.  V is for Vomit!

I believe that the cheese that I used was bad and that is why I got sick.  BUT, it was sooooo good until that happened, which is why I am so happy to give you the recipe.  (I know how excited you are now.)  🙂

————————————————————————————————-

 

I basically took a Vodka Sauce and added some Sundried Tomatoes packed in Olive Oil.

  I also made sure that I added some of the Olive Oil to the sauce.  I allowed it to simmer until it got a bit thick.

In the meantime I cooked some Shell Pasta until Ad Dente…

..then scooped it out of the boiling water and added it to the sauce.  

Grate some cheese, add some toasted bread…..  Superb!

———————————————————————————————–

Julie’s Mystery Pasta

(Because I can’t remember what I did here.)  🙂

But, It Does Look Good, Doesn’t It?

Actually, I do believe I know what I did.  I used a Creamy Basil Sauce and added some of my favorite Marinated Artichoke Hearts.  Also, the marinade from the jar.  I’m sure that I added some Freshly Ground Black Pepper, and some Garlic Salt.  I allowed the sauce to simmer away until it got a bit thick.  In the meantime, I cooked some Spaghetti Pasta until Al Dente.  And then combine!  Add some fresh Basil and enjoy!

———————————————————————————————-

Easy Basil Pesto/Sun Dried Tomato Penne Pasta Dinner

I admit it needs some color here, as in a salad or fresh herbs.  But, this recipe was about using what is already in your pantry, also most people always have loaf bread at the ready.

—————————————————————————

Turning Loaf Bread Into Great Bread

——————————————————————————

But First:

I was shopping at Sprouts when I saw this Simply Organic Sweet Basil Pesto packet.  Needless to say, I bought a few.  It looked like an easy way to make weeknight Italian on a busy schedule.  I also bought some of Sprouts Organic Penne Rigate Durum Wheat Pasta.

I simply followed the package instructions….

Boiled the Pasta….

Drained the Pasta….

Added the Sweet Basil Pesto Sauce to the Cooked Pasta….

I then decided to add this great Cucina and Amore Sun Dried Tomato Bruschetta as well…

Mixing Together..

Now Let’s Grate Plenty of Cheeses Over Top

I’m using Parmesan and Romano, as much as I like!

I Then Sprinkled Some Italian Bread Crumbs In

And, some more Cheese…

Leftovers going into the refrigerator for lunches.

If you need to freshen the pasta up because it is a bit dry, just add a little bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil.

————————————————————————–

I do write above about how I grew up eating regular loaf bread as an accompaniment to our weekly spaghetti dinners.

I am featuring it here because it is something that most people have on hand in every kitchen.  Therefore, when in need of a nice bread for any Italian of your choice, here is a substitute.

Loaf Bread, Butter/Margarine/Garlic Salt/Paprika

Cook for about 6 minutes on 350F, then Broil until brown.

—————————————————————

Whenever you are in need of a Quickie!

Ciao!

Julie and Gordon

 

———————————————————————————–

To View More Italian Website Pages:

——————————————————————–

Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts

———————————————————

Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2

—————————————————-

Cool Refreshing Summer

——————————————————–

Father’s Day Pizza Party

———————————————————–

00Whann Way Father’s Day

—————————————————————–

La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)

—————————————————————————-

You Say Tomato

———————————————————-

Edible Gifts:  Italian, Greek, and Irish

————————————————–

Pasta, Pasta, Pasta

————————————————————

Autumn Pasta

———————————————————————

Mother’s Day in the Garden

————————————————————————————-

Italian Naan Pizza

—————————————————————————–

Gordon and Julie Italian

———————————————————-

Amiamo I’italiano

——————————————————————–

Pizza, Pizza

———————————————————————–

Grillin’ Italian

———————————————————

Italianate Tre

—————————————————————————

A Labor Day Vacay Away

————————————————————————–

Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween

———————————————————————-

Even More Italian (Just For You)

—————————————————————————-

Quickie Italian

————————————————————————–

Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)

——————————————————————————-

Julie Italian

——————————————————————————–

An Italian Natale

—————————————————————————-

Summer Italian

—————————————————————————————

Isabelle and the Romas

————————————————————————————————–

Lemon Tratta (Treats)

—————————————————————–

Grazie,

Gordon and Julie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Italian Colazione (Breakfasts)

Italian Colazione (Breakfasts)

              UNDER CONSTRUCTION                

Lemon Tratta (Treats)

Lemon Tratta (Treats)

          UNDER CONSTRUCTION                 ———————————————————————————– Recipes Start Here ————————————————————————————————————- UNDER CONSTRUCTION       —————————————————————————————-                          

Isabelle and the Roma’s

Isabelle and the Roma’s

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oven Semi-Dried Roma’s Packed In EVOO

——————————————————————————

Roma’s (Plum) Tomatoes

Benvenuto Isabelle(a) and the Roma’s

(Photo Above Right, Isabelle Eating A Roma Like An Apple)

Roma Tomatoes are the most perfect tomatoes in my opinion. 

They hold up very well in recipes, and even when eaten fresh.  They aren’t as watery as some of the other tomatoes.  I would even go so far as to describe them as being a little ‘crisp.’  It’s the firmness that I love.

Isabelle has been my inspiration for all of the recipes here.   At one point I noticed a few of the Roma’s missing and wondered where they had gone?  That’s when I saw her placing them in the trash can, which I had to retrieve and wash them all over again.  🙂  Eight of them were in the trash.  That’s my girl.  We dig lots of things out of the trash thanks to her.  🙂

————————————————————————————

Roma’s Washed and Drying

——————————————————————————————

Roma Recipes Here:

Making My Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes

(Recipe Down Below)

———————————————————————————————

Marinating My Finished Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes In EVOO

(Recipe Down Below)

—————————————————————————————-

Packing Jars With The Readied Roma’s..

..To Store In The Refrigerator

————————————————————————————————–

Isabelle Enjoying A Lunch Of Vegetables And A Few Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes

————————————————————————————–

I Always Save My Old Italian Products Jars. 

I Love The Tearing Labels and Nice Jar Shapes And Lids

——————————————————————————————————

 

Beans, Beans, Good For Your Heart….  🙂

————————————————————————————

I Have 2 Bean Recipes Here:

Isabelle’s Fagioli’s

AND,

Oven Semi-Dried Roma’s With Beans and Herbs

———————————————————————————————-

(Recipes Down Below)

———————————————————————–

Toasting A Baguette

When I think of anything Italian, I know that Bread will be involved.

Here I sliced this Baguette into rounds and placed them onto a non-stick foil lined Baking Sheet into a 350F Oven.

I drizzled Olive Oil over the slices of bread and placed them into the oven for about 8 minutes.  I then turned the oven off and turned on the Broil setting and watched while they browned.  I then removed them from the oven and allowed them to cool a bit.

——————————————————————————

Italian Wine, Toasted Baguette, Isabelle’s Fagioli’s, Fried Copa-Cola Ham, Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes,

Grated Parmesan, Goat Cheese, and Fresh Herbs

—————————————————————————————

Excellent Appetizers…

..Or A Nice Light Lunch Or Dinner

 

Isabelle’s Fagioli Are Perfect On The Baguette,

With The Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes

——————————————————————————————

Marinated Feta With Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes And Herbs

(Recipe Down Below)

—————————————————————————————

Marinated Feta and Oven Semi-Dried Tomato Apps

Baked Feta With Herbs

Perfect On A Baguette

(All Recipes Down Below)

——————————————————————————–

Recipes Start Here

————————————————————————————

———————————————————————————

Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes

They Are Great Eaten Alone With A Baguette And Cheese…

Packed In Olive Oil…

Store In The Refrigerator

————————————————————————————————————

Making My Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes

We love Sun-Dried Tomatoes packed in Olive Oil, Dried-Tomatoes, and Oven Dried-Semi Dried Tomatoes

There are many Whole, or Julienne Tomatoes in Olive Oil for sale in your local grocery stores.  Many of them are quite delicious, and we have been buying them for years.  However, every now and then it is just fun to make your own.  It’s also a nice Edible Gift to give to those special people in our lives.

We have a double oven so I will be using both ovens, hence the 4 Baking Sheets lined with Parchment Paper, along with a few Cooling Racks I’ve placed inside each Baking Sheet so the Tomatoes don’t sit directly on the Parchment Paper.

—————————————————————————————–

Ingredients:

Dried Thyme

Italian Seasonings

Pink Hawaiian Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

————————————————————————————–

Don’t Forget The Roma’s…

…As Many As You Like!

You Can Cut them However You Like, But Here I Cut These Lengthwise Into Wedges

Bear in mind that they do shrink down while cooking, so you may want to buy more than you think you will need.

————————————————————————————————-

Place The Tomato Wedges Onto The Racks Inside Your Baking Sheets

————————————————————————————-

————————————————————————————-

Time To Add The Seasonings

I don’t give you measurements or amounts because I believe that is up to you to decide.

I basically just sprinkled as much as I wanted all around the Tomatoes on the racks.  If you like a little salt, then just add a little, etc.  But I did want to be able to ‘see’ the Herbs I sprinkled on to the Tomatoes.

 

————————————————————————————————-

Turn The Oven On 300F

Cooking Time Depends on the thickness of your Tomato Slices.  Also, on how Oven Semi-Dried you want them.

I did a cooking time of about 2 1/2 hours total.  1 1/2 hours initially just to see how well they are drying in the oven, and then another 1 1/2 to finish them off.  You can always take a peek to see how well they are drying in the oven.

More Tomatoes To Go Into The Ovens

————————————————————————————————

You Can Grate Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper Over The Tomatoes

Tomatoes, Before…

————————————————————————————-

Tomatoes, After…

When Done, Remove From Oven

——————————————————————————————

My Tomatoes Cooked And Cooling

——————————————————————————————————-

Time To Pack Tomatoes Into Jars With EVOO

I love collecting beautifully shaped jars. 

Especially Italian sauce jars as they usually have the most beautiful labels on them.

EVOO And My Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes

Here Are A Few Of Them

As You Can See They Do Shrink Down

Just Place Into Cleaned Jars and Pour In Some EVOO To Cover

Store In The Refrigerator

We Keep Them For A Few Weeks

———————————————————————————————

300F Oven

Small Batch (Different Cut)

I decided that I needed more Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes for all these recipes so I made some more.

Same Ingredients:

————————————————————————————

Same Equipment…

Different Roma Tomato Cut

—————————————————————————————-

Baking For 2 1/2 Hours, Checking After 1 1/2 Hours Of Cooking, Then Repeating Additional 1 1/2 Hours

Out Of The Oven And Cooling

————————————————————————————

—————————————————————————————-

Place Into A Jar And Drizzle In EVOO To Cover

———————————————————————————————

Just A Snack  🙂

Store In The Refrigerator

————————————————————————————————–

 

Ready to do some cooking, and in need of a snack. 

Here it is!  Baguette, Seasoned Feta, Fresh Herbs and my Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes, along with some Wine.  🙂

———————————————————————————————-

Isabelle’s Fagioli’s

———————————————————————————————

Ingredients:

4, Roma Tomatoes

3, 15.5 oz. Cans Cannellini Beans, Drained and Rinsed

1 Medium Onion, Chopped

5 Garlic Cloves, Minced

1/2 Cup Stick Carrots, Chopped a Bit

3 Celery Stalks, Chopped

4 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1, 6 oz. Can Tomato Paste

2, T. Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 t. Chili Flakes

1/2 t. Salt

Bunch of Curley Parsley, Chopped

————————————————————————————–

 

———————————————————————————-

Chopping My Ingredients

—————————————————————————————–

In a Skillet over a Medium-Heat add your Olive Oil.

————————————————————————————-

Ready To Start The Cooking

————————————————————————————–

Once your Olive Oil is warm…

..add your Onions to Saute

You want them to soften and become a little translucent.

————————————————————————————–

Then Add Your Carrots And Celery

Mince Your Garlic Into The Skillet

You Want The Vegetables To Soften, It Will Take A Few Minutes To Do So

(You will also want to reduce the heat so that the Vegetables don’t burn.  Continue Stirring.)

——————————————————————————————–

Time To Chop Our Roma’s…

——————————————————————————————–

Add Them To The Mixture

(You want them to cook down.  You can turn the heat back up to a Medium-Heat if necessary.  Or, you can keep the heat between Low and Medium.  But, you do want them to soften and cook down.  This may take another 5 minutes or so.  Continue to stir.)

—————————————————————————————–

 

Now It’s Time To Add Our Tomato Paste

————————————————————————————————-

 

Now Add The Red Wine Vinegar…

..And The Chili Flakes

———————————————————————————–

 

Enjoying That Snack While I Cook

——————————————————————————

Chopping My Bunch Of Curley Parsley

Adding The Chopped Curley Parsley And Sea Salt..

Stir Together, Keeping On A Low Heat

——————————————————————————————–

Now We Drain and Rinse The Cannellini Beans

———————————————————————————————

Add The Beans To The Skillet

(I also added some more Tomato Paste.  I had it leftover and just thought it would go here.  It did.  But, it’s not necessary for you to add more if you don’t want to.)

I Did Add A Little Bit More Olive Oil Here, Stir Together…

——————————————————————————————

Turn Your Oven On 350F

Place Your Skillet Into The Oven, Covered In Aluminum Foil And Bake For 15-20 Minutes

Still Snacking While I Wait For My Beans To Cook

FINITA!

—————————————————————————————————-

Oven Semi-Dried Roma’s With Beans and Herbs

—————————————————————————————–

(I would like to say that this recipe, although quite grand in appearance, was not as tasty as the one I created above.  The focus here is more on the beautiful bold Green Herbs, and the beautiful bold Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes.)

Ingredients:

2, 15.5 oz. Cans Cannellini Beans

Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes, As Many As You Like

Half A Medium Red Onion, Chopped

2-3 T. Fresh Thyme, Chopped

Fresh Basil, As Much As You Like

Fresh Parsley, As Much As You Like

Sea Salt, To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

———————————————————————————–

Sometimes Ingredients Are Pictured Perfect On Their Own

————————————————————————————————-

Chopping A Medium Sized Red Onion

——————————————————————————————

Placing The Cannellini Beans Into A Medium Sized Pot On The Stove Top

Adding About 2-3 Tablespoons Of Fresh Thyme

———————————————————————————————

You want to bring the Cannellini Beans in their canned liquid, and Fresh Thyme to a boil.  Once the beans start to boil for a few minutes, remove from heat and pour into a colander to drain the liquid.

——————————————————————————————————

Pour The Beans And Thyme Into A Medium Bowl

————————————————————————————————

 

Add The Red Onion, And Sea Salt And Freshly Ground Black Pepper To Taste

Combine All Ingredients

—————————————————————————————-

On A Platter Place Some Green Curley Parsley

————————————————————————————————

Now Add Your Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes…

Place Your Beans In The Middle, And Garnish With Fresh Basil

——————————————————————————

Beans, Beans….  🙂

——————————————————————————————–

Marinated Feta With Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes

(Serve With A Baguette, And Fresh Herbs)

————————————————————————————————-

Ingredients:

2, 8 oz. Feta Cheese Blocks

Ground Oregano, To Taste

Ground Italian Seasonings, To Taste

Ground Coriander, To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes, To Taste

Fresh Rosemary Sprigs

Olive Oil, To Taste

Baguette and Fresh Herbs Optional, But Necessary  🙂

————————————————————————————————-

Gathering All Of The Ingredients Together

Cut The Feta Cheese Into Chunks And Place Into A Bowl

——————————————————————————————————

Add The Dried Herbs To The Feta, About 1 Tablespoon Each, Or To Taste

Now Drizzle Some Olive Oil Over Top, Just To Taste

(Having a sample, photo right.)

Mix Together…

Start To Layer The Feta With Herbs, Oven Semi-Dried Tomatoes, Rosemary Sprigs, And Then Drizzle EVOO All Over Top

 

This Jar Is Perfection!

An Excellent Appetizer, Or A Great Afternoon Snack

—————————————————————————————————

Our Backyard Container Herbs Are Flourishing

 

Herbs Washed, And Drying Them

————————————————————————————————–

Baked Feta With Herbs

Perfect On A Baguette

———————————————————————————————

Feta With Herbs, Baked

Ingredients:

8 oz. Feta Cheese

Fresh Rosemary, Chopped

Fresh Thyme, Chopped

Dried Coriander, To Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, To Taste

Olive Oil, To Taste

———————————————————————————————–

In A Bowl I Placed My Fresh Thyme, And My Chopped Rosemary

As Much As You Like….

—————————————————————————————————

Adding Just A Sprinkling Of Coriander…

Freshly Ground Black Pepper…

Adding My Feta Cheese…

——————————————————————————————-

Placing The Feta On The Herbs, Placing The Feta With Herbs Onto Aluminum Foil

————————————————————————————————–

Covering The Feta Cheese And Herbs With Foil,  Baking In The Oven On 350F for 15 Minutes.

—————————————————————————————————

In The Meantime….

Toast a Baguette on 350F for 8 Minutes

Slice into rounds, place onto a Baking Sheet with Aluminum Foil, Drizzle with Olive Oil…

———————————————————————————————–

 

Drizzled With Olive Oil, Broil Until Browned

——————————————————————————————

When The Feta Is Ready, Remove From The Aluminum Foil And Place Into A Bowl

Baguette Is Nice And Browned

Excellent Spread Onto A Baguette

————————————————————————————————

Bambina Fammina

Arrivederci!

Julie and Isabelle

————————————————————————————-

If you would like to view our other Italian food posts……

Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts

———————————————————

Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2

—————————————————-

Cool Refreshing Summer

——————————————————–

Father’s Day Pizza Party

——————————————————————-

00Whann Way Father’s Day

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La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)

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You Say Tomato

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Edible Gifts:  Italian, Greek, and Irish

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Pasta, Pasta, Pasta

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Autumn Pasta

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Mother’s Day in the Garden

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Italian Naan Pizza

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Gordon and Julie Italian

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Amiamo I’italiano

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Pizza, Pizza

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Grillin’ Italian

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Italianate Tre

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A Labor Day Vacay Away

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Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween

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Even More Italian (Just For You)

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Quickie Italian

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Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)

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Julie Italian

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An Italian Natale

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Summer Italian

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Isabelle and the Romas

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Lemon Tratta (Treats)

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Grazie,

Julie and Gordon

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summer Italian

Summer Italian

          Welcome to my Summer Italian Favorite Appertiffs ——————————————————————– I created this fun Italian dinner based on the Palms in my backyard.  I also knew that I wanted to showcase this fun and delicious dinner on my Palm Leaf Platter. It 

A Tasty Asian Summer

A Tasty Asian Summer

          Welcome To A Tasty Asian Summer I want to make this page about fun, and tasty foods that have an Asian flair to them. Nothing complicated, but the kinds of foods you would expect to eat in the summer. I 

Strawberry’s and All Things PINK!

Strawberry’s and All Things PINK!

 

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Strawberry’s and All Things PINK!

Dried Hibiscus Flowers 

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Pink Fudge with Dried Hibiscus Flowers

The Hibiscus Flowers are Sweet and Tangy, Almost like Gummy’s

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I have been eating lots of Strawberry’s this year, and loving all things PINK so I thought I would start a website page depicting those very things.  Perhaps this is my hangover from the Barbie movie that came out a few years ago?  I still haven’t seen it at this writing, May, 2025.  I’m sure I’ll get to it eventually, but you don’t have to love Barbie to appreciate all things PINK!  

Each season seems to have it’s favorite food colors.  Pink seems to represent Spring and Summer to me.  

Pink also tends to taste good!  I hope you will think so too.  🙂

Welcome to the Pink Kitchen,

Julie

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Simple Pink Fudge Topped with the Hibiscus Flowers

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Hibiscus Flower Impressions

(Recipe Down Below)

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My Pink Pajama Cocktail

Garnished with Strawberry’s and Enjoyed with some Dried Hibiscus Flowers

(Recipe Down Below)

 

I LOVE My Pink Pajamas!

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Strawberry, Jalapeno and Tomato Salsa

Eaten and Enjoyed with a Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Salt Spread onto a Toasted Baguette

(Recipe Down Below)

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Recipes Start Here

My craft foam flowers, some special things, along with my vintage Hawaiian Hibiscus plate.

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Pink Fudge with Dried Hibiscus Flowers

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I found these Dried Pink Hibiscus Flowers at Sprouts and knew that I had to try them. 

Turns out they are quite good.  Almost tastes like a Gummy.

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It was last Christmas, 2024, that I made some really great and easy Fudge. 

I came across the recipe in one of my cookbooks.  It was so easy!  Delicious too!

I grew up in the south and when we would go to the mountains we would always come across these old timey fudge shops.  Whether we were in Dahlonega, Georgia, Cherokee, North Carolina, or Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  We always bought the sugar-free Peanut Butter Fudge.  We would keep in in our rooms in our lodge and snack on it most every night.  It was a treat!  That is how I view sweets.  They are treats.

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Ready to Make My Pink Fudge

Ingredients:

4 Cups White Chocolate Chips

1  Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk  

1/3 Cup La Lechera Dulce de Leche Milk Based Caramel

(I wanted to add this to this recipe.  If you can’t find any then just use 1 and 1/3 Cup Sweetened Condensed Milk)

2 t. Vanilla Extract

1/2 t. Salt

Drops of Pink Food Coloring

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All of our Ingredients

You will need a casserole dish.  I will be doubling the recipe and placing it into this larger casserole dish.

You will need to place a piece of Parchment Paper down into the bottom of the casserole dish.

I used a pen to draw the dimensions and then cut with some scissors.  You can see in the photo above that it is in place and ready.

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La Cechera, Dulce de Leche Milk Based Caramel

This is my addition to the recipe.  I wanted to add a Caramel flavor to my Fudge.

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Into a Microwave safe dish you want to place the White Chocolate Chips and the Sweetened Condensed Milk, and the Dulce de Leche Caramel.

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Now place into the Microwave for 1 minute, 30 seconds at 70 percent power.  (That is important.)

When done remove and stir well.

Now quickly stir in the Vanilla and Salt, along with a few drops of Pink Food Coloring.

Because I doubled the recipe, you can see the first batch in the very top of the photo above, while I repeat the process with this new batch in these photos.

 

Microwaving the Second Batch

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Both Batches of Fudge Have Been Placed Into This Large Casserole Dish to Cool

Ready To Add My Hibiscus Flowers

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The Fudge Sets Very Quickly

If you want to embed the Hibiscus Flowers into the Fudge you must do so fast.

Beautiful and Delicious!

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My Pink Pajama Cocktail

Garnished with Strawberry’s and Enjoyed with some Dried Hibiscus Flowers

Fresh, Clean Strawberry’s

Ingredients:

1 lb. Frozen Strawberry’s

8 Cups Pink Lemonade

2 Cups Vodka 

4-5 Cups Lemon-Lime Soda

Fresh Strawberry’s as a Garnish

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Pretty Glasses, Strawberry’s and Hibiscus Flowers

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Ingredients Ready for the Blender

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The Frozen Strawberry’s

Adding The Frozen Strawberry’s to the Blender

I placed the Frozen Strawberry’s into the Blender, then added the Pink Lemonade, followed by the Vodka, and the Lemon-Lime Soda.

I did slit the Fresh Strawberry’s down the middle to place on each cocktail glass.

Time to Turn on the Blander Until Mixed

Blending Away…..

Pour Into Prepared Glasses

My Pink Pajama Cocktails

My Love of Pajamas

When I am around the house I tend to wear Pajamas even during a week day afternoon, and especially a weekend when I am staying home and not leaving the house.  I have never been one to wear “sweats.”  To me sweats are sloppy, unattractive and cumbersome.  I like something that looks nice, fits my personality, feels comfortable, and looks pretty.  I very happily incorporate Pajamas into my daily life whenever I can.

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Strawberry, Jalapeno and Tomato Salsa

Eaten and Enjoyed with a Cream Cheese and Jalapeno Salt Spread onto a Toasted Baguette

Strawberry’s, Grape Tomatoes, Red Onion, Lime Zest and Juice, Jalapeno’s, and Fresh Cilantro

Amounts are up to you!

You first want to wash everything…

On a cutting board you want to start chopping your Strawberry’s into diced sized bites.

  Set aside.

As I was slicing the top off of each Strawberry I noticed that they looked like pretty flowers. 

I decided to save a few to use as a garnish.

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Now chop the Grape Tomatoes, leaving behind a lot of the Juice and Seeds.

