Birthdays around our home are always a special occasion. Lots of family and friends torture the birthday person endlessly about how old they are getting. Tomorrow, it will be my husband’s turn to enjoy the day and be spoiled a bit with one of his mainstays.

So for hubby’s special birthday meal and our 10 guests, the menu is:

Beef tenderloin steaks w/balsamic sauce
Steamed blue crabs
Roasted asparagus w/red pepper sauce
Green salad w/cranberry vinaigrette
Stuffed mushrooms
Shrimp pate
Dinner rolls w/honey butter
Gingerbread waffles w/apples and caramel
Citrus wine punch
Fruited ice-cube punch

Recipes follow:

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On a recent trip to the beautiful inner harbor in Baltimore, I took the opportunity to have dinner at the “Rusty Scupper”. It’s a fresh seafood restaurant that has been a Baltimore staple for years, sitting right on the banks of the inner harbor. It is it’s position on the banks of the harbor that provides the stunning views which make dinner at this restaurant truly an experience to share.

The Rusty Scupper provides the stellar indoor atmosphere of an upscale urban restaurant, with the casual dress and informality of a sea-side shanty. Despite it’s piano bar, candle-lit tables, and nicely dressed servers, this is a “come as you are” restaurant, that is enjoyable by the whole family.

As you may have guessed, it is a seafood restaurant, specializing in local favorites, most notably Baltimore Blue Crabs fresh from the Chesapeake Bay. They also offer a high quality (albeit limited) selection of beers in addition to their otherwise fully stocked bar.

I ordered the crabs. At first I was shocked to hear that you were charged per-crab, and a hefty sum of $9! I am used to smaller sea-shanty style restaurants that sell crabs all-you-can-eat for some set price. I was also a little surprised to hear that no side dishes were included with the crabs… But I came for crabs, and crabs I would have. I ordered three crabs and two side-dishes.

When the crabs arrived it became immediately obvious why they cost so much… These were easily the largest blue crabs I had ever seen in my life. And they were so fresh that I would have believed that they were pulled out of the crab pot, and thrown in the cooking pot the moment I ordered them. The entire meal was an absolute delight. The food was fantastic, and the service was great (even though the server was a little chattier than I prefer).

If you find yourself in Baltimore, I highly recommend stopping by the Rusty Scupper. You’re not likely to find better seafood.

I give it a 4.75 out of 5

-Tadpole

As is obvious from many of the menues posted here, our family is very diverse in what we like to eat. We also have alot of ‘favorites’ where taste is concerned. One of those favorites is lamb. It’s a great alternative to eating beef, but unfortunately not very popular here in the States.  

So, tonight we’re enjoying the ‘other’ red meat. Nothing fancy, just a simple meal perfect for a quiet summer evening meal.

The menue is:

Grilled lamb leg steaks w/mint glaze
Creamed peas
Roasted new potatoes w/butter and mint
Garden salad w/peppercorn dressing
Dinner rolls
Chilled sliced peaches
Apple-Cinnamon iced tea

Recipes as follows:

Grilled Lamb Steaks

2 leg shank lamb steaks
Salt and pepper to taste
Mint Jelly

Season lamb steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. You can grill, pan fry, or broil your steaks till desired doneness. Steaks should still have a bit of pink in them, or it’s overdone. About 4-6 minutes per side does well for a 1 inch thick shank steak.

When 1st side is done and steak is flipped, coat done side with mint jelly that’s been melted in a microwave. Coat second side as well, when that side is done cooking. Do a final glazing of both sides of meat, turning quickly on sides then removing from pan.

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Creamed Peas

1 package of frozen sweet peas
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup of evaporated milk
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine salt, pepper, butter, and evaporated milk in small pot. Bring to a simmer, add frozen peas, and cook till peas are heated completely.

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Roasted New Potatoes w/Butter and Mint

1 pound of red or yukon gold new potatoes, halved and washed
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 teaspoon mint leaves
Salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and pour into an aluminum pan in a single layer. Cover with foil and cook on grill till potatoes are tender. If you wish, you can mix a bit of mint jelly to finished potatoes.

