Cracker Crumb Baked Scallops

Cracker Crumb Baked Scallops are simply wicked; wicked delicious, wicked easy to prepare...they're just wicked good.  I would be remiss not to focus on these little "juju beans of the sea".  They are in season now (Oct-Dec) and you can pretty much find them anywhere in New England, specifically  this time of year.  Look for LOCAL, NATURAL (aka dry pack) scallops - avoid scallops (mostly imports) that have been treated with TSP.  

These are bay scallops, the little ones.  I always pick up a pound whenever I'm buying fish, mostly always using them in baked stuffed fish dishes.  This time I decided to make them the center of attention.

Butternut Squash and Cranberry Muffins

Butternut Squash and Cranberry Muffins are a perfect way to utilize some of your leftover Thanksgiving dinner side dishes.  I always seem to buy more bags of cranberries than needed...I get caught up in the BOGO or 2fer$ sales this time of year.  So I guess I can say that these muffins are also ideal for cranberry hoarders everywhere!

I still had some whole wheat flour kicking around from these >>bran muffins<<, aaaand I saved my two egg yolks to make these >>chocolate chip cookies<<.  Butternut Squash Cranberry Muffins, with cookies chasers?  Win-win!  These muffins are packed with flavor; sweetened with brown sugar, paired with tart berries (both fresh and dried), and held together with a ton of squash.   

Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese with Pizza Butter

Today I am sharing my Pepperoni Pizza Grilled Cheese with Pizza Butter over on Jamie’s site, Love Bakes Good Cakes.  Deja vu, right?  Me stuffing things into grilled cheese sandwiches….of stuffing things with pepperoni….what can I say?  I have issues with such. 

You can get the recipe for pizza butter on Love Bakes GoodCakes, then make one for yourself.

Pumpkin Layer Cheesecake

I am sharing this Pumpkin Layer Cheesecake today over at Love Bakes Good Cakes! Pumpkin ='s Fall....and it is Fallish up here in Alaska.  A few mornings it dipped just below freezing this week; leaves are turning; summer is gone!  There's a radio ad that says: Summers in Alaska.....the best 5 days ever!

Seeing how I'm in a fall mood, I decided to do a pumpkin recipe...something with just a hint of pumpkin.  Check it out over on Jamie's site:  Love Bakes Good Cakes

Crunchy Slaw with Citrus and Cilantro

I know.  I know.  It's been a long time since my last post.  Haven't we been here before?  A Winter In Limbo, maybe?  Is it all coming back to you?  

Since we last spoke, Sean & I were heading north in our Motor Coach, north to Alaska.  Along the way we had some very bad days, but we eventually got here and we're doing okay despite it all.  

Getting back to normal, or the new normal, has taken a little time to get use to...but here I am....again...and again I'm posting on Jamie's site:

LOVEBAKESGOODCAKES

Chaos On Wheels: Virginia to Tennessee

Chaos On Wheels is back!!  We're taking you through Virginia and Tennessee on our way out of Washington, DC.  We experienced the cherry blossoms, and crab cakes; spring was just beginning.  We drove just a few hundred miles south, and spring had exploded!  Lawns were being mowed, pasture grass was ready for the first cut, animals were grazing!!  Meanwhile, in Maine - still frozen and snow covered.  It was such a pleasure to drive through the hills of VA and experience this (sorry, Maine.) 

Our route lead us straight through Roanoke, VA - where we happened upon Fort Chiswell RV Park.  It was right off the highway, easy in and easy out.  We didn't have a reservation but being so early in the season we were pretty confident we could get a site.  

Spaghetti and Cannellini Marinara Alla Momma

Spaghetti and Cannellini Marinara Alla Momma was whipped up one night in the RV kitchen. We were hunkered down for a few days in Pine Grove, PA; it was rainy; we didn't feel like going out to get groceries.  Viola!

#TastyTuesday Party!!

Hey guys!  I am super excited to be bringing #TastyTuesday to ya this week!!  One of my blog friends, Anyonita - from Anyonita Nibbles - put together this fantastic link party!  #TastyTuesday is thrown out into the interweb universe by 15+ bloggers each week. 

