Comfy supper

I had planned to make one of the most comfy suppers - tomato soup and grilled cheese.  Unfortunately (or fortunately) it was SO warm today that there is no chill in the air so that warm cozy feeling that this combo usually brings wasn't needed. Oh well...it was still yummy.

I used Campbell's tomato soup for this supper.  You know what....I have never made tomato soup from scratch (GASP!).  My husband doesn't like tomatoes, so I wouldn't spend the time or money to make this if everyone wouldn't enjoy it.

As you can see on this picture, I use whole wheat bread, american cheese and tomato on the sandwich.  What you can't see is the bacon bits I sprinkled in there. Gooey cheese, salty bacon, fresh tomato....wow...whoever made this sandwich first was a genius.  Ok, so I used whole wheat bread to try to "health it up" a bit....but all the insides were so perfect together that having healthy bread didn't hurt this sandwich at all.

Share with me where you have had your best grilled cheese sandwich?  If you read a couple of days earlier, you saw that our son had one he loved at Benedict La Strata in Crystal Lake, IL.  Where was your favorite grilled cheese sandwich?

Wendy's has a deal for $1 you buy a "card" to put on your key chain.  With that card, you get unlimited free junior frosty (1 per order).  It is tiny, but perfect when you just want a taste of yummy.  I don't see anything about it on their website....but I got one and love using it. And by the way...their new fries are delicious.  The kids say they are better than McD's and I (gulp) actually agree.

See - I wasn't kidding!!  It is SOOOOO small....but just right.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!

Lou Malnati's special Valentine's Pizza!!

We ate at one of our favorite local restaurants tonight - Prairie House in Buffalo Grove, Il.  I added a link on my blog page. I enjoy going to places that aren't chains, so that I know the money goes to "the little guy" and not some huge company.  I encourage others to do that as well.  Keeps our restaurants fresh and home-spun.  Their food is really good - the wings, the pizza - all good stuff!!

My husband and I split a full slab of ribs.  It comes with seasoned fries.  The meat just falls off the bone - I know this is a preference thing, but I like to pull it off a bit. But order it because the flavor is definitely there and wonderful. Smoky, tangy and sweet from the sauce....all important  elements of great ribs.

We also ordered "beer nuggets".  I have never heard of these, but our friend we were with said they had them in all the bars at Northern Illinois where she went to college.  Beer nuggets are pieces of fried pizza dough with  pizza sauce to dip them into.  So crunchy outside and soft and doughy on the inside.  Not sure why they are called beer nuggets - because there is beer in the batter?  Because you would only eat them if you have drank a lot of beer?  Not sure....but evishly yummy.

We went again to Benedict La Strata in Crystal Lake, IL. This time we brought our kids.  Our daughter ordered the caramel hot chocolate.  She said this is the second best hot chocolate she has ever had - and she fancies herself a hot chocolate connoisseur (the best hot chocolate she has ever had was at Discovery Cove in Orlando, FL - not sure why this was SO great....but she swears by their hot chocolate). Our son had hot apple cider.  It was so fresh tasting and warmed you through and through. (By the way, since I have started this blog, everyone in our family is willing to share their food with me.  MAJOR bonus of this blog for me!)

I forced myself not to order the same dish I did last time (zucchini cakes with poached eggs). I ordered the cheese grits (I am a HUGE grits fan!) with anduoille sausage - and I added shrimp, an option on the menu.  It, surprisingly, didn't have much flavor - except when I got a piece of sausage.  I had to add pepper and salt....not a good sign. I won't be ordering this again.  The grits were smooth and the cheese made it stringy (I love melted cheese!), but still not much flavor. Oh well - cross this off the list.

Our son ordered "Ultimate Grilled Cheese" - cheddar and monterey cheese, tomato, bacon on sourdough bread.  This was definitely the winner of the day.  Crunchy, melty, salty, fabulous!!!

I had lunch with my husband at Brunch Cafe (in Fox River Grove, IL).  Yum!! I had the California crepe.  Scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, avocado, bacon and spinach all in a crepe.  I like this because there is a nice subtle sweetness to the crepe that make the whole thing taste special and different from just a scramble with the same ingredients.  Few things I would change.....I wish there was more of a texture that could be brought to it by the bacon and the crepe itself feels a bit greasy/buttery to me.  All in all, not bad.  Not the best...and certainly not the worst!  The service here is always good - fast, nice and keeps a full glass of whatever.  We haven't been to any other of their locations, but this is one restaurant everyone in the family agrees to go to.

I thawed out the tomato sauce I made on January 10th.  In my usual manner, this dinner was made up of lots of different things for everyone to put together their dinner how ever they want.  I made spaghetti squash, not healthy (aka non-whole wheat) spaghetti, chicken breasts, and eggplant. Then just put the sauce over whatever you choose.  Needless to say....didn't go over so well.  Only 2 out of the 5 of us liked this dinner. I am not sure what this feeling is that I get when my family doesn't like my dinner. Inadequate, frustrated, angry.  Over people not liking food...really?  My family not eating my food brings out such negative feelings. I just don't have an "oh well" feeling when people, especially my family, doesn't like my food.  I just can't let it roll off my back like I let most everything else.

Here is the chicken.  I bought chicken that was on sale - it had the bone and skin on it, but for $1.99 a pound, I boned and skinned it. I put it on tin foil (helps in the cleaning department) and put it in the oven at 375 degrees.  After about 20 minutes, I put the sauce and cheese on it and put it back in the oven for about another 10 minutes.  A kind of a healthier chicken parmigian.

This is the spaghetti squash.  I "stabbed" the squash about 10 times all around it, then put in the microwave for 6 minutes.  Once it was all soft, I cut it in half, scooped out the seeds, and scraped out the squash with a spoon.  It just shreds on its own and is SO yummy.  With the sauce over it, it is even better.  My daughter also likes it with just parmigian cheese. Very healthy and delicious meal or side dish. 

Here is the sauce and the "unhealthy" noodles.  It was my compromise dish.  

This was just for me - no one likes eggplant.  I cut it into pieces , put it into the foil lined pan and put it in the oven with the chicken.  After about 15 minutes, I put sauce and cheese over it.  Simple and yum, just minimal protein.

This was my plate - eggplant, chicken and squash.  I loved it all, but our eldest daughter is the only other one who liked it.