Friday, November 5, 2010

Scottish Steak Pie/Pulled Meat in a Slow Cooker Crock Pot #Twirlies! #SlowCookerMeals #PulledMeat #PuffPastry #ParchmentPaper #Hogmanay!

Scottish Steak Pie - Sorta! So Delicious! 
Holiday Shopping! Yippee! 
Happy Hogmanay!! : )
(Tha's Scottish New Year! lol!)

This is my own version of the Traditional Scottish Steak Pie. In the Traditional Steak Pie (Steak and Kidney Pie), it's full of Steak and Kidneys, which I do not like -- not at all! But I love, love, love Steak Pie, so I adapted it to a more 'North American' taste, taking out the yucky Kidneys, and replacing the kidneys with sausages (yum!).


Shredded Steak  (this time I used a pot roast).  Sooo good!

Now I just pop the meat right in the oven - use about an inch of water in the pan, with a package of Onion soup Mix, cover with foil, let it cook at 350 for 6 hours, or so... you want it to flake, then do the pulled meat with 2 forks : ) 
Put the meat in the crock pot, cover with boiling water and one package of Onion Soup mix and whatever spices you like... I love Montreal Steak Spice : )
(The other night, I made just the steak in the Crock Pot Slow Cooker, but I used a roast beef, instead of the usual steak, covered the meat with boiling water with one package of Onion Soup Mix and my favorite Montreal Steak Spice, cooked it on High for 6 hours, Low for anther 6 hours... was incredible! Just pulled apart like pulled pork... pulled meat, if you will (insert joke here... lol!).  This slow cooking makes the meat so tender and delicious.  I just put it on a big plate, and we had it on Nachos with steak and cheese -- yum! And Cara had the pulled steak in toasted sandwiches, and I liked it just on it's own, as a little snack whenever I walked by the fridge! lol! This makes very lean meat, which is an excellent snack, for sures! So something to try, see if you'd like to add this to your regular fave meals!)

Ingredients:

1 Pound Beef Cubes or Steak (well, I just look for a nice piece of meat - like you're at the bar, in the 1970's - hahaha!) - a roast beef, or round steak with a very small amount of fat, or Angus Steaks - whatever looks good to you, and now I think I use a lot more meat, too.. do what's right for you : )

1 Pound Sausage (I like large English Sausage or Mild Italian Sausage)

Onion Soup Mix (1 Package - sometimes a wee bit more - you don't want it to be too salty... or 6 Tablespoons of the Onion Soup Mix from the Bulk Package -- from Costco!)

1 Package of Sliced Mushrooms (If Whole, just Quarter the Mushrooms)

1 Tablespoon Montreal Steak Spice (or Whatever Steak Spice you use -- 1 tsp if it's too salty)

4 Cups of Water (or whatever it takes to come halfway up the pan, if it's in the oven)

Bisto, Flour or Corn Starch for the Gravy.

Puff Pastry (Just buy the Package at your Local Grocers in the Frozen Pastry Section -- usually over by the Fozen Fruit.)

1 Egg (optional)

Salt

Directions:
I use a Large Electric Wok to make the Meat, since it's huge and holds a nice steady heat. I've made it in a Crock Pot, before (pop the meat in before you go out to work...). You can use a Big Skillet, too.

You know what?  If I'm home during the day, on the weekend, I just pop it all in the oven, cover it well with tin foil, it's good for 6 - 8 hours, whammo, all done, delicious!! Just pull the meat apart with two forks, cut the sausages into little pieces - yum and done! lol!) 

Brown the Sausages. Remove from the Pan and slice. (If you have a George Foreman Grill, or the like, that's even better to remove the ft from the sausages... then brown the steak right after the sausages are done. Mnnn, lovely!)

In the same pan, brown the Meat.

Toss the Mushrooms in on top of the Meat. Cover and simmer a wee bit. (about 5-10 minutes)

Add the Sliced Sausages

Add the Water. Stir in the Onion Soup mix and the Spices.

Turn the Heat down to Simmer.

Cover and leave it for hours and hours. Literally. The longer this cooks, the tastier it is, so if you put it on in the morning, the steak will be sooo tender by the evening. Yum. (Do I sound hungry??)

(Now I just put it all in a giant pan, cover well with foil, pop in the oven for 6 - 8 hours - done!  so easy, you don't need any fancy equipment : )

 Pull the potatoes out, when it's all done, but let the potatoes cook all day, too - scrub and pierce the potatoes - they'll be delicious and nutritious : )


When the Steak is cooked nicely (it'll shred easily), remove all fat from the meat and pull apart with a fork. It's easy if you just remove it onto a separate plate. Return Shredded Steak If you have a wee dog, they will love you even more if you share a wee bit with them!

