Easy Homemade Crab Cakes

I really like crab cakes, but usually only get them when I am out at a restaurant.  I never was that adventurous to make my own.  Well now I did, and they are FAB!  Full of lump crab meat, and all the great seasonings that make them so tasty, these are baked in the oven, and come out with a crispy crust.

Gather up your ingredients and mix it all together in one bowl.

 A little lemon juice for flavor.

 Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.

Shape your crab cakes, you should have four nicely sized cakes.

 Make sure you don't leave anything in the bowl!

Baked, crispy and ready to eat.

Homemade Crab Cakes

Ingredients

Cooking Spray

1 - 1 lb container of lump crab meat

1/2 cup of seasoned bread crumbs

1/2 cup of Hellmann's Light Mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons of dry mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 lemon, juiced

2 teaspoons dried parsley

1 1/4 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.  Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl with a fork. Gently pat into 4 even sized crab cakes.  Bake in preheated oven for 25 - 30 minutes.  Turn oven to broil, so the cakes will get crispy, and broil for 5 - 8 minutes until golden brown.  Makes 4 cakes.  Serve with cocktail or tartar sauce.  

Smoothie Operator

I have been reading a lot about Kefir lately and thought I would give it a try.  Kefir is a cultured milk probiotic with a somewhat tart flavor, is a cousin to yogurt, and only 90 calories per cup. I bought the nonfat, plain unsweetened version, but it does comes in flavors.  I made a smoothie out of it with a small container of nonfat 100 calorie Greek vanilla yogurt, 6 strawberries (only 20 calories) and 1 cup of  Kefir, then blended it in the blender.  The texture is like a strawberry milkshake.  The calorie count for this delicious smoothie is only - 210 calories!  For a breakfast that is not only good, but good for you, and that my friends is awesome! 

The ingredients and all shook up.

 Strawberry Smoothie Time!  Stick a straw in it and slurp away.

Vegetable Tales - A Roast Story

Vegetables are a favorite in my house, and we eat just about every vegetable that is grown.  One way I like to cook them, is to roast them in the oven.  I have found that any vegetable, with a little extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper roasted in the oven, is a hit with my family.  I used to just steam all my vegetables and didn't even put butter on them, I thought they were healthier that way, then I started to roast them in the oven.  They taste so much better, and they cook up in a different way, GOOD!  I roasted asparagus for dinner on Sunday, with olive oil, salt, pepper and some freshly grated parmigiano - reggiano cheese on top, just when it was about done I added the cheese.  This is the only way I make asparagus and everyone loves it. 

Cheese is melted and ready to be served.

I picked up these portabella mushrooms stuffed with sausage, at Wegman's,  for a different take on a side dish.

And these sausage stuffed sweet cherry peppers as a side dish too.  When they cook in the oven they get caramelized and sweeter.

 Found a new sauce in the dairy case, with the flavored butters, at Wegman's.  It's a great accompaniment with Steak or Salmon.  Check out their butters and sauces, they are forever getting new ones, so try them.  I keep them in the freezer and thaw when needed.  I will be using a lot of these for Thanksgiving.

Check out the produce section in Costco, they now sell this Artisan Romaine Lettuce.  They come 5 heads to a bag, are smaller but thicker than regular Romaine heads and more tender.  The outside leaves are already trimmed, so for the most part, easy prep to make a salad. 

Chicken Sausages With Peppers And Onions

By mistake I grabbed chicken sausages, instead of pork sausages, at Wegman's last weekend. I cooked them anyway without telling my family just to see if they would notice.  Well, they didn't notice and I didn't tell them either, ha ha. I did ask how they liked them and they all said they were good and to save any of the leftovers!  These were juicier and more tender than pork sausages but I think the flavors were still the same, and if my family didn't notice that means they were good.  Served up on a good, bakery fresh, crusty roll and umm umm umm!

In 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, cook the sausages.  About halfway through cooking them, seed and slice up 1 green, red, or orange bell pepper and 1/2 of a sweet onion.  Add a little salt, pepper and garlic powder, and continue to cook until the sausages are no longer pink inside.  Serve on a crusty bakery roll.

Whoo Hoo, Shoes!