  See photo top right.  Set them aside.

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Chop the Red Onion into a small dice.

I didn’t use the entire Onion.  I did weigh and gage how much I wanted to add to finished mixture.

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Time to chop the Jalapeno’s into a small dice as well.  I know that I have a hard time with Jalapeno’s.  The fumes really bother me, and whatever I touch on my body after touching the peppers, will make that area hot and uncomfortable.  Therefore, it’s a good idea to wear cooking gloves.  They help a lot!

Everything is Beautiful and Nicely Chopped

I LOVE all the Colors!

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Time To Combine Everything

You can see in the above photo how the tops of the Strawberry’s look like Flowers…

which is why I wanted to keep some of them as a Garnish.

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Place your chopped items into a medium sized bowl.

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Zest your Limes into the Salsa, then add the Lime Juice.  Don’t make it too soggy. 

You don’t have to use the Juice of both Limes if you don’t want to.

Mix Together…

Add a Pinch or Two of the Jalapeno Sea Salt

(This stuff is sooooo good!  So glad I found it online!)

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Now For The Bread and Cheese

I wanted to have a few options to see which one would be best, the Italian Toasts or the Baguette. 

Turns out they were both great and I used both of them.

In one bowl I placed some softened Cream Cheese, and in the other I placed Crumbled Goat Cheese. 

I then sprinkled a pinch or two of the Jalapeno Sea Salt.  That was all that was needed!  So delicious on it’s own.

Set Those Aside

Now It’s Time To Slice and Toast the Baguette

Place onto a Baking Sheet and put into the Oven on Broil.  You just want to brown your bread slices.

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This is my new FAVORITE Thing!

Spread some Cream Cheese onto a Toasted Baguette, and then sprinkle some Jalapeno Sea Salt over top.

  God is it good!

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With the sliced Baguette toasted, time to add the Crumbled Goat Cheese overtop, sprinkled with some Jalapeno Sea Salt.

Place back into the Oven, 300F just for a few minutes to melt the Cheese a bit.

Ready for the Salsa!

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I think my little Strawberry “Flowers” look nice.  🙂

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I hope your day is filled with Strawberry’s.

Have a very PINK Day!

Julie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Julie Barefoot In The Backyard

Julie Barefoot In The Backyard

        (See Down Below For New Content) Hello Happy Barefoot Spring, and Summer in my Backyard   And Fall and Winter, but not so much.  🙂 Our Backyard Peach Tree We spend a lot of time outside in our backyard.  Gardening, Landscaping, Grilling, 

Here’s a CLUE for Nancy Drew

Here’s a CLUE for Nancy Drew

        “I don’t promise to forget the mystery, but I know I’ll have a marvelous time“ Nancy Drew —————————————————————————— #45 The Spider Sapphire Mystery Thrilling, dangerous adventure confront Nancy Drew while on a safari in East Africa with a group of American 

My Log/Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor

My Log/Blog Documenting Stalking and Harassment From My Neighbor

 

 

(Note Update April 10, 2025:  If this harassment continues, or more damage is done to our property, then I will reveal their names here, and getting the police involved.)

 

“The pen is mightier than the sword.”

Edward Bulwer-Lytton

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Write it all down, it’s what they fear the most.

Julie Lancaster-Whann

 

Where Do I Even Begin?

2025

For those of you that know me and have read me, then you know of my account of my Cyber-Stalker of 30 years, P.  I did start a webpage of his stalking back in 2015 on this website.  Wow, 10 years ago I started writing about him.  I’ve also mentioned throughout my personal blogs the stalking that I have had to put up with and endure.  Well, he’s still in the picture.  Gordon and I were able to bring in (a 3-letter agency) to look into him.  I hadn’t really admitted much to any of that until now.  This has been about a year and a half ago that we did that.  I know these things take time, but with all that’s going on right now with that ( 3-letter agency), I’m not so sure if we are a priority anymore.

I also started a website about him that I have not worked on yet at all.  I simply sent a few photos to my guys in India and had them to create something for me.  They did, and I paid quite a bit of money for it.  I hadn’t started working on it yet for a few reasons.  First of all, I would much rather be doing other things than talking about P.  And number two, I didn’t want to hinder any investigation into him.

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This is the Original Webpage Where I Introduce you to P.:

What It’s Like To Be Cyber-Stalked

Julie Lancaster-Whann

If you do check out this webpage I started on him, you will most likely see some sabotage.  That is from P.  When I had web hosting companies in America to host and look after my site, P. had the run of it.  It wasn’t until I contacted a company in the U.K., and they recommended theses guys in India, did I finally have a more secure website.

Sad isn’t it?  I had to go outside my own country for help from my American Cyber-Stalker.

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One thing that I have learned throughout my life when I was being abused by anyone is to start a log.  Write down everything that that person does to you.  Keep a diary of it.  That’s why I started the Cyber-Stalker blog page that I write about above.  It is also why I am starting this webpage about the abuse that I am having to endure from my neighbors next door to me.

I will work on this as I feel like it.  Oh trust me, they aren’t going anywhere.  Their kind never does.

I know their type very well.   Arrogant, self-righteous, white, no respect for people or their property, or opinions that differ from their own.  They only value ‘Freedom of Speech’ when it is their own.  They easily fall in line with the herd.  A Shepherd  to herd them this way, and then herd then that way.  I’ll get into more of that later on.

You know, no where in the world do they have people like a certain segment of our population.  Nowhere!

The world does have it’s poor and ignorant.  But nowhere does any country have these kinds of people that think the way they do. They are definitely home grown.

There is something very toxic in our country’s environment that creates these people.  I know what it is, but I don’t dare say it.  I’ve touched on it though.  I even tried warning our former Canadian friends about it, who seemed to adore the republican friends they knew in Kentucky.  And I will speak of it in the future.  But talking about it now is only going to get me clubbed over the head by a caveman.  I also warned our Canadian friends that don’t be surprised if America comes after Canada someday.  If you have something they want, they will come and get it.  Funny, but she thought I was being ridiculous.  Wonder how she feels now?  I told her these things over a decade ago.

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My Camera on My Tripod Took These Photos

(The Thing Is, My Neighbors Are Probably Watching Me Right Now)

I wanted to take some photos for this blog, and seeing as how I am the only one here, I had my camera on my tripod to do it.  My husband Gordon is working overseas.  Oh, we talk most everyday.  He is in a hazard zone overseas.  He is quite valuable in his job, and we are benefiting from that.  We were thinking about him coming home permanently at the end of this year, but what with all that is going on in our country, it might be wise for him to stay over there for the next few years.  He does come home twice a year to see us all though.  He has even suggested that I come over there to live out in town near where he is stationed.  If I were to do that, I would only see him on the weekends from my very exotic location.  My answer:  I’m not leaving Isabelle.  Done!

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What has kept me going all these years is that I want to outlive P.  I want to know what life is like without him in it.  That is what has kept me going.  Will I ever know that?  I don’t know?  But now, I have a new stalker.  I never saw this coming at all.  I am an Empath, yet I never once sensed this neighbor’s hatred of me at all.  Which means that he is either a Psychopath or a Sociopath, or a Narcissist.

 I have probably only spoken 20 words to him from the time they moved in years ago.  He is probably in his early 40’s.  He is married and they have 2 children.  They have a very nice home.  Nice automobiles.  Basketball goal in their driveway, pool in their backyard.  On the surface all looks great.  I have noticed that all their cars are there all the time.  I’m wondering if he is still employed or if he is working from home, or he’s been fired?  Don’t know?

I knew they were Republican’s, but I didn’t have any ill will towards them, until now.

  I’ll get to that.

Where do I begin to document the Harassment and Abuse?

Once again, I’ll get to that in a little bit.

I want you to understand something.  Just to give you an example, why have I had a Cyber-Stalker for 30 years now?  Why?

P. was Gordon’s Best Friend From Childhood

P. started out in life with parents that had money and means.  They put him in Private School growing up.  Once he graduated, he was able to go on to college, and graduate.  I’m pretty sure his parents paid for that as well. 

I can even remember something about P. working as some DJ for a radio station while he was in college, or afterwards.  I mean, how cool is that?  He would send us these tapes of Chicago singing love songs.  I loved it!  I would play them and listen to them in my headphones when I would go for my walks when we lived in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.  It was the best of both worlds.  Great music while I would go on my walks, with views of Diamond Head in the background while I walked down the beach. 

It wasn’t until the early 90’s that P. started stalking me.  I really don’t want to go into that now.  I do have it documented in other areas.  But what I wanted you to understand is the amount of time and energy that goes into stalking anyone.

P. has stalked me for 30 years and counting.  30 years!

P. gave up having a life to stalk me.  He gave up dating, falling in love, getting married, having children….

To him I was more important than all of that.  He has spent his life glued to a computer screen stalking me.

P. started out with Microsoft.  He was on the cutting edge of technology.  In the midst of history being made.  He could have snagged a lovely intelligent woman to love and have children with.  He could have had a lovely home and even a vacation home, or two.  He could have had children and perhaps by now, grand-children.  But NO!  He gave up all of that, he sacrificed his youth to stalk ME!

Believe me when I tell you, I AM NOT WORTH THAT!

He gave up his youth to stare at a computer screen stalking me!

That is the mind of an obsessed person. 

Obsession is not love, it is obsession.  Love is healthy, love is beautiful.

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All My Flowers

Looks Like I’m In Mourning

Although I am not in mourning, I am angry.  Angry because I live in a neighborhood where there are pathetic people that feel the need to do harm to me.  Harm to someone that does nothing to them.  I don’t bother them.  I never see them.  Why is my neighbor so obsessed with me?  Well, I do have my theories.  But first you need to understand Obsession.

Obsession isn’t love.  But I dominate his thoughts each and every day.  Why would any woman want her husband or boyfriend to be obsessed with anyone?  Yet alone, another woman?

Does he love me?  Hate me?  The emotions are really the same.  Love and Hate are very strong emotions to have towards anyone.  but whether they be love or hate, he is still obsessed with me.  He gets up every morning at 4:00 a.m. and looks to see if my bathroom light is on.  If it is, he throws a ball at my house, around the bathroom windows where I am.  He does this to alarm me.  To scare me.  To upset me.

If I get up at 4:30 a.m., he’s still there.  Here comes the ball being hurled at my bathroom window to alarm me, scare me, etc. 

I want you to understand what this means:

He is going to the trouble of setting his alarm clock for 4:00 a.m., probably waking up his wife in the process, while he leaves his bed, to go outside and throw a ball against the side of my house, around my bathroom, where I am.  And, perhaps even peeking in.

Sometimes I get up at 4:30 a.m., which means that he is laying in wait for me at that time.  Which I will hear the loud thump against the wall of our house while I am in the toilet room. 

This is STALKING!

The fact that he does this to me means that his wife is o.k. with it. 

Otherwise, I would think she would intervene and try and stop him from harassing me.

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This is Vandalism, This is Property Damage

I Noticed This September 6, 2024:

The Damage Our Neighbor Has Done to Our Meters

I don’t come over to this side of our house that often.  But one day I did and I was really alarmed to see this.  This is obviously damage done through someone tampering with it.  So, prior to September 6, when I discovered it, how long has it been this way?

Can a Ball Do This Damage?  Or Did he use Something Else to do This?

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I Used Some String To Tie Them Back Together

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The Bathroom Window Facing Our Street

This is not the bathroom window he throws the ball at, but this window faces the street from our bathroom.  You can see the Plantation Shutters…

I placed a tablecloth over it because I always felt like there was someone peeking in at me early in the mornings through those slats.  Throughout the night and morning hours I have them closed but if you were to stand right outside you could probably see through the slats into the bathroom. 

Well, it turns out I was right, there WAS someone out there!

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Saturday Afternoon, Early February

I had gone shopping on this day.  I did hear the THUMP of the ball against the house early that morning.  I then climbed up on our bed and looked out the window between our houses and saw that orange and blue ball.

I’m taking the photo from our bedroom window of the space between our houses. 

That is where he lies in wait for me in the mornings.

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I wish that I had taken a photo of the ball when it was between our two houses.

When I got back from shopping I was telling Gordon about it while I was talking to him on the phone and I went over to that side of the house, picked up the ball, and threw it toward their front yard.  I’m not a great thrower, but here is where I threw it:

If you look closely you can see the orange and blue ball.

See the Ball Now?

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So, Why Does My Neighbor Hate Me So Much?

Well, I can only guess?

When I first realized what he was doing to me, I wondered if it was because I got up so early and perhaps my lights were shining into their bedroom disturbing them?  Or perhaps it was the fact that when Veronica or Brian would drop off Isabelle early in the morning that my dogs would bark, perhaps waking them up?  But then I quickly erased that because he is setting his alarm clock to get up early to harass me.  He isn’t harassing me in response to anything I am doing to him, he is harassing me for the sheer sake of it.  Not in response to anything.

So, If It’s Not My Lights, And it’s Not My Dogs, Then It Must Be…

MY POLITICS!

Although I have never talked politics with anyone in my neighborhood, I do wonder if perhaps my politics has been passed around the neighborhood as news?  It was back in 2008 when I placed my Obama yard sign on our lawn that the sabotage from my neighborhood began!  The day after I placed that sign in our yard, every neighbor around us suddenly set out their McCain/Palin signs.  Interesting.  The day I placed our sign in our front yard I was driving out of the neighborhood to do some shopping when I noticed Judy, who used to live across the street, walking on the sidewalk with her dog.  Instead of the nice happy smile and wave that I usually got, I just got this LOOK.  OH, I know that look very well!  It’s one that a hater gives you for not being like them.  I’m pretty sure Judy is the one that organized everyone placing McCain/Palin signs in their yards in their attempt to drown us out.

So Where Am I Going With This?

Judy and Michael sold their house, I believe in 2011 to a family that went to their church, our current neighbors across the street from us.  I like them.  I think they are nice neighborhood family.  But, I’m pretty sure the gossip got around that we were the “Evil Libruls” of the neighborhood.  Which the neighbors across the street might have mentioned to their fellow republican’s that live next door to us in the neighborhood.  Thus, making me a big target for the neighbor’s hate.  I’m not seen as a 64 year old woman that minds her own business, that keeps her granddaughter a few days a week, respects the neighbors privacy in the neighborhood, who doesn’t play loud music, who doesn’t have tons of people over thus blocking the street causing headaches, Oh NO!  I’m only seen as the “Evil Librul.”  (Even though they are the ones that wear the SIGN on their foreheads, if you know what I mean?)  Just sayin.’

The thing is that republican’s are very organized.  Oh, believe me when I say that my next door  neighbors truly lack the intellectual curiosity to look me up and read my website or my social media accounts on their own.  Oh no, they are on some list that is distributed by their leaders telling them who in their neighborhood is an “Evil Librul,” and who to hate and harass .  That makes more sense to me.

We do still have the Rule of Law in our country.  That hasn’t yet been eliminated.  And, I am a Paralegal by profession.  We’ll leave it there for now.  I’ll update as things happen.  It’s important to always document abuse.  You know, future lawsuits….  🙂

Julie

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New Entries Will Be Listed Here

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February, 2025

I would just like to add here that I am hearing the thump of the ball against the side of our house early in the morning many times this February 2025 month.

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March 11, 2025

I had a big day today.  Just lots of shopping in Tampa at the Air Force Base.  I had left the house around 11:00 a.m. this morning, exiting my street through the back way so that I didn’t have to drive in front of my neighbor’s house.  I am trying to do my best to not let him know when I come and go.  Anyway, at the end of the day when I was returning home at around 5:30 p.m., I debated driving in the back way where I wouldn’t have to drive in front of his house, but I then decided not to do that.  I had lots of food in the car and I needed to get home as quickly as possible, and not go out of my way to come in the back way just to try and avoid him.  As it was, it took me an hour and a half to get home due to all the traffic.

Well, he and his wife were outside in their front yard.  He was blowing leaves from the street with his blower.  She was sitting in a chair out front.  She did turn her head to look at me as I drove by.  She had no reaction.  He did use his left arm that was laying by his side to use his hand to ‘wave at me.’  It was a very sheepish wave.  He had his head down and was reluctantly acknowledging me.  I could see his embarrassment.  I had no reaction.  I just looked at them, and then pulled into my driveway and started to unload my car that was full of shopping.

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Bully’s

Joe Kee… from Sevierville, Tennessee taught me the psychology of Bully’s many years ago when I moved from Roanoke, Virginia to Sevierville, Tennessee in the 70’s.  I have even written about him in my past blog posts.  Joe Kee… sat next to me in homeroom for 3 years from 9th. – 11th. grade at Sevier County High School.  Joe was a bully.  But interestingly enough, whenever his entourage wasn’t around, he was quite nice to me.  I know that I would brace myself for the usual insults that I would receive most every morning from him.  But on those days where his friends weren’t around, nothing.  He taught me that bully’s are truly cowards.  Joe was nothing without his backup.  Just like my neighbor next door.  He is nothing without the cover of darkness.  I stared him down.  I’m not afraid of a chickenshit.  And that chickenshit, waved at me when I drove by.  Why?  Because he was exposed out in the sunlight where he couldn’t hide.  I’ve never seen such a sheepish wave in my life.  He’s scared of me.  Good!  🙂

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March 22, 2025

Buying Fence Material to Extend our Fence

Gordon came home from abroad and was here for a few weeks.  But months prior, we had decided that we wanted to extend our fence to the end of our house so as to protect me from our hot heated neighbor.  We were coming up with ways to protect me and our property from him.  By extending our fence, that would prevent him from throwing things against our house.  It would also prevent him from tampering with our property.

Gordon created a nice power point of how we wanted to extend our fence, and sent it along with the photographic evidence of the damage of our outside boxes, and a document of the abuse I was having to endure from our neighbors, to our HOA, (Home Owner’s Association.)  They then granted us the permission we needed to extend our fence.

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This is one of the presentations Gordon created for our HOA.

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Gordon Buying The Materials For Our Fence

Gordon had put up our existing fence on our property so this was no big deal for him to do the extension.

Gordon purchased our fence material from Home Depot and rented a truck from them as well in order to get the materials here to our home.

The Truck, and our Fence Material

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Bringing Everything Around To Our Backyard

(I wanted to add that Gordon can only come home for a certain amount of time each year from his working overseas.  It was quite sad that he had to spend a part of our time together extending our fence, because of our hot-headed neighbor’s abuse towards me.)

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Erecting Our Fence Extension

Gordon, along with our son-in-law Brian put up the fence extension.  We waited until Brian had a day off.  I kept Isabelle inside, while the guys erected the fence outside.  They did it all in one day!  And it is professional as hell!  As always!

This is the Space Between our House and our Neighbor’s

Most of the Property is Ours

Gordon and Brian Erecting the Fence

(With Isabelle visiting her Daddy.)  🙂

Above left, you can see that large bush that is our neighbor’s.  With our fence up, they only have about 1 foot of space between that bush and our fence.  🙂

Coming Together Nicely!

Me, Entering This Extra Privacy Space We Never Had Before

(I could sunbathe out here!)  🙂

The fence extension is up.  Gates locked.  Area contained.

I will be posting a photo of the finished results soon.

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April 3, 2025

What This Abuse From Our Neighbor Has Done To Me

Abuse always has a way of affecting us negatively.  There are many kinds of abuse.  I am only here to dictate what this abuse has done to me, and how it has affected me. 

I get up very early in the morning on those days that I keep my Granddaughter Isabelle.  On the days my daughter drops her off, I get up at 4:00 a.m..  On the days my son-in-law drops her off, I get up at 4:30 a.m.. 

Because of the abuse that I was having to endure from my neighbor I had moved most of my toiletries into our guest bathroom in the middle of the house so that I didn’t have to have that ball thrown at me when I was in mine and Gordon’s bathroom.  Also, I just didn’t feel safe and secure using our bathroom.  I didn’t feel safe in my own home.  The guest bathroom offered me more of a private sanctuary than I had using our own bathroom.  But, the thing is, I would shower at 4:00 or 4:30 a.m., with the lights off in the bathroom.  I didn’t feel comfortable turning the lights on and letting him know that I was in there.  So, I would get up, turn on the bathroom lights in our bathroom, and then shower in the guest bathroom with the lights off, hoping that he would then turn his attention towards the main bathroom, so that I could shower in peace in the guest bathroom.

Seems like a lot of trouble to go through in your own home just to have some peace.  Yet, that is my story.

Showering in another bathroom, in the dark…  Wow.  You would think you should be safe from abuse in your own home, wouldn’t you?

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I have more to tell you but it will have to wait.

Julie

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April 4, 2025

Our New Fence

For Every Action, There Is A Reaction

Here is a photo of our extended fence.  I took the photo today.  The fence is there to protect me and our house from anything our neighbor may decide to do.  The gates are locked.  If he does decide to throw something at the house, it just might get trapped inside the fence.  He would then have to hop over it to retrieve the item. 

That is when……

he Would Be Recorded on Camera… and the police would be called in.   🙂

That’s Right!  We have updated our security on our property.

(I should do something with that area.  Perhaps turn it into some sort of private garden, or a Julie Sanctuary.)

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His Action, Our Reaction

It was a few years ago when I was outside in our backyard, and our neighbors were outside in theirs, when I heard her say to her husband, ‘You know what C_____, sometimes you can be a real bastard.’

See, she knows who she is married to.

You know, we never would have even thought to extend our fence, or even go to the trouble of installing some high tech security system.  This is our Reaction, to his Actions. 

When you look at the space between our homes most of it is ours.  Our property.  Now all they have to look at is our fence on that side of their house.  It’s not our fault.  It’s his.  He is actually his own worst enemy.  Do they know that we extended our fence because of what he was doing to me?  I don’t know if they are capable of realizing that?  And if they are, does he regret what all he did to me?  Probably not.  His kind only regrets getting caught.  They never regret what they do.

Feeling Better,

Julie

p.s.  Is this now over?  That depends on our neighbors.  But, things are more secure here than they were.  🙂

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(Update:  October, 2025)

The Money We Have Spent To Protect Us and Our Property

(Always save your receipts.  You not only document the abuse, but you also document the cost you are spending to protect yourself from the abuser/s.)

I decided not to publicly post all of the costs we have spent so far.  You have to have some surprises in store.  🙂

I will say that you not only document the costs of things spent, you also document the milage on your car used in buying the materials you need.  Also include ‘Wear and Tear’ of the vehicle.  And don’t forget to include gas money.  Also, your time is worth something.  An example, back in March, 2025 Gordon had to take time out from his vacation here to erect that fence, etc.  

And lastly, always include your ‘Pain and Suffering.’

(I’ve recently come to find out that there were other neighbors that knew what was happening to me.  They even supported it.  I’ll write more about them below.)

KEEP THIS INFORMATION FOR YEARS TO COME!

Keep it in a very safe place.

The abuse may end for awhile, but when you are dealing with a Hot-Headed Narcissist, they don’t change.  They always come back at some point.  Remember that.

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April 5, 2025

Update on P. G. My Cyber-Stalker

Recently, Gordon and I came across a person who used to work for Microsoft.  We then mentioned our cyber-stalker who started out with Microsoft and all that he has done to us since.  This person then asked us what his name was?  We then told this person.  This person then looked downward in surprise, but then looked up at us and said, ‘I know him.’ 

This person left Microsoft in 2015, but said P. still worked there.  We figured as much.  When we would try and look P. up online we were always given bogus info on him.  Places of employment that he never worked at.  P. has been erasing himself from the web for years now.  But, he can’t erase former co-workers.  This former co-worker now knows all that P. has done to us.  This person also added that if P. is doing all that to us, he is most likely doing it to other people as well, and even stealing money.

I’ll leave it all right there.

Julie

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April 6, 2025

Adding A Little More Privacy

Gordon Putting Up More Bamboo Blinds on our Lanai

This side of our lanai is next to our neighbors and I wanted just a bit more security and privacy so Gordon hung these up along with one section.  I had him do both sides of this section to make it a bit more private.  We already had the blinds in our garage so the only cost here were on the hardware and some line to secure them in place.

In these photos everything is still covered up from winter.  Now it’s all been cleaned and spruced up for Spring.  I also like that I have a bit more privacy.

One More Privacy Project Coming….