Using a Slotted Spoon, remove all the Meat and Mushrooms from the Pan and place in a Deep Pie Dish. I usually double the batch so I can make enough for Two Big Steak Pies, since that'll make it much easier the next time we have it -- I just put the extra Meat in another Pie Dish and freeze it -- no Pastry on the Frozen Pie.


This is my new favorite thing to do with the Puff Pastry - just roll it out, cut into pieces, put on Parchment Paper, brush with egg, salt them, pop them in the oven for about 15 minutes - until they're lovely and puffed up, a yummy golden color - soo good! Just serve the Puff Pastry on the side, that way, everyone can take as many as they'd like (a lot, so, I make the whole batch, but, if I DO have any Puff Pastry left, I'll roll it out, cut in 4 squares, fruit filling on one half, fold over and press the ends together - Voila, you're very own Turnovers - ah'yum!)

Make the Gravy. The easiest way to make a nice smooth Gravy is to put a Couple of Tablespoons of Corn Starch and a pinch of Salt into a Tea Cup. Stir the Corn Starch and Salt to make it smooth. Then add 1 to 2 Tablespoons of the Liquid (see in the picture?) to the Tea Cup. Stir into the Corn Starch until completely smooth. Add in a bit more at a time until you have about a half-cup of the 'Pre-Gravy' mix. Turn the heat up on the Liquid, then quickly stir in the 'Pre-Gravy' mix. The Gravy will thicken up and be delicious in no time. (Seconds, really...)

Pour the Gravy over the Meat in the Pie Dish.

 haha! Li'l groovy gravy joke for ye', there - hahaha!


Puff Pastry: Oh, I love Puff Pastry! Follow the Package Instructions and take it out of the Freezer well in advance. Remove one 'Square' of the Pastry and roll it out on some Parchment Paper (if you have it) with lots of Flour on the Rolling Surface so it won't stick. Put plenty of flour on the rolling pin, too. Roll it to fit the Pie Plate -- about 1/8th of an inch thick.

Really, this is sooo much easier and faster - and it's time to move ahead with everything, including our favorite food and recipes, so, give this a wee try, you'll love it, your family will love it, and if they're all mad, they don't get to come over, any more - hahaha! Jus' kidding - you'll prolly still have to have them over, but you should not have to put up with complaining, if you've made a lovely meal, soooo... well.. Good Luck with that! 

And remember that if you make the Puff Pastry on a cookie sheet like this, it'll only take about 15 minutes to bake, so keep a wee eye on it : )


Okay, now who forgot the veggies?? hahaha! Potatoes are veggies, right? Okay, for a minute, there, I was a li'l worried - and, frankly, I love our Steak Pie, or Pulled Roast Beef with Puff Pastry and potatoes, with green beans, not with peas - I'm flyin' in the face o' tradition - hahaha! 


 And you can just roast yer potatoes, too... see all the options? Yum! Slice, a little Olive Oil and salt, bake for ages - so good! 


If you are making the Traditional Steak Pie, which is very, very, nice to look at... Place the Pastry on top of the Meat, and trim around the edges. Make little 'slot marks' in the center of the Steak Pie with a sharp knife. If you're feeling creative, shape the extra pieces of Pastry into Leaves and 'glue them' onto the Pie Crust with a wee bit of Egg.

Beat One Egg. Using a Pastry Brush, very lightly 'paint' the egg on the Pastry. (If you are allergic to Eggs, just skip this part and use milk.) Sprinkle a wee bit of Salt on the Pastry with a normal Salt Shaker.

Pop in the Oven for about 45 minutes, to cook the Puff Pastry. Check back at 20 minutes to see how it's doing, and to turn the Pie if you need to. The Finished Steak Pie should be a lovely Golden Brown.
Serve with Mashed Potatoes and Peas. (That's the Traditional Meal -- usually served at Hogmanay, the Scottish New Year.) I make it year-round, because it's delicious and everybody loves it. And now that I've just written all about it, I'm desperate for a wee bit of it, now, so I think I'll make it this week!
I must have some photos of the finished Product, so I'll go through my old Photos to see where it is!

Happy Eating! Ailsa!

