Archive for December, 2010
Nadines
Dec 29th
I finally got to eat at Nadines Bar and Restaurant in the Southside. I pass by it on my way home from work everyday. I keep telling myself, “Self, you need to go there and eat one of these days.” It especially peaked my interest when I found out Diners, Drive In’s and Dives filmed there.
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From the outside it looks like a small dive bar. Guess what? From the inside it’s a small dive bar and I love it.
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Passing by many days there is an older man in one of those power chairs, sometimes it’s just the chair. Sometimes the chair is covered with a small tarp or umbrella. Sometimes it’s in the snow. Most days you can count on it being there. When I go by and it’s not there I wonder about the strange man who occupies it. Where might he be? If I don’t see him for days I hope he is okay. I don’t even know him, never met him and have no idea what his name is. My trip to eat there the chair was outside and he was perched on a stool at the bar, eating food.
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It seems like that kind of place. Where regulars go. They probably go to talk to the same people. Watch the same stuff on tv. Drink the same drinks. I bet you can count on them being there. I bet they consider each other friends if not family in a way.
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When I walked in i wasn’t sure where to sit. There is a bar going much of the length of the building with stools around it. The outer walls had tables with 2-4 chairs. I sat at a table in the corner and my sister asked for menu’s. The man running the bar was incredibly nice and went over all the specials. We decided on the roast beef special. In the episode of Diners, Drive In’s and Dives it states the specials are $4.50 with tax and drink. They are currently $6.35 with tax and drink which to me is still a steal. 10 mintues after ordering he set the plate in front of me.
It looks just like the plate Guy ate. The smell made me even hungrier.
The meat was so juicy and tender it melted in your mouth. I have had some great home cooking but this tops my list of roast beef. The mashed potatoes had some skin in it and were lumpy. If your me thats a treat!
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It was so good I cleaned my plate.
I will be sure to go back and try some of their other specials and menu items. I bet they make a great breakfast.
If your looking for good home cookin and some all around nice people a visit to Nadines is a must!
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The Most Wonderful Time of The Year
Dec 22nd
I am usually crazy about Xmas.
My house is decorated the weekend after Thanksgiving every year. This year I put up wreaths on the door, last night.
I usually have all my shopping done by Black Friday. This year I just started on Black Friday.
We are still remodeling the living room and family is coming for Xmas dinner so we are trying to finish.
If I have to put up the tree on Xmas Eve I will!
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Usually by now I have watched Elf 3,486 times. Ok so maybe it’s usually 30 times but that’s alot! I have watched it 2 times so far. The Hallmark Channel has received much attention from me this year however. They show hours upon hours of great Xmas movies.
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Today I received a delivery of two gifts I purchased… shhhh don’t tell!
What you see here is a gift pack of Pittsburgh Seltzer Works. I was visited at work by John from Pittsburgh Seltzer who promises me a bottle of my very own tomorrow! If you have ever wanted to know how it tastes look for a review on the blog coming soon.
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Once the holidays and renovations are over I will have more time to get out of the house, review, cook, blog. You know all the fun stuff.
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I wish all my faithful readers a wonderful and safe Holiday!
Adult Friendships
Dec 17th
I have had many friendships over the years as I’m sure most people have. Some friendships end because you get into an argument, some because you just have nothing in common.
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With a good friend an argument wouldn’t get in the way. You talk about it and move on. That’s how any healthy relationship works. Sometimes you need time to cool off and think but you always find your way back.
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Unfortunatly not all relationships are healthy ones and that’s not limited to friendships but any relationship.
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I’ve lost friends for various reasons as an adult.
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* I can pinpoint one I let go of in my early 20′s. I had kids, she didn’t. It is difficult at that age when most 20 somethings want to party. Many don’t understand parenthood nor do they want to.
* I’ve cut a few people out of my life who have hurt my kids. Made promises, made them cry, etc. One thing you don’t do is mess with my kids.
* It’s been years but some friends I lost because they flirted with my husband. Openly. Big no no!
* Some people I have lost touch with. Facebook has helped get in touch with many people but we really aren’t friends anymore. Posting on someones wall isn’t the same as talking in person. Posting Happy Birthday isn’t the same as going out to celebrate it. It’s so hard to reconnect with people you only Facebook with. You really need to take the friendship outside of the internet world.
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Some of these people I would never talk to again. I hold grudges when I feel it’s warrented. Hurting my kids, hitting on my husband, those are grudge holding worthy.