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April 11, 2025

Still Not Comfortable Using My Own Bathroom

Even though we have done things to try and protect me from my neighbors I still don’t feel comfortable using my own master bathroom.  This is what abuse does to you.  It changes you.  It limits you.  It prohibits you from being the person you should be.  And sometimes it is very hard to overcome. I’m sure that I will eventually get back into my own master bathroom.  But, until then, I am using the guest bathroom because it offers me more safety and security and peace of mind.

Julie

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May 29, 2025

An Update Of My Nasty Neighbors

Through my cameras I can see my neighborhood, and my neighbors.  I’m really not one to spy.  Honestly!  I never really cared about those kinds of  things.  Those were the kinds of things my friends cared about.  ‘Hey Julie, come look at this!’  My friends always thought I was weird because I wasn’t as nosy as they were.

At first it was kind of fun and interesting to see my neighbors on the camera to come and go, walking their dogs in front of our house, etc.  I love seeing when a package arrives!  I have this big T.V. monitor that Gordon bought me so that I could keep track of everything.  It is to the left of me.  He is worried about me and wanted me to have some protection while he is away.  Our own home security system.  Sometimes it can be distracting with lots of activity that will catch my attention while I am online and cause me to look at the monitor.  Most of the time it’s pretty boring.  People setting out their trash cans, driving in and out of their driveways, etc.  .  I’ve even caught my neighbors across the street from me placing their trash bags into my can most every week under the cover of darkness because their can is full.  I find that funny.  If I were a man I doubt they would.  But, seeing as how I am a woman living alone they take advantage of that.  

However, it’s whenever I see my next door neighbors on the monitor, you know, the ones that have harassed me for so long, to have the audacity to walk by my house with their Labrador, that it just makes me sick to my stomach.  How dare they walk by my house as if they haven’t a care in the world after all that they have done to me?  That is the kind of people that they are.   The self-righteousness, the white privilege, the republicanism.  (It’s quite glaring actually.)

I still don’t use my bedroom and bathroom because of their harassment.  While Gordon is gone I sleep on the couch and use the guest bathroom.  They have literally chased me from an entire wing of our house.  I need my sleep.  I need my peace.  I am my Grand-Daughter’s main caregiver.  She needs a rested Tutu.  She needs a Tutu that is at peace in order to care for her.  I do my best.  But, I do long for the day my next door neighbors move away.

Julie

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October, 2025

Gordon Home For A Few Weeks

Installing More Blinds

We ordered these custom blinds earlier in the year when Gordon was here, but they didn’t arrive in time before he left to go back overseas. 

So he is just now able to install them.  

I wanted more privacy and security here because I do want to spend more time outside, especially now that our granddaughter is getting older, and the weather is becoming more cool, but I really don’t want to see their house, they make me very uncomfortable.  But now, I feel better.

I’d Like To Fix This Area Up Nicely, Make It A Bit Cozy

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Installing More Outside Cameras

Gordon, Ready to Crawl Through The Attic To Install The Cameras

We thought it would be a good idea to install more cameras.  Gordon and our son-in-law Brian recently installed them.  Our system has the capacity to house even more than we have so far.  Not just because of our neighbors, but because of what is to come in our country.  With our current political climate more people are loosing their jobs and being made to be poor.  Programs that used to assist them are being terminated.  They will be hungry.  Their children will be hungry.  No parent wants to see their children starve.  Crime will go up.  Why do you think so many of our current administrations cabinet have all moved onto military bases?  They know what’s coming.  And, they will be protected, but it will be up to us to protect ourselves.  I’ll leave it there for now.

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As For Our Hot-Headed Narcissist Neighbor, and His Codependent Supply Spouse….

..at Casa Del Labrador

There is no cure for a hot-headed narcissist, so therefore he will always be a hot-headed narcissist.  Men like him tend to go through life with run-in’s with the law.  And, it is usually ‘Life or the Law’ that brings them down in the end.  He will always need his ‘supply’ to support him and enable him.  Yet, Narcissists don’t seek validation from them.  (He sought it from other neighbors, I’ll get to them soon.)

Let Me Tell You What We Could Have Done, And Still Can, If Necessary

We could have called in the Police, Pressed Charges, taken out a Restraining Order against him, and he would have had to move out of his own house while we fight this out in court.

It is still an option.  We have what we need to do so.  However, I don’t believe in separating families.  Although if this continues I think I can get used to the idea pretty quickly.

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As for the Other Neighbors in our Hood that knew what the Narcissist was doing… 

(Be Our Guest)

Supporting him, enabling him, encouraging him, and even having a good laugh at my expense, well,

I’m really not surprised that this particular family was involved, both families are from the same kind of ilk, but it is disappointing.  I mean, at some point you either grow up, or you don’t.

Who thinks it’s funny to harass and abuse an old woman who most of the time throughout the year is alone, and who has never done anything to either family?  Only warped minds do.

No one I would ever want to know.

The narcissist next door has showed me exactly what kind of person he is.  But, he didn’t just show me, he showed the other neighbors that knew what he was doing, and they are o.k. with it.  One particular trait they both have in common is that they are sneaky people.  You can’t trust sneaky people.  They are sneaky for a reason.  

When you align yourself with someone that can do terrible things to people you don’t like, they can also do terrible things to you.  And that is exactly where we are right now in our own country.  Again, I’ll just leave it there.

I guess the BALL is in the Narcissist’s Court right now.  We’ll see what he does with it?

Julie

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January 30, 2026

Intimidation Tactics

You know, I wasn’t going to write anymore on any of this, unless it turned out to be really relevant, (I do have things documented elsewhere in more detail just in case), but I do believe that I should be writing about this and getting this all down on “paper,” so to speak for my readers.

Intimidation Tactics are a Form of Abuse

I not only do this for me and my records, I also do this for you so that you will understand and I hope that this will help my reader’s that are having to undergo forms of abuse from their neighbors on exactly why they do the things they do?  And know this, it is never about you.  It is always about them.  After all, we do what we do because it is in us to do it.  Period!

Even When You Don’t Bother People, It Bothers People

I do write about neighbors above that knew of the abuse from my nasty next door neighbors.  They were in on it actually.  I really hadn’t planned on talking about them anymore, but I believe that I should, you see he is a psychologist.  Funny, huh?  A “professional” who should know better.  I do wonder what kind of advice he must give his patients?  (If he even has any.) 

I can only imagine….  ‘Oh, if that person annoys you, then you should use your automobile to shine your bright lights into their house to annoy them.  Or better yet, throw things against their house at 4:00 in the morning just to scare the old woman, maybe you’ll get lucky and she’ll have a heart attack.  Yes!  Intimidation tactics work well on women who live alone.  Or better yet, park your vehicles so that they face her house, using a ‘show of force’ to let that bitch know who’s boss!’  Yeah.

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It was Tuesday morning when I was placing my mail into my mailbox that the neighbor I write about above, was taking his children to school.  I avoided looking at him.  I have nothing to say, or any reason to acknowledge that family.  When he returned home he backed his big red truck into his driveway, literally taking up the entire space.  No other car could have parked on either side of him.  I thought that was funny seeing as how he had nothing to unload in the back.  Instead of seeing a big bad red truck with a big man driving it, I saw a Puffer Fish.

(Oh, and know this, people that drive red vehicles are more likely to get traffic tickets.  He should know.  I looked him up, and he had to pay big traffic court costs in his past.  Yeah.  Actually, I discovered in my research that white men in his income bracket and political affiliation tend to rack up big court costs from traffic violations.  It makes sense really, they don’t like to follow rules and laws, but they expect everyone else to.  In other words Freud was right, it really does all boil down to THAT.)

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Inflating One’s Self

The Puffer Fish are small, and they puff themselves up to appear larger than they really are in order to scare others.  This is generally something that men tend to do more so than women.

My response:  ‘Look at the cute little puffer fish!  Aren’t you so cute!  Yes, you are a big, bad, boy!  Oh, I’m so scared!’  🙂

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Yeah…

He may be a psychologist, but I know psychology.

I’m sure there had to be a class on ‘The Smartest Person In The Room?’  The Axel Foley Affect?  No?

Well… that explains a lot.

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To Continue…

On Thursday I drove into the Air Force Base to do some much needed shopping.  I hadn’t been there in awhile.  I was getting low on all my supplies.  When I do go into Tampa I tend to stock up on everything.  Especially bulky items.  Shopping on the base is much cheaper than the local grocery stores.  

Thursday’s Shopping

I left the house around 10:00 a.m. and I got home around 3:30 p.m.  As I was unloading my full car, (as you can see), my neighbor was leaving to go and pick up his children from school.  When he got back, I was still unloading my full car.  As he was pulling into his driveway I was placing a few bags inside my garage.  When I walked out of the garage to unload some more, all I saw was a FLASH!  A blur!!  I saw what looked like a flowered blouse dash into his garage.  It wasn’t a cool Aloha Hawaiian Shirt, it looked more like he had raided his mother’s closet and chose an old Laura Ashely blouse to go with his baggy shorts and flip flops.  He was in his garage before his children even exited the truck.  What I saw was a chickenshit running inside his house to get away, to hide.  I did learn something that day.  They haven’t told their children about any of this because otherwise his children would have been a bit awkward.  They weren’t.  They were just being normal teens.  

I do know that when we were being harassed by Leisa, John and Ed, the Gray Haired Bullies in our neighborhood, because we were Obama supporters, that I did tell our children about it so that they would be aware and alert, as in looking out for nails in the driveway, etc.  (I wrote about The Gray Haired Bullies years ago.  They are all dead now.  But my blog exposed their harassment of us, just like this blog is exposing this harassment from these people.)  

The more they give me something to write about, the more I will!

Julie

P.S.  I would wait for them to grow up but I don’t have that kind of time!

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One thing I have learned from all of this is that I need to be more aware of what goes on in my neighborhood.  Prior to this abuse and harassment, and before we put up cameras, I never really cared about what went on outside my front door.  Oh, there were times when I saw a car parked out front that I would look out the window to see who it was?  Especially if it was at night.  After all, I have had a cyber-stalker for over 30 years.  He has hired people in the past to photograph me, our cars, and our house.   Also, seeing as how I do live alone I feel more of a need to be aware of my surroundings.  Gordon is still working overseas, he will be home soon and we have a lot planned while he will be here.  He is looking into coming back permanently.  He is living and working in a danger zone after all.  And I do fill him in on the neighbors, and the neighborhood so that he is aware of it all.

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Just Some More Observations….

I have noticed throughout my community that I live in that there are ‘For Sale’ signs that have been up for quite a while.  I can remember when houses like that were snatched up quickly.

My nasty neighbors next door to me have had what looks like a giant panty shield wrapped around their chimney for about 5-6 months now.  I got a letter in the mail from their “roofers” dated October 24, 2025, informing me that their roof would be going up in a few weeks.  That was months ago.  Looks to me like they don’t have the money to get it fixed.  You know, I could complain to the HOA who could then force them into getting it fixed, or fine them until they do?  After all, I asked for a backyard studio and they nixed that because they said the neighbors may not like looking at it from their homes.  Well, do you think I enjoy looking at a giant panty shield wrapped around their chimney?  See, I can actually do more to these people then just write about them…  🙂

I have also noticed that a particular woman in the neighborhood has gone back to work full time.  Guess they must need the money?  That is why you go back to work, isn’t it?  What?  Is the current Administration’s economy not working for them anymore?  Well, you deserve and get what you vote for.  But sadly, so do the rest of us that knew better, voted better, etc.  we also will be getting exactly what they deserve.

When you vote for the political party that does for the lowest in our society, then everyone above that line will be o.k.  However, when you vote for the party that does only for the wealthy?  Then no one below that line will be o.k.   Hence, where we are today.

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You know, I really do hope that this will be my last blog entry on this page. 

But it really isn’t up to me, now is it?

Julie

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February 10, 2026

Just An Update:

Looks like the nasty neighbors next door are finally getting a new roof.

Good, because I’m tired of staring at that Panty Shield from our bedroom window.

 

Guess they finally came up with the money.

Julie

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February 14, 2026

P.S.  It’s a Cheap Roof

The nasty neighbors new roof is up.  Cheap materials were used, (paper, not laminate.)  Which is originally why they have had a bad roof all along.

It was back in 2011 when this couple who used to live across the street from us, but now reside in Texas, got several neighbors in our neighborhood to all go into getting new roofs together.  It was going to make it much cheaper for all, with Michael and Judy’s roof being either free or at a huge discount.  (Right wingers are very good at networking.  This is yet another example of that.)

We were asked if we wanted to go into it, but we said no.  It just didn’t feel right.  Good thing that we didn’t because every single family in our neighborhood that did that, got really shoddy, cheap roofs.  Of course Judy and Michael quickly sold their house and moved away before the true damage was revealed.   Every single neighbor that went in on that con have always had problems with their roofs, even shortly after they were installed, either to have them redone, or patched here and there.

The nasty neighbors new, ugly roof will probably last a good 7 years if they are lucky?  Perhaps they went the cheap root because they will be selling their house and moving soon?  🙂

One can hope!

However, realistically, worse can always move in.  But there is just something about that house that attracts the worst kind of human beings.  We have been here for 3 families that have lived in it.  None of them were ever worth knowing.

Julie

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May 14, 2026

Hoping This Will Be My Last Post Here

I think I will be taking down this website page from the Homepage.

Oh, it will still be on my website, just perhaps not on the front page.  You can still access it by saving the link into your Favorites, or using the Search button on my website.  I would much rather be blogging about recipes and gardening than a neighborhood asshole.

Some Advice As I Move On

First of all, moving on isn’t as easy as it seems like it would be.  I do sleep in the master bedroom now, only because my husband is back home from working overseas and I feel a little bit safer.  But, I still will not use our master bathroom.  I shower and do my skincare in the guest bathroom where I feel more comfortable.  I do blow dry my hair in the mornings in our main bathroom, but I am dressed and I don’t feel as vulnerable.  And I do my hair and make up in our master bathroom, but only when it is light outside.  I will not use the toilet in the master bathroom because I just don’t feel safe and comfortable whether it be day or night.  If I have to get up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom, I walk all the way to the guest bathroom.  A long way to walk, but that is what abuse does to you.  It changes you.  This is why people are awarded money for pain and suffering.

Turn Your Log Over To The Police

Everything that you have been recording whether it be your typed or written log documenting the harassment and abuse, or the video/audio evidence that you have collected, or the photographic evidence you have collected, can be turned over to the police.  Make 3 copies of everything!  Keep one for yourself in a very safe place, give one to someone you trust for them to keep in a very safe place for you, and give the police the 3rd. copy of everything. 

You don’t have to file charges against the person that is harassing you, you are turning over your documentation that will be kept in your record for any future problems that may emerge with that person.  In which case, all you have to do is alert the police that you are filing charges, and then you go from there.  They already have your documentation on file.

If you are someone who retains an attorney on a regular basis, then make sure the attorney has everything, along with all of your receipts.  Also, document how this abuse has affected your life and relationships.  Have family members to add to the documentation as well.  Everything you can contribute will help your case.

Most likely my hot-headed neighbor will be getting into more trouble in the future.  Perhaps not with us, but with other people.  That is who he is.  If he can do this to me, a woman in her 60’s that he thought was all alone, then imagine what else he can do to other people or animals? 

Cowards prey on the most vulnerable.  Which reminds me of that hot-head from Washington State that threw that big rock at Lani, the endangered Hawaiian Monk Seal in Maui.  There are only about 1600 of them left.  The Hawaiian people were rightly upset about it.  As we would be here in Florida if that hot-head had thrown some big rock at one of our Manatees.  It’s white privilege that motivates these kinds of people into doing such terrible things to other human beings and/or animals.

Karma Catches Up To Us ALL!

If you are in a situation where it looks like your abuser is getting away with it, I assure that you he isn’t.

My definition of Karma is something we do to ourselves.  I don’t believe it is some punishment from above, I believe it is life catching up to us.  If we keep doing ‘that thing’ that we are not supposed to do eventually ‘that thing’ will be our undoing.  The thing is that most people don’t stop doing ‘that thing’ unless they are made to.  And, they eventually get caught in ‘that thing’ because they never stop doing ‘that thing.’  Why don’t they stop?  Because they keep getting away with it so they figure they always will get away with it.  Let’s ask Bill Cosby about Karma.  Or O.J. Simpson, just to name a few.

I’ll give you an example. 

If someone shoplifts every day for 5 years and gets away with it, if they don’t stop then eventually they will get caught.  Either technology will catch up to them, security cameras will see them, or they will be witnessed by someone, or someone taking selfie’s might capture their stealing in the photograph on their phones.

But, if that person stops right now, they will most likely get away with everything they have stolen thus far.  However, that’s not how most humans react.  That’s not how most humans think.  They keep stealing because they’ve gotten away with it so far.  They also get sloppy.  Their arrogance gives them this sense of superiority, that is when they get caught.

You don’t have to take any revenge, they end up destroying themselves in the end.

 

The End,

Julie

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One More Thing:

It has been updated that the Hawaiian Monk Seal that was hit by that horrible Washington State man when he threw that huge rock, was not Lani.  NOAA has determined that it was a male Monk Seal that he hit.  I just wanted to clarify that.  I also wanted to state that the man is being charged with Harassment.  That is one of the charges.

I don’t think that most men understand what harassment is?  How is my nasty neighbor throwing things at my house doesn’t understand that is harassment?  Just like the man from Washington State.  Perhaps men should attend classes on being respectful?  It would also benefit them.  Otherwise they will just end up in prison eventually for their actions and behaviors.

 

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July 27, 2026

I Brought Back My:

What It’s Like To Be Cyber-Stalked

I also did an update on the website page.  I took it down for personal reasons but I decided to bring it back.  I will also be slowly bringing back my many other personal blog pages.  I took them down because of the climate in our country that we are living through right now.   Intelligence is the enemy in our country right now, where ignorance is thriving.

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Typing with Julie in 1965, (I mean Blogging with Julie in 2025)  Dear Diary…

Typing with Julie in 1965, (I mean Blogging with Julie in 2025) Dear Diary…

        Dear Dairy… Olive Films (I just liked the logo.) Today I rearranged the cans in the pantry and dusted them off while wearing my new full skirt I sewed last week for the church picnic, and the pearls that my husband 

When Only A Salad Will Do

When Only A Salad Will Do

      Many years ago Kiwi Chef Leilani Wolfenden and her then husband Aussie Tomas Stanislovski came to Florida to visit us.  Leilani was the daughter of our good friends from New Zealand, Trish and Bob.  They stayed with us,we took them to all 

Southern Fried Shortcut

Southern Fried Shortcut

 

 

 

 

Hey Y’all!

Every now and then I need to go back home.  Oh, not literally. 

But with my Tongue Feelers.  You know, Taste Buds?

Growing up throughout the south you get a hankering for something Deep Fried, Black-eyed, Field Picked, and Green.

And all the other fun stuff in between.

That is what I want to put here.  I do hope to fill this page with some of my Old Southern Favorites that I miss so much.  So, come on in and sit a spell while I whip us up some good ol’ home cooking.

Holler if ya need me!

Julie

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Southern Wild Rice with Pecans and Dried Cherries

Don’t Forget The Hot Sauce

Chicken Gizzard Po’ Girls, Corn on the Cob, Catfish, and a Leftover Bowl of Brunswick Stew

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The Star Food on this Table is the Southern Wild Rice

Sometimes It’s The Sides That Shine

(Recipe Down Below)

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Julie’s Corn Pepper Muffins

With a Side of Lightening Bugs  🙂

(My recreation anyway.)

(Recipe Down Below)

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My Pepper Butter

Before Left, and Buttered, Right!

With Tabasco

(Recipe Down Below)

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If You Would Like To Check Out My Brunswick Stew:

Click Here For:  Brunswick Stew and Barbeque

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Southern Fried Recipes Start Right Here

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Southern Wild Rice with Pecans and Dried Cherries

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Ingredients:

1 1/2 Cups Wild Rice

2 Cups Water

2 1/4 Cups Vegetable Broth

1 T. Margarine or Butter

3/4 – 1 Cup Toasted Pecans

4 Garlic Cloves, Crushed

1 1/4 Cup Dried Cherries

3 T. Spicy Chili Onion Crisp

Table Salt and Pepper to Taste (This is the South after all, nothing fancy here.)

And, as much Fresh Parsley as you want.

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Gathering All My Utensils and Ingredients

You First Want To Rinse The Wild Rice Thoroughly, Then Allow To Drain

Place The Rice Into A Wok, or Large Sauce Pan, Add the Water, Vegetable Broth, and Butter.

Bring to a Boil over a Medium-High Heat.

When It Comes To A Boil, Turn Heat Down To Simmer

Cover, and Allow To Simmer for about 20-25 Minutes.

When the rice has absorbed all the water, keep it on a very low heat.

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Time To Crush The Garlic Cloves

Now, Add Them To The Rice

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The Pecans

Place the Pecans into a Skillet, and Toast them on a Medium Heat until a bit Browned, but not Burned.

The Pecans and the Rice

Time To Add Some Table Salt and Pepper to the Rice

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I Toasted The Pecans in my Cast Iron Skillet, Now I am Adding the Rice Overtop

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Time To Add The Dried Cherries, As Many As You Like

Now For The Spicy Chili Onion Crisp

Add As Much As You Like Per Your Personal Tastes

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Now It’s Time To Add The Fresh Parsley

And the Pepper Sauce (Hot Sauce)

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Beautiful Corn

I didn’t want anything fancy here.  Just some delicious Corn on the Cob as a nice addition to this meal.

Just boil some water and add the corn.  Cook on a medium-high heat until the cob is a bit tender.  You can follow package instructions.

When Done, Remove From the Water, Pat Dry, Add Corn Holders and some Butter!

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Chicken Gizzard Po’Girls

In the south we do so love the Chicken Gizzards.  You will even find them around the Salad Bars at some local restaurants.  I had been craving my old Chicken Gizzards, that’s when I decided to make this sandwich.  I really didn’t want to do any pickin’ or fryin’, so I visited a local restaurant that did all of that for me.  I knew it was a good place to eat given the amount of African-Americans in the restaurant.  They know Southern food!

My additions, are what goes into the Po’Girls.

Here We Go!

Ingredients:

You Will Need Some Sort of Hoagie Buns

Slaw, Raw or with the Fixin’s (Meaning, you can add Coleslaw plain, or with the dressing.)

Honey Dijon Dressing (Or any that you like to add over the top of the Po’Girl.)

Sliced Jalapeno Peppers

Chopped Pepper Salad

Fresh Chives, Snipped

Fresh Parsley, Over top

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Creating The Po’Girls With the Catfish on the Side

(The Catfish I also purchased at a local Southern restaurant here.)

Use a Bread Knife to Cut Out the Top of the Hoagie Buns

Now, Fill the Hoagie Buns with the Pepper Salad, and Raw Coleslaw

Then Add Your Chicken Gizzards, Chives, Jalapeno’s, and Dressing.

Top With Fresh Parsley

Look How Beautiful!  And Delicious!

Git Ta Eatin!

DIG IN!

Julie Barefoot

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My Corn Pepper Muffins

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Ingredients:

Peppers!

I Used Jalapeno, Poblano, and Chilaca, use as Many as you Like

Making Corn Bread

Half of the ingredients that you see above are listed on the container of Corn Meal. 

I am using that recipe to make my Cornbread, I’m just adding the additions that will make it my Corn Pepper Muffins.

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My Additions:

(The Peppers, Cleaned, Seeds Removed, and Cut into Short Strips)

Shallots, Chopped

1 Can of Mexicorn, Drained

Spices:

Tabasco Spicy Salt Blend

Onion Powder

Cajun’s Choice Blackened Seasoning

Cayenne Pepper

Chili Powder

Jalapeno Sea Salt

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

(The amounts really are up to you.  I used about a 1/2 t. of each.)

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I Used Crisco To Grease My Large Muffin Tins

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Chopped All My Shallots Whether I Used All of Them or Not

(I will need them in the next recipe.)

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The Peppers

Slice each pepper, remove the seeds, rinse them out…

Like so…

Then you want to slice them into short strips.

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Making My Cornbread According to Package Directions.

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My Secret Ingredients:

Tabasco Spicy Salt, and Jalapeno Sea Salt

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Combining My Cornbread Ingredients:

The Dry Ingredients

The Wet Ingredients

Beating My Eggs

Adding Vegetable Oil…

Adding My Spices to the Cornbread Batter

Adding a Handful of my Shallots

Mix Together

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All My Beautiful Peppers

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Time For The Assembly

Turn Your Oven on 400F

I placed a few of my Peppers into the bottom of the large muffin tin.