Look who's tried this Recipe:

Hi, Ailsa. I found your web site when looking for a recipe for Steak Pie. My husband loves to get it when we go to a little pub in Napanee. There it is Steak and Kidney, but like yourself, I am not a fan of Kidney. I tried your recipe today-I was afraid of the Puff pastry, as I had never used it before, but it all turned out very well, and my husband loved it.

Where were you born in Scotland? I am origionally from Dundee, but have been in Canada for 40 years.
I don't know where you get the time for all the STUFF for your web site. It is fun reading it.

Best Wishes ...........Helen

Hello, Helen! That's one of my favorite names! Oh, I love Napanee -- so pretty. I think I know the Pub... is it on the Main Street? I'm glad you liked the Steak Pie -- delicious, isn't it? Did you happen to make Apple or Cherry Turnovers with the extra Puff Pastry? I always do that, and everyone loves them. Good for your Figure, too, as far as I'm willing to understand how Puff Pastry fits into a Diet! ha,ha!

I was born in Glasgow, Scotland (Cumbernauld), and we all moved to Canada when I was 2 and a half, so I've been here for 40 years, too. Except for a few lucky years in my Twenties when I got to live in California... We have many friends from Dundee, so I have to assume that you have a great sense of humour, since I think that's a given if you're from Dundee or the surrounding area, am I right??

I love that you found my little website -- well, not so wee, anymore! I started it with a baby on my lap, and now he's in Grade One (and Cara was in Grade 8, and I had to wait for her to come home from school so she could turn the computer on for me, because I couldn't seem to remember how to do that, so it was quite a feat for me to become a successful website owner... and now Cara has finished High School and is heading to Scotland to visit my Mum & Dad this Spring -- lucky girl!), so it's a long, slow process... and a whole lot of fun. I don't know anyone who is only interested in one thing, so that's my theory behind adding in whatever happens to appeal to me on the site. Plus, who's gonna stop me? ha,ha,ha!

Thanks for Writing! I love to hear from my Readers! Ailsa : )




Hello, again!  Here's a wee update from me, Ailsa... now I have an even EASIER way to make the Steak Pie - we do love it, year round - why save something delicious for just one night a year - dat crazy!  You don't have to do that - do anything you want, right?  Right! lol!  


Soo, this is how I do the Puff Pastry, now - you don't have to make it look like a very pretty pie, although that's a lovely way to make your Steak Pie, but this is waaay easier, much faster, and I just serve the Puff Pastry along with the meat - then you can get as much as you'd like, in each serving...






The Tenderflake Puff Pastry is the best one in North America - and Target has the best prices, usually $3 a box, and you get 2 'pieces' of Puff Pastry per box.  You'll just need to thaw it out, use a cutting board and some flour, roll it out 'til it'' pretty thin... don't worry about measuring it, or anything - it'll be delicious, one way or another, and once you've used it once, you'll be your own expert at how you like it - lol!





See the Puff Pastry dough all rolled out?  That's just the one piece - that's usually enough for one meal, but if you and your company looove Puff Pastry, go ahead and make both pieces of the dough.  

Oh, and here's a wee trick, in case you've forgotten to thaw out the Puff Pastry Dough - you can simply slice it down from the side - you'll see ridges on the side of the dough, just slice it thinly, like you would slice cheese, then put those in the oven - with the egg and lightly salt them - yum!  You can also pop the Puff Pastry in the microwave to thaw it - I'd say, maybe 30 seconds... do a wee bit at a time, so the dough is easily manageable : )




I always use Parchment Paper - I love it!  Is fantastic, and I didn't discover Parchment Paper until I was in my 30's - but it is fantastic for cookies - I always use it for my Shortbread, to - ooh, reminds me, I still have some rounds of Shortbread in my fridge from Christmas... will pop some in the oven for New Years, too - yum!  That's a lot of delicious food!  And all Scottish - well, my version of Scottish! lol! 

So, Do you see the wee bowl of 1 egg, mixed?  I do not like the 'beaten with a fork' - seems so mean, right? lol!  Anyway, give the egg a good mix with your fork (hopefully, you have more than one fork : ) then brush each piece of the pastry with a wee bit of egg (skip this, obviously, if you either don't like eggs, or are allergic to them, but, well, that seems like it goes without saying, right? haha!  But, you know, just for clarity sake - lol!).  Then I lightly salt each one - gives the puff pastry a savoury taste - soo good, you'll go crazy for it... we all love it, soo much!  I always make extra, since it's great to have with the leftover meat, that everyone loves to have the following day... 