What’s a link party, you may be asking?  It’s simply a show and tell for bloggers to share their fantastic recipes, craft, projects, etc….a virtual showcase!   Don’t have a post to link up, no problem!!  #TastyTuesday is like one-stop-shopping for you blog surfers; there are hundreds(!!) of  links all in one location to keep you occupied and clicking for, like, everrrrrr!!

Mamma D-9's Potato Salad #EggFree

Momma D-9's Potato Salad is a family favorite!  No matter what the time of year, whenever I ask Sean:  What do you want to have with this?  He always says:  Potato Salad.  It's gotten to the point that I just assume that I'm making this...I don't even ask him anymore.  Easter ham, summer cookouts, Oktoberfest sides, oven roasts...all are accompanied by this.  Potato salad.  

Maryland Crab Cakes & Cherry Hill Park

Here yee here yee: on this day, that is the 5th day of May in 2014, I do declare it be required by law, that if one finds oneself in the great Old Line State of Maryland - or nearby vicinity - that they, being of sound mind and spirit, MUST consume Maryland Crab Cakes!! Show of hands?  

Taco Stuffed Grilled Cheese

Hey guys!  I'm over at Love Bakes Good Cakes again!!  I'll be posting the first Friday of every month.  Today I'm sharing these Taco Stuffed Grilled Cheese.  Head on over to check them out.

>>>>>>> Click Here To Go To Love Bakes Good Cakes <<<<<<<

I smushed these all together upon necessity.  Find out why.......at Love Bakes Good Cakes.

Hatsie's Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken is something I never seem to order when I go out.  I don't order Chinese/Thai at all actually, due to Sean's allergies.  I have successfully recreated some of my favorite dishes for him in the past....but never sesame chicken.  Challenge Accepted!!

When I saw this Sesame Chicken on Hatsie's blog, Two Recipes, a few weeks ago - it looked simply stunning.  I had all the components for this in my kitchen, right down to the sesame seeds.  I just had to make it......and I did.  Twice!

Remembering Notch

This post isn't about food, it's about a little someone who made Soliloquy Of Food & Such possible.  Notch has made many appearances in my posts; here on the blog, and also on my social media accounts.  He was forever making our days happier, seemingly with just the wag a tail.  Not only was he my official taste-tester (as long as it was doggie safe), he was center of our world.

I'd like to share this post for all my family and friends that loved Notch.  They are just as shocked, just as upset, and just as saddened to learn of the passing of our dear friend.  

As long as he was with someone, he was happy.  If he could snuggle with them, even better.  He loved to tunnel in blankets (just like a ferret), and slept in our bed with us every night...and most of the next day, too.  He was couch potato one minute, then the next running and pulling us down the road like a little Tasmanian Devil on a leash.  

Chaos On Wheels | Tidal Basin Walk, Cherry Blossoms & Lincoln Memorial

Here are a few pics from our recent walk around the Tidal Basin in Washington, D.C.  This was the first day of "peak" bloom for the cherry blossoms.  We got out early in the day, a few days before the actual celebration and  festivities.  All of my pictures were taken with my iPhone; it was clear and the skies were blue.  Come on, lets go!

We started at the Tidal Basin Paddle Boat entrance; from here you can see the Jefferson Memorial on the south side of Tidal Basin.  

Chicken Parm Pizza With Smoked Mozzarella

This Chicken Parm Pizza with Smoked Mozzarella was pure serendipity!  On our way back from the National Zoo, we passed a small Italian Deli, Vace.  They had fresh dough and homemade smoked mozzarella in their cooler.  They both called to me, as dough and cheese normally does....

Seeing how my RV oven is 1/4 the size of a normal one, I had to adapt my pizza pans accordingly.  My full-sized sheet pans that are perfectly seasoned to yield a golden, crispy crust, sadly, would not fit in my new oven.  I had to leave those behind and continue on!  I know.  SO brave!