  I then added some of the Cornbread batter over them.

I then added more peppers over the top and pushed them down with my fingers to make sure they were covered with the batter.  Although I wanted many of the peppers to be on the top.

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Into The Oven They Go!

These Actually Took Around 20 Minutes To Bake

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Fresh Out of the Oven and Cooling on the Racks

(You can insert a toothpick to make sure they are done.  If the toothpick comes out clean, they are ready.)

I Love How They Look!  It Is Exactly How I Envisioned!

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Out of the Tins and Cooling Further

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Add a Few Squirts of Tabasco  🙂

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Leftover Peppers for my Pepper Butter

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The Potatoes Here Are Some of What My Butter Will Go On

(I just need to bake them.)

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My Pepper Butter

Ingredients:

3, 8 oz. Unsalted Butter

My Leftover Peppers From the Recipe Above:

Jalapeno, Poblano, and Chilaca

5-6 Fresh Garlic Cloves

Chopped Shallots, About a Handful

Spices:

Tabasco Spicy Salt Blend, (About 30 Shakes)

Onion Powder

Cajun’s Choice Blackened Seasoning

Cayenne Pepper

Chili Powder

Jalapeno Sea Salt

(I used a teaspoon of all of the above spices.)

Fresh Cilantro, a Bunch

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My Unsalted Butter Had Been Softening For About 2 Hours

I Then Cut It Into Cubes and Placed It Into My Blender Here

I Used a Medium Setting on the Blender To Mix The Butter

I Then Added All of My Spices, And Blended More

My Peppers, Shallots, Garlic Cloves, and Cilantro

I Used Most of the Peppers you see Above, but not All.  I did use all of the above Shallots.

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Adding My Garlic Cloves and Shallots

Blending Away, While Wiping Down the Sides with a Spatula

Time To Add The Green Stuff

(My Peppers and Cilantro)

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Looking so Good!

Decant Into A Bowl

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I Even Added Some Butter Into Jars To Freeze For Another Time

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I have to say that this is some of the best butter I have ever eaten!  I kept spreading it onto mini toasts and I had to stop myself from eating it because after all, it is butter!  I didn’t want a heart attack.  🙂  However, eaten in nice portions it is safe.

Baked Sweet Potato, Baked Potatoes, Corn on the Cob, and my Pepper Muffins, Before the Butter

(With a small side of Green Beans)

The Pepper Butter

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With The Butter

The Butter is very Spicy and Addictive, Along with the Tabasco

See Y’all Later!

Julie

 

 

 

 

 

 

My, My, Peanut Butter Pie!

My, My, Peanut Butter Pie!

        My, my… Peanut Butter Pie I’m originally from North Georgia, Rome to be exact.  Peanut Butter is probably my most favorite food in the world.  I eat more Peanut Butter than I do anything else.  I knew I would be making 

Julie Italian

Julie Italian

    Ciao e Benvenuto (Starting this in 2024) Although Gordon and I have many Italian website pages full of recipes and ideas, I wanted to start this page just for me.  With Gordon working overseas, he is not here to co-contribute along beside me, 

Yummy Sammy’s

Yummy Sammy’s

 

 

 

 

Julie’s Perfect Sammy (with Purslane Weeds)

AND,

Our All American Ham and Turkey on a Sesame Seed Bun

AND,

Our Eggy in a Basket BLT

The Egg is Baked into the Bread

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(Recipes Down Below)

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It was time to start a new Sandwich Website Page. 

We have many that we want to share with all of you.  We love sandwiches!  They are a perfect weekend meal that can be made with or without meats, they can be made hot or cold, they can be made simple or elaborate, whatever you do, we have some new suggestions for you.

Enjoy!

Julie and Gordon

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Perfect Sparky Whann  🙂

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Recipes Start Here

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 Up First:

Julie’s Perfect Yummy Sammy

(My Sandwich Idea, Gordon Doing The Write-Up)

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Ingredients:

Demi Ciabatta Baguettes

Sweet Lebanon Bologna

Sweet Smoked Ham

Cheese and Pepperoni Cheese

Onion Jack Cheese

Sweet Onion, Sliced into Rings

Roasted Garlic Onion Jam

Banana Peppers

Boar’s Head Gourmaise

Pepper and Onion Relish

Fresh Baby Spinach

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to Taste

AND, If Possible:  Purslane Edible Flowering Weed

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Pictured above are also our store-bought Sides of Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, Pickles, and a bag of Chips.

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As Always, You Can Substitute Any Of The Listed Ingredients

Our Delicious Meats and Cheeses

Slice off both ends of your Sweet White Onion.

Now slice it thinly as shown.

This was really good Ciabatta Baguette Bread to use as you bake it for 8-10 min.

Use a bread knife to slice it in half as shown.

Spread some Roasted Garlic Onion Jam over one half of the Baguette.

These Banana Peppers were also nice. Remove a few of them
and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain them.

While they are draining, place some mustard (Boars Head Pepperhouse Gourmaise with White, Green,
and Pink Peppercorns) over the other half of the Baguette.

Here you can see the base of the sandwich is finished.

Now for the Cheese slices. We used Hormel Cheese and Pepperoni as well as Boars Head Onion Jack. Julie
thought the Onion Jack would compliment the Onion Jam.

Place them evenly on jam and mustard.

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Now for the meats. We like the sweetness the Cracker Barrel Sweet Smoked Ham as well as Sweet
Lebanon Bologna.

Now to put on those thinly sliced sweet White onions on top of the cheese slices, then some of the meat slices. I like to
place the onions on the cheese because I like how the cheese melts into the onion. Turn your oven on to
400’F.

I lined a sheet pan with aluminum foil and placed the sandwich halves on top. A little freshly ground
Black Pepper over the onion and into the oven they go. We also placed some Banana Peppers on the
sides.

Here you see the sandwich after it has baked for about 10 min.

When cool enough to touch, remove the sandwiches, and place them on your cutting board. Now. Place
one of your Banana Pepper slices on top of the meat.

Add your Baby Spinach to the sandwich.

Top the Banana Pepper with some “Harry and David Pepper & Onion Relish”

Almost done!

With the sandwich halves close to each other, place the top section on the bottom section.

Now, slice the sandwich in half.

Decorate the sandwich with your Purslane Flowering Weed.  Purslane is a great edible weed which flowers are in the
colors of Red, Yellow, and Orange.  Although they aren’t at their best blooms here, normally they are such a lovely delicate flower.  Julie poked holes in the top of the bread with an ice pick and inserted the flowers that way.

We also love these cream cheese stuffed peppers.
Enjoy!

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Our All American Ham and Turkey on a Sesame Seed Bun

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Removing Some Of The Excess Bread

I started by slicing a nice big Red Bell Pepper into somewhat thin slices. I then splashed some Kraft Tuscan House Italian salad dressing on one side of the bread.

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Ingredients:

Large Loaf Sesame Topped Bread

Salsalito Turkey Breast

Sweet Honey Ham Slices

Italian Salad Dressing

Dijon Mustard

Honey Mustard

Red Bell Pepper Slices

Sliced Tomato

Large Sliced Banana Peppers

Sliced Onion

Provolone Cheese Slices

Swiss Cheese

Romaine Lettuce

Arugula

Mini Sliced Banana Peppers

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Place your bread onto a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. I prefer Honey Mustard, so I placed it on one half of the bread, and I use Grey Poupon on the other half for Julie.

Place some Red Bell Pepper slices into the bread’s cavity.

I am letting some pickled Banana Peppers drain on paper towels, because I don’t want all that liquid to soak the bread. Slice the peppers into long, thin sections.

Slice the top, and bottom of an Onion, then slice it into thin rounds.

Place your thinly sliced Onion into the cavity. Preheat your oven to 400’F.

Time for the Salsalito Turkey, and Provolone Cheese on Julie’s side, and some Sweet Honey Ham and Swiss Cheese on my half.

Add your drained Banana Peppers on top of the cheese. I do this as I like how the cheese melts into the peppers.

Place your sandwich halves into the 400’F oven for about 10 min. Remove when the cheese is melted. Here you can see the melted cheese with the Banana Peppers melted into it. The Onion is also slightly wilted from being baked.

Time to add the Tomato slices into the cavity.

Now your Romain Lettuce and Arugula. I love using Arugula as it gives the sandwich a nice pepper flavor. Add your Pepperoncini to the top of the Arugula….mmmm!

Now you see why I removed some of the bread creating that cavity.

Move both sandwich halves close to each other. Use your thumbs to hold down the Romain lettuce and combine the sandwich. Slice the sandwich in half as shown.

And in half again if needed.

Looking good!

Get your favorite chips ready. See the melted cheese oozing down the side!

Add your sides….

Julie loves to combine the chips and the Pepperoncini.

Even good the next day!

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Our Eggy In A Basket BLT

I think that most everyone loves a good Classic BLT.  But, it was one morning when Gordon was cooking breakfast and making our favorite Eggy in a Basket’s, that I wanted mine with some Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato, hence, The Eggy In A Basket BLT!

Eggy In A Basket in itself is wonderful!  However, this is just next level deliciousness!

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You will need to cook your bacon, as many as you like…we make ours in the Microwave.

You will also need some Whole Wheat Bread Slices, Eggs, and Mayonnaise.

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Here you can see Gordon spreading Mayonnaise onto each bread slice, and using a cookie cutter to remove the middle section of each slice.

Our Beautiful Extras!

Lettuce, Tomato and Cheese Slices

You simply place a sauce pan on a medium-high heat and put your bread slice down. 

Then, crack an egg into the center.

The Mayonnaise on the bread is your “butter” and will act as such.

Here Gordon is adding some of our favorite Turmeric.

It’s Cooking!

Repeat the same process as you did above.  You want to create a few Eggy in a Basket’s for this sandwich.

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When the bread and the egg are done, remove and place onto a plate or a plate lined with paper towels. 

Set Aside

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Now, It’s Time To Assemble The Sandwiches

Eggy Bread, Cheese, Tomato…

Lettuce, Bacon, Yellow Mustard….

And top with Eggy Bread

Perfect Break-Fast Sandy

Or Yummy Sammy…..

Break-Fast, Lunch, or Dinner

 

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Grammaw Nell’s I’talian Sausage Suppah

Grammaw Nell’s I’talian Sausage Suppah

      Italian Sausage Supper My Grandmother, Nellie Mae Keith Haskin, didn’t learn how to cook until she was in her 50’s, when her mother-in-law died, and Nell was forced to learn how.  In her time you had your in-laws living with you.  It 

The Inspiration of BLUEY and the Heeler’s

The Inspiration of BLUEY and the Heeler’s

(For Peanuku)  🙂     Our Cookie Ice Cream ————————————————————————————- Australian Cartoon, Bluey This show is Brilliant! I wish the Heeler’s had been my parents.  🙂 The parents, Bandit and Chili, are Blue and Red Heeler dogs.  Their children are Bluey and Bingo, Bluey being 

My PINK Flamingo Summers

My PINK Flamingo Summers

 

 

 

 

Let’s Flamingle!

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Busy Standing on one leg….  Currently

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Ambrosia, Pink Grapefruit Sake, and Toasted Coconut  🙂

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Julie’s Pink Flamingo Pasta Salad

(A Rough Draft)

Our Pink Backyard Bromeliad in Bloom

I got the idea that I wanted to make something very Florida, and very Palm Beach.  A light lunch kind of thing.  Flamingos kept popping into my head.  But, not just the Flamingos themselves, but what kinds of foods that Flamingos eat.  I knew they ate Shrimp, that is what keeps them nice and PINK.  I wanted to know what else they ate so I did my research online and I’ve added some of those Flamingo tasty treats to my Pink Flamingo Pasta Salad.

I hope you will enjoy it, along with some other nice Florida Flamingo Summer Foods as I hope to update this as time goes by.

Barbie Isn’t The Only Thing That’s PINK!

Julie Barefoot

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Our Herb Garden Flamingo

Backyard PINK!

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My Pink Flamingo Pasta Salad

(Recipe Down Below)

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Ready for Delivery to my Loved Ones

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Waving My Magic Whisk  🙂

These Are The Best Crackers From The Asian Supermarket

I Like To Eat Some Sort Of Cracker With a Pasta Salad

It Tastes Better on a Flamingo Plate  🙂  (With Grapes)

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The Flamingo Photo’s I Took at Busch Gardens

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I’ve Always Been One To Stand On One Leg Myself,

Guess I’m Part Flamingo.

Flamingo Habitat at Busch Gardens, Florida

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PINK Hot Chili Pasta

Something HOT For The Florida HEAT

You Can Also Rearrange It Into A Nice Pasta Sandwich

(Recipe Down Below)

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Recipes Start Here

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Julie’s Pink Flamingo Pasta Salad

As with any kind of Pasta Salad, or Salad in general, you can always add as much or as little as you like.  It’s all up to personal tastes.  You can also omit ingredients that you don’t like, or want in your salads.  What I am giving you is a guide in creating something nice for yourself and your family, or any nice Summer Gathering you may host, or be invited to.

I based this on my love of Flamingos and their diet.  They eat Shrimp, Seeded Grass, Algae, Fly Larvae, Tiny Briny Crustaceans, and other Plants and Animals that live in shallow waters. 

I didn’t add all of the Flamingo diet to my salad, obviously, but I did base it on the foods they do eat.

I Hope That You Will Be Inspired!

Gathering All of My Ingredients

I Did Double My Recipe To Give To Family

Ingredients:

Flamingo Pasta (Kind of a must.)

Red Onion, Chopped

Yellow Chives, Chopped

Flowering Chives, as Garnish

Celery, Chopped

Radishes, Sliced

Daikon Radish, Sliced

Fresh, or Frozen Peas, (Thawed, if frozen.)

Mayonnaise, To Taste

Hot Sauce, To Taste

Wasabi, To Taste

Cocktail Onions

Aji-Miren, To Taste

Shrimp, Already Cooked

Arugula

Pumpkin Seeds

Pink Pickled Ginger

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The Shrimp you see above right, I bought already cooked and ready to eat from the grocery store.  It came frozen.

  I just needed to thaw them out for my Salad.

The Enoki Mushrooms I didn’t use in this salad. 

I did place some around my luncheon bowl to eat with my Pasta Salad though.

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Flowering Chives, Yellow Chives, Daikon Radish, and Radishes

As with any Salad you do need to clean the ingredients.  In the photo top left, I have my Flowering Chives and Yellow Chives I purchased from The Asian Supermarket.  They have some of the most exotic ingredients you will ever find.  The green chives has a flower at the end, I’ll show you how I use those when I put the Salad together.  The Yellow Chives add a nice pale color with a slight oniony taste to the Salad.

Vegetables Drying

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With my Vegetables drying, it’s time to boil my Pasta.

Just follow whatever the package directions say on your Pasta you will be using. 

When done, drain into a Colander and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process and to cool the Pasta down.

Place the Pasta into a large Mixing Bowl.

  Now we start to add the ingredients to the Pasta.

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Eyeball and Taste

(This is what we do from now on.)

I purchased already chopped Red Onion from the grocery store to save a little time.

   I’m adding as much as I like, no measurements.

Chopping Celery

Pasta, Red Onion, and Celery

Slicing the Radishes

They add a pepper taste and I love the texture and the pretty pink rings.

A Daikon Radish is ugly on the outside and beautiful on the inside. 

Just use a Potato Peeler to remove the outside.

You can see the pretty flower when sliced.  I’m saving these to be used as more of a Garnish.

The Peas were already washed and ready so I just added as many as I wanted.

Mixing Together To Judge the Ratios

At some point I also added the Yellow Chives by simply snipping them with a pair of scissors.

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Now Comes The Wet Stuff

I just want to use the Mayonnaise to combine the Salad. 

I really don’t like that much as it is usually very rich.

It’s Coming Together Nicely

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This is something of an experiment in deciding which one I liked better. 

I did add a few dashes of both.

The Cocktail Onions are to add that Briny Bite that I wanted.

The Wasabi Paste is also to Add Some great HEAT!

Add a Tablespoon or Two of Miren.  It adds a Wonderful Sweetness.

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Thawing The Shrimp

This was another shortcut that I took in making this Salad.  I bought the Shrimp already prepared, and frozen to be eaten as a Shrimp Cocktail.  All I had to do was to thaw them out and drain any excess water.  I did have to pat them dry as they were a bit wet from the thawing, and I didn’t want any extra water in my Salad.  I did remove their Tails.

Adding The Shrimp

(Be sure to place into the refrigerator to chill before serving, at least a few hours.)

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Ready to Plate My Pasta Salad

A Bed of Arugula

Chilled Overnight

The Pumpkin Seeds are to be Scattered About,

and a Dollop of the Pink Pickled Ginger on Top

I do admit that my Pasta Salad presentation is a bit ‘over the top.’  In my defense, I was feeling very creative and having lots of fun.  I guess I’d rather have it be that way, than have it be more presentable to a sophisticated crowd.  🙂

You Can See The Flowering Chives in my Bowl Above,

Kind of Looks Like a Plant

I Hope You Have As Much Fun As I Did!

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PINK Hot Chili Pasta

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It was when I was shopping for my Flamingo Pasta that I came across this online.

  Tagliatelle Peperoncino. 

It is some Pasta with some HEAT!  And I love it!

Also, that little jar of Spicy Chili Onion Crisp is wonderful drizzled on top!

I do admit that I kind of threw this together using what I already had in the Pantry, and the Refrigerator.

I combined the sauces that you see above.  I used about a jar, and a half a jar of the other.

I place the sauces into a pot on the stove top and put it on a medium-heat.

That black blob on my sauce is Freshly Ground Black Pepper, I also snipped some Yellow Chives into the sauce as well.

I had some Roasted Garlic in the fridge as well and smooshed about 6 -8 Cloves into my sauce.  I want it to simmer away for awhile, until it thickens up.  When it starts to boil then I turn the heat down a notch or two.  When that setting starts to boil, then I turn it down another notch or two, until finally it is all nice and thick on a low setting.  Sometimes this can take up to an hour or longer.  Be sure to keep an eye on it, stirring periodically so that it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn.

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Boiling My Pasta

Just Cook According to Package Directions

Then Drain Pasta into a Colander

Eat Immediately!

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The Tagliatelle is Perfect with the Sauce and….

a Drizzle or Two of the Hot Chili Onion Crisp.

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I also wanted to use the leftovers to make a Pasta Sandwich the next day.

I also had some leftover Bread for this.

I simply sliced it in half and placed it on a baking sheet in the oven to broil until a nice brown….

Like So…

I Heated Up Some of the Pasta in the Sauce until Warm

I Then Started to Assemble My Sandwich

Layering Bread, Arugula, Pasta, Yellow Chives, Green Chives, Basil, and some Leftover Sauce from the Remaining Jar.

It’s O.K. if Some Spills Out!  Yum!!!

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Be A Flamingo In A Flock of Pigeon’s  🙂

Have a PINK Day!

Julie Barefoot

 

 

 

 

 

Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)

Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)

      February, 2024 Super Bowl Sunday Airport Pick-Up, w/ Great Coffee Table Italian Foods to Follow  🙂 ————————————————————————— With Gordon working overseas, he doesn’t get to come home very often.  This was a very nice visit filled with lots of Coffee Table Italian.  

Oranges Sm’Oranges, And Other Citrus

Oranges Sm’Oranges, And Other Citrus

  (Because Nothing Rhymes With Oranges)  🙂   Orange is the New Muffin ——————————————————————————- (I added a few Banana Chips as an accent, above.) I Have Discovered Indian River Citrus, and There is NO Going Back! My Florida Orange Muffins w/ Lemon Citrus Glaze (Recipe 

More of Julie’s Jezebel Recipes to Enjoy

More of Julie’s Jezebel Recipes to Enjoy

 

 

 

 

 

I Heart Jezebel (Sauce)

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Julie’s Southern Jeze-Bells Pizza

Made With My:

Julie’s Georgia Peach Jeze-Bells Sauce

Click Here For:  Julie’s Jezebel Sauce

I have 4 Jezebel’s on the webpage link above.  We also have many recipes that you can make with those Jezebel’s that I created.  Just take a look and I’m sure we can find something to please you.

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Hi.  I’m Julie!

I’ve created several Jezebel’s based on my love for the movie, starring Bette Davis, and my love for the Southern Sauce, as well as my love of different tastes and cultures.  Besides, doesn’t every culture have a Jezebel or two?   I will be adding to this page as time goes by with more recipes to be enjoyed and savored by those that appreciate a good Jezebel. 

But be careful!  It’s Wicked and Will Tempt You!  🙂

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Julie’s Leftovers Jezebel Breakfast Wrap

I Made this With my Jezebel Pizza Leftovers

Who Doesn’t Love a Good Jezebel For Breakfast?

(Recipes Down Below)

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Also, Check Out My:

Aloha Wahine Jezebel Sauce

Aloha and Mahalo!

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AND, Click Here For:

An Oriental Jezebel

AND,

An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)

AND,

One HOT Jezebel for Breakfast (Sauce, That is.)

 

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RECIPES START HERE

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Julie’s Southern Jeze-Bells Pizza

Having Some of my Belle Wine,

Ready to Make my Jezebel Pizza

(Above, two jars of my Georgia Peach Jeze-Bell’s Sauce.)

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Ingredients:

Pizza Crust (Any that you choose.)

I am into shortcuts now so I bought Ready Made.

Plenty of Julie’s Jezebel Sauce

Shredded Italian Cheese

Slices of a nice Honey Ham

Slices of Provolone

1 Large Sweet Vidalia Onion

3 Colorful Bell Peppers

Olive Oil

Fine to Medium Sea Salt

Cookie Cutters

(Lots of Salad Greens)

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Slicing The Onion

I wanted to slice the Onion in such a way as to have sections of it to stay together and fan outwards.

How I did that was to leave the small round section on the Onion, (see photo top right) and just slice an area in size that I desired.  It will keep the Onion slice together, and will fan out nicely on the Pizza.

You can see how I sliced the onions in the photo above left.  They kept together nicely, just like I wanted them to.  If you slice them so that the top of the onion keeps them together, then they can stay together for your pizza project.

I then set them onto a baking sheet lined with some Aluminum Foil and a nice drizzle of Olive Oil.

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The Colorful Bell Peppers

(This is where my Jeze-Bell’s come in.  I also have colorful Bell Peppers in my Georgia Peach Southern Jeze-Bell’s Sauce, hence the name.)

I wanted to use my Cookie Cutters on the Bell Peppers so I sliced them so that I had the room to do so.

Red Bell Pepper Kisses

And Lots of Hearts

(Jezebel’s Always Have Big Hearts)  🙂

Placing Everything On To A Baking Sheet Lined With Aluminum Foil

Olive Oil Drizzled Over Top

(The canned Pineapple you see in the photo above, I changed my mind and didn’t use.  I could have though because I do use Pineapple Preserves in my Georgia Peach Southern Jeze-Bell’s Sauce.  The Pineapple would have been great but I thought that I already had enough stuff on the pizza and I didn’t want any more.)

However, upon reflection the Pineapple would have been great on the first layer of my Pizza.  Oh well, next time!

Grating Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper Over Top

A Sprinkling of Pink Hawaiian Sea Salt

Into a 350F Oven for about 20-25 Minutes.  I did turn them a little after the first 15 minutes.  I didn’t want them to be thoroughly cooked because they would also have further cooking on the Pizza.

I didn’t just want every Bell Pepper cut out in a heart of Lips.

  I also wanted just some nicely cut Bell Peppers as well.

So, While They Are Cooking…..

…Now It’s Time To Build My Pizza

The Pizza Crust Come with 3 of them, but here I will be using 2.

My Georgia Peach Southern Jeze-Bell’s Sauce

Here I Placed One Crust Down on a Pizza Pan Lined With Aluminum Foil

  I then Spread Some of my Jeze-Bell’s on Top

Next, I Added Some of This Beautiful Ham!

I Meant to Mention That I Did Spray the Foil Underneath the Pizza with Olive Oil Pam

On Top of the Ham I Scattered Some Grated Italian Cheese

I Will Say That This Would Have Been a Great Place to Put the Pineapple Slices

Now Place The Second Pizza Crust on Top

Time To Add More Jeze-Bell’s Sauce Here

More Ham As Well

Time To Decorate My Pizza

I just took the Onions and Bell Peppers and placed them all around the Pizza in a pattern that I liked.

