Nugget’s Baked Mahi-Mahi with Lemon Peels

Many of you probably have never heard of the Nugget Market. It’s not a big change, although they have expanded from their humble beginnings. The father-and-son team of William and Mack Stille opened their humble little market in the sleepy town of Woodland California in September of 1926. The premise behind their store was to deliver the best possible produce at prices their neighbors could afford. And the store got its name from a contest; the winner was an 8-year-old girl who thought the gold painted pillars at the front of the market looked like gold rush Nuggets. Needless to say, the store front has evolved to capitalize on the image of the gold rush nuggets.

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Warm Ham and Cheddar Loaf

Hubby is such a strange man. He will not nibble on a cheese platter. He turns his nose up at my wonderful holiday Cheese Ball creation. Put cheese on a burger? No way! But grill a ham sandwich and he loves American Cheese or a nice slice of cheddar. Pizza? You bet, pile on the cheese. I guess you could say Hubby’s a selective cheese eater.

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Italian Lemon Grilled Tilapia Piccata

Didn’t I tell you Italy has some of the best Lenten Dishing going? I love Piccata. I first fell in love with Veal Piccata, then perfected my own take on Chicken Piccata. At Christmas, one of our favorites is Dover Sole Piccata. I’ve even made my Pork Piccata the star of a six course Italian Supper.

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Celebrating National Burrito Day

National Burrito Day is one of those moving holidays, much like American’s Thanksgiving. The celebration of all things Burrito is observed annually on the first Thursday of April. The word burritos was a term used in the Guanajuato reason, and it means Little Donkey in Spanish. Some believe that burritos got their name because they look like the bedrolls and packs that were carried on the backs of small donkeys. In other regions of Mexico, a similar rolled tortilla is known as a Flauta. Chimichangas are a type of burrito that has been deep-fried rather than grilled. While no one knows for sure, it’s believed that the Burrito was first introduced in the United States in the 1930’s at the El Cholo Spanish Café in Los Angeles. El Cholo has been in operation since the 1920’s and continues to serve up authentic family recipes.

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Spinach-Ricotta Manicotti

Sometimes my mind works in very strange ways. Take Rome and the Vatican for example. We eat a lot of Italian inspired suppers during Lent because meatless pastas are so darn easy, their seafood dishes are swimming in awesomeness and everything is super delicious. So, is the Vatican in the heart of Rome for the food, or is Italian meatless dishes so doggone good because of all those Catholic Cooks in Italy? I know, it’s a silly thought. The Vatican’s location has nothing to do with the food, but just maybe all those Catholics puttering about in the kitchen has something to do with the food. Just saying . . .

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Finding a Rainbow

Did you know that today is National Find a Rainbow Day and National Walking Day? Wouldn’t it be lovely to take a stroll after those April Showers and be greeted by a beautiful rainbow? But then again, there’s no promise of finding a rainbow in the sky as  you stroll along after the rain. So how about this idea instead – take a walk, then come home to a beautiful Rainbow Fruit Platter. Depending upon when you take your stroll, this could be an afternoon delight or the evening’s dessert.

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Spicy Salmon Burgers with Lemon Chive Mayonnaise

Growing up in a Catholic Household, we ate a lot of tuna fish sandwiches and fish sticks. It was always a welcome treat to visit my Aunt, who would change things up a bit with her Salmon Patties. When I began serving Salmon Patties in my kitchen, it was usually with a good Newburg Sauce. Still, the salmon patties were formed from canned salmon.

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French Vanilla Peanut Butter and Jelly Cake

April 2 is National Peanut Butter and Jelly Day. This food holiday is a classic favorite of many, and for good reason. The average American will eat over 2,000 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches by the time they graduate from high school. Hum, that’s a lot of sandwiches. Guess Hubby’s not the average American because he’s never eaten a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich even once. Strange man eats Peanut Butter and Butter Sandwiches.

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Seafood Enchiladas in a Green Sauce

It’s Tuesday – as in Taco Tuesday. I’m not sure where this whole tacos on Tuesday craze first started. Doing a little digging, and it seems that Taco Johns has Taco Tuesday as a registered trademark since 1989. While Taco Johns were not the first to utter the phrase, they were business-savvy enough to trademark the expression.

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William’s Very Berry Fool

Confession time – this recipe comes straight from William Sonoma. I have not tried it yet. I’m sharing it now because today is April 1st – APRIL FOOL’S DAY and a dessert called Berry Fool just seemed so appropriate, don’t you think? We are going to make this very soon. Some of our neighboring smaller, family run strawberry farms are beginning to sell baskets of little berries. Hubby and I are already making plans for a drive in the country (which means about a 10 minute drive from our home!) to get some fresh picked berries in the very near future. We just need to get our butts in gear for some of those early morning dew-kissed berries. Yum!

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Meatless Chili in Sourdough Bread Bowls

Good Morning World! Today is one of my favorite days. It’s National Sourdough Bread Day. Keep in mind, to this day one of my most beloved cities to visit is San Francisco. I grew up in the sixties, and San Francisco was the place to be. To this day, I love to go down to the wharf, buy a container of cold crab salad, a loaf of sourdough bread and a bottle of wine, then have a picnic on the beach and watch the seagulls.

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It’s National Tater Day – Can you Dig It?

As many of you know, I write a lot of my posts weeks or even months in advance of actually posting. That means when I say “last night” while it may been last night as far as writing is concerned, the reality could be weeks ago as far as posting is concerned. Take today’s post for example. It’s mid February as far as real time is concerned, but it will be the end of March before posting. Why? In the case of this recipe, the last day of March is National Tater Day. I spend the better part of any afternoon reading recipes for Taters. Could be mashed, or baked or fried. What I was craving were cheesy, spicy taters. Hubby is a big fan of Tater-Tots. It’s only in the last year that I have come to embrace the Tater-Tot in the same way he does.

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Family Traditions and The Sunday Roast

Today is the 4th Sunday of the Lenten Season. So why are we talking about a big, beautiful Roast Beef smack dab in the middle of Lent? Two reasons. First, it’s Sunday! Sundays are traditionally a time for family, for celebration and a day for reconnecting. Even during the abstinence of Lent, Sundays are a reason to rejoice. Secondly, it’s Sunday! Once upon a time, Sunday’s Roast was a part of family life. Now, not so much.

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Cajun Shrimp Macaroni and Cheese

It’s coming to an end – all this talk of Lenten Season. Three Sundays from today and we’ll be wearing our Easter Bonnets! (Oh how I miss those days when we really did prance about in our Sunday Best complete with a beautiful new hat. Hum, I wonder – is that why I am fond of wearing hats? A new hat and new shoes were a part of Easter when I was young).

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The Mardi Gras Picnic Muffuletta is Awesome Anytime

Did you know that Muffuletta is not only a sandwich, it’s also a type of round Sicilian Sesame Bread? I didn’t know that. Did you know that the Muffuletta Sandwich as we know it today was actually created in for the public in a Grocery Market on Decatur Street in New Orleans in 1906. The bread itself has been around for centuries, and is commonly eaten on the Day of the Dead, November 2. However; in America this Sicilian sandwich is a big deal at Mardi Gras. Whatever the reason, whatever the celebration or excuse, this is a great sandwich to offer up to a hungry group of people strolling through the park on a beautiful spring afternoon.

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