Flexibility is a necessity when you have to cook for a large group.  Flexibility is essential if you want to buy main ingredients in bulk and be able to use them periodically without repetition.  One of the “must haves” around here is chicken breast.  It is easy to portion out and a veritable blank canvas when it comes to meal options – it works on the grill, with pasta, in salads (or as a salad), you can stir fry it or pan fry it, you can stuff it and ….. you get my point. Well, today... more

Spring is here! See the flower? Too bad there is snow in the forecast for this week. Fluffy white snow…flowers…spring is dead. In honor of the winter-like weather, I’m making a Thanksgiving dinner to say goodbye to March. Comfort food to help me get through the snow predicted for Tuesday. Monday: California grilled chicken sandwiches with avocado, chips and salsa, baked french fries Tuesday: Turkey breast, cornbread dressing (with the leftover cornbread from last week),... more

Here are a few links to recipes by fellow food bloggers we have consumed recently and loved, loved, loved. They have the O6 seal of approval. The Best Chocolate Sheet Cake. Ever. – The Pioneer Woman If you want to fit into your jeans, this may not be the best decision. I could eat half of this in one sitting. By myself. Corned Beef Hash – Simply Recipes If you read my One Deal, Five Meals post from St. Patty’s Day, you know that corned beef is occupying my freezer. This provided the... more

Okay, so heavy whipping cream may not be what you’re thinking when you the words “dinner,” “staple,” or “versatile menu item” run through your head. However, luxurious cream flowed freely this week. (It’s all about moderation and pairing with healthy options here at Chez O.) The heavy whipping cream love affair started with a trip to a tequila bar with the neighbors, a glass of sangria and one physical education teacher requesting I make him “the... more

Bacon-Wrapped Tenderloin – The Prequel (the cutting and bacon-wrapping portion) Sometimes we avoid cooking certain foods because we think they need to be complicated or the main ingredient is too expensive. It would be a shame to try a new recipe with a high priced piece of meat only to mess it up and end up eating cold cereal instead. Well, here’s a simple way to take an intimidating cut (beef tenderloin) and turn it into the culinary highlight of the week for your family. Bacon-wrapped... more

It’s beer cheese soup! It looks suspiciously like rice, no? Remember my beer cheese soup from yesterday? It has transformed into a pile of cheesy goodness. It’s easy, and it was a wonderful addition to this cut of meat. We often cook more food than we need to purposely have some for lunches and weekends. The problem with leftovers is they sit in the back of the fridge, alone. Forgotten. You open the fridge, hungry, looking for a tasty addition to a meal, a delightful snack. That... more

Kiwi helps stir to melt the cheese We do a soup swap. Everyone brings soup; we eat the soup; the leftovers go home with people. It’s great. I received some delicious turkey noodle soup from the last soup swap that Kidney Bean is is love with. Somehow, I decided that making a beer cheese soup was a good idea. While I do love my beer cheese, it isn’t really a meal in a bowl. So, I probably failed my neighbors on this one. To make it a full meal, you’d probably want to add larger... more