I do wish that I had waited to add the cheese hearts because it did melt and you couldn’t see that they are hearts.  I probably could have done it when I removed it from the oven, while it was cooling.

Into The 350F Oven It Goes For about 20-25 Minutes

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Fresh Out of the Oven

Letting it Cool

I Placed a Bunch of Greens Around my Platter

Then Plopped the Pizza in the Middle

I’m Really Proud of It

I Didn’t Know What it Would Taste Like When I Made It

It’s Pretty Outside

My Pizza Crusts Were Thin But You Can Use Thicker Ones

This One Is MINE!

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Love The Pizza Salad Leftovers For Dinner The Following Night

Just Place Into An Air Tight Container And Refrigerate

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Breakfast On My Kitchen Counter

My Leftover Jeze-Belle’s Breakfast Wrap

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Cauliflower Wraps

Ingredients:

In Addition to the Cauliflower Wraps…

(Although you can use any kind of Wrap that you like.)

Leftover Jeze-Belle’s Sauce

Leftover Onions and Bell Peppers

Leftover Ham

Leftover Provolone Cheese

Broccoli Micro-Greens

Eggs

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Ingredients Ready

Cauliflower Wraps Heating in the Oven

(I went by the package instructions and mine just cooked too long.  They needed to be removed about 4 minutes early.  The thing is, I cooked them less than the instructions to begin with.)

Cooking The Eggs in Butter, Scrambling Them

The Micro-Greens and The Eggs

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Time To Assemble

Smearing my Jeze-Belle’s Sauce on my Wrap

Adding the Micro-Greens and the Ham

Next, the Provolone Cheese and the Bell Peppers and Onions

Followed by the Eggs

Just Make it into a Taco and Enjoy With Some Nice Coffee

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Also Check Out My:

Click Here For:  Julie’s Jezebel Sauce

AND,

Aloha Wahine Jezebel Sauce

AND,

An Oriental Jezebel

AND,

An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)

AND,

One HOT Jezebel for Breakfast (Sauce, That is.)

AND,

Click Here For:  More of Julie’s Jezebel Recipes to Enjoy

AND,

A Valentine Jezebel Sauce

AND,

This Jezebel Is NUTS!

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See You At Church,  🙂

Julie

 

 

Let the SUMMER In!

Let the SUMMER In!

        I Love Simple Flowers, Nothing Stunningly Beautiful, Just Very Pretty and Charming, With Personality Welcome Summer, Come On In! I’ve Missed You, Just Try Not To Be So HOT This Year  🙂 But, If You Do Insist Upon It…. I Have 

Lilly Pulitzer (The Barefoot Queen of Pink and Green)

Lilly Pulitzer (The Barefoot Queen of Pink and Green)

        Lilly Beautiful Lillian Lee McKim Pulitzer Rousseau (1931 – 2013) —————————————————————————- Me, Mother’s Day 2023 with Sparky, Wearing a Lilly ——————————————————————————- PINK, and Shades Thereof ———————————————————————————— My Lilly Pulitzer Bread Box Doll House Lilly Fabrics Create a Window Curtains, A Chair, 

An Easy Labor Day Dinner

An Easy Labor Day Dinner

 

 

Labor Day, 2023

Taking it Easy Until Next Labor Day….  🙂

My Longaberger Pottery Pitcher with Flowers

A Gift of Labor Day to our Daughter, and Son-In-Law

It was back in the summer of 2014 that Veronica and I visited my old homestead in Rome, Georgia to visit with my mother and brother, and to pick up some things to bring home with us.  One of those things was this Dinnerware.  My mother was giving it to Veronica as something she can use in her home with her then boyfriend/now husband, Brian.  Initially, Veronica didn’t want it.  It told her to take it anyway.  She will want it someday.  She then reluctantly took it.  I remember packing it into a suitcase I was bringing home with me.  When we got home she still didn’t want it.  So, I decided that I would use it until she wanted it.

It was around this time in 2023, that she informed me that she wanted it in their new renovated kitchen.  And so, I gave it to them both.  But, I placed food in some of the platters and bowls as a gift from me.   And some flowers into an extra Longaberger Pitcher that I had from long ago, and gifted to Veronica.

This was the Gift of Labor Day!

They both work really hard and I wanted to do something special for them instead of just bringing over the Dinnerware.  That’s when I decided to make them something nice to eat along with whatever main course they had in mind.

With the exception of the bacon in the Cobb Salad, this is mainly a vegetarian meal.

Gordon had just left to work overseas less than two weeks prior to this, so it was just me.  I had a lot of fun putting this together for our Daughter and Son-In-Law.  I knew that I wouldn’t be eating very much on my own, or doing that much cooking, so it was a lot of fun to put it all together for them.

I knew she would want it all someday!  🙂

Julie

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The Labor Day Dinner

Mexican Rice with Peas and Carrots, Left

Potato Medley with Vinaigrette, Middle

Julie’s Cobb Salad w/ Toppings

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(Don’t Forget The Sliced Cantaloupe)

This was actually a very fun and easy day. 

Both Veronica and Brian loved the food and how it easily blended with their main course.

It’s fun being a mom.  🙂

Enjoy Your Labor Day!

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RECIPES START HERE

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Cobb Salad

The Cobb Salad was created by Robert Howard Cobb who co-owned The Brown Derby in Los Angeles, California in 1937.

I love a good Cobb Salad because it is great for using up leftovers in your refrigerator.  Also, it’s a wonderful Salad that can also be something of a main course.  It depends on how elaborate you wish to make it.  A Cobb Salad is no different from any salad because of the creativity that goes into it.  This is where an amateur can shine.  You don’t need lots of cooking experience to create this wonderful salad.  Just a great imagination.

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Frying Up Some Bacon…

Hard Boiled Eggs

Romaine Lettuce

Fresh Spinach Leaves

Rainbow Micro-Greens

My Potato Medley With Vinaigrette (Recipe Down Below)

Blue Cheese

Shredded Cheeses

My Chopped Hard Boiled Eggs

All My Greens Washed and Ready

I took the largest platter that came with the set of dishes that I am passing on to Veronica, and draped all over top the Spinach and Romaine Greens from above.

I then placed down the middle, my Potato Medley with Vinaigrette.

I sliced many small Grape Tomatoes in half.

Fresh Avocados

(Add them at the last minute and keep them spritzed with Lime Juice to prevent browning.)

Now I’m having fun with creating these great rows of flavors.

A Row of Bacon, A Row of Avocado, A Row of Tomatoes, etc.

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I Love Crunchy Salad Toppings and,

I also included a small pitcher of Sweet Vidalia Onion Salad Dressing.

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Mexican Rice With Peas and Carrots

This is easy.  I love jazzing up easy rice dishes like this.

Just make the Rice according to package directions, and add some frozen Peas and Carrots during the cooking process.

When Done, Place Into A Bowl and Serve

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My Potatoes Medley with Vinaigrette

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Although these Potatoes can be eaten by themselves here, I did make them with the intention of adding them to my Cobb Salad.

Red, White, and Blue

These Colorful Potatoes are a Favorite of Mine

Washing the Potatoes and Poking Holes in them.

  You do this so they don’t explode when you cook them.

Placing Them Into a Pot Filled With Water

Bring To A Boil And Cook Until Tender 

Make sure a fork can pierce them, then you know they are done.

When Drained, Place the Potatoes Into a Mixing Bowl and Mash into Chunks

I then placed them into a Tupperware Container…

I also added some Garlic Basil Vinaigrette so that it would absorb in.  Drizzle just a bit at first.  You can always add more later on.  You don’t them too soggy.

I Then Placed Them Into The Refrigerator Until The Following Day

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The Following Day…..

 

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Even More Italian (Just For You)

Even More Italian (Just For You)

        Ciao e Benvenuto Il Mio Piccolo Pezzo D’Italia (My Little Tiny Piece of Italy) Actually, very tiny!  Just a barrel, a barrel lid turned into a Lazy Susan, and some clay pots. This is more about the food presentation, and is 

An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)

An Old Florida Jezebel (Sauce)

  (The picture above not only showcases my Old Florida Jezebel Sauce, I also depict our daughter Veronica’s art from when she was a Fine Arts student in college.  Any chance I get to do that, I do!)       Let The Sunshine In 

A Labor Day Vacay Away

A Labor Day Vacay Away

 

 

 

 

 

 

Labor Day Weekend

(Friday – Monday)

The Parrish Condo

Our Destination

On Our Way

(Julie, Sparky, Spooky and Gordon)

It’s The Florida Hillbillies!

Headed Toward Indian Shores, Florida

(In the rain.)  🙁

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ABBA, Of Course  🙂

Not till we get there…..

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2022

(Walking Into The Weekend)

Beach Access Path

Gordon, Ready for Some Beach Time

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We are the 2nd. Condo From The Top

(Notice the Turtle Nest, roped off in yellow?)

Turtle Nest, Top Right

Notice the black and white ‘box’ in the photo top left?
I love it!  It was built around trash cans to make them look nicer.

  I love it when they incorporate art into something as simple as this.

 

Gordon Setting Up Camp

Lovin’ My Sandy Toes

The sand in Florida is like white powder.

Brodie and Mackenzie Setting Up Their Camp

I love the Tent!

It never would have occurred to me to set up a small tent on the beach.

Mackenzie told us that the reason for the tent was because when her twin sister Susannah was going through Chemo for her Breast Cancer, her parents bought the tent so that she could be safely tucked away from the sun, as she wasn’t supposed to be in the sun.  The tent also had vents on the sides that could be rolled up and opened so that the breezes could blow right through, cooling her. 

The tent didn’t come with very good tent stakes, so Mackenzie’s parents went to Home Depot and bought better ones.  Smart!

Gordon All Alone  🙂

Mackenzie, Brodie, and Gordon Playing Water Frisbee

Gordon Finding Sharks Teeth

(He’s very good at it.  He can find the smallest shark’s tooth in the sand.  His advice is to look for small black triangles.)

Indian Shores is located along the Gulf Coast between St. Pete and Clearwater.

It is a very popular destination for Canadians and Europeans, especially The Dutch.)

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Our Condo ‘Yard.’

(When I say ‘our condo’ I am just referring to the fact that this is the condo we are staying in.  It isn’t “ours.”  But, the condo does belong to our son Brodie’s girlfriend’s aunt and uncle.)

Here, Gordon is doing the dog walking duty.

The Pool and Dog Walking Area

Mackenzie and Brodie in the Pool and Hot Tub

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Gordon and Myself on The Balcony

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Our Building Street View

(If you look closely you can see Gordon and myself on the back bedroom balcony.)

Every room/bathroom has a balcony.

  If you look closely in the distance in the photo top right, you will see the drawbridge up. 

That is how we enter Indian Shores.  Indian Shores is a barrier island.

Here Gordon is standing in front of our garage, and the doors to the lobby.

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I admit that my photos will not be in perfect order but, I do think I’ve done a good job of depicting our lovely Labor Day stay.

Refreshments From Home

(It would be a Labor Day Weekend without the Libations and Spirits, now would it?)

The Wine Fridge, Directly Underneath

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Mini Cuban’s For Lunch For Our Beachy Time

(I wish that I had photographed Gordon making these but I was quite busy at the time. 

Our homemade pickles are featured above, along with some Plantain Chips.)

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The Messy Kitchen

Brodie and Mackenzie had been staying out here off and on for awhile so the fridge was already full.

  Now add our goodies to it!

Julie’s Beach Juice  🙂

Veronica Down at the Beach

If you look very closely you will see me on the balcony, 2nd. from the top, taking photos of Veronica and the others on the beach.

Gordon Enjoying the View

(It is a beautiful view, too.)

Frozen Margarita Pops

Veronica, Enjoying Hers

Brian and Veronica, Mr. and Mrs. Kelleher

Goofing Around

A Flock of Seagulls

(I wish that I had gotten a good photo of the many birds that would fly right in front of our balcony.

They were just so close!  This photo was taken by Veronica.)

The Human Family  🙂

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The Canine Family

Sparky Loves the Shade, Spooky Loves the Sun

Hank and Spooky

All 4 of Them

That’s Buddy on the Left

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September 17, 2016

I took these photos in 2016 as I was coming over the bridge into Indian Shores.  The reason I took them is because of the building in the photo, on the left.  You can see it has been severely damaged.  It was actually hit by lightening.

The building top right, is Mackenzie’s aunt and uncle’s beach condo.  I never dreamed at the time I took this photo that we would be staying in it 6 years later.

The Condo’s Struck by Lightening

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Cute Little Family, Hank, Buddy, Mackenzie and Brodie

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Activity in the Kitchen

(Brodie Fixing Lunch, Gordon Making a Cocktail)

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Margarita’s All Around

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I’ll Take One!  🙂

So Will Veronica and Brian!

Such a Relaxing Day

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I love that Mackenzie’s Aunt and Uncle are in Art.

(I was tempted to tell Gordon to grab this painting and stick it in our car.  But then I realized that we don’t steal.  However, I do think about it.)  🙂

TRUE STORY:

Mackenzie’s uncle found a Da Vinci painting at a yard sale years ago.  I can not tell you how much he paid for it, but, let’s just say that I have that much in my wallet at all times.  When the man he bought it from found out it’s true value, he insisted that Mackenzie’s uncle say that he paid $10,000.00 for it, instead of what he actually paid.  Have you ever paid $10,000.00 at a yard sale before?

It took 5 years to authenticate the painting.  They agreed that it was a Da Vinci.  Mackenzie’s aunt and uncle then sold it to a collector for 81 million, who then turned around and sold it to an Arab Sheik for 450 million, making it the most expensive painting ever sold. 

That painting is Salvator Mundi:

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The Parrish Condo

The condo takes up the entire 3rd. floor.  Which is so nice and roomy. 

Mackenzie’s aunt and uncle have plans to renovate.  They hadn’t yet when we were staying here.  Most of the furnishing were from the previous owners.

The Breakfast Bar to the Kitchen

Understand, We Are On Vacation = Messy

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Living Room Left, Dining Area Right, Kitchen in the Back

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All My Buckets

I do so have a thing for bags, trays, buckets, and coolers.

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A Woman Modeling on the Beach

Another Beautiful Sunset

To the Left of us, To the Right of us

(That building at right is actually under construction.)

Here is a photo of what it will eventually look like.  Nice!

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Getting Ready For The Sunset

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Gordon and Julie  🙂

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Headed out the Following Day…

Love The Cute Lobby

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The Roomy Condo

Gordon Taking The Dogs Out

Gordon With Sparky and Spooky

Mackenzie Dog Walking Hank and Buddy, photo left.

Great Views!

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Day 3

Good Morning

Loving My Quiet Morning

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A Balcony Breakfast

On this particular morning Brodie ran and got breakfast at a local eatery.

The food looked delicious!  I’m sure it tasted it too!

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We however, brought breakfast from home:

Banana Nut Muffins, and Bear Naked Cereals with Milk 

I don’t like a heavy breakfast.

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AND,

Italian Roast Coffee

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Another Breakfast

Gordon and Brodie, Working Their Morning Magic

I love that my husband and son know how to cook very well.

Gordon Chopping Mushrooms

Brodie Making Eggs

The Guys Working Together

Wonder Whose This Is?

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I am Ready!

This is MY (Fantasy) Life!

All My Favorite Things in One Place

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The Beautiful Gulf of Mexico

Mackenzie and Brodie Relaxing w/ the Dogs

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The Italian ‘Looking’ Kitchen

I LOVE This Kitchen

The Italian Goodies I Brought From Home

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Our First Night’s Eatings:

Various Pizza’s and a Garden Salad

The Giant Swirl

(A.K.A. The Pube)  🙂

Wine, Pizza, and Salad

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Great Easy Dinner

Lovely Evening

———————————————————————–

And Now For The Food:

Goat Cheese Spread w/ Roasted Garlic and Olives

Our Tomato and Zucchini Tarts

(Recipes Down Below)

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Gordon, Standing in this Beautiful Kitchen Ready to Start Cooking

First Up:

Our Seaweed Pasta Lobster Couscous Salad

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A Beautiful Roomy Kitchen

Beautiful Mackenzie Always Ready to Help in the Kitchen

Gordon and Brodie are Pro’s in the Kitchen

Veronica, Brodie, and Mackenzie  🙂

Sparky and Spooky

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Our Happy Lobster

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Our Tomato and Zucchini Tart, Along with our Italian Abalone

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Dinner of Goat Cheese with Garlic and Olives, and our Lobster Pasta Salad

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The Happy Lobster Still Hanging Around

Brian, Mackenzie, Veronica and Gordon, Helping Themselves

Gordon’s Plate

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Getting Ready for Sunset

Brian and Veronica

Brodie and Mackenzie

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Our Stoic Brian

Mackenzie, Brodie, Veronica, and Brian

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Inside, Looking Out

Spooky at Sunset

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Celebrating 11 Years of BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com

I debuted this website on July 6, 2011, Veronica’s birthday.

Here we are celebrating our 11th. Anniversary.  🙂

Vanilla Cupcakes with Candy Beach Glass and Sea Shell Chocolates

A Beautiful Sunset All for Us

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Night at the Beach

That’s Us!  All Lit Up!

We wanted to take a turn on the beach.  It was beautiful, as always.

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Sneaking One Last Cupcake Before Bedtime

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An Italian Breakfast (Our Way)

Al Fresco

Good Morning, Brodie

Good Morning, Hank

Rough Night, Hank?

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Breakfast With A View

(Recipe Down Below)

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Leaving a Gift for our Host and Hostess

(Mackenzie’s Aunt and Uncle)

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Time to Get Ready to Leave

Gordon Giving All The Dogs Treats

Last Doggie Bathroom Break

Love All The Beach Umbrellas

(As always, All recipes are down below.)

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Packing For The Trip

BEACH

Before Every Vacation We Go On, There Is Always A Bucket Full of Herbs To Take With…

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Our Vacation Foods

We are not the kind of people that eat out often.  We prefer to make our own food.  We do admit that it is more work.  All the food prep before a trip of ours, does take up a lot of time.  However, it does have it’s advantages.  We are controlling it.  The salt, the sugar, the fat, we know exactly what we are eating because we are the ones that created it.

It’s also a lot of fun to put together and plan a menu of foods for us to eat. 

Here, the theme is Italian.  🙂

After all, we were staying in the condo of someone who is in Art, and who purchased a Da Vinci at a yard sale.

My Marinated Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Basil, Lemon Juice, and Olive Oil

Just a Few of our Italian Goodies to Take With Us

This was fun to put together. 

All these jarred goodies and oils to add to the food we would be creating.

The trays above are Italian as well.

The Beautiful Pastas That Inspired Our Lobster Pasta Salad

(I thought the pasta on the left looked like seaweed.)

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Margarita’s On Our Minds

Julie’s Special Beachy Juice Treat

Beachy Barefoot Wines

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On The Way

Loading The Car

The Inside of the Car if FULL!

Therefore, We Attach The Grate

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On Our Way Through Torrential Rain and Flooding

We Tend To Have A Lot Of Flash Floods Here In Florida

Headed Straight Ahead, Actually

Draw Bridge Up Ahead

 

Welcome To Indian Shores

(Like I said, straight ahead.)

————————————————————————-

The Garage

That’s Brodie, Letting Us In

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Settling In

Our Bedroom and Bathroom

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Our Soaker Tub/Shower

Our Bedroom

(I always bring lots of blankets for us and our dogs.)

—————————————————————————

I Miss Buddy  🙁

Buddy was their temporary dog as Mackenzie was dog sitting because his owner was sick.

——————————————————————

Our Bedroom Balcony and The Construction Site Next To Us

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Hank, Headed Down the Hallway, Me photographing the Guest Bathroom

I was truly fascinated with the place. 

I thought it looked very Florida.

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3rd. Bedroom

Love The Ceiling

This Bedroom Faces Gulf Blvd.

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Facing The Bridge/Drawbridge As You Drive Over

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The Master Bathroom Shower

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Mona Lisa Over The Tub  🙂

—————————————————————–

Meanwhile, Back at Home Leftovers

We Re-Worked and Re-Imagined Our Leftovers Into This Deliciousness

Spaghetti With Our Italian Abalone

(Roasted Pine Nuts)

Spaghetti with Roasted Garlic, Mushrooms, Pesto, etc.

Bread, and Fresh Herbs

Dessert (Leftover Cupcakes)

AND,

Our Da Vinci Pizza

Pasta With Spinach

(These Recipes Are Down Below)

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September 24, 2022

Vacay Part 2

This Was Our Trip BACK!

Still Beautiful!

—————————————————————————

Me, In My Car, and Gordon Following Behind in a Moving Van

On Our Way Back To Indian Shores

We Can Better See The Condo Here

And, There It Is! 

(You can also see the construction site next to it.)

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Back To The Beach

Looking Through The Window, Out

A Beautiful Beach Day

———————————————————————————

To The Left, and To The Right

Love The Reflection on the Condo Doors

—————————————————————————————–

Back in the Kitchen

This Time, Great Panini Sandwiches

Our Kale Basil Pesto

Lots of Movement in the Kitchen

Gordon, Ready to Make the Panini’s

———————————————————————————–

Here you see the amazing Kale and Basil Pesto with some large tomatoes I pre-sliced.

I cut the Ciabatta bread in half as shown, and then spread some of the pesto on one side.

I bought some nicely sliced Turkey Breast meat from our deli and placed two slices on top of the pesto.  I then added some sliced Mozzarella Cheese and sliced Tomato.  The Basil, Mozzarella Cheese and Tomato are the very Italian combination called Comprassi.  On the other slice of bread add your favorite type of mustard.

Now, place the top slide of bread onto the sandwich.  Set this aside and prepare to make more if you are feeding a crowd like we are.

Here you see me making the other sandwiches using a round Sour Dough.

You can make these also with some nice ham to replace the Turkey Breast meat.

Here you can see the sandwiches on sheet pans to place in a 350”F oven, as we thought our Panini Press wasn’t working, It turned out it was the electrical socket that wasn’t working at the time.

In the oven they go until the bread is browned and the cheese begins to melt.  Once the family smells the pesto and bread cooking, they will come fast, ready to dig in.

We hope you enjoy the slight variation on a classic Italian sandwich.

(Kale/Basil Pesto Recipe Down Below)

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Brodie Playing With Hankie

——————————————————————————

Now For The Reason We Are Really Here

Mackenzie’s Aunt and Uncle Gave Us Their Bedroom Suit

Gordon and Brodie Moving Everything Down to the Moving Van

The Bed

The Night Stands

Gordon in the Moving Van

Mackenzie’s Aunt and Uncle were so nice and generous to give us their furniture.  We heard that they were going to get rid of it and buy new things, we then asked them how much they wanted for it because we were interested in purchasing it?  They told us to just go ahead and take it all!  🙂

———————————————————————————-

Time For Lunch

How I would love to eat every meal out here.

————————————————————————–

Happy Lunch!

———————————————————————————

Recipe’s Start Right Here

———————————————————

Julie’s Marinated Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Basil, Lemon Juice, and Olive Oil

(I really don’t know what else to call it?)

I love anything and everything that is like this.  There is just so much you can cook and create to accent this wonderful food.  I’ll show you as we go.  🙂

First:  Fresh Ingredients

(Wash Everything.)

The Amounts Are Up To YOU!

Lots of Roma Tomatoes

Green, Yellow, and Orange Bell Peppers

Large Portobello Mushrooms

Fresh Mozzarella Cheese

Fresh Basil Leaves

Fresh Lemon Juice

Lots of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

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Making Oven Dried Tomatoes and Bell Peppers

 

You First Want To Slice Your Tomatoes Into Long Sections

Line Several Baking Sheets with Parchment Paper

Placing the Roma Tomatoes onto Baking Sheets

(If you like you can add some Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper.  I didn’t though.)

Place into a 250F Oven for 2 Hours, Then Check on Them. 

Then, Place Back Into the Oven for An Additional 2 Hours.

You can bake them for as long as you like.  I wanted these a little shriveled up and “dried.”

Now It’s Time For The Bell Peppers

You Want To Slice Them As So…

(Notice the one in the photo top right, is pregnant.)  🙂

Do To The Bell Peppers The Same Thing You Did To The Roma Tomatoes

Bake, Same As Above

300F Oven For 2 Hours Then Check Them, Then An Additional 2 Hours Until Ready

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They Do Shrink Up!

Looking Good!

