Dinner, dessert, and one last rock show...

I need to write more often. Anyway...couple new kitchen adventures to share.  I'm really getting into "I have these ingredients, what can I make?"  With the help of my work BFF, I found some recipes.

One night this week I made chicken with peppers.  Red and yellow peppers, tomatoes, oregano, kalamata olives, and a splash of red wine at the end (not in the recipe but I was filling my glass and thought it would be a nice addition)...over pasta. It was really good. What I loved about the recipe was each step cooked long enough to prepare the next step. I'm not a fan of working with raw meat, especially chicken but in this recipe you cut the chicken breasts in half so they cook faster and it's easier to see they're done. Next time I will use whole wheat pasta, less chicken than the recipe called for, and more red wine. :-)

I bought Italian bread to go with the chicken dish and had an extra loaf so...bread pudding! Used a Paula Deen recipe so it is not low sugar or low fat. Turned out alright...very sweet and I might have used a little too much brandy in the sauce...oops. Just enjoyed a small piece and feel like I took a shot, haha. Good recipe for using up bread but not my favorite dessert. As I took the dish out of the oven I noticed Paula Deen was on the Food Network, had to laugh.

Next on the cooking agenda is olive tapenade with the extra kalamata olives. It's a favorite appetizer choice for my work receptions so I'm excited to finally make it.

Last but not least... Good friends of mine, Old Mil, are playing their last show this evening. After 15 years they have decided to go out on a high note. Over the years I have enjoyed many nights of OM rock and fun with great friends, and I will miss seeing them play, and having a planned social schedule. :-)  The Milwaukee live music scene has been blessed to have them the last ten years, and I am blessed to call them friends. Thank you for the good times and great memories. Put 'em up and take 'em down...

Welcome!

Well, here I go...into the blogosphere! So many of my favorite things start with the letter 'B'...Brooke, beer, Brewers, baseball, black...I could go on.  And I like to write and share my thoughts.  Perfect solution? A blog!  The topics will range from cooking to politics and history to movies to...who knows what else. 

Why did I do this?  I received a slow cooker for Christmas.  Not a Crock Pot, but a Hamilton Beach brand slow cooker.  I don't really cook but can follow a recipe and make many things.  So, as I nervously prepared the roast with vegetables for my first slow cooker meal, and anxiously anticipated what the meal would look and taste like when I arrived home from work, I was reminded of the movie 'Julie & Julia'.  If you haven't seen the movie, you should.  Long story short, the Julie character decides to cook her way through Julia Child's first cookbook and write a blog about it.  She sets a goal and sticks to it.

So, I will be sharing my cooking adventures and much more.  What is your favorite word brought to you by the letter B?  :-)