Well, here it is with no veggies, on a regular night - none of us even wanted the veggies, so then I declared the potatoes to be the veggies - and now, I just do the whole thing in the oven - you put the steak or roast down on the bottom of a very big pan, then add the sausages (I use the Medium Spiced Italian Sausage from the butcher's section), the sliced mushrooms, then sprinkle on the Onion Soup Mix, then pour about 4 cups of boiling water over all of that, cover well with tin foil, pop in the oven for about 6 - 8 hours - is a great meal on a cold day, or a day you know you'll be staying in - we call these, lovingly, 'reading days', which we love : )  I still use my crock pot, but not as much - seems like a lot of work getting it out, and waiting for it to heat up, when I can just pop the whole thing in the oven... and then I 'pull the meat apart' - as in all 'pulled meat', which we also love (admittedly, we love a lot of things - lol!), and cut the sausages - no need to do any of that at the beginning - oh, and I just remembered my new thing - I place potatoes all around the outside edge of the pan, before the water goes on... these will be THE BEST smashed potatoes, ever - and if you have extra, you can turn them into these....





Just Olive Oil in the cookie tray, cut the potatoes - they don't already have to be cooked, but this is a great way to 'use up' your potatoes from the Steak Pie Dinner, the night before... and a wee bit of Seasoning Salt  -  move the potato slices about in the olive oil, so they're all coated lightly, bake for about 45 minutes, I think.. maybe a bit longer - we love them all crispy - yum! 



And here they are, all done!  Yum! Oven Roasted (and Toasted??) Potato Slices : ) 

Enjoy!!  You can pop any leftovers in the Freezer, will be delicious another day! Ailsa : )

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This is so cool - let's say you've now been binge watching your fave shows, and you STILL have 4 more seasons left of your brand new-to-you show, soo you don't want to get up off the couch, but, also, you know you should probably get you' some groceries?

Problem - Solution! lol! 

Check and see if your area is covered by either VONS or Safeway... they cover some of the same areas, and some different areas - does that make sense? lol!

I loove this Delivery Service for Groceries and whatever you might need, right to your door, just in general, but what a great idea in bad weather, no more stooopid traffic, or if you're not feeling up to going out to the store, or you just don't feeeel like going out to the store...or if you're like me, and get so caught up in whatever you're working on, and don't want to stop just 'for food' - haha! And no need for Taxis, if you need to take a cab to the grocery store...that's a huge savings, right there, right?

Wow, Grocery Delivery Service - that's fantastico!! Yippee!!  Hello, Future - you look great! : )




I think this is such an amazing new service for your groceries - and anything you ever need from the grocery store - if you've ever had a time when you had a tiny baby, or you're super-busy (same thing - hahaha! All the New Moms will be laughing, now - lol!)..but if you're busy at work, or busy at home, or traffic, or you're busy binge-watching your favorite shows - hahahahaha! This might be the new wave of the future, right? Ordering your groceries online?

And I would imagine you would save a lot of money, since you would just buy what you actually need... might really work for dieting, too, since, well, if we're in the store, and be 'we', I mean 'me'...anyway, let's say I've got my grocery list, then I'm at the store, and I think, you know what, I'll just nick down the Candy Aisle, see if Chocolate is on sale (see how much I like Sale Chocolate - hahaha! Is it tastier, or just less expensive?? We'll never know! It's all gone, now - hahaha!)

Not that you couldn't just 'browse' for that, anyway... right? Me thinkin', now, o' course, where is the Sale Chocolate, online?? hahaha! But let's say you're you, and not me, and you have a LOT more self control than maybe ME do... so you order all the things you really wanted, and not just a whole cart full o' Wunderbars, on sale... hahahaha! Wouldn't THAT be fun - just a cartful of Sale Chocolate?? haha! Okay, clearly, me needs a treat! lol! : ) #SaleChocolate! Ha!

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Parchment Paper, and why I love it so much! lol! : )

 I really, really want to encourage you to become Best Friends with Parchment Paper (it never talks back, and your food will always be perfect! lol! 

Anything you might think has to be fried, can be popped in the oven on a piece of Parchment Paper on a cookie tray - easy schmeasy!

Often, I'll put a little variety of things from the freezer, on the Parchment Paper, on the cookie sheet - lol! Pop whatever it is you're making, in the oven at 350 degrees, for a lot longer than they suggest on the package - 10 minutes, 18 minutes - that's never enough to get the crisp factor you're probably looking for - the crispier it is, the more it tastes like it's fried, and think of all the fat you'll save - for later, for, maybe, some treats fo' you? haha! No, that's how I think, but, you might think like that, to - lol! 