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Now For The Large Portobello Mushrooms, Fresh Mozzarella, and Fresh Lemon Juice

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It’s Time To Jar

Ignore the Fresh Roma’s in the Photo’s

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Now It’s Time To Stack

You Will Need A Few Clean and Sterile Jars

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You Want To Slice Your Lemons In Half

Also, Slice Your Mozzarella Cheese, As So

Now, Add Some EVOO to the Bottom of the Jar…

Next, Start To Stack the Ingredients, Adding Lemon Juice and EVOO as You Go!

Don’t Forget The Fresh Basil!

Place a Prod into the Jar to Help Bubbles Escape

There You Go!

Our Marinated Goodies and Some Oven-Dried Roma’s to Eat With Our Other Condo Foods

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Happy Birthday to BFIFWJ

I wanted to bring something a bit special to the condo for our Labor Day long weekend where I did honor our anniversary of our website.  I don’t eat many sweets so I don’t often think of some elaborate dessert.  I did however, want to make some cupcakes.  I love Vanilla!  So….

White Cake Mix

(Following Package Directions)

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Cupcakes Baking

Cupcakes Cooling

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Icing My Cupcakes with Vanilla Frosting

My Beach Glass Candy

Click Here For:  It’s a Mermaid Thing

You Can Get The Recipe By Clicking On The Link Above

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Celebrating 11 Years of BarefootInFloridaWithJulie.com

Vanilla Cupcakes with Candy Beach Glass and Sea Shell Chocolates

Sneaking One Last Cupcake

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Our Breakfast Muffins

When it comes to breakfast, I like things ready made.

I love Muffins, Cereal, and Milk.

These Muffins are Perfect!

Here I added Milk to them.  Sometimes, all that is required is to add Water.

In addition to being very easy, they are also very tasty!

You can make a regular size cupcake/muffin, I however, love the mini’s.

Baking and Cooling

Perfect to take with us on our Vacay, as a breakfast or a snack.

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Roasting Garlic To Take With Us

This Roasted Garlic is for a Recipe We Will be Making

Roasting Garlic Is Easy!

You just need some oven safe dish, Cloves of Garlic, and butter or Olive Oil

Just place the Garlic Cloves into an oven safe dish, then slice butter and place over top, now cover with Aluminum Foil.

Place into a 400F Oven for 50 minutes.  Remove every 20 minutes or so to stir the Butter around and then place back into the oven.

When Done, Remove and Let Cool.

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Before We Left Home…

Lobsters

Stone Crab Claws

We did our shopping ahead of time.

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Goat Cheese Spread w/ Roasted Garlic and Olives

This is so delicious whether you top it with Olives or Tomatoes, or Mushrooms, etc.

Ingredients:

4-5, 10.5 oz. Goat Cheese, Softened

20-40 Roasted Garlic Cloves

4-6,  T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1-2 Cups Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Sea Salt, to Taste

Freshly Ground Black Pepper, to Taste

4-5 T. Milk

Fresh Thyme to Garnish

Any sort of Bread, Crackers, or Crostini

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Gordon is Ready to Get Started

This is a recipe that you can gear towards your own personal tastes.  If you don’t want to add 40 cloves of Garlic, then just add 10 or even less.  Use a Kosher Salt instead of a Sea Salt.  Give yourself permission to experiment!

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Pre-Heat Your Oven to 400F

You will need an Oven-Proof Casserole Dish

 

Drizzle a Bit of EVOO into the Casserole Dish.

In the photo top right, Gordon initially placed the Goat Cheeses into the Casserole Dish, but then remembered to remove them in order to mix in the Roasted Garlic Cloves and the Parmesan Cheese.  (When you are working in a different kitchen it can throw you off your game.)  🙂

This is the Roasted Garlic that We Brought From Home

Here Gordon ended up transferring the Goat Cheese into a measuring jug and added the Roasted Garlic Cloves. 

(Mixing bowls were kind of scarce.)

Here Gordon is Grating our Parmesan Cheese into the jug.

Adding Some Milk

Mixing together and Adding the Salt and Pepper

Add The Mixture To Your Casserole Dish

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Top With Some Olives

Top With Some Grated Parm

Drizzle With Some EVOO

Place in the 400F Oven for 20-25 Minutes

This is what it looks like after about 25 minutes.

Now you want to broil it for a minute or two to brown the top.

Look How Beautiful!

It’s Done!  Added Some Fresh Thyme.  🙂

(Our son-in-law Brian at first wasn’t going to eat any because he said he doesn’t like Goat Cheese.  However, once he saw us all digging into it he wanted to try some.  Now, he loves Goat Cheese!)

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The Bread

This bread we buy from the grocery store.  It is actually quite good! 

We do tend to jazz it up in some ways, occasionally, like now.

Here, we sliced the bread down almost to the bottom, but not quite.  Then, Gordon is pouring the melted butter from our Roasted Garlic on top of the bread. 

 

Looking Good!

Now, bake in a 350F Oven for 8 minutes.  After 8 minutes, turn on the broiler to brown the top. 

It’ll be perfect!

Now, Let’s Thaw Out Our:

Julie’s Marinated Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Basil, Lemon Juice, and Olive Oil

The Bread is Sliced and on the Table with Seasoned EVOO Dipping Oils

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Our Tomato and Zucchini Tarts

So Excited to Cook in This Kitchen

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry

`1/4 Cup Olive Oil

1 Zucchini – Sliced thinly

~18-20 Romano Tomato Halves – slowly baked in a 200’F oven for about 2 hours.

Freshly Ground Pepper

5 Tbsp. Pesto

~8 Tbsp. Artichoke Tomato Bruschetta

~¼ Cup Asiago Romano Parmesan Cheese and or

~¼ Cup Parmesan Cheese Block

2-3 Tbsp. Balsamic Vinegar

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Pictured are some of the cheeses you could use in this recipe….

The already sliced mixed cheese or the block of Parmesan cheese.

Be sure to slice your Zucchini thinly as shown.

The tomatoes, Julie oven-dried prior.

Here I am unraveling the Puff Pastry after it had thawed out some.

Drizzle some Olive Oil onto the baking sheet first.

Place your Puff Pastry on a sheet pan.

Add your Pesto on top of the pastry using a spoon so you can spread it around evenly.

Now, add your Artichoke Tomato Bruschetta to the pastry.

You are done with the pastry for now, so set it in the refrigerator to keep the pastry chilled.

This will ensure the Pastry Puffs when you bake it. Continue to slice your Zucchini thinly if you have not completed this task.

Place a sheet of aluminum foil on top of a sheet pan and add your Zucchini slices as shown.

Then add a drizzle of Olive Oil over the slices and add some freshly Ground Pepper to them.

Place the Zucchini slices in a 300’F oven and roast them for about 15 min. or until cooked and slightly browned.

Meanwhile, you can add your previously slow baked Romano Tomato halves to the puff pastry then place it back in the refrigerator.

Here you can see the baked Zucchini are done cooking and have a touch of color to them.

Place the Zucchini slices on top of the Puff Pasty as shown using as much or as little as you like.

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Now, grate your cheese over the top of the ingredients.

Lastly drizzle your Balsamic Vinegar to the top ingredients.

Place your Puff Pastry into a 350’F oven for about 15 minutes or until the pastry has risen and browned.

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Here in the next two pictures, you can see the great results.

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I’ll Have One of Those  🙂

(My beautiful lady at the bar.)

The Frozen Margarita’s

Ingredients:

3-4 Cups Ice

~3 Cups Margarita Mix

Lime Margarita Mix

Key Limes – from our tree

Sweetened Lime Juice – as needed to rim the glass with

Margarita Salt – as needed

(Not pictured, but a little bit of Sugar to sweeten.)

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You could also substitute or add these mixes below to create other great Margaritas.

Mango Margarita Mix

Passion Fruit Margarita Mix

This was a bit of a throw together recipe.

Here I have added the ice to the blender and now I am adding the Margarita mix and some Lime Juice.

Blend the mixture until smooth! Taste the mixture to see if it needs a little sugar, lime juice or sweetened lime juice by Rose’s.

Pour into a pitcher and repeat, depending on how many guests you are serving.

Here I am using Sweetened Lime juice to rim the glass so the salt will stick to the glass. Simply pour some juice onto a plate and dip your glass in it as shown. You could also cut a lime wedge and move it around the glass.

Now, dip your glass into the salt.

Here you can see the salt sticking to the glass. Repeat this step for all the glasses.

Salt doesn’t have to go all the way around the glass. Bartenders do that so it will make customers thirsty and keep drinking. Pour your Margarita Mix from the blender into the center of the glass.

Gordon, Veronica, and Brian at the Bar

Drinks are ready and here comes the family!

I love to make my family happy!

Try the other Margarita Mixes seen in the pictures to make other creative drinks. Enjoy!

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This Entire Salad Was The Inspiration of these Pastas

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Lobsters Brought From Home

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Picking lobster meat with my son Brodie!

The beautifully cooked lobster in its bright red shell.

Removing the claws and legs of the lobsters.

Picking the meat and cracking the shells to get at it.

On the left is the meat and the right are the shells.

Jonus Crab Claws

(At the bottom of this recipe you will see these same photos. 

These photos were just the teaser as to what is to come.)  🙂

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(We are making quite a bit as we love to spread the leftovers out to our children to take home. 

Hence, two bowls of Lobster Pasta Salad instead of just one.)

Ingredients:

1 Box Near East Brand Roasted Garlic and Olive Oil Couscous

Sea Coral Pasta

Ortolana Pasta

3 Lobsters – Cooked and meat removed

20 Jonus Crab Claws – Cooked and meat removed

2 Tbsp. Sea Salt – 1 Tbsp. each for the boiling water

1 Lg. Jar 14.5 oz. of Grilled Marinated Artichoke Hearts – drained

1 12 oz. Jar Artichoke Bruschetta

1 10 oz. Jar Artichoke Bruschetta

1 tsp. Anchovy Paste

1 Can Northern Beans, drained and rinsed

(Although Cranberry Beans would have been perfect here.)

1 Sm. Jar Cocktail Onions – drained

Black Pepper to taste

½ Cup Sweet Cherry Pepper Juice

Fancy Lettuce Leaves as Garnish (and to line the serving bowl.)

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Start by making the Couscous as directed by the package. 

(We love these beautiful large pearls.)

Now place your pasta’s in boiling water and add your sea salt.

Follow the package directions, or cook until just tender.

Do the same for the other pasta. Follow the directions or cook until just tender.

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Here I am draining the Grilled Artichoke Hearts.

I saved the oil as it tastes good and a little would be nice in this salad if the pastas become a bit dry.

Marinated Grilled Artichokes Draining

This jar held an Artichoke Bruschetta with some of the Bruschetta still left in the jar. 

The oil added will be a perfect dressing on anything really.  🙂

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Here the pasta has completed cooking.

I know this as it is mostly limp but still has a little texture to it.

Here I am placing the Artichoke hearts on a cutting board to give the artichoke a slight chop.

I am also draining the pasta.

Place the Artichoke Bruschetta into a bowl.

Then place the other Artichoke Bruschetta into another bowl.

I did this because we had a lot of ingredients and I wanted to be able to mix them properly.

Spreading out the ingredients will help me do this.  After all, we will be giving some to our kids to take home with them.  So, we are splitting the Lobster Pasta Salad.

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Place your pasta into the bowls of Bruschetta and mix well.

Do the same for the other pasta and bowl, and add your Couscous to the pasta.

Now add your Anchovy Paste to each pasta bowl.

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Mix the ingredients well.

I placed the Beans into a colander, ran water over them, and let them drain well.

Add the beans to each pasta bowl.

Add your freshly cracked black pepper to each bowl.

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Drain your Cocktail Onions.

Now add them to each bowl.

Looking great so far…

Mix the ingredients in each bowl.

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Here I am giving the Artichoke Hearts a slight chop as they are a little big if left whole.

Add them to each bowl.

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Now We Are To The Lobsters

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Here I am removing the tail from the lobster which were already cooked. Then in the next pic I am removing the rubber bands holding the claws shut. This was done when the lobsters were alive so if they fought, they wouldn’t hurt themselves or anyone else.

 

Removing the Meat From the Lobsters

Now add your Lobster and Jonus Crab Claw meat to the pastas.

Here I bought an extra frozen Lobster, so I just wanted to cook it a touch to warm it up making it a little easier to remove the meat.

Just Place it in a Pot with Water and Boil for a Few Minutes

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Here the our two large bowls of pasta…

the family likes leftovers to take home!

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I thought some of the juice from these Sweet Cherry Peppers would be good in the salads, so I added some to each bowl. These taste great.

Taste your pasta salad and add ingredients as needed to your liking.

Add the pasta to some large containers and place them in the refrigerator to chill for later use.

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Now, it is time to pick the Crab Claws.

This meat can be placed on the top of the salad for a nice garnish.

Crack the claws with a hammer or use your knife and cut them slightly to open the shells up.

Brodie and I working hard.

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Still getting the meat out of those claws.

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Here is a nice shot of the Lobster I just cooked. It will make a nice garnish as well.

Here are our scallop bowls we used for the salad. You can see we placed a variety of lettuce around the edge as an edible garnish. Simply add your pasta salad to the bowl, top with your Crab Claw meat and serve!

Cutie Sparky Waiting For Scraps  🙂

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Our Asian Abalone

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3 Tbsp. Chopped Yellow Onion

4-5 Roasted Garlic Cloves

3 Heaping Tbsp. Black Been Garlic Sauce

1 Heaping Tbsp. Red Curry Paste

2 Tbsp. Oyster Sauce

2 Tbsp. Black Soy Sauce

2 Tbsp. Sweet Soy Sauce

1 Tbsp. Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp. Sesame Oil

16 Abalone – thawed

Water as needed – to thin the sauce

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This recipe is different from the other Asian styled Abalone that we have made in the past.
We like to switch things up some and try different things when cooking. With either recipe, they turned out amazing.

Start by slicing, then chopping your onion to a small dice.

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Here you can see the nice dice of Onion.

Turn your Wok on to medium heat and add your Olive Oil.

When heated to temperature add your Onions.

Here are the Abalone we used in this recipe.

They were packaged nicely as you can see.

Remove them from the packaging and place them in a bowl.

Here you can see the meat of the Abalone is stuck to the beautiful shell.

Pry the meat away from the shell using your fingers as they aren’t stuck too securely.

Give them all a good rinse with fresh water and then set them on your cutting board.

Using a sharp knife cut about 1/3 to ½ the way into the abalone making a square pattern on the top of the abalone. This is done by scoring the meat making ¾ inch slices apart from each other. Do this for all the abalone.

Here you can see the sliced abalone ready for the next step.

The onions are slightly cooked so now add your roasted garlic.

Here are the sauces mentioned in the ingredients.

These are the beautiful Abalone shells.

Just give them a good washing and use them later on in this recipe.

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Now you can see the Onions are cooking nicely.

Now add your Black Been Garlic Sauce to the Wok.

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Then add your Red Curry Paste

Now add your Oyster Sauce to the Wok.

All the ingredients are looking good.

Use a rubber spatula and mix the ingredients.

Now add your Sweet Soy Sauce then your Brown Sugar.

And stir the ingredients well again.

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Let this mixture cook for about 5 min.

Then add your Abalone to the Wok as shown.

Use your spatula to mix the ingredients together.

Here I am adding a touch of Sesame Oil to the Wok. This will give the dish some great flavor.

Cook the Abalone for about 8-10 min. then remove them and place them back into their cleaned shells.

Here is the amazing leftover sauce.

Spoon some of the leftover sauce onto the Abalone.

They make a great presentation.

Almost Time to dig in!

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Here is Mackenzie helping out in the kitchen as I can always use a hand.

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Here are the Asian Abalone again with some nice bread on the side!

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Our Italian Abalone

Ingredients:

2-3 Tbsp. Olive Oil

3-4 Tbsp. Chopped Yellow Onion

8 Roasted Garlic Cloves

1 small bottle Clam Juice

½ Can of Original V8 Juice

1 Can Red Clam Sauce

2 Tbsp. Tomato Pesto Sauce

16 Abalone – thawed

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Start by adding your Olive Oil to the Wok. I am not sure how many Italian dishes you have ever cooked in a Wok, but it works great for this recipe. Heat the Wok and oil to medium High heat.

Using some of the sliced onion from the previous recipe, add them to the Wok when at temperature.

Saute the onions in the Wok for a few minutes.

Then add your Roasted Garlic to the onions.

Let the onions cook until softened … about 8 min. or so. Now, add your Clam Juice to the Wok.

Then your V8 Juice.

Let this cook for a bit before adding the next ingredients.

After about 10 min. add your Red Clam Sauce… this will give the sauce some great flavor.

The Tomato Pesto… this was a great find and ingredient.

Now, add your Tomato Pesto. I really liked this as it had a strong tomato flavor.

Just look at that sauce… it is a thing of beauty.

Let it cook down some, about another 5 min. Be sure to give it a good stir as well.

Here I have already prepared the Abalone and scored the tops with a sharp knife.

Add your Abalone to the Sauce.

Stir the Abalone into the sauce and let them cook for about 8 min.

Remove the Abalone when done and place them back into their shells for another great presentations.

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Dinner is Served!

Here you can see both types of cooked Abalone… both done in a Wok!

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Remember Our:

Julie’s Marinated Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Basil, Lemon Juice, and Olive Oil?

An Italian Breakfast (Our Way)

We are very good at re-working Leftovers  🙂

This was the best Breakfast!

Gordon and I Shared This Great Meal

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Our Ingredients:

Eggs

Butter

Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Salt

Our Leftover Marinated Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Mozzarella…

Our Leftover Pesto

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Because our Tomatoes and Bell Peppers, etc. are already marinated in EVOO, Gordon did add some Butter to our Saucepan.

 

Place Some of Your Jarred Ingredients into the Saucepan

Now, Start Adding Some Eggs

Like So…

Salt, and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Cover For a Few Minutes While the Eggs and Veggies Cook

 

When Done….

Now simply plate the Eggs, and add some Pesto.

It was Perfect!  As Always!

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Getting Ready To Leave

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Headed Home

(Not carrying home as much as we brought with us.  Kids are helping lug things back.)

What a Wonderful Time We Had  🙂

Julie, Gordon, Sparky, and Spooky

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Meanwhile, Back at Home Leftovers

Spaghetti and Tagliatelle Pastas with our leftover Italian Abalone, along with our other leftover ingredients. 

Including some nice Roma Tomatoes

Toasted Some Pine Nuts, and Added Some Fresh Herbs

Our Leftover Olive Medley’s, Roasted Garlic, Sun Dried Tomatoes, and Pesto

Perfect with our Leftover Breads

Dessert

Our Leftover Beach Glass Cupcakes

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Leftovers Ready to be Re-Made

Ingredients:

Pastas – Spaghetti and Tagliatelle

Roasted Garlic

An Olive Medley (Various Olives)

Jars of Leftover Pesto’s, Bruschetta’s, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Peppers, and Sauces

Italian Bread Crumbs

The Oil From a Marinated Artichoke Jar

Cheeses – Such as Shaved Asiago Parmesan, as well as blocks of Asiago and Parmesan

Italian Loaf (we never got to)

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There is also a small bag of Orecchiette in the photo above that we didn’t use here.

(That is the pretty colorful pasta seen in the baggie above.)

Look at that Roasted Garlic!  🙂

Cooking the Spaghetti Pasta

(Just make according to package directions.)

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Go Ahead And Heat You Leftover Italian Abolone in a Low Oven

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Spaghetti Pasta is Ready!  Drain.

Place the Spaghetti Pasta into a Mixing Bowl and add your Italian Bread Crumbs.

Also, Some of our Leftover Olive Oil from our Grilled and Marinated Artichoke Hearts.

You can see in the photo below, Gordon pouring it into an Artichoke Bruschetta jar.

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Now It’s Time To Add Some of Our Grated Asiago and Parmesan

Mix Together

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Heating Up The Garlic Alfredo Sauce on the Stove Top, Medium Heat

Toasting the Pine Nuts

Just place them in a saute pan on a medium heat,  no oil needed.

  Toss them so that they don’t burn.  You just want them a little browned.

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Cooking a Few Tagliatelle Nests According to Package Directions

Drain, and then add to a Mixing Bowl.

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Repeating the Same Steps as With the Spaghetti Pasta

Italian Bread Crumbs, Leftover Oil from our Grilled and Roasted Artichoke Hearts, and now some of the Garlic Alfredo Sauce.

Mix Together

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Now, We Are Assembling These Great Leftovers

Spaghetti covers the bottom of the large bowl above, followed by Gordon creating nests on top of the Spaghetti Pasta.

Like So….

Now, Adding the Leftovers to the Nests

(Roasted Garlic, Pesto, Pepperoncini Stuffed with Cream Cheese, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Olive Medley.)

Also, the Italian Abalone.  And a Sprinkling of Toasted Pine Nuts.  Also, a good Grating of some Cheese.

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Toasting Our Bread

Buttered, and Going into the Oven

(I first like to place the bread into a 350F oven for about 8 minutes or so.  Then, I turn the broiler on until the bread is as brown as I want it.)

Here, Gordon is Spreading some of our Leftover Pesto on a few Slices, and Adding a Roma Tomato on Top.

Next, Some of the Pasta Nests and some Shaved Asiago Parmesan Cheese.

Top With Some Fresh Basil

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And There You Have It!

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Who Would Have Thought That Any Of This Was Just Leftovers?

Buon Appetito!

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Our Da Vinci Pizza, Et All

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Actually, We Have A Few Great Recipes Here

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My, Julie’s, Marinated Oven-Dried Tomatoes, Bell Peppers, Mushrooms, Mozzarella, Basil, Lemon Juice, and Olive Oil

Gonna Make Another Great Pizza

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More Great Ingredients

Ingredients:

Puff Pastry

Italian Pasta Sauce

From our Refrigerator Jar:  Fresh Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Basil, Oregano, all packed in Good Olive Oil

6 or more Roasted Garlic Cloves – we always have some in the refrig.. a must have in our house!

Garlic Salt as needed

~15 Basil leaves – used after the pizza has been cooked

~10 Tbsp. Pesto – dolloped around the pizza when done

Dashes of Paprika

Fresh Spinach Leaves

Fresh Herbs, such as Basil

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For the Pasta Meal:

A Baguette

Butter as needed

Garlic Salt as needed

Asiago and Parmesan Cheeses, Grated

Fat Free Skim Milk

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For the Pasta

1 Tbsp. Sea Salt – for the pasta water

Milk as per the directions for the sauce

Sauce packet

I added some butter to the sauce to make it a little rich in flavor. Use your whisk to incorporate the butter into the sauce. – or, choose yourself

2 Tbsp. butter

~ 2 Handfuls of fresh Spinach

½ – ¾ Cup Marinated Artichoke Oil from before

½ Cup Italian Cheeses (Parmesan, Romano etc.) – Grated

Garnish with fresh Basil Leaves

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Here I have pulled the puff pastry out of the freezer and let it thaw a little before unraveling it.

Place it on your sheet pan as shown.

Here is our nice Italian Pasta Sauce we used…

Spread it liberally all over the top of the Puff Pastry

Add the ingredients to your pizza.

Pictured are our jarred Mozzarella, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Basil, and Oregano.   I Julie, love the blob of Mozzarella in the jar.

Roasted Garlic… a staple in our kitchen.

Here I am crushing the Roasted Garlic with a fork to make it easier to place about the pizza.

Now add your Garlic Salt

Place your Puff Pastry Pizza into a 400’F oven for about 15-18 min or until fully cooked.

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As if there wasn’t enough bread….

For the next recipe simply cut slices deep into your bread of choice.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and place your bread on top.

Then smother the bread with some butter as shown. Then add your Garlic Salt.

Place your bread when ready into a 400’F oven for about 10 min.

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To make your pasta… add some sea salt to a large pot of water…and turn the heat on high.

Adding Our Sea Salt to the Water

As per the directions on the package, I am measuring out the milk and then pouring it into a large pan. I rarely ever make a sauce from a package, but this one looked good.

In goes the packet of seasonings.

I used a whisk to incorporate the ingredients into the milk which is on Medium heat.

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Checking on the Pizza… we are having a blow out… simply use a fork and pop the bubble.

Here you can see the bread is nicely heated and the butter has fully melted. We garnished the top of the bread with some paprika.

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When your water is boiling… add your pasta.

Here you can see the sauce and the pasta cooking at the same time.

