Cheesy Weesy Breakfast Casserole

 My love of casseroles came from my mother..... She was the "casserole Queen"!!! Most casseroles are a blend of meat, sauce, veggies, and lots of cheese. Good for quick weeknight meals, clean out the fridge meals, or just what can I throw together? meals. Breakfast casseroles are one of my faves, So when I found this sausage gravy recipe and this breakfast casserole, I thought.... JACKPOT!!! I used what I had in the fridge and combined the two recipes. One day I will make them exactly according to directions (who am I kidding?? no I won't)...

This breakfast casserole was so cheesy and bubbly and rich from gravy....

Delicious golden brown

 I used turkey bacon because I didn't have any ground sausage. I sliced the bacon and biscuits.

 Even KB helped brown the bacon... stealing a few pieces also!!

I made the gravy substituting the bacon for sausage. And, of course, adding extra pepper.

I started the casserole with a layer of biscuits on the bottom. I baked just this layer for about 10 minutes before layering.

Next came the scrambled eggs.......

And then the cheese.... lots of cheese!!!

Finally the "bacon" gravy

****After about 25 more minutes in the oven****

This yummy, ooey, gooey, cheesy, toasy goodness comes out. Everyone loved it. Great for leftovers the next morning before school or work.


ENJOY!!!

BiBimBap

Whew..... We all have been so busy the past week - getting ready for school to start, KB spending nights off, summer cleaning around the house, OH... and I started a new job!!!

We have been cooking at the house though, I just didn't post it. We've had amazing pulled pork sandwiches, beef ravioli with homemade marinara sauce, lamb stew, and a charcuterie, cheese, and toasties platter.... They were all so delish!!

As I've said before, Asian food is my absolute fave cuisine. I like to try new dishes all the time. Earlier this year, Tim and I went to a noodle house in downtown Augusta. Although the service was terrible, the food was good. It was the first time I tried Saki...... aaaaaannnnnndddd it was the last time!!!!!

I did enjoy their BiBimBap though. It was the first time I've had it. I didn't know anything about it or what to expect, but it was great. So I started my research for a good recipe. And then I had to research some of the terms and ingredients.... I knew I would never find some of those things at Kroger - HAHA... I gathered a good list of ingredients that I knew I had already or could easily find.  

The List:
Beef skirt steak, prepared short grain rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, lime juice, garlic, oyster sauce, mirin, sriracha sauce, honey, sliced veggies - mushrooms, peppers, onions, spinach, cucumbers, green onion, cilantro, lettuce, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, fried egg

First and foremost - the meat and marinade!!!

 Skirt steak, soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, garlic, coriander, and lime juice

I also clipped some lemongrass for the marinade!!!

For this dish, the skirt steak need to be thin sliced against the grain. The pictures below demonstrate this.

On the left, the "grain" is going away from me. I sliced perpendicular to the grain. It's best to freeze the steak for about 30 mins prior to slicing. It helps to make thin, even, and precise cuts.

While the meat was soaking in it's yummy marinade, I chopped my veggies and prepared the gochujang sauce. The recipes all had a varying array of veggies to choose from. I used what I had in the fridge. I also knew I would never be able to find gochujang sauce anywhere but an Asian grocery. So I made my own!!

Mushrooms, onions, peppers, water chestnuts, carrots, and spinach were all sauteed with sesame oil, garlic, and S/P. Cucumbers, lettuce, green onion, and cilantro were added to the final dish as is. And of course, I couldn't find fresh bean sprouts. That would have made a huge difference!!

 I love the colors of fresh veggies!!!

For the gachujang sauce I put mirin, honey, soy sauce, sriracha, and garlic in a small saucepan. I reduced by half to thicken it up.

                  Before                                                                               After

I seared the beef slices in small batches.

Then combined all the beef back together with the marinade and let it baste for about 1 hour.

Now to assemble the bowl - a good serving of rice in the bottom topped with the sauteed and fresh veggies.

 Almost ready!!!!

 The over easy fried egg was the best part!!!

 The final product topped with all the goodies!!!


I was so happy with the results... I am definitely gonna try more.

ENJOY!!!

I Like to Drink..... Alot!!!

OK,OK....... Before you send me to rehab, let me clarify that statement. 

I do like to drink BUT.... I drink all different kinds of beverages, not only adult. 

My "liquid addiction" starts early in the am and doesn't stop until I go to bed. There are several different phases throughout the day, and some can intermingle.. I know this sounds confusing, so let me explain my day in drinks..