Any way you can 'health-up' your life, and the lives of your children, the better, right? 

Health It Up! : )


And then just heat up some fancy sauces - my new favorite is a combo of Sweet Thai Chili Sauce and Plum Sauce - omg, I loove that, makes a delicious dip for chicken or meatballs - and then BBQ Sauce is always delicious as a dip, or you can just throw your meatballs right in the microwave, cover them with BBQ sauce, microwave for 10 minutes, done! 

Oh, I've got loooots of delicious things you can eat, in very little time, it's all delicious, you're family will love them - and you will, too - and so will your waist, baby! Yippee!! : )

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Spread butter on a sheet of thawed Puff Pastry - just take it out the freezer, usually the night before, will be very easy to work with, since now your Puff Pastry comes in sheets, and a package of 2 - yahoo! Ah'Yum!

Savory: Butter
Parmesan Cheese, sprinkled on the pastry
Havarti Cheese Slices - or, any cheese you have on hand : )

Just roll that up, slice in little pieces, place on a fresh piece of Parchment Paper, lightly salt, pop in the oven at 350, for about 15 - 20 minutes, until a lovely golden color, and the cheese will bubble up to the top, will be so delicious!


I divided the Puff Pastry in 2 - 1/2 for savory, the other half sweet - yum!

Sweet: Butter
Sprinkle with Brown Sugar
Sprinkle with Cinnamon
Carefully roll it up, lengthways if you want them little, the other way if you want them huge, I guess - lol!
Slice and put on a fresh piece of Parchment Paper (the one that comes with the Puff Pastry is questionable, use it in a pinch, but I hope you've gone mad and gotten a thing of Parchment Paper, and now it's your favorite thing to bake with - lol!
Bake at 350 for about 10 - 15 minutes - watch this one, it's better to take it out before you think the Puff Pastry is as cooked as you think it should be, because you don't want the brown sugar to burn...
Flip them over when they come out the oven - divine! So good! : )




Enjoy! Oh, man, these are all so delicious - you'll love them, your family will love them - if you have any left, your friends will love them - so, safe to say, they're deeeelish! ; )

Your little cooking pal, Ailsa! xoxo!!


#CookiesAndCreamCake Easy #BirthdayCake : ) Flower Cake (Turns into a Snowflake Cake in the winter! lol!) #ChocolateWaferCookieCake #MrChristie #Yum! #EasyCake

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Flower Cake (Turns into a Snowflake Cake in the winter! lol!) 

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This is an absolutely delicious little Cake, and it couldn't be easier to make! It's just a matter of Layering Whip Cream and Chocolate Wafer Cookies... 

You can substitute Vanilla Wafers if you looove vanilla, and you can sprinkle the top with White Chocolate shavings or coconut (or both.... gives me a good idea! lol!).  Enjoy!!

You can make this lovely 'n light Layered Cookies 'n Cream Cake in any size - I just made a giant one for my son's 18th Birthday, because this is one of his favorite cakes! Yum! 


I like to make this wee cake in the shape of a flower, because I happen to looove flowers (and that same shape magically transforms to look like a snowflake in the winter! lol), but you can make this in a square pan or a rectangle pan, depending on ho many people you want to serve, or how many times you might like to serve yourself! hahaha!  

You can add some food coloring in to the whip cream if you would like a different color, but we like ours creamy white - is pretty, and we can never wait very long to have this lovely wee cake!





Ingredients:
1 Package of Chocolate Wafer Cookies. (I like Mr. Christie Chocolate Wafers)
(2 packages for the giant 9" X 13" pan! Yum!)

1 Mid-Size Container of Whipping Cream -- or use Dream Whip to keep it low-calorie, or Cool Whip : ) (The giant container Whipping Cream for the giant cake!)

I Tsp. Vanilla

1/4 Cup Sugar (Just sprinkle some sugar into the whipping cream, as it's whipping - be super careful!)

This Cookies 'N Cream Cake takes about 15 Minutes to Make.

Directions:

Step One: Get out a Plate or a Baking Dish. I always make this little Cake on a Pretty Plate, and put the Chocolate Wafer Cookies in a Flower Shape. (One Cookie in the Middle, and enough cookies to go around it like petals...) Arrange One Layer of the Cookies.

Step Two: Whip up the Whipping Cream. Put the Bowl (preferably Metal) and the Beaters in the Freezer for a while before you whip the cream. The Cold Metal seems to help in the Whipping Process... Slowly add the Sugar, then the Vanilla. Whip until Fluffy.

