• About
  • Recipes
  • Who’s Next?

Who's Cooking for Kacey?

~ Where to go, what to order. You're welcome.

Who's Cooking for Kacey?

Category Archives: Recipes

Unfortunately I Cook….Sometimes

03 Saturday Nov 2012

Posted by Kacey in American food, Leon's Real Fine BBQ, Recipes, Restaurants, Uncategorized, Waxahachie

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Amy's frozen meals, brussels sprouts, cheese plate, how to boil an egg, Leon's Real Fine BBQ, no cook meals, pulled pork sandwich, reviews, sweet potatoes, Waxahachie Restaurants

When Danny is nowhere to be found, I have no choice but to feed myself.  I can usually make do on salads, Amy’s frozen dinners, cheese plates, and fruit.

Image

However, sometimes (and I mean this happens wayyy infrequently) I find myself in the kitchen wanting something a little more substantial.  I’ve figured out a way to steam veggies and bake sweet potatoes and I actually do these things quite well.  I’ve also perfected the boiled egg–bring water and egg to boil, remove from burner and cover for 14 minutes before cooling with ice and peeling right away.  This is about all I’ve got at this point.

Thankfully, you can put together quite a meal consisting only of the skills I currently possess.  This particular fall evening it was steamed brussels sprouts (my favorite vegetable), sweet potato with a tiny amount of butter, and pulled pork with cabbage on a roll.  The pulled pork was courtesy of Leon’s Real Fine BBQ, a new local joint in downtown Waxahachie (107 S. Monroe St.) that is open solely on the weekends.

Leon’s Real Fine BBQ in Waxahachie, TX

Their ribs are quite amazing, by the way.  Danny brought home some of his Friday pulled pork lunch leftovers and I was able to add it to my plate.  If there’s one thing I’m not quite ready to tackle, it’s cooking meat.  You can actually poison people if you don’t do this right, so I’m not taking any chances anytime soon.  You’re welcome dinner guests.

Steamed brussels sprouts, sweet potato with a tiny amount of butter, and pulled pork with cabbage on a roll

Now this is a pretty plate and for a second here, I was even able to fool myself into thinking that perhaps this cooking thing just might take.  Nahhh….just kidding 😉

Easiest Halloween Treat Ever

31 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by Kacey in Recipes, Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

E.L. Fudge Original Cookies, easiest halloween treat ever, easy halloween treat ideas, kid-friendly halloween dessert, no-cook halloween treat, Nutter Butter cookies, quick dessert ideas, trick-or-treat

It does not get easier than this.  If you are looking for a last minute treat for a party or to pass out as trick-or-treaters get ready to knock on your door, then these white chocolate dipped treats may do the trick.  I found this clever recipe that includes Nutter Butter cookies, melted white chocolate baking bars, and mini chocolate chips.

Nutter Butter Ghosts

I put my own spin on it and added E.L. Fudge cookies and Ghirardelli white chocolate to the mix as well.  I figured it is a better idea to hand out non-peanut items to children and because I really love E.L. Fudge cookies!

To make these tasty treats:

1.  Melt white chocolate

2.  Dip 3/4 of the cookie in chocolate and place on wax paper

3.  Add mini chocolate chip eyes

4.  Let chill in the fridge for 20-25 minutes

The E.L. Fudge cookies made it look like someone is dressed up in a ghost costume with only the torso and legs showing.  Add a little more “cute” by placing two of these cookies side-by-side in a clear bag with some curling ribbon and you’ve got a crafty treat to be proud of.

The best part is that these cookies are so easy anyone (and I mean anyone….if I’m doing it 😉 can do it. I had a blast making these with my family and it was a fun way to kick off the holiday season.

Happy Halloween!

Gotta Love Summer Salads

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

Posted by Kacey in Fresh Finds, Organic options, Recipes, Whole Foods

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

blueberries, Easy summer salad, feta, gluten-free chicken strips, salads with fruit, Strawberries, Whole Foods prepared foods

Some meals are so easy, even I can’t screw them up. Summer is made for non-cookers like me. All you need are the right ingredients and a knife, and you, too, can eat this good.

20120625-205427.jpg

Now this is a recipe I can deliver without Danny’s help.

Kacey’s Summer Salad:

1. Bake gluten-free, air-chilled chicken strips for 27 minutes. No need to even flip half-way through!
2. Open containers of Whole Foods pre-chopped veggies and organic spring salad mix.
3. Wash berries. Slice strawberries until bite size.
4. Add almond slivers and feta.
5. Slice cooked chicken.
6. Add your favorite salad dressing.