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I’ve reacently lost a friend. Could you guess that? I knew her for almost two years, worked with her, hung out with her, invited her to dinner and my kids birthday. It sucks loosing a friend especially when you never thought it could happen. When you think everything is going great. One day she stopped talking to me, stopped answering my texts, went out of her way to avoid me. I noticed it, even asked her about it. I was assured nothing was wrong at one time but I know it was a lie. I think I figured out why, but that doesn’t matter as she choose to ignore it and not deal with it. So that is over now.
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Loosing family is even harder.
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I am hopefully on to greater things and new friends. I look forward to new things life may bring me.
Chicken Nuggets
Dec 16th
Make your own chicken nuggets. You can cut them up to any size to suit your eaters, but adjust cooking time accordingly. You can also use this breading to cook whole breasts but you probably would only need half the breadcrumb mixture.
I purchased an entire can of Emeril’s Seasoning and have found myself using it in many of my dishes. The brown sugar gives it a slightly sweet taste but not too much.
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3/4 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Emeril's Original Essence Seasoning
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 pds boneless/skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
3 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
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Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
On a plate mix breadcrumbs, seasoning and brown sugar.
In a seperate bowl, beat egg.
Dip each nugget of chicken into the egg. Coat with breadcrumb mixture. Repeat with all chicken peices and place in baking pan.
Pour melted butter over top.
Bake in oven for about 20 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
The Living Room
Dec 14th
The living room. The never ending, dreaded project that is haunting me.
It’s an improvement considering what it looked like after we took the paneling off. Hell it’s an improvement from what we started with, panelling.
But it’s not finished. I feel like it never will be finished. Our target date was by the time the furniture was being delivered. He stayed up all night and me until 5:30 am the night before. Once I went to bed I think he gave up.
The furniture is beautiful and most importantly comfortable. My previous couch was like sitting on a log.
So what else could go wrong? The end tables have minor damage. The love seat has black spots on one side and a small tear. The best part? It’s from Roomful Express. Three days after my furniture was deluvered the news announces they are going out of business. Think they have returned me calls in the midst of their liquidation? No.
Ugh I just want it to be over. Until it is we have no Xmas decorations up, no lights, and no tree. It’s killing my holiday spirit. Guess who is having the family over for Xmas dinner?
Yup.
Apple Crumb Mini Pies
Dec 8th
It was my task to make apple pie for the family thanksgiving meal this year. I decided to change it up a bit and not make a whole pie. I love the idea of bite sized desserts and think that things are more likely to get eaten when there is less work involved. Kids would prefer to pick it up than cut a piece. I was able to fit 18 mini pies into a baking dish to take to dinner. Kids and adults enjoyed them and took some home with them 
Luckily I had a few extra at home.
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You can use your favorite apple in this recipe but I used 4 different types of apples. It definitely gave that something extra to a plain old apple pie. I got the idea from Alton Brown of Food Network’s “Good Eats” Episode Apple of my Pie.
Granny Smith – for tang
Honeycrisp – for sweetness
Golden Delicious – for texture
Braeburn – for being different
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This recipe makes about 24 mini pies.
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Pie Crust
2 1/2 C flour
2/3 C butter flavored shortening
10 Tbsp. cold water
1/2 tsp. salt
Stir together flour and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cut shortening in until all pieces are about the size of peas.
Add 1 Tbsp. of water at a time to part of the mixture. Gently mix and move to the side. Repeat until all dough is moistened.
Add more or less water as necessary. Divide dough in half and form into balls.
On a lightly floured surface slightly flatten dough. Roll the dough out. Use any circular shape to cut circles out of the dough. Gently roll each circle out until it is big enough to fit into a muffin tin. Repeat until all muffin spots are filled. Save leftover dough to make more when the first batch is baked.
Put each circle into a spot in the muffin pan. Gently push down into pan and fold sides to fit. You can make the edges as decorative as you like.
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Pie Filling
4 large apples
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3/4 C sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
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Working with one apple at a time remove skins from apples. Use a corer/slicer to cut it down. Slice each slice again through the middle length wise. Chop apple into uniform pieces. Place in bowl. Repeat on each apple. Toss with lemon juice as you go to help apples not turn color.
In a bowl stir together sugar, flour, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add to apple slices and toss until coated.
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Crumb Topping
1/2 C flour
1/2 C brown sugar
3 Tbsp. butter
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Stir together flour and brown sugar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or fork until it resembles coarse crumbs.
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Completing:
Fill the pie crusts you formed in the muffin pan with apples. Top with a generous amount of crumb topping.
Bake at 375 degrees for about 25 minutes for until edges start to brown. Cool on a wire rack.
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If you make them please comment and let me know how they turned out for you.
