A Cook's Quest

Today I am guest blogging for my new blog friend Annie over at Real Life Living .  She likes good food and saving money which, as you all know, is right up my alley!  I posted an Orange Polenta Pound Cake , and it is very tasty and very easy on the budget!  Go check out Annie's blog for my full post, ENJOY!

I'm going to spare everyone my raving and just say...go make these as soon as you can!  If you love a good burger this one will be at the top of your list.  Stuffed burgers are all over the place in blog land but they just were too complicated for me the day I planned to make them.  Instead, I did these and boy were we happy with them! Really though, what could be bad about a burger that has bites of cheese and bacon mixed in?  Is there anything wrong, ever, with adding bacon?  Not in my book!! What I love best is they are E. A. S. Y. to change up to suit your flavor preference.  Next time I will add finely chopped jalapenos for the hubby who likes his burgers with a little spice to them.  Go make them...please...and don't forget to pair them with these homemade buns because every great burger deserves a good bun to hold it all together!  Enjoy! I'm linking up to a few linky parties this week, go check out the great recipe...

I am a bit hesitant to say what I am about to say out loud for fear that it might jinx everything but, here goes anyway....I think the warm weather is almost (not finally) here! Yep, after the longest Spring with more rain and wind than I care to talk about, I feel safe saying Summer is close...very, very, close to arriving.  Of course with warm weather comes the season of grilling.  The traditional menu around these parts are hamburgers and hotdogs with all the fixings and side dishes galore.  But, a good burger deserves a great bun.  The bun is what holds all those lovely flavors of meat, cheese, condiments and veggies together.  It is vital, I tell you, to the burger experience. Now, I know you can buy a bun at any grocery store and many gas stations but I wanted something more than the standard sesame bun.  I found this recipe on allrecipes.com and with almost five stars how could I not try it? I am so glad I did!  The buns were l...

I really love Mexican food.  Well, let me re-phrase that, I love anything that resembles Mexican food.  OK, I love anything that goes in a tortilla even if it isn't Mexican.  The tortilla is really the perfect carb for just about anything.  These pork tacos are no exception! I have been eyeing this recipe for close to two years over at A Thrifty Mom .  This is where I learned to coupon and cook from a stockpile.  Sarah has a ton of great recipes that are easy to prepare, and even easier on the budget.  But, back to the tacos, these are sweet but not overly sweet.  The pork combined with the cilantro lime ranch topping are a perfect combination all wrapped up in the warm flour tortillas  Yes, I will say they are quite delicious! I bet you could make them with beef or chicken with great results too.  Enjoy!  Sweet Shredded Pork Tacos Recipe Source: A Thrifty Mom 1- Pork tenderloin roast (6-10 pounds) ...

We like pasta in my house.  We also like Mexican food.  So when pasta and the flavors of Mexican food can be combined we are happy campers!  I thought I had hit the jackpot with Taco Pasta , but this gem of a recipe might, be a smidge better. It comes from Mel's Kitchen Cafe and like everything I have tried from Mel this lasagna is everything she promises it to be.  (Please go look at her beautiful photos of this dish!  They do it much more justice than mine!) This recipe has everything a good lasagna needs; layers of noodles nestled between a delicious rich sauce and topped with cheese galore oh, and I can't forget to mention that throughout are rich creamy pockets of cream cheese and sour cream.  There is a hint of spice but nothing over powering and the black beans and sweet corn are wonderful additions.  And, the best part, it is fast, thrifty, and EASY to prepare.  I made two small lasagnas instead of one large one ...

Oh, the glorious donut!  Frosted, Glazed, Fried and Baked...any way you make them the donut is delicious.  I have seen them covered in sprinkles, coconut, and sugar, sprinkled with bacon, filled with anything you can think of and topped with any flavor icing you can imagine. In honor of the sweet breakfast treat I am re-posting one of my early recipes.  These donuts are best warm and remind me of when I was little and we made homemade donuts. A few donut facts... The doughnut has existed since the beginning of time. So long that archaeologists continue to unearth fossilized bits of what look like doughnuts in the middens of prehistoric Native American settlements. The doughnut, as we know and love, supposedly came to Manhattan (then still New Amsterdam) under the Dutch name of olykoeks--"oily cakes." The first doughnut machine was invented in 1920, in New York City, by a man named Adolph Levitt, a refugee from czarist Russia. Levitt's doughnut machine was a huge...