8am:

 I always start my day with coffee. No matter what!?! It's "liquid gold" in my life. Even KB knows not to engage me until I've had at least half a cup. I set the timer to brew about 20 mins before I get up. That way the lovely aroma can entice and coax me out of bed (we all know I'm NOT a morning person). I take my coffee with a bit of flavored creamer, doesn't matter what brand or flavor. While I have my preferences, there's only been 1 flavor I just could not handle - it's has since been discontinued.
Hmmmmm, I wonder why - yuck!!

Anyway, I usually use a breakfast or morning blend coffee. It's medium blend - not too strong, not too sissy! When I feel a lil fancy I'll make Chai Coffee. It's a really good way to spice up regular coffee. After a good 2-3 cups, I'm ready to conquer the day!!!

My fave mug with KB's drawing.

10am:

Mid-morning starts what I call "Operation Rehydrate"..... Water is being consumed at a high rate to counterattack the coffee and the adult beverage from the night before :)  Plain, filtered water with lots of ice in my big Tervis cup with a straw.... Why yes, I am a creature of habit... how can you tell???? If we have errands to run, I bring that cup with me. Again if I'm feeling a lil fancy or I'm bored with plain water, I'll add a slice of lime. But all the new rage is flavored water - so I jumped on the bandwagon with just a few of my faves - Lemon Lavender Water, Apple cider vinegar with honey water(apple-cider-vinegar), or a berry and mint water(homemade-flavored-water-roundup). 

12 noon - 5pm:
Because I usually eat lunch at home, I'm still in "operation rehydrate" with water. If we go out for lunch, Tim and I may get a beer (or 2); but I always order water. I never drink sweet tea - which is sacrilegious living in the South!!! While it's not that often, if I have a soft drink, it's always Coke Zero or at least diet. I grew up on Diet Coke. My Mom drank it all the time. I've never liked or drank regular Coke. By the late afternoon I've slowed down on the water. I usually get busy with KB or stuff around the house.


6pm:
Now the evening time is a whole 'nother story...... I am so not ashamed to admit I enjoy at least 1 adult beverage everyday. I call them adult beverages, not alcoholic!!! I also say adult beverage store, not liquor store. It just sounds classier, more refined, and I feel like it suits me better!!!

HAHAHA...... just kidding!!
I just don't want to sound like a "wino"....

My choice for adult beverage is beer or wine. I love all kinds of beer - light, porter, stout, lager, etc... One item on my bucket list is to try a new beer once a week for a whole year. With all the new local and home breweries, it really wouldn't be that hard.  My faves and in my fridge right now are Rolling Rock, Bud Light Platinum, Yeungling, and Corona Light. I take a splash of lime juice(this kind only) with my Rock and Corona. And I always use a coozie!!! again... creature of habit :/

Wine is something I'm slowly getting into. I've been a lil scared to experiment with wines. Before I met Tim, I only drank whites. He introduced me to reds, now that's all I drink. As I've said before, we usually go for a nice Shiraz or a red table wine. I've never liked the sweet stuff or the really bitter variety. I think that's why we like wine tastings so much. It's a great way to try before you buy!! It doesn't hurt anyone's feelings if you don't like it. Everyone has their preference and opinion.

I'm a big baby when it comes to hard liquor. I prefer to make drinks at home because I don't like them too strong. With that being said.... I do have my preferences!!! I like Grey Goose vodka, Captain Morgan Black, Fireball cinnamon whiskey, and Camarena tequila. Goose for my dirty martinis and cranberry juice; Captain with Coke Zero; Fireball with a splash of Coke Zero; and Camarena for our fresh, homemade margaritas. I recently experimented with mojitos but they were not good :(

I have beer or wine while I'm cooking or with dinner. The liquor drinks are usually for after dinner. I take a glass of water to sit on my bedside table when I go to bed. I'm telling you - it doesn't stop!!!

 On my front porch with my Yuengling


Now I hope I've explained it well enough when I say "I like to drink....alot"  you'll know what I mean!!! Check out the recipe section to find more great drink ideas....

ENJOY!!!

An Escape to the Alpine Village

 Tim and I were able to escape for the weekend by ourselves. It had been about 2 years since we have been able to do so. The mountains are our usual destination, so we choose Helen, GA. As some of you know, Helen is the Alpine Village of the South. Everything is German - decor, food, beer, music, etc. While I enjoy all the cute shops and tourist things to do, I also enjoy time away from people so I can actually enjoy my lil vacay. 

