Ga-Ga-Ga-Green Beans!

Snapped some fresh green beans....

Added some blue cheese....

Chopped up raw pecans....

Threw the beans in microwave with a plate on top and let 'em steam.

Delicious!

The steak is soon to come...

Roasted Rainbow Fingerling Potatoes

These colors are amazing!

Preheat Oven to 375˙

Mix potatoes with:

Olive oil

Garlic

Salt

Pepper

Basil

Pinch of Cayenne

Roast in the oven on a baking sheet for approximately 35 minutes.

Overheard during the meal:

Guest: "Wow, even the burnt potatoes taste good"

Me: "They may not be burnt so much as purple..."

Part 1.

The perfect way to clean out your refrigerator is to make Quesadillas!

This pot top steaming technique helps ensure that the tortilla wont burn before the cheese melts into the veggies.

Very high tech.

When cooking for my brothers I find it's essential to add bacon whenever possible

Fresh lime juice = Awesome

Snack away!

Cookies and beverages on Frontier Airlines

VS

Cookies and Egg Nog at home

Just a pleasant reminder, it's always nice go home.

Thank you Brown Eyed Baker for another amazing treat, Peanut Butter Cup Bars !

This was another Vermont treat, and I'm glad I made two batches.

Everything is always better with peanut butter...butter....and sugar...

I would suggest really crushing the graham crackers - too big of chunks and the bars don't stay in one piece.

This doesn't look entirely appetizing, but my taste buds beg to differ.

For best results, serve cool and eat often.

Viola, deliciousness !

A long weekend in Vermont calls for Zucchini Muffins !

New mixing bowls have made my cooking/baking life much easier.

I added a little more zucchini than suggested, and spiced up some muffins with crushed pecans, and... CHOCOLATE CHIPS

My entire counter space.

A quick reheat in the oven and they were perfect for breakfast or a snack.

The chocolate chip were a definite house favorite. Thank you to my VT host/hostess!

Telluride Jalapeno Poppers

In Colorado we dined at Encore, a great little restaurant on Colfax that had cream cheese stuffed jalapeno poppers wrapped in bacon and served on a shmear of raspberry jam. Imagine that!

I left some seeds in for added spice, some of my guests enjoyed the kick, others did not.

I popped these suckers in at 400, for approximately 15 minutes / until the bacon was crispy.

I wish I had a final photo for you, but in this case as soon as they were out, they were gone.

Broccoli at its best!

It's that time of the month, book club, and I'm in charge of bringing a side dish.

Broccoli

Olive Oil

Salt

Pepper

Cayenne

Lemon

Toss in olive oil, salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

Bake for about 35 - 45 minutes at 400

Pack it up for your book club friends and enjoy, it's truly a mash-up of the senses, part sour, part spicy, entirely easy and awesome.