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I added some butter to the sauce to make it a little rich in flavor.

Use your whisk to incorporate the butter into the sauce.

Orecchiette Pasta

Here we are making more pasta for this dish.

The sauce is simmering nicely and becoming thick.

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The Puff Pastry Pizza is out of the oven and ready for the garnish of Basil and pesto. You don’t add Basil to the pizza while cooking as it will turn the Basil dark brown and not look very appetizing.

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The second pasta is boiling… let it cook as directed by the package or until it still has a little bite to it.

When ready, scoop out the pasta as shown.

Let the pasta drain slightly then add it to the sauce.

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Now, add your fresh Spinach to the mixture. Here I am also adding some of the oil we had left over from a jar of Grilled Marinated Artichoke Hearts. This will give the pasta some great flavor.

Mix the spinach into the pasta and grate in your favorite Italian cheese.

Mix well and taste.

Here I obviously wanted more cheese.

Serve by placing the pasta onto a large platter and garnish with some grated cheese and a sprig of Basil.

What an amazing meal!

We hope you enjoy these great Italian recipes!

 

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Thank you for joining us on our vacation. 

We hope you had as nice of a time as we did.  A vacation isn’t just about the destination. 

It’s also about the food and memories being created in the process.

We hope your Labor Day was Memorable!

Julie and Gordon, Veronica and Brian, Brodie and Mackenzie, Spooky and Sparky, and Hank and Buddy

CIAO!

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One Last Recipe:  Well…  🙂

Our Kale/Basil Pesto…

..a spin on Tradition!

Makes about 5 Cups of Pesto

(Ignore the Tomatoes, they crashed the photo.)  🙂

Ingredients:

2 Large Bunches of Fresh Kale Leaves – stems removed
1 Large Bunch of Fresh Basil
5-6 Garlic Cloves
1 Tbsp. Sea Salt
~1 ¼ Cups Olive Oil as needed
~1 ¼ Cups Roasted Walnuts
~1 Cup Parmesan Cheese – shredded
2-3 Tbsp. Basil Pesto – not really needed we just had extra
Freshly ground Black Pepper to taste

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Here we are roasting way more walnuts than are needed for this recipe. When you roast nuts, it brings
out the oils of the nuts making them taste much better. Simply place your nuts on a sheet pan in a
350”F oven for about 5-8 min. or until you begin to smell the nuts. When done remove the nuts from
the sheet pan to stop the cooking process.

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Here I am adding the fresh Basil to the blender.

Now, add your fresh kale being sure to remove the thick stem. To do, just run you fingers down the leaf
starting at the larger part of the stem and the leaf will simply pull right off.

Add your fresh garlic.

Here I am adding the olive oil in stages. This first addition will get the ingredients to move.

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Then, add your walnuts to the blender and grate your Parmesan Cheese.

Add a touch more Olive Oil also.

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Blend these ingredients to mainly chop up the walnuts.

Here I am adding some Basil Pesto we bought. I though it couldn’t hurt to put it with the fresh
ingredients. This Basil Pesto isn’t needed though.

I am still adding some of the pesto and some Olive Oil for good measure.

Taste the mixture.

Add your Black Pepper and I believe I added another garlic clove… it couldn’t hurt.

Now add your sea salt and again more cheese as I thought it needed it.

Blend for a bit….

Adding more olive oil to make the mixture move a bit more. Taste and adjust the ingredients as needed.

Place in a sealable container and use at will.

This will go great on pasta, small toast, as an ingredient on
a pizza etc.
Please try this variation of Pesto… we think you will really enjoy it!

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Actually, This is the Final Recipe:

A Delicious Pesto Pasta  🙂

This is the Pesto from above, just reworked into another recipe.

A Delicious Spaghetti Pasta with Black Olives and Kale/Basil Pesto, with Cheese

Don’t Forget The Bread

(Just simple buttered loaf bread with garlic salt and paprika, grilled under a hot coil.)

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Adding Black Olives to the Pesto

Reworking Our Leftovers

Our Leftover Roasted Garlic

Here Gordon is Adding Some to a Sauce Pan

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Meanwhile….

Start Cooking Some Spaghetti Pasta until Al Dente

Here Gordon is Adding our Leftover Pesto to the Pot

Now For the Black Olives

Al Dente, Drain the Pasta Water

Add the Al Dente Pasta to a Bowl or Pot, like we did Here

Stir Together and Grate Some Parmesan into the Pot

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Here Gordon is Adding More Cheese and some Italian Bread Crumbs

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As Always, More Cheese!

And There You Have IT!

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Buon Appetito!

Julie and Gordon

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To View Our Other Italian Website Pages:

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Julie’s Italian Appetizers and Edible Gifts

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Gordon and Julie Italian Seconda Parte 2

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Cool Refreshing Summer

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Father’s Day Pizza Party

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00Whann Way Father’s Day

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La Sciatta Giulia Anna’s (Italian Sloppy Julie Ann’s)

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You Say Tomato

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Edible Gifts:  Italian, Greek, and Irish

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Pasta, Pasta, Pasta

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Autumn Pasta

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Mother’s Day in the Garden

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Gordon and Julie Italian

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Italian Naan Pizza

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Amiamo I’italiano

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Pizza, Pizza

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Grillin’ Italian

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Italianate Tre

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A Labor Day Vacay Away

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Modern Day Mona (Lisa) Halloween

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Even More Italian (Just For You)

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Quickie Italian

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Tavolino Da Caffe Italiana (Coffee Table Italian)

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Julie Italian

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An Italian Natale

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Summer Italian

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Isabelle and the Romas

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Lemon Tratta (Treats)

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Grazie,

Gordon and Julie

 

 

 

 

 

Grillin’ Italian

Grillin’ Italian

              Ciao and Buongiorno! Welcome to Grillin’ Italian We love to grill, we love Italian, therefore it makes sense that we would create a page dedicated to Grillin’ Italian. Italian food showcases a lot of food that we love.  

DIY Home Function Upgrades

DIY Home Function Upgrades

      Welcome to DIY Home Function Upgrades This is our first project for this website page.  We do plan on bringing you more. What you see here is the side of our house.  There was grass here at one time but our yard 

Pizza, Pizza

Pizza, Pizza

 

 

 

Pizza:  Latin for “to pound, or stamp.” 

The Lombardic word bizzo, or pizzo, meaning mouthful.   Was brought to Italy by the Lombards in the middle of the 6th. century A.D.

A Pizza consists of a base of dough with a selection of ingredients that vary from taste to taste but mostly include tomatoes, cheese, and meat.

Who doesn’t love pizza?

(Homemade Tomato Sauce, Italian Cheeses, Pepperoni, Artichoke, Mushrooms…)

Actually, I have to admit that the first pizza I ever ate was at the age of 6.  I was with my mother and some other people at a restaurant in Rome, Georgia.  I didn’t want it.  My mother made me eat it.  I then went home and threw it up because it made me sick.  So, pizza and I hardly have a’ Love at First Bite’ relationship.  However, that changed as I grew up and my tastes changed.  Now we love each other dearly and will always be a part of each other’s lives.

Pizza is my love story,  🙂

Julie

Sometimes the best dinners are Pizza and a Salad

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Here are just a few of our favorite Pizza’s and how we make them.  We eat these flatbread pizza’s so often that to me it’s not really cooking.  It’s more of a creation born out of tasteful cravings that we have every now and then.

Mini Pizza Bites? 

Perhaps. 

They are grilled Bell Peppers with Mozzarella Cheese, Pesto, and Basil.

Delicious bite sized goodness.  🙂

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To me, Pizza’s are a lot like fingerprints. 

They are all the same, yet each one is different.

The above flatbread Naan has Hummus, Mozzarella Cheese, Green Gouda Pesto Cheese, Sun-Dried Tomatoes and Grape Tomatoes.

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If you would like to check out our more traditional pizza recipes then click right here:

You Say Tomato

Grab the napkins and dig in!

We will be adding to this page over time.

Julie and Gordon

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My high school homage to my favorite then pizza, Stouffer’s French Bread Pepperoni Pizza.

  Actually, still a favorite.  And yes, I do eat it with a fork.

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Julie’s Easy Pizza Salad

This was something very easy and delicious that I threw together one night for dinner.

I started out with a frozen pizza and topped it with some Sundried Tomatoes marinated in olive oil, some cheeses that I had in the refrigerator such as Manchego, and a Red Pepper stuffed with Cream Cheese marinated in olive oil.  I also put a few spoonfuls of Pesto over the pizza, and as always, a good sprinkling of Garlic Salt.

I then baked it according to the package instructions.

While the pizza was baking I placed some of my artisan lettuce all around a large plate.

When the pizza was done I placed it on top of the circle of lettuce, then strewed it with some Onions and Fresh Basil.  Then a drizzle of salad dressing all around.  I think this was either a French or Catalina Dressing.

It was DELICIOUS!!! 

One of the best things I’ve ever eaten!

Just Another Version

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One of my favorite store bought pizza’s is from Sprout’s. 

This Italian sausage can hit the spot when necessary.  🙂

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Never Underestimate Fresh Herbs Ability to Enhance a Pizza

Even on Those Store Bought

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You Can Always Try A Fried Egg On A Pizza

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It is Rare When the Photo of the Pizza on the box…

..Actually Matches the Pizza!

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Freeze Ahead Sausage For Pizza’s

I ended up not using this Italian Sausage in a recipe, but I knew that I had to cook it up rather than lose it and have to throw it away, so I fried it up in a non-stick pan so that I could freeze it to be used as a Pizza Topping in the future.

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Just make sure that it is cooked thoroughly…

..then when cooled, place into freezer bags and put into the freezer.

 

Be sure to label so you know what it is.

Now you have a nice addition to any pizza you may create in the future.

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Recipes Start Right Here

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I don’t know that this is as much of a Grilled Cheese Sandwich as it is a Pizza.

Either way, it is a grouping of various cheeses inserted between two Naan’s and baked in the oven, melting the cheese’s.

It Was Delicious, None The Less  🙂

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English Muffin Pizzas

Easy:  English Muffins, Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella Cheese, Turkey Pepperoni

Bake in a 350F Oven for about 15 minutes.

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OUR PIZZA SANDWICHES

Everything You Want On Top of a Pizza, Except in a Sandwich

(Recipe Down Below)

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Naan and Flatbread

Ideas and Suggestions

To me, Julie, there really aren’t recipes associated with pizzas anymore. 

They are more suggestions and ideas.

At this writing in 2022, I am 61 years old and I grew up eating frozen pizzas from the grocery stores that just weren’t that good when I was growing up.  It never really occurred to us to add a multitude of toppings or sauces, or even cheeses.  I pretty much just added a bit of Garlic Powder to my frozen Cheese Pizza.  Sometimes I would add some mushrooms in water from a jar.

The only good pizzas when I was growing up were purchased at a Pizza Hut and then a bit later on, at Dominoes Pizza. 

But now things are different.  You can buy a delicious frozen pizza at the grocery store and add your own updated toppings to suit your tastes.  Or, you can buy some flatbreads or Naan and create your very own unique pizzas for lunch or dinner. 

The pizza’s that you see here are mine and Gordon’s.

We used Naan (Bread), Hummus, Various Cheeses, Sundried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, Pesto, and my favorite Pepperoncini stuffed with Cream Cheese in a Spicy Hot Olive Oil.

These are a Favorite of Mine Whether on Pizzas or anywhere!

Our Naan’s!  Gordon’s to the left, mine to the right.

Don’t just limit yourselves to Mozzarella.  I used a Red Wine Cheddar on mine that I adore! 

That and some Pesto, and those great stuffed Pepperoncini.

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Pine Nut and Purple Basil Naan’s

(Recipe Down Below)

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All Your Favorite Italian Things

Here is another version of a Naan Pizza.  As I said before, you can add almost anything.  For this one, we used Hummus, 3 Pepper Bruschetta, Pepperoncini stuffed with cheese, Pesto, Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Sun Dried Tomatoes, Shaved Parmesan Cheese, Roasted Garlic and Mushrooms.  Then topped with Garlic Salt.

This is a different style of Naan as these are elongated and in a rectangle shape.  Start by cooking the top side down in a 400’F oven for 5 min. placed directly on the oven rack. Then add your Hummus in a thin layer.  Next goes the Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, then the Roasted Garlic, dollops of Pesto, dollops of Bruschetta and Sliced Mushrooms.  Pour the oil of the Stuffed Pepperoncini over the Mushrooms.  Lastly, add your Shaved Parmesan Cheese then your Garlic Salt.  

Bake on a cookie sheet at 400’F for 8 min.  Remove from the oven and place on a cutting board.

Add your fresh Basil as a garnish and enjoy!

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More of those Excellent Cream Cheese Stuffed Pepperoncini’s Topping my Pizza

I simply took a frozen pizza and added some of my Manchego Cheese, some Pesto, some Cream Cheese Pepperoncini, and then baked it in the oven following the package instructions.

You can see all the lovely olive oil on top of the pizza. 

That is wonderful flavor!

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More Naan’s

The secret to making the Naan nice and crusty is to first turn the oven on 400F and when it comes to temperature, place the bottom side up in the oven.  Cook for 5 minutes.  Then remove from the oven and flip it to the top side and start loading up your toppings.

Before, After

Once you have loaded all of your toppings on to the top, place into the oven for 8 minutes to cook.

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Pine Nut and Purple Basil Naan’s

To start, you first need to roast your Pine Nuts using a medium sized pan.  Turn the pan to medium heat and add the nuts.  Toss the nuts often using a spoon or by the flipping method.  Do this until they all turn slightly brown and you can begin to smell them.  Should take about 5 min. or so.  When done, remove them from the pan and place on a plate or bowl to cool.

I like to cook the Naan first on the top side.  Turn your oven to 400’F.  When the oven is at temperature, place the Naan top side down directly on the rack.  Cook the Naan for 5 min.  When done, remove and set on a plate or something you can add other ingredients to it.

Here we have our other ingredients.  Plain Hummus, Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, Italian Seasoning, Homemade Sun Dried Tomatoes in Olive Oil, Garlic Salt, Mozzarella Balls, and Purple Basil.  You can use whatever Hummus you like as there are many different types of flavors.  You could also add sliced Cherry Tomatoes, Marinated Artichoke Hearts, diced Bell Peppers or Onions.  This is a pizza so almost anything is good on it.

I placed the top side cooked on baking sheets lined with non-stick aluminum foil.  

On the top side of the Hummus, spread a thin layer of Hummus.  Use as much or as little as you like.  Now, sprinkle the Hummus with some of the Italian Seasoning.  

Top the Hummus with some Shredded Mozzarella Cheese, then add your Sun Dried Tomatoes.

These turned out really good as you can see.

Top the Naan with some Mozzarella Balls and then a nice sprinkling of Garlic Salt.

Place the Naan in the oven for 8 min.  I have done this many, many times and exactly 8 min. is usually perfect.

On the left is what they look like when they come out of the oven.  Now, you add your Fresh Purple Basil as it will retain it’s color and will gently cook from the residual heat of the Naan and other ingredients.  The smell of the Basil will bring your guests running.  This style of Naan pizza is an original thought of mine after I returned from the many trips to a number of Arab countries, starting in the 80’s during the Persian Gulf War.  Naan is their bread of choice which accompanies most every meal.  Hope you enjoy this great type of Pizza.

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Salad/Herb Pizzas

I love these because they are crunchy, and I love crunchy!

Once cooked, I place my lettuce/herbs on top of my pizzas. 

They are just as crunchy the next day for lunch.  I don’t even have to heat them up. 

I can just eat them right out of the refrigerator.

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Shredded Green Gouda Pesto Cheese

I find that my most favorite of all pizza’s seems to be GREEN!

Green Pesto Gouda Cheese, Green Pesto, and Green Lettuce

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Flatbread Artichoke Pizza

These pizzas we made by using the elongated Flatbreads, Hummus, Cheeses, Marinated Artichokes, Sundried Tomatoes, etc.  They were delicious!  A sprinkling of Garlic Salt to top it off!

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Beautiful Naan’s With Artichoke Flowers and Stems

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My New Favorite Artichokes

To create these Naan’s we baked them in the oven for a few minutes on each side, before we started adding the toppings.

First bake on a 350F Oven for about 2-3 minutes each side.

Next, remove from the oven and add the Hummus, whatever flavor that you like.

What was fun about this was adding the Artichoke Heart Flowers with the Stems.

Also these great Tomatoes, Mozzarella Cheese, and the Basil Pesto, along with some Garlic Salt sprinkled over top.

 

Back Into The Oven For About 13 Minutes Until Done

 

They Were Delicious!  🙂

And the flower Artichokes just make them pretty.

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Our Naan Pesto Pizza’s

I adore a Green Gouda Cheese and Mushroom Pizza with Pesto.

Don’t limit yourself to Mozzarella. 

There are so many cheeses that you can use to suit your tastes.

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Also, Toppings are Endless Suggestions!

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NAAN

I told Gordon that I wanted the larger Naan and the medium sized Naan so that we can make pizza’s with them.  The larger Naan is great for dinner, but the medium sized Naan is great for lunch.

I wanted to use up the cheeses that we already had, along with some pesto. 

The first thing that Gordon did was to turn the oven on 400F and place the Naan in the oven to cook for 5 minutes on the bottom side of the Naan. Now, it is ready for the toppings.

I told Gordon that I wanted a thin layer of my Red Pepper Hummus on the Naan.  I then wanted some mozzarella and some grated Pesto Gouda on top. 

Followed by a few blobs of Pesto.

Next, some sliced Mushrooms with a drizzle of the Olive Oil from the marinated Sundried Tomatoes.

As well as a few Sundried Tomatoes on my pizza.

Now, it’s time for a sprinkling of Garlic Salt and then placed into the oven for about 8 minutes until done.

Perfection at it’s best!

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Making Naan With Leftovers

Here We Topped the Naan with some Stuffed Peppers and Stuffed Mushrooms.

Always start with the Naan having been baked in a 400F oven for 5 minutes, and then place the Hummus on the top portion of the Naan.  This is a Red Pepper Hummus.

Now some Cheeses and Colorful Bell Peppers are Topped, Along with a Cheesy Stuffed Mushroom. 

Now Baked.  Always use your refrigerator as an inspiration.

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A Cornmeal Pizza

We used two Corn Meal Pizza Crusts here.

They were ready made. 

We then added some Pizza Sauce, some Artichoke Piccata Sauce, some Mozzarella Slices…

The Artichoke Piccata Sauce

Getting Ready for the Oven

A 400F Oven to Melt and Cheeses

Some Turkey Pepperoni and Some of our Garden Basil

Perfect!  Enjoy!

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Italian Basil Left, Thai Basil Right

And Lots of Pesto!

More Beautiful and Delicious Pizzas

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Italian Grilled Squash Alfredo Sauce Artisan Pizza

Makes 2 Artisan Pizzas

Ingredients:

2 Zucchini – sliced into triangular wedges

2 Yellow Squash – sliced into triangular wedges

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

2 Artisan Flatbread – (Stonefire brand)

1 Cup Creamy Basil Alfredo sauce – (Bertolli brand)

1/2 Cup Red Pepper sauce plus 4 Tbsp. to top the pizza – recipe is found below

1 Cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

18 Fresh Mozzarella Balls – (Bel Gioioso brand)

10 Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes – sliced in half

1/4 Cup Sweet Onion – half circle slices

Garlic Salt to taste

Salt and Pepper to taste

Fresh Herbs to Garnish

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Slice your Zucchini into 2 inch rounds, then slice those on a bias as shown to make triangles.  Do the same with the Yellow Squash.

Julie wanted the pizza to look 3-D.  🙂

Pictured are the Artisan Naan, Heirloom tomatoes, and Mozzarella Cheese we used for this recipe.

In a mixing bowl toss the cut squash with salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Grill the Zucchini and Yellow Squash on your grill.  Here I used a wire rack used to cool bread and cookies, so the squash wouldn’t fall through the grill grates.  Grill them for about 8 min. on each side over medium high heat.

Place your Naan into a 400’F oven bubble side (Top) down for 5 min.

When done, place them top side up on a baking sheet.

Place some foil under the Naan slices as shown.

Using a large spoon, spread the Creamy Basil Alfredo in a thin layer over both Naan up to the edges.

With another spoon, spread the Red Pepper sauce in a zig-zag pattern.

(This Roasted Red Pepper Sauce recipe is listed below this one.)

Top the Alfredo Sauce and Red Pepper Dip with a thin layer of shredded Mozzarella.

Now, evenly disperse your Zucchini and Yellow Squash over the Naan, about 8 slices per Naan.

Now, evenly distribute the heirloom tomatoes and Mozzarella balls.

Place some of your onion slices evenly over the toppings then top with some more of the Red Pepper sauce.

Lastly, top with a sprinkling of garlic salt.  Bake in a 400’F oven for 8 min. or more you melt the cheese.  If you like, you could broil the Naan pizza after it has baked to get a little char on the onions.

DELIZIOSA!

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Sausage, the Afterthought

I knew we forgot a main ingredient when we were making the pizzas from above, and here it is….

….better late than never.  It made it to the leftovers. 

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Roasted Red Pepper Spread/Dip/Sauce

This is an excellent dip for pita chips, or a spread for crackers, or as a dipping sauce for shrimp.  Also great eaten with our fresh veggie bar.

This recipe makes a little over 2 cups.

Ingredients:

15 oz. jar of Roasted Red Bell Peppers, drained

¾ Tbsp Cumin

½ Tbsp Turmeric (To help fight off Cancer)

½ Tbsp Smoked or Regular Paprika

½ Med. Onion chopped, (Red Onion would also add to the color)

2 Garlic Cloves, chopped

3 to 4 Tbsp Lemon Juice

3 Tbsp Plain Greek Yogurt

Salt and Pepper to taste

2 packages 8 oz. light or reg. Cream Cheese (softened)

In a blender first mix all the ingredients except the cream cheese until just combined.  Then add the cream cheese and blend until smooth.     

When done top with a sprinkling of paprika or chopped scallions!

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Getting out all of my ingredients and allowing my Cream Cheese to come to room temperature.

Placing My Ingredients Into a Blender

Onion, and Lemon

Everything Into the Blender, Now Puree Until Smooth

Place Into Dipping Containers and Refrigerate

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OUR PIZZA SANDWICHES

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I, Julie, am the one that came up with this idea.  I just wanted a pizza in the form of a sandwich so we set about creating these.  They are delicious!  Especially with the cheesy crusty bread and our fresh herbs from our garden.  In doing the write-up both Gordon and myself are wanting this again very soon. 

Hope you enjoy!

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Write up by Gordon:

Ingredients:

1 Loaf English Muffin Bread – Garlic Bread is also a good choice, Sliced

12 Slices Capicola Ham

12 Slices Pepperoni

1 Jar (Classico) Pizza Sauce

1 1/2 Cups Grated Mozzarella Cheese

Butter as needed

1 Lb. Pre-sliced Mozzarella Cheese Log

1 tsp. Dried Oregano

4 Basil Leaves – 2 per sandwich

Garlic Salt to taste

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Slice your bread to ~3/4 inch thickness using a bread knife.

Using a large pan, cook your Capicola Ham slices over medium heat.  No oil is necessary to cook them.

When browned on one side, flip and cook until browned on the other side.  Place them on a paper towel when done to absorb any excess fat.

Do the same with the Pepperoni slices as shown.

Place them on a paper towel when done.  Here you can see all the fat the paper towels absorb.

Pour your Pizza Sauce into a small pot…

and turn to medium heat.

Using a clean large pan that has been heated to medium heat, place 1 Tbsp. of butter and 1/4 Cup grated Mozzarella Cheese into the pan, then place a slice of bread on top of the cheese

Cook the cheese for a minute or so until the cheese browns as shown.  When done add some more butter to the pan and turn the bread over and brown the other side for about 3 minutes.

For the middle section of bread of the sandwich, simply add some butter and cook on both sides until browned.

For the bottom section of the sandwich, add more butter to the pan, then add your grated Mozzarella Cheese as before.

Then top with a slice of bread and cook until browned as shown.

Place your bread slices on a sheet pan lined with non-stick foil, with first slice having the cheese side down.

To assemble the sandwiches, place a dollop of Pizza Sauce on the non-cheese side of the top piece of bread, then top some sauce on the middle slice.  Spread the Pizza Sauce evenly over the bread as shown.

Add a few slices of the Mozzarella over the first slice of bread.