Let's not forget that shoes are an accessory, a part of the outfit, that pop of color or sparkle.  What you wear on your feet is just as important as what you wear on your body.  Everybody looks! so give them something to look at.  A cute pair of flats or pumps will get them paying attention to the rest of your outfit. So put on your shoes and strut your stuff!

LEFT: Woven Olive, Ivory and Tan Diamond Print Flat

RIGHT: Suede Bright Green and Tan Bow Flat

 

And don't forget Metallics!

LEFT: Gold Woven Metallic Flats

RIGHT: Bronze Metallic Shimmer Flower Flats

LEFT: My Old Standby - I wear the heck out of Silver Metallic Shoes!  They are my favorite.

RIGHT:  Plum Satin with Small Rhinestone Brooch Flats

 And 'Tis The Season For Dress Up.....

LEFT: Black Satin and Lace Bow Pumps with Matching Handbag

RIGHT: Black Suede and Rhinestone Open Toe Slingback With Satin Rhinestone Bow Handbag

What's for Dinner? Creamy Mac and Cheese

I make a pan of macaroni and cheese a couple of times a month.  It's easy, it's cheap to make, everyone loves it, and I always have the ingredients in the house.  I serve it alone, with a salad, or with chicken, meat or fish. I have a few different ways that I make it, but no matter how I make it, mac and cheese always tastes great! 

Made the roux and added the milk to make my white sauce.  Grate your cheese.  I grated mine earlier in the day and kept it in a container in the refrigerator, it saves time while I am making the sauce.

Adding the cheese and cooking the pasta.

 Drain the pasta and add to the sauce.

Pour all of it into a greased baking dish and put onto a baking sheet, so no spills in the oven.  Top with breadcrumbs 10 minutes before taking out of the oven for a crispy, crunchy topping.

 And dig in!

Macaroni and Cheese

Cooking Spray

4 Tbsp butter

1/3 cup of flour

2 1/2 cups of milk

7 oz. block Cracker Barrel Baby Swiss Cheese, grated
7 oz. block Cracker Barrel Sharp Cheddar, grated

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/2 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 Tbsp melted butter

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray an 8 x 8 baking dish with the cooking spray and set aside.

Fill a large pot with 8 cups of water and 2 teaspoons of salt.  Bring to a boil, this is for the pasta.

Meanwhile, in a large sauce pan, on medium heat, melt the butter then add the flour and cook for 1 minute until all is combined.  This is the roux that will thicken the sauce.  Add the milk and stir into the roux.  Add the cheeses and stir.  Add the salt, pepper, garlic powder and paprika.  Stir until combined.  Heat until all the cheese is somewhat melted, then turn off the heat and take it off the burner.  Mix the breadcrumbs with the melted butter, set aside

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente.  Drain, then pour into the cheese mixture and toss it until it is covered with sauce.  Pour into the prepared baking dish and bake for 30 minutes and browned on top. Take out of the oven and sprinkle breadcrumbs over the top.   Return to oven for 10 minutes or until breadcrumbs are browned.  Serves 6 - 8 people.

It's An Accessories Thing

"A thing that can be added to something else in order to make it more useful, versatile, or attractive."

That is the meaning of the word accessories.

They don't always have to be a bright color, but do have to have interest.  Accessories keep the eye moving.  If you see someone with something interesting on, you kind of check out the rest of their outfit.  Accessories are not just jewelry, they are handbags, shoes, hats, scarves, belts and some clothing can be an accessory.  Jewelry is an attention grabbing accessory.  Something big, bold, or sparkly, always catches the eye and draws people to your face.  And remember, it doesn't always have to be matchy, matchy, it just has to GO with the rest of your outfit.  And layer your jewelry, it will look great!

Turquoise and Multi Strand Necklace with Matching Earrings and Bracelet

Periwinkle Handmade Big Bead Necklace and Periwinkle Long Strand Bead Necklace with Earrings

 Orange, Gold and Brown Wood Bead Necklace with Earrings and Long Beaded Necklace

Wood Bead Medallion Necklace with Amber and Gold Earrings

 Amber and Copper Extra Long Glass Bead and Metal Medallion Necklace and Chandelier Earrings