We arrived around lunchtime on Friday. It wasn't time to check into the cabin yet; so of course, we went straight to a restaurant for food and beer. The Troll Tavern was the perfect choice. I had been there years ago, and nothing had really changed. We were seated immediately at a table by the river so we could watch the tubers struggle down the river. We had a good laugh at some of them!! We ordered our giant beer and eventually our grilled chicken wraps (I got buffalo chicken and Tim got BLT chicken). The beer was cold and crisp; the wraps were good - lots of flavor, good portion, and fresh ingredients. But the best part was the service. I've always said, "Great service can make ok food taste great"!! Go early to get a seat outside and enjoy the entertainment.

 My Heineken - most of the 32oz gone!!

After we checked into our cabin, we relaxed and freshened up. I had done some research on area restaurants using Tripadvisor. One of the top rated was Spice 55. It's a Thai and Japanese place that received excellent reviews on service and food. Asian food has to be my all-time favorite type of cuisine - Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, etc - you name it, I'll try it.

Tim and I wanted to sit on the patio, but the impending rain brought us inside to a window seat. Our water glasses were promptly filled and had our drink order taken. We decided on a simple bottle of Shiraz, our fave wine. I had to try the sushi but wanted a Thai dish as well. Tim and I both picked a sushi roll and shared a Thai dish. ***Have I mentioned how much I love sharing food??? That way everyone can sample different dishes!!***

Tim ordered the Black Dragon Roll, while I got the Eruption Roll. We break all the traditional rules by adding wasabi and ginger to our soy sauce; but it's how we roll  <<LOL...see what I did there??

 The Eruption Roll

We decided on Crispy Duck with Basil Sauce as our shared entree'. I never had duck before so it was a new experience for me. And, no.... it doesn't taste like chicken!!! It's white meat is dark in color but clean. The breading on the duck wasn't heavy or too crispy, and it held up to the thick basil sauce. It was served with fresh, steamed green beans and white rice. It was so good... I mean really good!!!

 Crispy Duck with Basil Sauce

 As you can see, the meat is dark in color but not greasy at all. The green beans also helped keep it light.

 Shiraz is our go-to for red wine. Most varieties of Shiraz are a good choice - goes with most cuisine.

***

Now that my food critique is done, I must comment on the service and atmosphere. The food spoke for itself with taste and freshness. But the service was the best part, made better by the relaxing and thoughtful atmosphere. Our waiter always smiled, always kept the wine flowing,  never let our water glass get close to empty, and allowed us to just sit and enjoy ourselves. We never felt rushed. The place was simply and tastefully Asian themed with decor but not too "froo-froo". The owner/manager even came to our table to pour our wine and chit chat about our visit. They were all attentive without being overbearing; That's a balancing act which most places, even the fancy schmancy ones, can't achieve!!!

***

The next day we woke up early and started with coffee at the cabin. I prepared a quick fruit salad and bagels with cream cheese. We had planned for an early morning hike at Raven Cliff Falls. I had been there  about 2 years ago but didn't do the entire 5 mile round trip hike because KB was with me. I was determined to do it this time. Tim is very much in-shape, and physical activity seems easy for him. I, on the other hand, have always struggled..... although I am in good health. Anyway, the actual hike was, at times, hard for both of us. We climbed down to the  river bank at different intervals, which was precarious - there were no easy access at some points. When I made it to the top, I was out of breath, my cheeks rosy, and my legs jello!!! BUT.... I DID IT!!!

 A snail along the way....

 The first lil waterfall....

 The rock alters under one of the falls....

 "We started from the bottom, now we here!!!!"   (notice my rosy cheeks???)

 Plants and dirt in the rocks.... makes me believe in lil forest fairies!!!

After the hike, we decided to relax at the cabin and just have some snackies. Tim had found some Mississippi Mud beer at the grocery in Helen. He raved about this beer... I had never tasted it before, but I trusted Tim's review. I don't know whether I was just that thirsty or it was just that good!!!! With a side of boiled peanuts, I enjoyed my lunch on the patio with Tim.

 The Black & Tan.... this bottle made it on the bottle tree at home!!!

After an afternoon of tubing down "the Hooch", we made it back to the cabin to shower. We wanted to go to an authentic German pub and restaurant called The Hofbrauhaus. Although the reviews were mixed, we took a chance on it. We should have walked out in the first 5 minutes!!! There were so many things wrong - no designated host/hostess, disorganized waitstaff, customers walking out, cussing and loud talk from the kitchen, waitresses rolling their eyes at having to work, people waiting extreme times for their food, service, or refills, waitstaff eating their dinner in the dining room when obvious customers needed assistance, and much, much more. I was completely appalled!!! The only, I mean the only, saving grace was our waitress. While it was about 5 minutes after siting that she got to us, it was apparent.... she was the only person actually working. She greeted us with a smile, apologized for our wait, explained their home brewed beer, and took our order. She always checked on us, gave us refills, and did the same for all her tables. 