Then add 4 slices of your Pepperoni on top of the sliced Mozzarella.

Now place your middle slice of bread on top of the Pepperoni, then add some more sliced Mozzarella and 4 slices of Capicola Ham as shown.

Add more sauce to the top of the Capicola slices then add some dried Oregano to taste.  Now add your fresh Basil leaves to the Pizza Sauce.

Place the top slice of bread with the melted Mozzarella Cheese on top of sandwich.  Add some Garlic Salt to taste, to the top of the sandwich.

Bake the sandwiches at 350’F for about 10 minutes or until the sliced Mozzarella inside the sandwich melts.

We hope you enjoy these Pizza inspired sandwiches as much as we did!

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Next Day Leftovers….

…With Some Potato Sticks

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The Leftovers Pizza Naan

We Created This Simply By Using Up Our Leftovers

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Ingredients We Used:

Naan

Leftover Shrimp

Roasted Garlic

Goat Cheese

Purple Moon Cheese (A Favorite!)

Pesto

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Some of This was Take-Out

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Gordon Toasting the Naan

This is a step that we do that most people don’t.  We will toast our Naan on both sides for just a few minutes in a 350F oven.

  It will just crisp it up a bit before you place your toppings.

Now that the Naan is nice and warm, Gordon is grating our Purple Moon Cheese on top.

In the back above, Gordon has smooshed some of the Roasted Garlic and is spreading it on the Naan.

He is now placing Goat Cheese on the Naan in the back, top.

Naan in the front have dollops of Pesto.

Place the Naan back into the oven with the Shrimp Toppings, just to warm them through and melt the Cheeses.

I Always Top Mine With Some Sort of Lettuce

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An Easy Tandoori Flatbread Pizza

My Very Simple Ingredients:

Tandoori Flatbread

Jarred Pizza Sauce

Marinated Pearl Mozzarella Balls

Red Grape Tomatoes

Garlic Salt

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Tandoori also makes an excellent Pizza.  We do like to toast our bread before we add the toppings. 

Just a few minutes on each side in a 350F oven.

Slicing My Tomatoes in Half

I LOVE these Marinated Mozzarella Balls! 

They are marinated in Olive Oil with some lovely Herbs and Spices, adding more flavor to your Pizza.

With My Tandoori Ready….

I’ve Added Them to a Foil Lined Baking Sheet

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We love this Garlic Salt and add it to many of our Pizza creations.

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With My Pizza Sauce, Marinated Mozzarella Balls, Grape Tomatoes and Garlic Salt…

I Baked it in the 350F oven for about 10 minutes.  But, it is up to you to decide how well done you prefer yours.

Don’t forget the Lettuce!

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We hope that you enjoy some of our Pizza recipes and ideas.  Some of them are very easy and simple.  But, it may not be something that you had thought of previously, that perhaps just might make you think of creating something similar that you hadn’t considered before.

Pizza, Pizza,

Julie and Gordon

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Amiamo I’italiano

Amiamo I’italiano

      Benvenuto Stiamo Iniziando Un’Altra Pagina Di Cibo Italiano (Welcome, We Are Starting Yet Another Italian Food Page.) Olio D’Oliva, Pomodori Secchi, Pasta, Salsa…. (Olive Oil’s, Sundried Tomatoes, Pasta’s, Sauces…) We Love It ALL!!! Amiamo I’italiano ————————————– Julie and Gordon’s Spagett (Recipe Down 

How To Repair and Rebuild a Retaining Wall

How To Repair and Rebuild a Retaining Wall

    Introduction to the Repair and Rebuilding of a Retaining Wall   Before Left, After Right ——————————————————————————- You Can Also See Here The After Photos Once Our Pavers Were Put In Place Spooky and Sparky Once all the Work is Done Even the Backyard 

A Picnic in the Herb Garden

A Picnic in the Herb Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meet You In The Herb Garden for a Picnic

My Herb Garden means a lot to me. 

It was one of the first sections on our property that we sectioned off and cultivated into something very productive that nourishes us and that we appreciate as being very special.  It’s always been my particular project.  Oh, I do enlist Gordon to help me with the heavy lifting sometimes, but it is always mostly just me behind this project.

My Very First Herb Garden

Click Here For:  Julie’s Herb Garden

This was the beginning.  Gordon built that trellis that you see from scrap wood that he purchased at Home Depot.  Total cost in building that trellis was only $10.00.

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My Herb Garden then became a bit more:

Julie’s New Herb Garden

We expanded it, we built the retaining wall up higher, added more pots, more herbs…

And now once again we are changing it up a bit:

With Stones

The Stones that you see in the photos above were once in front of our C-Shaped Retaining Wall in our backyard.  It was my idea to move them over here because we are having our backyard professionally done with nice pavers and we needed to move them anyway.  This part of the yard is very hard to grow grass because it is such an active foot path for us and our dogs.  This side of our yard also tends to flood during rainy season and I was tired of tramping through wet muddy ground.  Now I have nice stones to step onto.

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Julie’s Herb Garden

I think everything looks lovely over here in my Herb Garden.

A Perfect Place For a Picnic

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On the Menu is:

Julie’s Herby Weedy Chicken Salad

(Many Herbs from my Garden, and Many Purslane Flowering Weeds)

Onion Buns

Artisan Lettuce

Alfalfa Sprouts

Cucumber – Onion Salad

Our Pickled Pearl Onions

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Would you like for me to make you a sandwich?

Here, you can have mine.

The pretty flowers are my Purslane Flowering Weeds.  They are actually quite tasty and they do add this great crunch to the sandwich.  I promise, you will love it!

Purslane

The Health Benefits of Purslane are Extensive

I have been using it on many of our foods now for years.

They are not only beautiful, they are healthy as well.

Purslane Flowers Come in Many Colors

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The Cucumber and Onion Salad with Tarragon is Divine!

The Accent is our Pickled Pearls

What a Delicious Picnic Lunch

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My Herby Cocktail

(A Nice Herby Garden Treat)

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I love how the stones look all around my Herb Garden area.

 

They Really Fill in Nicely

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Gathering Herbs in my Herb Garden

A Daily Occurrence

I wanted to make a Chicken Salad that was loaded with Herbs from our Garden.

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Gathering the Purslane Weeds

Pink, Orange, and Yellow Purslane Weedy Flowers

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Washing my Artisan Lettuce, My Herbs, and My Purslane Weeds

My Purslane Flowering Weeds Drying

Putting Together My Herby Weedy Chicken Salad Sandwich

Toasted Onion Bread with our homemade Tarragon Mustard, Artisan Lettuce, Alfalfa Sprouts, Chicken Salad and Colorful Purslane Flowering Weeds

Accented By our Pickled Pearls and some Stuffed Peppers and Pickles

You can find our Mustard Recipes Here:

Pork, Sausage, and Mustard

AND,

Click Here For:  Our Black and White Pickled Pearls

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Julie’s Herby Weedy Chicken Salad

What a Beautiful Table

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How I Did It:

Chicken Salad has always been one of my most favorite Spring and Summer foods.

I grew up in the Deep South and I know how special those Summer Salads are.

Chicken Salad was a staple in my Grandparents home and I make mine just as she made hers except, I then added my own touch to her salad and I then made it all mine.  But, mine is always based on hers.

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BOIL THE CHICKEN..

UNTIL THE MEAT IS FALLING OFF THE BONES

Because I have made my Chicken Salad on other pages on this website I didn’t want to start at the beginning, but I will tell you the ingredients.  To me, these kinds of salads are taste and preference oriented.  For example, I don’t like a lot of mayonnaise in mine.  So therefore, I use just enough to combine all of the ingredients, and I don’t have my salad swimming in mayo like other people do.

  So, the basics that I have here are: 

An entire Chicken boiled until the meat falls off the bone.  Then all of the meat, white and dark, is removed and placed into a mixing bowl.  It’s at this point where I do add some mayonnaise.  I may add more as the making of the salad goes on.  I also add some Mustard.  Just a few squirts or even a spoon full or two from our homemade mustard’s.  Lots of Freshly Ground Black Pepper, because I do love Black Pepper.  A few dashes of a good hot sauce.  The Hot Sauce of the South is Tabasco.  Again, this is to taste.

I did add 3 Hard Boiled Eggs to this.  Depending on the size of the chicken.  Sometimes I only add 2 but this was a pretty big chicken.

I did chop some Onions and some Celery and adding the amounts that I wanted.

I also added some Pickle Relish, just a few spoonfuls and some Sweet Pickle Juice from another jar in our refrigerator.  Just a few drizzles to add some great flavor.

Now I Combine All of These Ingredients

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Next Comes All Those Great New Extras

HERBS!!!!

Chives, Curly and Flat Parsley, Thyme, and Tarragon

Washed All the Herbs and Added Them to my Chicken Salad

I scissored the Chives, and plucked the Parsley Leaves whole

I wanted to be able to recognize the Herbs that I was eating and not just see a bunch of green bits in my salad.

I also added some Slivered Almonds for great crunch.

Now for Something Sweet, Red Grapes

Isn’t it Beautiful?

I then added some of my Purslane Weedy Flowers to my Chicken Salad.

They look pretty, don’t they?

Beautiful, Healthy, and Delicious

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Gordon’s Cucumber and Onion Salad

In keeping with our healthy Herb Garden Picnic Gordon created this salad to go along.

Not just fresh but very tasty!

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The Ingredients:

Gordon did some taste testing and discovered that when he combined these two salad dressings, Newman’s Own Zesty Italian and Ken’s Steak House Sweet Vidalia Onion, he had created a new taste that was very tasty. 🙂

This salad is simple. 

Just chopped Onions, and sliced Cucumber.

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Cucumbers and Onions

Some Freshly Ground Black Pepper…

And Some Salt

Now to Add the Salad Dressings to Taste

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Toss

Then set into the refrigerator for the salad to chill a bit and the flavors to blend.

Add a Sprig of Tarragon and Serve

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This drink is a spin on one they love to drink in many Arab countries.

The original drink calls for lemonade, ice, and mint all blended.

T&W Lemonela

Ingredients:

~20 Ice Cubes

~3/4 Cup Margarita Mix

Country Time Lemonade Mix – as per directions or to taste

Water – as per directions from Country Time Lemonade Mix

Lemon Zest from one lemon

1 Cup Mint Leaves

~5-6 Shots Lemonela – T&W Florida Meyer Lemon Liquor

Garnish:

More mint sprigs and sliced lemon

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Add your ice and Margarita mix to the blender.

Now, add your Country Time Lemonade Mix to the blender as needed.

Then add your water as per directions or to taste.

Zest your lemon into the mix.

Then add your fresh mint leaves.

Here, I am adding more mint leaves and sliced lemon to the pitcher we will be serving the drink in. Add to the blender your shots of Lemonela.

Blend all the ingredients together as shown.

Pour the blended mixture into a large pitcher with the sliced lemon and mint sprigs.

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Time For My Picnic

I Am Certainly Excited!

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Creating our New Herb Garden Pathway

Here are where our stones came from.

We purchased these many years ago when Gordon laid this very casual patio area.  But, when we were going to have this professionally done we knew that we had to remove the stones.  That is when I told Gordon that I think they would look great all along beside my Herb Garden.

You can see here how we ruin the grass with our footpath.

Here Gordon is Laying the Stones

My brother Johnny in Ireland looked at them and thought they looked expensive.  I told him they were only about $2.00-$3.00 per stone.  They just look nice.

Our Nosy Dogs Always Get Involved  🙂

Happy Barefoot in the Herb Garden,

Julie

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View My Other Herb Garden and Project Pages:

Julie’s Herb Garden

AND,

Julie’s New Herb Garden

AND,

Herb Cocktails

AND,

An Herb Garden Redo

AND,

Julie Garden Blogging

AND,

Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging

AND,

Julie’s Side Project

AND,

A Picnic In The Herb Garden

AND,

Julie’s Backyard Wildlife and Gardening Blogging Continues

AND,

Julie Barefoot In The Backyard

 

Be Sure To Get Your Toes Dirty!

Julie

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Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?)  We’ll see, right?

Sixty’s, (Sensational or Surviving?) We’ll see, right?

        Welcome to My Sixty’s Currently Aging to Perfection (Or Rotting and Disintegrating?  But I swear this to you, as long as there are moisturizers and Loreal Superior Performance Medium Blonde, I will always be here for you.)  🙂 When I look 

Picnic’s

Picnic’s

          PICNIC Labour Day, 1955 (A.K.A. Labor Day.  I guess we dropped the “u.”  That is very American of us to drop those extra letters we don’t need.)  🙂 Found The Perfect Picnic Spot —————————————————- Backyard Picnic by the Magnolia Tree 

Barefoot Beach Teas

Barefoot Beach Teas

 

 

 

 

Welcome to Barefoot Beach Teas

I got the idea about 3 years ago to create a nice tea and have it look like the beach.  I even thought of putting some sort of seashell candy inside of the tea so that when you came across it you will squeal with delight at finding a pretty sea shell in your very own beach tea.  Hopefully, reminding you of that time long ago when you were on vacation at the beach and finding pretty beachy shell souvenir’s to take home and show your friends.

My original thoughts were to just make one type of tea, a sandy colored tea.  But I then realized that I would like to create a Varie-tea.  🙂  But as I put more thought into it, I realized how great it would be to make several teas and have them look like my most favorite beaches.  For example, here in Florida we have bright white powdered sand.  (Hence, a coconut tea.)  On some of the beaches in Hawaii, where we lived for 13 years, they have sandy colored thick sand beaches, as well as black sand beaches, and there is even some green colored sand beaches.  The black sand being powered volcanic rock on The Big Island and the green sand beach of Papakolea Beach, also located on The Big Island of Hawaii, it’s gets it’s green color from the Olivine sand eroding out of the enclosing volcanic cones. 

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At this Barefoot Beach Tea debut I still have a few more teas to add as I get around to it.

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Here are my Coral Beach and Sandy Beach Teas

with little Candy Sea Shells.

The Beach in a Jar

How many of you collect sand from the beach when you go on vacation? 

Perhaps placing it into a jar to bring home?  Well, that was my inspiration.

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My Sandy Beach Tea

This tea I based on that tall bottle full of sand and shells you see in the photos, top and bottom.  It is the sand that I collected from our beach when we lived in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.  Our home was right across the street from the beach.  Granted, there was a Marine barracks blocking our view of the beach but, we would walk a block away and enter our beach from there.  I collected that sand in several bottles to bring with us when we moved back to The Mainland.

I Decorated the Jars With Shell Stickers

This is a Ginger Tea, Meant to be Consumed Hot

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Coral Beach Tea

Based on a Lovely Pinkish Coral Beach

This Tea is Meant to be Consumed Cold

 

My Old Beach Diary and Classic Shades, Along with my Sandy Beach Tea

Our Sandy Beach Tea is a very Healthy Ginger Tea

(I gave this gift along with some Ginger Cookies.)

I like the presentation of the teas with the jars upside down so that you can see the candy sea shells on the “beach.”

Just place 1, 2, or 3 teaspoons of tea per 8 ounces of water. 

The ratio’s are up to you and your personal tastes.

If you find you would prefer them sweeter then add more sugar.  But I do ask that you learn to enjoy them as they are and not loaded with sugar.  Besides, lots of sugar makes you stupid and we are surrounded with sugar in all of our foods and beverages as it is. 

So, let’s try to enjoy something that is not as sweet.

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Welcome to Cocoa Beach

Think Fancy Organic Hot Chocolate

I decorated the jar lids with some beach glass that I found in Hawaii.  Candy sea shells inside, but I also do like to give this tea as a gift with some coconut cookies and mini marshmallows.

This is a Healthy Hot Chocolate

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Our Russian Tea

(On top of Brodie’s old I SPY Sand Castle Puzzle that I found in our Garage)

This recipe goes back to when Gordon was 11 years old and attended his very first square dance in Charlotte, North Carolina, along with his brother Jeff, and sister Heather.  A lady was serving Russian Tea and Gordon loved it so much he asked her for the recipe and she gave it to him.  It’s been a Whann tradition ever since.

Enhancing our Russian Tea with some Nautical Rope and Knots

Lovely Gift of Tea

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Some of the Ingredients We Used

Nuts.com

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The Beginnings of Making the Teas

(I wanted to include my star fish bowl and some of my shells.)

When it came to the making of these teas I pretty much had it in my mind the ingredients that I wanted to use, I just didn’t know how they would taste together?  But, that was the fun part.  Putting the ingredients together and coming up with something that passed the taste test, but that was also healthy. 

In this Covid 19/Cold and Flu Season I wanted these teas to be something that would help to heal the sick.  Sooth that sore throat.  Give that boost to the immune system.  And not necessarily give in to your sweet tooth cravings.  For these teas are more about your health than your sweet pleasures.

Organic Ginger Powder, Organic Cocoa, Cocoa, Organic Acai Powder, Powdered Sugar, Coconut Water Powder, Watermelon Powder Tea, and Organic Pomegranate Powder

Organic Maca in Photo Top Right

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The Powdered Pomegranate tends to harden quite quickly when exposed to air. 

Remember that.

You will need lots of clean jars and lids.  We washed the jars in the dishwasher but didn’t touch the insides.  I did hand wash the jar lids and seals by hand and let them dry. 

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Welcome to Sandy Beach

Ingredients:

3 Cups Powdered Ginger

(If you aren’t a big fan of Ginger then you may want to reduce the amount here.)

2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar

3 Cups Unsweetened Tea

3 Cups Sweet Tea

2 Cups Organic Maca

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Ignore the dry milk in the photo left, that didn’t go into this tea but the Nestea Sweet Iced Tea did.

Nestea Unsweetened Iced Tea

Organic Powdered Ginger

Just place all the ingredients into a large mixing bowl…..

…then TASTE.

Here we are adding a bit more of this, and a bit more of that….

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Adding the Confectioner’s Sugar….

I wanted to use Confectioner’s Sugar in these teas because I thought it would add to the texture.

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Now place the Tea into the jars…….

And add a few Sea Shell Chocolates.

You don’t have to place the shell chocolates into the hot tea when you make it.

You can just snack on them as you find one.

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Spooky and Sparky

Cute Sleepy Doggy Break

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Welcome to Coral Beach

(I wanted this tea to be consumed iced cold on a hot day.)

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Ingredients:

7 Cups Powdered Coconut Water

3 Cups Watermelon Tea

3 1/2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar

1 Cup Organic Pomegranate Powder

1 Cup Dry Milk

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Making The Coral Beach Tea

 

Photo left:  Our Organic Coconut Powder and Watermelon Tea.

Photo right:  Our Confectioner’s Sugar and our Organic Pomegranate Powder

Combining all of the Ingredients to a Large Mixing Bowl

This Organic Coconut Powder was Wonderful!

This is an ingredient that we would like to see how we can use it in other recipes.

The Organic Pomegranate Powder Dries Fast so add to Recipe Quickly

Adding Our Watermelon Tea

Powdered Milk helped to make this recipe a bit creamy. 

I also recommend keeping Dry Milk in your pantry.  It has come in handy quite a few times during our self-isolation when we would run out of fresh milk.

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Adding our Confectioner’s Sugar

Stir to Combine….

Time for a Taste Test

Then When Satisfied…

Time to Place into Jars and add the Candy Shells

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Making Our Organic Cocoa Beach Tea

This is a Healthy Organic Hot Chocolate

We topped the jars with some Candy Shells and some Shredded Coconut.

Everything Ready to Make This Tea

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Organic Cocoa and Acai Powders

This Acai Powder has so many health benefits. 

Gordon and I need to find other ways that we can consume it in the future.

Ingredients:

7 Cups Cocoa Powder

3 Cups Acai Powder

2 Cups Confectioner’s Sugar

2 Cups Organic Cocoa Powder

3 Cups Powdered Milk

3 1/2 Cups Powdered Coconut Water

5 Cups Granulated Sugar

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Combining All of Our Ingredients into a Large Mixing Bowl

We did use a combination of Organic Cocoa Powder as well as regular Cocoa Powder.

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The Confectioner’s Sugar

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The Last of our Powdered Coconut Water Being Added

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All of this Powdered Coconut Water is giving this drink a lovely coconut flavor.

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Mix Together…..

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Now It’s Time for a Taste Test

Needs More Granulated Sugar

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Now It’s Time to Create our Jars

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Here Gordon got the Idea to Add Shredded Coconut to Some

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Deliciousness  🙂

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Another Cute Doggy Break

When Blankets are Right Out of the Dryer  🙂

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Making Russian Tea

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A Gordon Whann Tradition

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Ingredients:

2, 18 oz. Orange Tang

2, 18 oz. Pineapple Orange Tang

3 oz. Jar Nestea Unsweetend Iced Tea Powder

3 Cups Nestea Sweet Iced Tea Mix with Lemon

3, 6 oz. pkgs. Orange Jell-O

2.37 oz. Cinnamon

3 Tbsp. Ground Cloves

2 Tbsp. Nutmeg

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Add your Orange Tang, and Orange/Pineapple Tang to a large bowl.

Then add your Unsweetended Nestea Ice Tea powder to the bowl.

Now, add your Sweetened Nestea with Lemon to the bowl.

Then add your Jell-O to the bowl.

Here, we were thinking about making 2 batches of Russian Tea then saw that all the ingredients would fit into the one bowl.  This is why I am adding additional Tang to the bowl.  The initial recipe ingredients are correct to make this entire batch of tea.

Mix all the ingredients together using a slotted spoon.

Here you see the spices involved in making this tea.  These do not dissolve into the mix, so it is important that you don’t put too much of these into the mix.  They are important though to give the tea that holiday spiced flavor.

Add your Cinnamon to the bowl.

Now the Cloves and Nutmeg to the bowl.  Stir all the ingredients together well.

Here you see all of the clean and sterile jars and lids.

Use a large ladle and funnel to pour the tea into the jars.

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Here you can see all the jars we were able to make. 

These make great gifts for anyone.

Here, Julie dressed the jars with some pieces of white line or rope.

  What a simple detail to dress the jars up nicely!

Russian Tea automatically makes me think of Christmas and is one of our holiday traditions to drink this around those winter months.  Julie even sent me some when I was deployed overseas which helped both my mood and spirit with a taste of home.

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See you at the beach!

Julie and Gordon

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Check Out Our Other Hawaiian Pages:

Click Here For:  Whann Way Aloha

AND,

Click Here For:  Whann Way Aloha, Hapa Elua (Part 2)

AND,

Click Here For:  Blue Hawaiians and Huli Huli Chicken

AND,

Huli Huli Julie Caesar

AND,

Click Here For:  Sand Globes

AND,

Click Here For:  Weekend Spamin’ Spam Musubi

AND,

Click Here For:  Julie’s Lunchbox

AND,

Click Here For:  Gordon’s Hawaiian Potatoes and Huli Huli Pork Chops

AND,

Click Here For:  Whann’s In Not Always Paradise

AND,

Click Here For:  Julie Barefoot Cookies and Beachy Edible Gifts

AND,

Click Here For:  Grillin’ With Aloha

AND,

Click Here For:  Julie’s Vintage Hawaiian Mango-Mac Nut Bread Cake w/ Pasta Flowers

AND,

Click Here For:  Gordon’s Dole Pineapple Outrigger Canoe and Cocktail

AND,

Click Here For:  Hawaiian Hum Lum Sun Prunes

AND,

Click Here For:  Ono Hawaiian

AND,

May Day is Lei Day in Hawaii

AND,

Click Here For:  A Mother’s Day Aloha

AND,

Click Here For:  Aloha Wahine Jezebel Sauce

AND,

Click Here For:  Whann Way Hawaiian Luau

AND,

Click Here For:  Hawaiian Popcorn and Moana Maika I’ Loa

AND,

Click Here For:  Beachy Hawaiian Thanksgiving Pu Pu’s

AND,

Click Here For:  Barefoot Beach Teas

AND,

More Hawaiian Eats

AND,

Click Here For:  Hawaiian Kalikimaka

AND,

Click Here For:  Christmas/Kalikimaka Oysters on the Grill

AND,

Click Here For:  Tropical Hawaiian Cranberries and our Mele Kalikimaka Me Ka Hauoli Makahiki Hou

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fruit

Fruit

        Dessert, Anyone? I made a Fruit Salad yesterday and I was just fixing to spoon some over a nice Pound Cake I bought. Would you care to join me? ———————————————————–   There is nothing prettier to me in the Spring and 

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