Summer produce makes it easy to eat fresh, wholesome, raw foods. No real cooking necessary. Now this is a salad you could proudly serve to someone else. It’s no Danny’s Kitchen, but it’s fresh and tasty and worth every calorie.

Thanksgiving Beach: They Really Like Me!

31 Thursday May 2012

Posted by Kacey in American food, Dessert, Organic options, Recipes, Uncategorized, Yumi-licious

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

Avacado Tart, Beach, best birthday cake, best party ever, broccoli cheese and rice casserole, carnival party, Coconut Tart, dressing, family fun, fried chicken strips, organic chocolates, party ideas, smoothies, Thanksgiving, Theme parties, Ugly Cake recipe, Yumi-licious Frozen Yogurt

Families love each other…sure, I’d say that’s pretty foundational. What is truly remarkable is when they actually LIKE each other. I was always taught that you have to “love” everyone you just don’t have to “like” them. I’m pretty sure this was just a way to teach me not to say I “hate” someone; I could say “I don’t like them” instead, and this was acceptable (although not desirable). I’m sure my mom’s whole goal was to get all of us siblings to get along (as well as to help teach us to make friends), which was not an easy feat given the fact that there were so many different personalities.

So do I know my family loves me?….of course. But do I sometimes wonder if they “like” me?…most definitely, especially since I have tendencies toward being opinionated and controlling. I try to use these powers for good, but even the best of intentions don’t always work out and my quick tongue sometimes gets things out before checking with my brain first. Good thing families give their members second chances on a regular basis.

But on one wonderful Sunday in May, I got to see firsthand just how much my family truly “likes” me. They put together the most fantastic birthday party I could have ever dreamed of and all of it was kept a surprise. It was a whole day (12 hours really, I think we set a record for the amount of time we have all been together in the last 5 years) filled with my favorite things, most of which involved just being with my family, and food, of course. I can’t believe the amount of thought that was put into every detail just to make sure I had a special day.

My two favorite things are Thanksgiving and the beach. If I could have Thanksgiving on the beach with my family…priceless. They did all of this and more and we didn’t have to leave the driveway of our family home. Top the day off with fun carnival games (we are a competitive bunch with shockingly good eye-hand coordination and aim…freaked Danny out a bit to see us all in action) and snack, upon snack, upon snack, and you’ve got a recipe for my perfect day.

Barley green shots (nothing but super healthy things in here). Healthy shots kicked off the party. Barley green, carrot juice, and a mix of all the healthy things that my mom constantly fed us while growing up. Nice touch of nostalgia here.

Mini fruit smoothies with my favorite, the tiny umbrella. In Pre-K I used to choose this as my weekly “grab” prize quite often…that or gum.

Yumi-licious Frozen Yogurt: Coconut and Avacado Tart with toppings, including a chopped up Hershey’s Symphony Bar (one of my childhood favorites…these things are still good).

Candy Crane Machine (hours of fun) and S’mores

Popcorn Bar – full of different organic popcorn flavors

Organic Chocolates

My mom’s Ugly Cake (yellow cake, cream cheese, coconut, pecans…wow!) – my every year birthday cake bar! I loved all of the labels on the food…organization = fun 🙂

Thanksgiving Beach was not complete without traditional Thanksgiving foods prepared by none other than Nana. This was the first time that her dressing and broccoli, cheese, and rice casserole have seen the light of day outside of the holiday months. If you haven’t tried dressing in May, I strongly suggest you do. I think the more humid months make it even better somehow. She subbed turkey for her fried chicken strips…nope, we didn’t mind one bit.

Thanksgiving in May: Fried Chicken Strips, Dressing, Broccoli/cheese/rice casserole, quinoa salad, and more

After the meal, the games began and our competitive natures came out. I will say that I was the champ at bottle ring toss, despite the fact that my mom slipped a tiny ring into the mix, making it extra challenging for us all.

I do like to win.

She’s a quick one, that KaLynn, and quite an athlete.

Flip Cup with distilled water….hydrating and good for coordination.

We ate and played and had the best day. I later cried happy tears (I can’t remember this ever happening) just thinking about how wonderful the day was and how loved I truly am by all of them. There are several great things about coming from a big family and family birthday parties are definitely one of them. No need to have an extensive guest list when all of your favorite people come built in already.

Thank you all for everything you did to make this day one I will never forget. I love you so very much!

Where to Go/What to Order:

Yumi-licious Frozen Yogurt: Coconut Tart and Avacado Tart…apparently they travel quite nicely (and for a fairly good distance) in a cooler.