Chaos On Wheels | Twin Grove RV Resort & Chocolate World, Pennsylvania

Twin Grove RV Resort & Cottages and Chocolate World, in Pennsylvania, was the next stop on our big adventure.  Upon leaving Mohegan Sun, we experienced some crappy weather.  Snow, sleet, and freezing rain.  Not fun.  Sean drove slow and steady most of the morning.  We stopped for the night in Florida, NY.  It wasn't so great at this campground, and it was very pricey considering the accommodations.  Needless to say we were fully awake, packed up, and on the road very early the following morning.

Venus De Milo Soup

Venus De Milo Soup is another local favorite in the Southern New England area.  Made famous by the Venus De Milo Restaurant, located in Swansea, Massachusetts; they offer banquet and wedding services in which this beefy-vegetable soup is the house specialty.

Chaos On Wheels: Mohegan Sun, Uncasville, CT

Chaos On Wheels will be my new series of posts documenting our cross-country RV road trip, New England to Alaska!  And, we're off.....

Those who follow my Instagram or my personal FB page might think we are habitual gamblers!  Or, Krispy Kreme addicts.  Okay, maybe we hit the Krispy K a little too much, but the hot light app gets me every time!  For the three weeks leading up to our departure, we spent the weekends boondocking, or dry camping, in the Mohegan Sun Casino RV Parking lot. It was about an hour from home; long enough for a test drive, yet not too long of a ride. Mohegan offers this parking lot specifically for RVers who want to stay and play!  There were surprisingly others braving the chilly temps in March...we weren't the only crazy ones!

Once you pull into the lot, as the sign states, you call the dispatch office to check in. A security officer will meet you in the lot to issue you a required parking permit. The permit is free and can be found on their website >> here <<.  If you can print it out in advance and have it fully completed, great. If not, security will have on for you.  You can stay up to seven days on one permit, after which you need to reapply for another one. Once the officer signs off on your permit, just pop it in the window and you're good to go!  A shuttle will come through the lot every 15-20 minutes to bring you to and from the casino. It's not required, but a nice gesture to tip the driver...they will literally pick you up and drop you off at your door, instead of the bus shelters.  This comes in handy on rainy days.

NY System Inspired Meatballs With Mustard Glaze

NY System Hot Wieners were the inspiration behind these meatballs!
They are seasoned with Olneyville spices.
There are dried onion flakes flecked throughout the meat.
The meatballs are glazed in a yellow mustard sauce, sprinkled with just a hint of celery salt, and garnished with chopped sweet onions.
If you've never heard of NY Systems....lemme 'splain it to you.......

A New York System wiener is something that you must try if you are in Rhode Island.  Even Alton Brown tweeted he was having one, with a glass of coffee milk (official beverage of the state of RI), as he was passing through town.  Basically it's a wiener...tucked into a steamed bun...and topped with NY Systems spiced ground beef, yellow mustard, finely chopped onions, and a sprinkle of celery salt.

Cinnabunnies With Biscoff Frosting

Cinnabunnies = Fun with refrigerated cinnamon buns!  You know, the ones in the tube? Those have always been fun for me.  My Mom made them every holiday for breakfast - usually she was cooking dinner that day and she needed something to keep us quiet while she did her thang in the kitchen.

Open Face Red Hot Tuna Melt

Things are starting to happen.  But let's just reflect upon this Open Faced Red Hot Tuna Melt for a moment.
(sigh)

Single Serving Chocolate Chip Cookies

Today I am sharing my favorite go-to, whip-it-up-in-a-minute treat:  Single Serving Chocolate Chip Cookies!!  Why single serving, you ask?  Well, I'll tell you ALL ABOUT it.....but you're going to have to visit me at Jamie's website:  Love Bakes Good Cakes

>>>>>>>Click Here To Visit LoveBakesGoodCakes<<<<<<<

Fridays Finds: Joseph Joseph Wares

I know.  It's been a long time since my last Fridays Find, so I am super excited to share this one here!  Super. Excited.  (Hashtag) #SuperExcited - Hashtag x2.  I found some wicked good deals on Joseph Joseph kitchen wares at "The Marshall's" in North Kingstown, RI.