(Keep in mind that if you go mad with the 'whipping', you might just end up with a big ol' batch of Butter, so stop whipping while the Whip Cream looks Fluffy enough.)

Step Three: With a nice Spatula, carefully spread each cookie with Whip Cream. Be generous with the Whip cream. If you are in a real hurry, just put a 'dob' of Whip Cream on each cookie, then go ahead and do about 5 or 6 Layers of Cookies and Cream.

Step Four: When you have a whole Layer of Cookies all covered with Cream, start the next Layer of Cookies. It's easier to hold the cookie in your hand while you spread the cream on it, then plop it down it's it's rightful place. Then just keep going until you have as many Layers that you want, or until you run out of Cookies!

Step Five: Cover the entire Top and Sides (unless it's in a Baking Dish! ha,ha!), then pop the Cake into the Fridge for at least 4 hours. If it's still in there, and no-one else has already eaten it, this makes a fabulous and light Dessert with Dinner!

Oh, and by 'Light', I don't really mean 'Low in Calories', because my take on Dessert is that you might as well enjoy it -- just don't eat the whole thing yourself -- in one sitting! yuff, yuff!

Did I already say you can use the Dream Whip with Skim Milk, if you want to keep the calories down? But keep in mind, Whipping Cream is 0 Carbs... and there's a lot of new thought about Fat being okay, soooo... I think you'll be okay, if you stick with the Whipping cream, but make it either way,you'll love it! : )

Omg, this li'l cake is soo light and delicious!


And soo easy to make!

 I like to make it in the 8" X 8" pan, now - then the little lid that comes with the pan, goes right on top, pop it in the fridge for tomorrow - whammo! Delicious! Takes about 10 minutes to make - more, if the kids are doing each cookie individually, which is fun, too! : )


This is really an amazing little cake, because it looks like a 5 layer cake, or a seven layer cake, depending on how many layers of the chocolate wafer cookies you use... and it is soo light and creamy - absolutely delicious!


And here's a very shadowy picture of Aidan and Cara enjoying the Cookies 'n Cream Cake!



Happy Cooking! Ailsa!
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Online Grocery Delivery - Yes, Please! Oooh... Order it here, they'll bring it to you, there.... yahoo! 

This is so cool - let's say you've now been binge watching your fave shows, and you STILL have 4 more seasons left of your brand new-to-you show, soo you don't want to get up off the couch, but, also, you know you should probably get you' some groceries?

Problem - Solution! lol! 

Check and see if your area is covered by either VONS or Safeway... they cover some of the same areas, and some different areas - does that make sense? lol!

I loove this Delivery Service for Groceries and whatever you might need, right to your door, just in general, but what a great idea in bad weather, no more stooopid traffic, or if you're not feeling up to going out to the store, or you just don't feeeel like going out to the store...or if you're like me, and get so caught up in whatever you're working on, and don't want to stop just 'for food' - haha! And no need for Taxis, if you need to take a cab to the grocery store...that's a huge savings, right there, right?

Wow, Grocery Delivery Service - that's fantastico!! Yippee!!  Hello, Future - you look great! : )




I think this is such an amazing new service for your groceries - and anything you ever need from the grocery store - if you've ever had a time when you had a tiny baby, or you're super-busy (same thing - hahaha! All the New Moms will be laughing, now - lol!)..but if you're busy at work, or busy at home, or traffic, or you're busy binge-watching your favorite shows - hahahahaha! This might be the new wave of the future, right? Ordering your groceries online?

And I would imagine you would save a lot of money, since you would just buy what you actually need... might really work for dieting, too, since, well, if we're in the store, and be 'we', I mean 'me'...anyway, let's say I've got my grocery list, then I'm at the store, and I think, you know what, I'll just nick down the Candy Aisle, see if Chocolate is on sale (see how much I like Sale Chocolate - hahaha! Is it tastier, or just less expensive?? We'll never know! It's all gone, now - hahaha!)

Not that you couldn't just 'browse' for that, anyway... right? Me thinkin', now, o' course, where is the Sale Chocolate, online?? hahaha! But let's say you're you, and not me, and you have a LOT more self control than maybe ME do... so you order all the things you really wanted, and not just a whole cart full o' Wunderbars, on sale... hahahaha! Wouldn't THAT be fun - just a cartful of Sale Chocolate?? haha! Okay, clearly, me needs a treat! lol! : ) #SaleChocolate! Ha!