Steam-pot with Lobster, Crab, and Shrimp, Oh My!

21 Monday May 2012

Posted by Kacey in American food, Danny's Kitchen, Organic options, Recipes, Restaurants, Seafood

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

best lobster ever, Cheddar Bay Biscuits, clams, crab, Danny's Kitchen, lobster, macaroni and cheese, organic vegetables, Red Lobster, sausage, seafood recipes, shrimp, steampots, swiss chard, Unbeatable Mac 'N Cheese

Danny + Free Time = Amazing Meals!

Dinner time can be an extravaganza at our house on any given day of the week. Danny doesn’t even bat an eye when a weekday meal consists of a few hours of cooking and cleaning. Now, don’t get me wrong, this doesn’t happen on a daily, or even weekly basis, but sometimes when the moon is just right and the stars seem to align, a meal like this starts coming into formation and no special occasion is necessary.

Here’s a peak into the process: He begins with swiss chard…

…washes a few more vegetables…

…grates a little cheese…

…and somehow it all comes together to make a fantastic spread that’s enough to feed a family of at least 6.

Lobster, crab, clam, shrimp, potato, corn, sausage steam-pot, swiss chard, macaroni and cheese, and cheddar bay biscuits. Served with clarified butter for the lobster, of course. Danny’s unbeatable macaroni and cheese recipe, takes a little time but it’s worth it!

A plate like this definitely gives a person something to smile about.

Danny is the BEST at cooking lobster. I have yet to see a restaurant that can pull it off as well as he can.

My compliments to the chef! Now this is a sweet and tender lobster to be proud of!

After two delicious cheddar bay biscuits (Red Lobster-esque). I could barely polish off my plate. Good thing we ate at about 8:00 that night and I was quite hungry by that time. Hey, I’m happy to wait a few extra hours for food this good. Friends and family that are reading this, I know you are wondering why you didn’t get an invite to come over…this was spontaneous, it was a weekday, and it was late, and I wanted to eat dinner in my pajamas without makeup and with wet hair. We’ll catch you guys next time.

Help me out here, where is the best place you’ve ever had lobster? I can’t always count on Danny to be around to whip me up a tail whenever I’m needing one.

← Older posts

Recent Posts

  • What I Do and Why I’m Not Doing It
  • New Year, New Love
  • Unfortunately I Cook….Sometimes
  • Easiest Halloween Treat Ever
  • A No-Cook Birthday Dinner that Even a Mother Will Love

Archives

Categories

  • Abacus
  • All Good Cafe
  • American food
  • Anne's Health Food Store & Cafe
  • Asian/Chinese Food
  • b's Texican
  • Bakery on a Hill
  • Blizz
  • Braum's
  • Breakfast/Brunch
  • Brownstone
  • Buffalo Wild Wings
  • Busy B's Bakery
  • BuzzBrews
  • Carino's
  • Celebration
  • Chicken Scratch
  • Chocolate Angel Cafe and Tea Room
  • Daddy Jack's
  • Dairy Queen
  • Dallas
  • Danny's Kitchen
  • Dessert
  • Dockside Dave's
  • Ennis
  • Fresh Finds
  • Ft. Worth
  • Grimaldi's
  • Hacienda San Miguel
  • Italian food/Pizza
  • Kincaid's Hamburgers
  • Kolache Depot Cafe and Bakery
  • La Duni
  • Las Vegas
  • Leon's Real Fine BBQ
  • Lighthouse Coffee Bar
  • Mediterranean food
  • Mexican food
  • Midlothian
  • Naan Sushi
  • Nothing Bundt Cakes
  • Oddfellows
  • Organic options
  • Palio's Pizza Cafe
  • Pizza Hut
  • Purple Berri
  • Recipes
  • Red Mango
  • Red Robin
  • Restaurants
  • Ri Ra Irish Pub
  • Sangria Mediterranean Tapas & Bar
  • Seafood
  • Serendipity 3
  • Smoke Restaurant
  • Society Bakery
  • St. Pete Beach, Florida
  • Sweet Tomatoes
  • Taco Diner
  • Terra Mediterranean Grill
  • The Common Table
  • The Cupcakery
  • The Dove's Nest
  • The Flying Fish
  • Tillman's Roadhouse
  • Two Amigos
  • Uncategorized
  • Velvet Taco
  • Verducci's Pizzeria Trattoria
  • Villa O
  • Waxahachie
  • Whole Foods
  • Yumi-licious

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com.

Cancel
Privacy & Cookies: This site uses cookies. By continuing to use this website, you agree to their use.
To find out more, including how to control cookies, see here: Cookie Policy