(Rhode Island) Stuffed Spinach Pies & Trivia

If you were to google "spinach pie", google would pull up about a billion pictures of Spanakopita.  Now, if you were to add 2 little letters in front of that, like: R & I (as in Rhode Island), as in "RI Spinach Pie"....well now we're on the same page!!  I know what your thinking....Um, Kim?  It looks like a spinach calzone!  Please, oh please (let me take a deep breath).  Please, do not call it a calzone.....it is a "Spinach Pie".

Rhode Islanders can be a bit quirky about these type of things....it is a historical fact! Rhode Island was THE first of the original 13 colonies to declare itself independent from British rule.  Rhode Island demonstrated the first armed act of rebellion in America against the Brits by boarding and burning their "Gaspee" Schooner ship in Narragansett Bay, back in 1772.  

#GlutenFree Soliloquy & An Announcement

So....Things are a little crazy lately.  Haven't I been saying this over and over again, like a scene from Groundhog Day?  After much (much) searching...and many miles traveled...and many (many) hours spent preoccupied, an opportunity came about for Sean & I.  We are going to ALASKA for the summer; we have a job lined up and are extremely excited!  Alaska has been on our bucket list for many years.  We have purchased a 38 foot motor home, and just downsized & shuffled all of our belongings into it.  The plan is to head south - down the East Coast, then northwest to our destination.  We are just about ready to go......except Mother Nature has other plans.....doesn't she know Spring is only days away?  

All that being said, combined with several (many - I've lost my mojo!!) food fails, has left me pretty engaged.  I've put together a Gluten Free roundup to hold you over (until I can get my act together)!  Weather you avoid gluten for medical reasons, or just for healthy living, I think you'll enjoy the following posts.  **Please note, some original recipes will have to be altered slightly as noted below.

Healthy And Delicious Bran Muffins With Raisins And Crushed Pineapple

Healthy, moist and delicious bran muffin with raisins and crushed pineapple is what we're making today.  Bran muffins have a bad reputation; one thinks of dense, heavy, cardboard-tasting baked globs.  Not the case with these babies!  They are delicious, and, how should I say this?......they will keep you in check......and when I say you, I mean, um.....,your digestive system. 

They are made using All Bran Original cereal, All Bran Buds cereal, a mix of whole wheat and white unbleached flour, and sugar.  The buttermilk, crushed pineapple, egg beaters, oil, and raisins help round out these muffins; their moist and deliciously sweetened consistency will knock your socks off - they have the best crumb!

The full recipe will yield a whopping 56 muffins, at 1/4 cup of batter per muffin.  The batter can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks, or the muffins can be baked, cooled, then frozen.  If prepared this size, the muffins are only about 150 calories, 4 grams of fat, and 2.5 grams of fiber each.  The muffins shown are made using 1/2 of batter per muffin.....and another smidge of sugar atop.....no judgy!

Although the National Colon Health Association should endorse these muffins, the recipe was actually from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics - they are diabetes friendly.  They taste so good, nobody would ever guess they are good for you, too!

Print THIS Recipe
Healthy & Delicious Bran Muffins with Raisins and Crushed Pineapple
adapted from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (Refrigerator Bran Muffins)
makes 56 muffins (1/4 cup batter per muffin)

2 cups All Bran Cereal (original)
2 cups boiling water
1 cup egg substitute (equal to 4 eggs)
4 cups low fat buttermilk
2 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
3 cups whole wheat flour
2 cups unbleached flour
5 tsp baking soda
1 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
1 cup raisins
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup crushed pineapple with juice (scooped from the can with out draining)
4 cups All Bran Buds
a few pinches of sugar (optional)


In a small bowl pour the boiling water over the 2 cups of All Bran, let sit a few minutes until softened.  In another small bowl combine whole wheat flour, unbleached flour, baking soda, and salt - set aside.  In a large bowl mix egg beaters, buttermilk, sugar, oil, and crushed pineapple.  Add the softened All Bran to the egg mixture, then add in dry ingredients - mix until just moistened - do not over mix.  Fold in the raisins and All Bran Buds. 