Ok, ok, ok...... enough about that.....

Tim had been to Germany so he's tasted real German food... I have never had sauerkraut, cooked red cabbage, or any of the wursts. We decided on the Schlachteplatte -  a German Meat Platter for 2.

**I mentioned I like sharing food, right??*

It consisted of Bratwurst - pork sausage, Weiner -a veal sausage, Kassler Repchen - a pork chop, cooked red cabbage, sauerkraut, and warm potato salad. It was very good. The sausages were spicy and flavorful. The sweet and vinegar of the red cabbage went perfect with the spice. The crunch of the sauerkraut was great for texture. 

 I was so hungry, I almost forgot to snap a pic of the dish - hence the knife cut in the wurst!!!

We left our waitress a hefty tip and telling her she was by far the hardest working one in the whole place!!

On Sunday, our final day, we checked out of the cabin and headed back into town. There was a shop we wanted to visit, and we wanted to grab lunch. We were gonna go to a restaurant on the river across from The Troll Tavern, but after reading reviews and looking at their menu; we decided "no way".... especially after the horrible experience the evening before. When we were taking our purchased items back to the car, we took notice of a BBQ joint on the river. It smelled so good!!! That was the place for us - Rib Country....

The pulled pork plate came with a hefty portion of pork, homemade potato chips, garlic bread and a choice of a side. The staff was friendly and helpful, the view was beautiful, and the food was great!! I think we made the right choice...

 Our view of tubers on the river.

 Pulled pork plate - enough for me.... and for Tim to finish!!!

Our last stop of the day was at Frogtown Cellars for a wine tasting. We had been to the Dahlonega location on our last weekend getaway 2 years ago. It is absolutely beautiful there. Although the one in Helen is right in town, the building is new and well appointed. The wine server was friendly and knowledgeable. We did the off-dry white and red tasting. Surprisingly our fave was the 2008 Merlot, made of 90% merlot grapes and 10% cabernet grapes. Most merlots don't suit me or Tim, but this one was mellow, medium bodied, and not at all bitter. All of Frogtown's grape varieties are grown in Georgia at their Dahlonega vineyard. That's about as local as it gets!!!

 Beautiful wine bar

 Merlot was the fave!!

Ok so maybe this was our last stop of the day!!!! The Nacoochee Indian Mound was used for ceremonies and was visited by De Soto in his search of gold in the area. It was our last chance for a quick selfie!!!

 I was able to take the weekend off from my cooking experiments; but Tim and I experienced a better adventure together......

Enjoy!!!

Macho Gazpacho

 I like all kinds of soup - canned, homemade, leftover, meaty, veggie," noodlely" -  my faves include french onion, broccoli cheddar, cool cucumber (made by Tim), and gazpacho.

Now with that being said... I've only had gazpacho a two times in my life - in Charleston and on a cruise. I always thought "whoa, it's so complicated... it's such a sophisticated soup" HAHA... little did I know gazpacho is pureed veggies with some seasoning. Homemade French onion is much harder and more time consuming. I was inspired by all the fresh, local veggies at Saturday Market downtown Augusta to make gazpacho. I was a little overwhelmed by the volume of recipes out there. Some from Spain, Mexico, South America..... how was I to decide???

But, alas, I went to the Pioneer Woman for a good basic recipe....

Gazpacho

Of course I made changes to suit my palette and preferences... I added a mini pepper and some squash to the veggies, put my cilantro in the blender, added ALOT more hot sauce, and blended most of my veggies (I don't like chunky gazpacho,even though I've only I had it twice). OH and also... After tasting to make sure my seasoning was good, I knew it needed something else. I had the bitter, sweet, acidity, savory... but it needed tangy/citrus/sour. I had the lime out to give the bowl a lil squeeze before serving but the whole thing needed it. It was perfect, exactly what was needed!!!

yummy fresh, local veggies from the farmers market... much cheaper than grocery store

 I chopped my veggies and put them all in a bowl to mix and mingle.

The blender is ready to slice and dice!!!

The veggies are so beautiful together.

 I blended the veggies in batches to get a nice puree.

 I have to say the soup looked much better in person than in this picture.

I sliced the French loaf, coated with seasoned butter, and set to the side.

 mmmmmm. grilled toast.....also one of my faves!!

 Shrimp skewers 
**I've learned to place kabobs/skewers at an angle on the grill - prevents them from falling between the wires.**

 Chilled gazpacho with grilled shrimp and toasties.

Nothing goes better with cold, spicy soup than my Rolling Rock!!!

Enjoy!!