Three Hundred and Thirty-Nine

Wednesday, May 18

Cheese.

Asiago with rosemary and olive oil. Stiff but still creamy, and the rosemary was nice and soft. Perfect by itself or with a cracker.

Three Hundred and Twenty-Nine

Sunday, May 8

Mother's Day snacks.

Strawberries, pineapple, grapes; artisan bread; two aged cheddars, one with Irish whiskey and one with Irish stout; chocolate-covered almonds; white wine.

Three Hundred and Two

Monday, April 11

Pizza.

Garlic & herb pizza dough, covered with herbed tomato sauce, cheddar cheese and french fried onions. This idea was so fantastic that I can't remember if it was Mom's or mine. I like to think we both thought of it at the same time. Otherwise it was just Mom.

Two Hundred and Twenty-Seven

Wednesday, January 26

Creamed tuna.

Tuna and cheese sauce and toast and cheese and this is really really good. Thanks, Mom.

Two Hundred and Sixteen

Saturday, January 15

Breakfast croissanwich.

An Anderson classic, consisting of a croissant filled with scrambled eggs, creamed spinach and swiss cheese. It is a beautiful thing.

One Hundred and Ninety-Five

Saturday, December 25

Savory French toast.

Topped with cheese, sliced tomato, fresh chives, salt and black pepper. One of my favorite breakfasts! Brought to you by Oma van Pelt.

And by you I mean me.

One Hundred and Eighty

Friday, December 10

Cheese & crackers.

Brie and cranberry sauce on top of water crackers, with a sprinkle of freshly cracked black pepper.

One Hundred and Fifty-Four

Sunday, November 14

Macaroni & cheese.

Not macaroni, but some twisty pasta. Turkey and cheese sauce and salt and pepper and hot sauce and sprinkled with paprika...I love mac & cheese. Even if it isn't mac.

Served with tomato.

One Hundred and Forty-Seven

Sunday, November 7

Broccoli & cheese quiche.

My mother is pretty great, and so was this quiche she made. Cottage cheese, cheddar cheese, eggs, broccoli...who knew so many delicious things were also delicious together?

One Hundred and Thirty-Nine

Saturday, October 30

Frittata.

Consisting of apple & gouda chicken sausage, caramelized onions, aged white cheddar and more eggs than I have fingers, this wasn't my favorite. Others seemed to like it (though they may have just been being polite), but it definitely needs some work, texture-wise.

One Hundred and Thirty-Three

Sunday, October 24

Tacos.

Inspired from the previous week's taco truck trip. Spiced ground beef, pinto beans, onion, cilantro, pepper jack cheese, salsa, hot sauce, lime. Mexican home run.

One Hundred and Twenty-Eight

Tuesday, October 19

Broccoli cheese soup.

It had been raining for a couple of days and soup started to sound really good. I sauteed some celery, potatoes, onions and garlic in a pot with olive oil and spices (cumin, thyme, salt, pepper), added chicken broth and cooked it until the veggies were tender. After this came the broccoli, which I had steamed in the meantime. Then it was immersion blender time. Added tons of cheddar cheese and some half & half. For never having made this before, I was really pleased with the outcome. Good thing I wrote it down....oh wait.

One Hundred and Twenty-Three

Thursday, October 14

Hamburger.

Got a craving for burgers after seeing one on tv...this happens a lot.

Mom's famous hamburger patties with all sorts of secret ingredients, plus lettuce, tomato, colby jack, barbecue sauce and dijon.

PS - Mom, I made one for Dad too so there are only 4 patties left in the freezer.

One Hundred and Twenty

Monday, October 11

Burritos.

Refried beans, colby jack cheese, hot sauce and sour cream in a flour tortilla. One of my favorite meals. Don't judge me.

One Hundred and Sixteen

Thursday, October 7

Turkey & strawberry sandwich.

I am a firm believer in fruit on sandwiches. This beauty was chock-full of turkey, sliced strawberries, baby lettuce, aged white cheddar, raspberry vinaigrette, and sprinkled with salt and black pepper. I was a big fan.

Seventy-Four

Thursday, August 26

Peach pizza.

This was an experiment gone right. Sliced peaches, Bulgarian feta and spring mix lettuce atop a balsamic vinegar/brown sugar glaze on a whole wheat crust. I thought it was really delicious, but would probably use a milder feta next time.

Seventy-Three

Wednesday, August 25

Grilled cheese sandwich.

Yes, that is a pool of cheese. Why go halfway when you can go all the way to your 2000 calorie intake limit? Joining the sharp cheddar are such notables as spicy brown mustard, sweet relish (I way prefer dill but I don't think we have any) and cracked black pepper, on whole wheat. Served with peaches.

Seventy

Sunday, August 22

Huevos rancheros.

Went to the beach and stopped at Pete's Breakfast House in Ventura on the way. If you like a tasty breakfast, this is a good place to go.

Sixty-Nine

Saturday, August 21

Garlic chicken pizza.

Garlic & Herb pizza dough (thanks, Trader Joe's) topped with a garlic bechamel, sauteed chicken, caramelized sweet onions and aged white cheddar.

A really choice combination.

Sixty-Eight

Friday, August 20

Rigatoni alla Vecchia Bettola.

A rich, vodka and tomato-based sauce, tossed with plenty of oregano, parmesan cheese and pasta. Served with broccoli.

I imagine George Hamilton is pretty rich, which would be the second thing he has in common with this meal, along with color.