Batter can be mixed ahead and stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to three weeks. 

When ready to bake:  Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Measure out 1/4 cup of batter into a muffin tin either sprayed with non-stick spray or lines with cupcake papers. Sprinkle each top with just a hint of sugar (optional).  Bake for 15 minutes - 20 minutes if using refrigerated batter.  Cool in the muffin pans for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack to finish cooling.

Please visit my LINK PARTY page to see where I have shared this post.  

         

Sunbutter Apple Sailboats

Sunbutter Apple Sailboats:  The first recipe I ever made, except they were called "Christopher Columbus Ships".  This was many, many years ago when I attended kindergarten....back when Pluto was a planet, when Columbus, indisputably, discovered America, when you had to get up to change the TV channel, and when you thought you were bad-ass for having a 14 pound, touch-tone, cordless phone. 

That's right, the year was 1981:  Ronald Reagan became President, Lady Diana married Prince Charles, the PostIt note was invented, and a young Kimmy V. was introduced to this culinary treat.  It obviously stuck with me - 32 years later I am still making these. 

Chicken Cacciatore

Cacciatore means "hunter" in Italian - Chicken alla Cacciatore means chicken cooked the hunters way, with peppers, onions, tomatoes, and wine.  Now:  I'd like for you all to envision me as Elmer Fudd, as I tip-toe to the refrigerator to "hunt" my chicken......be vewwy, vewwy quiet!!  Just for the record, I DO have an Elmer Fudd winter hat.  

Depending on the region of Italy, lends different variations on ingredients; red vs white wine, regional cured meats, etc.  I took 4 years of Italian in high school, the only things I remember are informal pleasantries (Ciao!  Va bene!  Non che male!), mild curses (A Fa@&*), and the regional foods of Italy.

A Winter In Limbo (Part 2)

Okay...here's part 2.  We're still in limbo, but things are starting to look up!  

January 2014
Charlestown, Rhode Island

Notch HATES THE BEACH.  He hates the sand, he hates the surf, he hates the sounds....it is too much for this little dude to handle.  He's much happier kicking back on a sofa with me in my pj's for the day (he really DOES prefer me in my pj's to street clothes). 

A Winter In Limbo (part 1)

Hello my bloggy friends.  It has been a while...I certainly haven't forgotten about you!  I swear!!  Much has changed since this past fall.  As mentioned in my last post (Smoky Mac N Cheese, anyone?), life has changed a bit......What was suppose to have been a 2 week vacation back home in New England, turned into a more permanent move.  This has left us in somewhat of a holding pattern; we haven't really determined what are next step will be.  

Here is a little of what we've been doing to pass the time...I have a lot of pics, so I'm breaking this into a two-part post.  

One Pot Smokey Mac N' Cheese #meatfree

I turned my go-to mac n cheese recipe into a trendy one-pot pasta recipe....yeah, it's officially hipster now.  I was craving homemade smokey mac n cheese, yet had no oven.....lemme explain.....

The one-pot pasta craze has set in; if you haven't tried it yet it's going to blow your mind!  No boiling a pot of water....no draining pasta...no pasta facials!  Just enough liquids are added with the dried pasta creating an al dente-cooked macaroni and a creamy, velvety sauce.  The smokey flavors are achieved by the use of canned fire-roasted tomatoes and smoked cheddar.  Both alone are amazing, together with pasta:  ta.die.for.

As you read this post, I am kicking back stateside; back in the good ol' USA!  Having just traveled 2000-ish miles Beverly Hillbillies-style  - complete with our gas grill, pet cages, and way too many suitcases (all wrapped in 3ml heavy duty contractor garbage bags *hillbilly* because of course, it was raining), all of this strategically stacked (stuffed) into the back of our truck -  S, Notch, Duke, Big Bird and I are giddy to be back east with friends and family.  Five days, 400 miles per day, and five complimentary hotel breakfasts later - from Regina, Saskatchewan to Warwick, Rhode Island - we survived without inflicting bodily harm onto each other.