Balsamic Glazed Carrots

I guess because it is Easter time but I have found lots of new recipes for carrots.  I like carrots and they are very easy to prep to cook.  This was one of the new recipes.  It was very easy and taste good too.  So be prepared there will be plenty more carrot recipes coming up.  And if you try this one, they will disappear before you can blink twice.

They are so pretty.

This recipe doesn't take much to make.

Peel and trim about a pound of carrots.

Cut into about same size pieces.

Put in a zip lock bag, for easy clean up.

Add about 2 teaspoons of olive oil to the bag.  Shake well to coat.

Then spread out on a baking sheet.

Sprinkle with Kosher salt

And some fresh ground pepper.  Places in a preheated 400 oven and bake for 30 minutes.

While the carrots are cooking mix up the balsamic glaze.  4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 Tablespoons sugar

Place on the stove on low heat.

Simmer for about 5 minutes until it thickens.

Take the carrots out of the oven.

Drizzle the glaze over the carrots.

I used a spoon.  Then toss.

The balsamic vinegar gives it a nice little bite.

Then serve.

Balsamic Glazed Carrots Recipe

1 pound carrots -the recipe also called for rainbow carrots.  I had regular ones but want to try it with the rainbow ones.  They are really pretty.  Can also use baby carrots.
2 teaspoon olive oil- recipe said you could use blood orange olive oil.  I am going to try that next.
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
4 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 Tablespoons sugar
Preheat oven to 400.  Bake for 30 minutes.

Easy Smoked Sausage Skillet

For the last month or so this recipe has been in the Hillshire Farm ads in magazines. It looked easy and really good so I tore it out to save it.  It is almost a one pot meal.  It also takes less than 30 minutes to make so that is always a plus.  Chopping everything up takes longer than anything else.  The sweet red peppers really make this meal. I love red peppers, just wish they weren't so expensive.

This dish is so bright and colorful.  I love all the colors.

 Don't forget to set the broccoli out of the freezer so it will be thawed.

 Slice the sausage.  You can use whatever kind you like.

 Thinly slice an onion, red bell pepper, and trim the broccoli.

 Measure out 1/2 cup of either water or some kind of broth.  I used water.  Broth would have given it a richer flavor.  I just hated opening a can and only using 1/2 cup.

 I added the 1/2 cup of tomato sauce to the water.

 After you have sauted the sausage pieces, add the sauce.

 Along with the onions, peppers and broccoli.  Let this simmer until the veggies are tender and most of the juice is absorbed about 10 minutes.

 It is beginning to look good.

 While the veggies have been cooking, cook instant rice to equal 2 cups.  Cook per box directions.

 When everything is cooked, add the rice.

 Mix well.  The rice will absorb any liquid that is left.

 Grate some mozzarella cheese to add to the top.

 Sprinkle on top and let melt.

Then serve.

Easy Smoked Sausage Skillet Recipe

1 pkg smoked sausage
1 large red bell pepper
1 onion
1 pkg thawed frozen broccoli
1/2 cup water or broth
1/2 cup tomato sauce
2 cups cooked rice
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese.

Perfectly Baked Sweet Potatoes

You know how I feel when I find a recipe that calls itself perfect or the best.  I found this recipe and had to try it.  I will let you know as I go what I think about this "perfect" recipe.

I know this looks like a fall meal but you can't go wrong with sweet potatoes year round.

 I had a couple of sweet potatoes that needed to be used.  Wash them.

 Place the potatoes in a baking dish.  Make sure you have enough room.

Make a slit in the potato.

 Add enough water so that you have 1/4-1/2 inch in the bottom of the pan.  The potatoes are actually going to be steamed.

 Cover tightly with foil.  Add to a preheated 350 oven and bake for an hour.  Now here is my comments. I should have cooked my potatoes probably about 15-20 minutes longer.  They were not really soft in the middle.  They weren't bad but not good and soft.  They were harder to peel than when you coat the outside with some oil. I think I will go back to my old way of making sweet potatoes but give it a try for yourself.  You might enjoy these potatoes.

Peel and then add some butter, cinnamon and sugar.  Nothing better than a good sweet potato.

Cruising with the Grobmyers

We just got back from our first cruise.  We did it right too by making it a Disney cruise.  We were gone for a whole week.  That was a lot of really good food.  Some of it was a little fancy, some not so good, but for the most part it was very good.  I am sharing some pictures of some of the things we had while we were gone.  I don't remember all the names or what kinds of sauces there were on the plates.  The main thing I want to show is the pretty presentations.  By the end of the week my husband asked what is up with the stacking of the food.  You will see what I mean.

 Started the cruise out right with seafood for lunch.

 I tried this to see if it was something I might could make at home.  I think I could.  Thinly sliced cucumbers with carrots,peppers and zucchini inside.

 Tuna TarTar I think

 These raspberries were so good.  I could always take or leave them but really enjoyed the berries on the cruise.

 Prime rib.  The sauce was really good.

 Some kind of fish.

 I liked the little sampler plates of desserts.

 Sticky toffee pudding I think.

 I went to a cooking class and this is what the chef made.  Lobster ravioli.  I have the recipe but not sure I will ever make it.

 I loved the bread baskets at the Royal Court.  They were shaped like Cinderella's carriage.

 French onion soup

 Beef tenderloin

 Another sampler platter.

 A creme brûlée.  I don't remember the flavor.

 The bread baskets from Animator's Palette

 I don't remember what this was.  It was an appetizer of some kind.

 Chicken.  The chunks are pieces of sweet potato and beet.

 Tuna I think.

 Dessert

 This was a build your own pie dessert.  I was curious.  Little tart shell with raspberry in the bottom.  A little cup of chocolate mousse and another with a lemon filling.  The white dots are merengue dots. It was pretty good.

 I had this "soup" for lunch one day.  Tangerine soup.  It was a cold soup and pretty good.  Not a harsh citrus at all.

 A fruit tart.

 Apple strudel.  Joe went to a class on how to make that later in the week.

 This was a shrimp appetizer.  Very good.

 A sausage and lentil soup

 Turkey and dressing.  It was actually very good.

 Another fish dish.  Joe got his fill of fish.

 Dessert

 A cool cream of pineapple soup with toasted coconut.  Very good.

 Shrimp.

 This bread was interesting.  It looks camo.

 Beef empanadas.

 Fried chicken that was also good.  The biscuit was not a southern biscuit.

 A steak.

 Dessert.

 Star Wars night and this was the Princess Leia dessert

 Another look.

 Macaroon.  Lemon and raspberry.

 The Star Wars buffet after the fireworks.  The watermelon carvings were pretty pretty.

 Special Star Wars desserts

 Hans Solo

 Darth

 Lobster tail

 Parmesan chicken

 Our servers for the cruise.

 At Castaway Cay the watermelon carvings

 I showed this to show you the cute plates at Animator Palette.

 Beef Wellington

Baked Alaska.  I was excited when I saw this on the menu.  I have always heard of Baked Alaska and have wanted to try it.  It wasn't exactly like I thought it would be.

So you can see we ate well and tried some new things while we were on our cruise.