Shop Gifts Under $10 from See's Candies!Create your own Custom Chocolate Mix at See's Candies!  Okay, this is MY kind o' Luxury Reward - me always 'reward' mah'self wit' da delicious chocolates! hahaha!  I loove Sees Candies - soo deeelish! The Walnut Squares (#43 - is it bad for me to know the number?? hahahahaha!) (I've got your number..oooh, is it #43??  I hope so! lol!) Ooh, and I see that Sees has a sale, right now, Take $4 off of $20? Yahoo! Sale Chocolate - yes, please! haha! Yum! Don't mind if ah' do...lol! : )

#MacaroniSalad - Healthy, #LowFat And Crazy-Delicious! lol! #Mustard is the secret #Crunchy #Yum! #PotatoSalad #Salad




Deeeelicious Macaroni Salad -- hardly any fat, tons of veggies -- yum!! You'll love it!

Crunchy, delicious and healthy, too!  I go a lot heavier on the mustard, and only put in a little of the mustard and mayonnaise mix to cover the salad... I just put the extra in the fridge (I mix it directly in the measuring cup). I don't like the Macaroni Salad that is just saturated in mayonnaise... yuck! Too heavy for me -- I like light, crispy, cool, healthy, and this is the best Macaroni Salad, ever : ) The colder this Macaroni Salad gets, the better it is, so I looove to have this for breakfast the following day.. and then I have it, by accident, for lunch and dinner, and possibly all snacks, throughout the day -- it's craaazy delicious!






Cool, Crunchy, low fat and delicious Macaroni Salad - yum!

4 Cups Macaroni (Really, I throw in the whole bag... is okay! lol!)
½ Cup Mayonnaise
1 Cup Mustard (or more... I go heavier on the mustard, just put the mixture on a bit at a time)
2 - 4 tbsp. Montreal Steak Spice
Fresh Black Pepper and Salt to Taste (yum!) (Lots! lol!)

Veggies:
2 Green Peppers, diced
1 Red Pepper, diced

1 Orange Pepper, diced
1 Yellow Pepper, dice (I buy the 6 pack of Peppers, and some green peppers)
4 Green Onions, chopped (Optional, too - see how oniony you want it! lol!)(I skip this, now)
1 Red Onion, diced (Hmmm... maybe 1/2 a Red Onion, diced... put in half, first, see how you feel... : )
Whole Celery Stalk, chopped (Or even more celery... love this bit! lol!)
2 tbsp. Relish
1 tbsp. Diced Dill Pickle (Optional -- I have to put it in because that's what Dwight's Mom used to use, so he likes it!)

Step 1: Cook the Macaroni, then Drain and cool.

Step 2: Mix the Mayonnaise and the Mustard in a large Measuring Cup. Blend in Steak Spice.

Step 3: Prepare Veggies. Toss them into a big (and I mean BIG!) Bowl as you prepare each one.

Step 4: Pour the Mustard/Mayo Mixture onto the Veggies, and mix well.

Step 5: Slowly stir in the Macaroni. Sprinkle with Freshly Ground Pepper. Cover and pop in the Fridge. The colder, the better.

(Or you can add the Macaroni to the Veggies, then add the 'Sauce'. Just put in as much as you like -- I often have a bit left over, and I save that for Sandwiches, since it makes a nice Sandwich Spread, too!)

This is a great make-ahead dish for a BBQ.

I came up with this recipe when Dwight, (now my ex-husband, but he's still a good guy -- no worries! lol!), said he’d really looove some Macaroni Salad, and I had no idea how to make it, but I can’t stand the usual ‘mayo salad’ that is usually served, so I just started experimenting in the Kitchen (that’s basically how all my recipes are ‘born’! ha,ha!), and this is what I came up with – now it’s a family favorite! We even eat this for Breakfast! I happen to love lots of ground pepper on mine and a wee dash of salt, but it’s personal taste, so add it if you love it!


Mix the mayonnaise and the mustard -- I like 2 parts mustard to 1 part mayonnaise, but if this is your first time making it, just play around with the ratio until you get it juuust right for you : ) 

I just sprinkle on the Montreal Steak Spice... use any spice you have on hand, if you can't find the Montreal Steak Spice (although, Montreal steak Spice makes a fantastic chicken and steak marinade, too... is worth looking for at the grocery shop! lol!)

I add the regular relish, and now they make Dill Relish, so no more chopping! lol!  I add about 2 tablespoons of each... yummy!
** **

Yum, this is my favorite bit -- tons of chopped veggies!  This will smell and look sooo delicious -- you might want to eat some, right away! lol!

