Eat Like a Rabbit

I have no idea how much a package of Ramen costs, but I can assure you it is cheaper than the La Choy noodles I buy at the grocery store. And here's the thing: these noodles are a big part of my love for Asian food. So, this was a great way to give me a crunch when I was out of traditional noodles. Paul said it was close to the best way he's ever had Ramen Noodles.

I put a small skillet on medium heat and broke up the noodles as much as possible in their package before dumping them in the skillet. They get toasted like pine nuts for salads. Just be sure to keep stirring because they can burn.

Baked potatoes are good for you and have so many options for changing the style and taste. Our microwave even has a "Baked Potato" setting on it so I can turn it on and forget about them until it beeps telling me they are perfectly done. Granted, most people say microwaved baked potatoes are technically steamed, but they still taste soft and rarely mushy. Real ovens take around an hour to bake completely and risk overcooking. I have been told loading a crockpot down with potatoes yields very nice baked spuds. Note, that when there is a big crowd and spuds are small, the more toppings, the farther the dish goes.

I was so excited when the idea to make this came to me. When I was growing up in Louisiana, I visited a restaurant that made superb calzones. My last trip home was devastating because the restaurant had changed its menu and the calzones were not the same as they had been. So, I decided to make up the recipe at home and was so proud of the results. It was the exact taste I was looking for.

One Sunday afternoon we met visiting family at this pizzeria by Disney. For a restaurant in a touristy hot-spot, I would rate it as acceptable. The service was very good for our large crowd and the kids all seemed to eat well.

My cousins Wayna and Rusty always share meals when they eat out. Paul and I have adopted that trick, too. We either get a salad and an entree and split both or we'll get two entrees and each eat through half; then switch plates. Sharing gives you more variety, keeps you from bringing food home that is likely not good the next day anyway, and is often cheaper.

I was feeling guilty about not having cooked a good, solid meal in a week as we had eaten out a lot with friends and had been on vacation. So when I came across a new variety of frozen vegetables in the grocery store, I took a chance.

I prefer Bird's Eye vegetables to other frozen vegetables because most of them come with some form of seasoning already added. You are actually allowed to experiment with flavor. In this case, we had sugar snap peas, asparagus, carrots and red bell peppers in a lime cilantro sauce. The dish could be microwaved or steamed on the stove. I chose the stove--however, you must watch the meal more closely in that case.

Sorry, we were too excited and hungry to take a picture of this one.

I chose the easiest recipe I could find for Tempura on foodnetwork.tv. I battered frozen green beans, fresh julienned carrots, fresh eggplant, and frozen broccoli. Obviously, I defrosted the frozen veggies slightly. I used the sauce from Moosewood Restaurant's Pad Thai recipe and served it with brown rice.

The result of the first concoction was so delicious, I was afraid it was a mistake. For my parents, I made the recipe again replacing the green beans and eggplant with zucchini and onion rings. The result was the same. However, my mother did turn up her nose when she saw me mixing the sauce. Upon trying it with the meal, she decided it was good.