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Peppercorn Dressing

3/4 cup sourcream
1/4 cup mayonaise
2 Tablespoon lemon juice
3 1/2 teaspoons corsely cracked pepper
1 teaspoon worchestershire 
1 beef bullion cube
4 teaspoons warm water
pinch of salt

Dissolve bouillon cube in warm water. Combine all ingredients in medium bowl and whisk to blend. Put in tightly lidded bowl and refrigerate till chilled.

If too thick, add drops of milk till desired consistancy.

Our family LOVES turkey. Unfortunately the turkey has become associated with Christmas & Thanksgiving, so many don’t think of serving it any other time of year. Not so in our family. Turkeys and bbq are a dream match made in heaven. Here, we’re taking the heat out of the kitchen so to speak since our perferred way to cook a turkey is on the grill. It saves you about an hour of cooking time (cooking time is determined by the weight) as well as the house doesn’t get heated up during that process.

We did a 14 pounder this go around and it only took 3 1/2 hours start to finish. And talk about juicy… If you’ve never had turkey this way, you don’t know what you’re missing.

The menu for this day is:

BBQ Turkey
Steamed Carrots
Sour cream mashed potatoes
Toasted French bread
Chocolate-peanut butter mousse cake
Citrus Blush

Recipes follow:

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My uncle, his buddies and I enjoyed a nice lunch at this great sandwich and gourmet food market/restaurant; Dibruno’s. I ordered a turkey, asparagus, cheese (not sure what kind), with honey mustard on a thick sesame seed roll. The sandwich came with a side of homemade chips, mixed greens salad, and pickle slices. The chips had a burnt taste that I didn’t really care for, they also needed salt. The salad had the right amount of extra virgin olive oil, and I love pickles. I’d never had a sandwich with asparagus, it was interesting, different and I enjoyed the surprise.

Check out Dibruno’s website at http://www.dibruno.com/. They have a great list of cheeses catagorized by type and country. Each cheese has a description including type, reegion, wine/beer pairing, etc. Especially check out Cahill’s Irish Porter Cheddar it’s paired with Guiness Stout. The website also has a great list of oils, pasta, caviar, and more.

-Bibble

My husband actually did the menu planning, prepping, and making of the meal for the both of us this evening. He’s really a good cook, but he leaves the kitchen looking as if a tornado went through it. The critters love when I allow him in the kitchen, as that’s the one time they get the chance to eat what we eat. They do a fine job of licking up the spills and drips hubby is a master of creating.

All joking aside though, he does turn out a great meal when he’s in the kitchen. His special tonight is:

Grilled Shark w/creamy Dijon sauce
Wild Rice
Garden salad w/vinegar and oil dressing
Roasted Pears w/raspberry syrup

Recipes follow…

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I ordered a Chicken Caesar Salad. I knew it would be soft to eat since my wisdom teeth were just recently removed and I also was aware that it was a nice size salad that would fill me up. When I received it I noticed a slice of garlic bread on the edge of the plate, I took a feel of the bread and it must have sat around that kitchen for hours.

The first couple bites of the lettuce were very tasty although they were alittle too drenched in caesar dressing for my taste. The chicken, some pieces were slightly warm and others were same temperature as the salad. As I continued chewing, I was not fully convinced that the lettuce was Romaine, half of it resembled Iceberg Lettuce. I also began to notice that some of the lettuce towards the sides and bottom of the plate were slightly brown. I did notice pepper on the salad, but no fresh grated cheese.

The overall appearance of the dish was sad. But I ate it anyway because I was hungry. All-in-all a ‘fair‘ (at best) dining experience. I would NOT recommend it, especially to anyone who was visiting from out-of-town.

Tonight’s meal isn’t exactly what hubby wanted, but it’s close. He wanted me to fix veal parmesan tonight, but as we just had it awhile back I didn’t want to basically fix the same meal over again. So as a comprimise, I’m substituting chicken for the veal.

Either way you go though, rather it be the veal or chicken versions, the meal itself is very easy and basic. You can create a meal that looks like you spent the whole day in the kitchen in under an hour. Most of that time being spent baking versus actual working time.

