Grilled Portabello Mushrooms

I found this wonderful recipe in the Federal Hill Gazette and I must share this for those of you who do not have access to this newspaper.

Potobello mushrooms grilled with marinade served on a bed of arugula topped with sliced tomato and fresh mozzarella cheese.
4 portobello mushrooms (without stems)

marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
5 leaves chopped basil
3 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp. wine vinegar

Stir and brush top of mushrooms while grilling. Turn once ( low grilling) about 8 to 10 minutes until tender. Reserve remaining marinade. Place a few leaves of arugula on plate.
place mushroom and top with tomato and fresh cheese. Drizzle remaining marinade on top of each mushroom. Serve warm.

Please come back and let us all know how much you enjoyed this.

MELTING BUTTER

Here is a good cooking tip from "The Pampered Chef"

The Pampered Chef

Ever notice that butter burns SO easily? Here's a tip to help prevent that. When cooking with butter, add a little oil. Butter browns easily and burns at a lower temperature than most vegetable oils. The combination of the two will give your food a rich, golden color.

Disclosure: this information came from The Pampered Chef and I was not compensated for posting it. This post is for your information only.

The Winner of the Pampered Chef Giveway is:

Nancy from Vermont....she has 24 hours to get in touch with me. If I don't receive an email from Nancy, I will pick another winner. Thank you all for entering my giveaway. Look for another next month.

The winner is picked at rand0m by Random.org.

Spring Cleaning made easier

Here are some wonderful ideas to help with your Spring Cleaning. I ran across these suggestions in "all you" Magazine. I want to share them with you.
Substitute cleaners in a pinch:

1. Instead of Toilet Cleaner try: sprinkling the sides of the toilet bowl with a few teaspoons of Tang, or drop in a couple of denture-cleaning tablets or a cup of white vinegar. Let the remedy sit for 10 minutes, then brush and flush.
2. Instead of Microfiber Cloths on Glass Surfaces try: coffee filters. They're lint-free.
3. Instead of Eraser Pads try: whitening toothpaste on a toothbrush to scrub away crayon and scuff marks.
4. Instead of Glass Cleaner try: a mixture of equal parts rubbing alcohol and water to clean mirrors. Spray the homemade solution onto a cloth and wipe.
5. Instead of Silver Cleaner try: filling a spray bottle with inexpensive vodka. Spritz, let it sit for 15 minutes, then rub with a cotton cloth. Buff to a shine
6. Instead of Baking Soda try: a charcoal briquette to absorb odors inside your fridge and freezer.

Disclosure: I read this article in "all you" Magazine. Sources: Jeff Campbell, author of Speed Cleaning: Tips, Trick and Strategies to Get Everything Done in Half the Time or Less: Linda Cobb, author of Talking Dirty with the Queen of Clean; Cynthia Ewer, editor of organizedhome.com; Donna Smallin, author of The One-Minute Cleaner

Winner of the Old El Passo "family taco night" Giveaway is.....

Drum roll please...the winner is "Liz" I will contact Liz and she has 24 hrs. to email me. I will pick another winner if I don't hear from Liz by the deadline. The winner is chosen by Random.org. thank you all for your participation.

Snow and Swing Sets

Okay, so it’s snowing in Rhode Island….that’s where I live. I’m sitting by the window and watching the snow falling and piling up on the “mountains” of snow that has already been dumped on us. Oh well, it is winter after all.

Now I am starting to think ahead to spring hoping this will make me feel better as the snow keeps coming. I enjoy Springtime so much. Hopefully the daffodils won’t have to struggle to come out of the soil. The deep freeze of winter should be over by then! I especially enjoy watching my Grandchildren playing outdoors. The boys have their baseball games and the girls love playing in the backyard on their swing set. I was looking at some swing sets for kids at one of the CSNstore.com in case theirs needs to be replaced. Sometimes the boys will visit their little cousins and they all enjoy the swing set together. It has a covered crawling area, slide, two swings, rock climbing board and a sand box. It is such a pleasure to watch them all play together. If I keep this picture in my mind, maybe I can forget about the falling snow.

Taffy Apple Tartlets

I recently became a Pampered Chef Consultant and this is one of my favorite recipes. Of course along with the recipe and directions, we point out the Pampered Chef products to use.

Bursting with caramel and apples, these miniature tarts bring out the best of the fall harvest.

¼ cup dry-roasted peanuts

2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled

¾ cup butterscotch caramel sauce (from a 17-oz jar), divided

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 pkg (15 oz) refrigerated pie crusts (2 crusts), softened according to

package directions

12 caramels, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 400°F. Chop peanuts using Food Chopper; set aside for later use. Cut peeled apples lengthwise into

quarters using Utility Knife. Lay each quarter cut side down; angle knife, cut out and discard core. Coarsely chop apples

with Food Chopper. Combine apples, ½ cup of the caramel sauce and flour in Classic Batter Bowl; mix well using

Small Mix ‘N Scraper®. Microwave on HIGH 5-6 minutes or until bubbling and thickened; stir and set aside.

Meanwhile, unroll one pie crust onto lightly floured Cutting Board. Spacing closely together, cut 12 disks from crust

using outer tube of Measure-All® Cup (nine around outside edge and three in center). Press disks into wells of

Deluxe Mini-Muffin Pan using Mini-Tart Shaper, ruffling edges. Repeat with remaining crust.

Cut caramels in half using Utility Knife; place one piece into each tart shell. Spoon apple mixture evenly into tart shells;

sprinkle with peanuts. Bake 14-16 minutes or until edges of tartlets are golden brown. Remove tartlets from pan to

Stackable Cooling Rack. Drizzle with remaining ¼ cup caramel sauce. Serve warm.

Yield: 24 servings

Nutrients per serving: Calories 110, Total Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1.5 g, Cholesterol 5 mg, Carbohydrate 19 g, Protein 1 g,

Sodium 75 mg, Fiber 0 g

This recipe is brought to you by ©The Pampered Chef, Ltd., 2008