Gently stir in the cold pasta - I run cold water over the macaroni for about 5 minutes, after it's cooked, and then the colder this macaroni salad is, the more delicious it is, so I put it straight into the fridge : )

Add the mustard and mayonnaise mixture a little at a time... maybe 1/2 cup at a time, to get the right consistency for you : )
** **

Chill and enjoy! I love it for breakfast ... then lunch... dinner... snacks! hahaha! You'll love it, and if you're having this macaroni salad at a BBQ, it'll feed a lot of people -- makes a massive amount!  

This is just delicious! Nice and Crunchy and Cool ... a very nice Summer Dish, but great all year round! And a real 'Crowd Pleaser', too!




Happy Cooking! Ailsa : ) xox!

Yum!  Just in case you want to stop smoking, and have been thinking of switching to e-cigarettes... better air, in and out - lol! : ) To You Health! : )

Otay, 'til the next time we meet again! lol!  Ailsa : )

Oh, and here's a funny little story that happened to us, tonight, on our way back home from a fun afternoon of shopping.... we swung by KFC, since we were totally taken in by their fantastic advertising, which they put on during Big Brother, especially during Big Brother After Dark, and it always looks so delicious to me... anyway, so we swing by KFC to get their fancy Anniversary Bucket, with their new KFC Onion rings, which sound really delicious to us, and we totally want to try it...

So I ordered that in the Drive-thru, the guy says they're all out of the #KFC onion rings, so I said, "Oh, okay, well, is there any chance you still have the Thai Chicken, Sweet Thai Chicken?"  He says, "Oh, sure, we've got lots of Thai Chicken!"  So I say, so surprised, "Oh, that's fantastic!  Could I have half of the 10 piece bucket with the Thai chicken, half with regular chicken, please?"  He says, "Sure, no problem!"  So, I drove up to the window, I'm chatting with the guy, say how excited and happy I am that they have the Sweet Thai Chicken, and he gives me sort of a funny look, like, she really looves her chicken...

So, here's the bit that really broke me up - he says, "Too bad you just missed our deal - we had that Chicken on sale for 10 pieces for $5, last week."  I said, "What?  10 pieces for $5?"  Mah' mind is getting clearer, at this point... then I said, "So, I'm getting the Sweet Chili Thai Chicken, the really spicy one, right?"  He gives me a funny look, says, "Yes, the Chicken Thighs...."

Sooo, all that time, he thought I was asking for 'those sweet chicken thighs' - bah'hahahahahaha!  So that totally made me laugh... when we both realized the error, he gave me a bucket of the regular KFC Chicken, instead - hilarious!  So funny!  Made'a me laugh! Was a little language barrier - so silly - lol! : )

Oh, and here's a little way you can 'doctor up' your potato salad or macaroni salad you might get at KFC, or anywhere else - take it home and add in some mustard, lots of pepper and some salt - deeeelish!  Gives it such a great flavor! Yum!
Get a $100 KFC Gift Card *Upon Completion of Purchase Requirements




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Take Your Potato Salad from Good to Great! Yum!

You can easily doctor up your Potato Salad, too - you know the one you might pick up at the store, or get at the Drive-Thru? Bring it home, add mustard, chopped Red Peppers, crumbled Bacon - or all of the delicious veggies I always put in mah' fave Macaroni Salad - so good! Crunchy, delicious - you'll loove it! 



I just had a little bit of bacon left, so I had a little, and my son had the rest - that's how it goes, in my' house - lol! Most for the boy, some for me : ) 

And I like Potato Salad on its own, I guess, but mostly I like Potato Salad when it's all doctored up, the way I like it - and then lots of pepper and some salt, to taste.... : )



For the record, this is a fair sized bowl - the medium bowl, if you have the regular set of bowls, small, medium and large - for the Macaroni salad, I need to use the giant pot I make the macaroni in, AND, the very biggest bowl I have, it makes soo much, so I make that to share with my lovely daughter and her wonderful husband - they love it, too! lol! 

Oh, and did I already say, Montreal Steak Spice? That's a staple, in our house, too - delicious on pretty much everything! : )

And, there's another excuse to add a little bacon to your life, if you happen to love bacon - haha! 

But you don't have to add the bacon, just go straight up veggies, and the mustard : ) 

Enjoy, my little Culinary Friend! BBQ Friend? Both?? haha! Ailsa : )