So without further ado, tonight’s menue plan is:

Chicken Parmesan w/home-made pasta sauce on liguine noodles
Asparagus w/orange-pecan sauce
Garden salad w/creamy Italian dressing
Toasted French bread
Lemon meringue cheese cake
Raspberry Iced Tea

Recipes as follows:

Chicken Parmesan

1 small can tomatoes, crushed
1 can tomato paste
1 large can of tomatoe sauce
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 small onion, diced
oregano, parsley, salt, pepper, thyme to taste
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts,fat removed
buttermilk
flour
egg(s)
Italian style bread crumbs
Parmesan cheese
shredded mozzerella
Pasta of choice (we perfer liguine or angle hair)

Begin sauce by emptying ingredients into a med. pot. Make sure garlic and onion are chopped very fine before adding. Add remaining spices except salt and pepper. Add those last so you can see how much it needs. Allow to simmer on the back burner for about an hour. 

Wash and dry chicken, removing any visible fat. Mix beaten egg and buttermilk. Also in a seperate bowl mix bread crumbs and parmesan cheese together.

Dredge chicken with flour and dip into beaten egg mixture. Dredge through bread crumbs/parmesan cheese mix, coating well. Put in a med-hot pan with heated oil. Cook only a little on each side (very lightly browned) and finish in the oven at 375F for 15-20min or until juices are clear.

After chicken is completely baked, top with a spoonful of sauce spread over the chicken then with as much of a mix of the parmesan and mozzarella cheese as you want. Continue to bake until the cheese melts and is a little brown on top. Serve with your favorite pasta, spooning remaining sauce on the pasta.  

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Asparagus With Orange-Pecan Sauce

2 1/2 pounds fresh asparagus spears, trimmed
1/2 stick butter
1/3 cup pecan halves
1 teaspoon orange zest (or orange peel)
1 teaspoon orange juice

In a large skillet, place the asparagus spears and add enough water to cover. Bring to a boil. Cook over medium heat until the asparagus is crisp-tender, 5-7 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In the same skillet, melt the butter and add the pecans. Cook over medium heat, until the pecans are toasted, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the orange zest and juice. Spoon over the cooked asparagus and serve.

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 Italian Dressing

1 cup oil
1/4 cup vinegar
2 Tbsp. finely chopped onion
1 tsp. salt
1/4 cup corn syrup
2-1/2 Tbsp grater Romano cheese
1 tsp. sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp. dry mustard
1 tsp. dried basil leaves
1/2 tsp. dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp. dried oregano leaves
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cloves garlic, crushed
pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

Shake all ingredients in tightly covered container. Refrigerate at least 2 hours. Shake before serving.

Creamy Italian Dressing Beat 1/2 cup Italian Dressing and 1/2 cup mayonnaise with hand beater until smooth.

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Lemon Meringue Cheesecake

2 boxes of Jello brand cheesecake mix
1 small box cooking lemon pudding
8 inch springform round baking pan

Prepare lemon pudding by manufacturer’s directions. Allow to cool completely, stirring occassionally to speed up cooling process.

Prepare both graham cracker crusts by manufacturer’s directions. Spread crust mixture on bottom and half way up sides of springform pan.

Prepare both cheesecake mixes by manufacturer’s directions. Divide mixture in half, spreading one half of cheesecake filling over cracker crust and bottom of springform pan.

Top cheese cake mixture with cooled lemon pudding. Then top lemon pudding with remaining cheesecake filling. Refridgerate and allow to chill for at least 4 hours. When ready to serve, remove springform pan side and slice into desired pieces.

I’m sure that some people are wondering why ever I’d put up a meal journal when the hottest craze these days is dieting and special diet meals. I’d wonder myself, although I also realize that of all the things that determine what society is, it’s that society’s foods and cooking styles.

Unfortunately, in a time where most everyone is watching their weight, counting calories, avoiding fats, sodium, sugars, etceteras… Where people are suing McDonalds because of ‘they made me fat‘ campaigns… My opinions & recipes may come across as strange and AB-normal.

I started doing this as a result of my “What’s For Supper” thread at Defending the Truth. Friends and readers were enjoying the banter of discussing what others were having for supper. Whether it be going out to dinner, cooking at home, or grabbing something at the local deli… Just sharing that hominess of enjoying the delights of a good meal. Theses entries being intended to take it a step futher, by including not just the menu plans I do, but the recipes behind those efforts.

I do love to cook. My hubby says it was one of the many talents and reasons he fell in love with me to begin with. He said he got the modern woman who not only he could talk with on an intellectual level, but who had looks and a personality, who cleaned, who was artsy, and who could also cook.

But I’ve seen a trend lately that has slowly started popping up in regards to the menus and recipes. At first, it was just internet trolls trying to stir up trouble and bad feelings amongst the participants… Calling people ‘fatty’, ’slob’, ‘trailer trash’, ‘rednecks’ to those participating in the threads. Doing their best to try and make the participants feel bad for not cooking, for cooking, for whatever reason trolls have for their type of posts. And on the whole, their comments being ignored simply because readers knowing the wasteful products of those posts.

Now though, there are genuine posters starting to criticize the meals and recipes. Telling others what they should/shouldn’t be eating. Making readers feel as if they are being told that they are ignorant about their own dietary needs and risks.
I personally don’t think that way about my own readers. I realize that some people who read my menu plans may not be able to prepare those meals as I do. I realize that there are those that have special dietary needs, and as such I trust in them to adjust the recipes they see me post, to adjust them to their own special dietary plans.

Unfortunately for those whom my recipes do not meet their dietary needs, I can not complete alternate menus. For them, the effort of maintaining those special diets means that the reader, will have to adjust my meal plans/recipes for your own special needs. And it’s not as hard as some would think. My recipes show the very basics of those choosen meals. They’re not set in stone, so changes can be made depending on the reader’s preferences and tastes.

The lovely thing about our grocery markets now, is the wide vareity of substitutions sold. If your diet demands you have a low sodium intake, then you have the options to omit the salt called for in a recipe and substitute it with another flavoring. You also have the choice to use low sodium/sodium free products versus the original sodium loaded ingredient.
If calories are an issue, then use dietary sugars or sweetners in place of the sugar content many of my recipes use. Honey is a great substitute by the way for many instances of sweetening.

If you’re watching your fat/oil content, again it’s an easy fix. Most oils, butters, and mayonaises now have low fat/fat free options available. By all means, use those substitutes in the recipes. The healthiest cooking oils are canola and extra virgin olive oils… So if you see a recipe that needs oil for frying? Use those instead. For baking oils, try macadamia or seasame oils. Soybean oil is a great substitute for recipes in salad dressings, mayonaise, and butter substitutions.

Nothing personal here, but I cannot possibly ensure my readers prepare their meals according to their dietary needs. If you personally don’t feel that my menu plans are a healthy choice for you, you need not make those meals, or you can feel free to alter them as needed. The reader has the choice to either ignore the recipe or adjust the recipe to thier own dietary needs.

-Alicorn

One of the things my family really enjoys is get togethers [sic] at my house. Especially if the grill is being used, where there will be a huge selection of favorites prepared. This is just one of those instances, where classic grilling meets elegant grilling. Where there’s a selection of family favorites plus ‘fancy’ appearing snacks to nibble on throughout the day and evening.
So the menu plan for this event is:
Grilled apricot glazed quail
Hamburgers
Brats and hotdogs
BBQ-ed pork steaks
Roasted corn
Potatoe salad
Summer salad w/Ceasar dressing
Mixed berry fruit salad
Home-made vanilla icecream
Creme De Menthe cake
Grilled French bread
Tea/Lemonade/Soda/BYOB

We also had a veggie tray with ranch dressing dip, that had been used the previous evening for our other menu as well. Basically I prepare and cook the basic meal while other family members bring along snacks and the like as ‘filler ins’.
We got a great deal on the quail by the way. Bought farm raised from Schnuck’s, $15 a box, which has a dozen in them. For an appetizer, you figure 1 quail per person, as a meal, 2 quail per person. We did up 2 dozen for a guest list of 17.

Recipes follow:

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