Lunch : Perfect Grilled Cheese

Grilled cheese. 

I get it, it's not hard.  My hubster and I make them differently.  He makes them as he is tossing pieces in the pan.  I assemble prior to heating up the pan.  I guess they both work decently.  But my way is better.  Because I said so.

Also, I will break up the Kraft Singles (and yes, I ALWAYS use the singles), to ensure that there is a really good gooey cheese ratio in each bite.  So this is how I roll.  I take the bread, butter the outer side, set it un-buttered side down on the plate, and then I take the matching piece, and I butter the outer side of that one, and set it butter side to butter side, break the cheese up and lay it out, and then do the same for any subsequent sandwiches I need to make.  Heat up the pan, and toss them in once at a time.

Once they are done, I cut them at a diagonal.  Basically because all sandwiches are better when they are in triangular form.

Of course I served it with tomato soup.  Duh.

Have you found a better way to make grilled cheese?  Let me know.

Dinner: Gumbalaya Time!

Did you know that when you crush raw garlic, the juice is sticky?

I didn't know that either.

So, you may be asking yourself, what is Gumbalaya, surely she meant Gumbo, or Jambalaya.  Didn't she?

Well, I, in fact, did not.  Those recipes included chicken, or used flour.  I used neither.  I did use rice though, and sausage, and shrimp. I used this recipe from Iowa Girl Eats, and altered it to what I wanted. And it was delicious!

Not pictured, corn and crushed garlic.

Basically what you see is what you should get, also grab a 2 green peppers, large onion. You can find more info on the ingredient list on the Gumbalaya recipe page.

This is what I did:

First find the LARGEST stock pot you have.  I would have used a large dutch oven, but I do not own one.  Then finely dice all your first 3 ingredients (onion, pepper, celery) - this is the 'Holy Trinity'. Set aside.

I sliced the sausage at an angle, and put it in the largest pot I had.  I browned the slices.  Once they were done, I put them on a plate, leaving the oil behind.  I added my Holy Trinity ingredients, and I ended up adding a little extra oil.

  

Saute these until softened, about 10 minutes or so.  Once everything softens, add your crushed garlic cloves, cook for about a minute.

Return the sausage to the pot, add all the other canned items.  Add the broth, hot sauce and rice, and stir it all together. 

Turn the heat down to medium-low, and cover.  Keep it at a simmer for for 15 minutes, stirring frequently, then add your shrimp.  If you purchased them with tails, I recommend you remove them before putting them in the pot.

Cook for about 10 minutes, or until your shrimp are cooked, and serve.  I always add a little more hot sauce.  But taste yours first, my hubster is not a fan of anything too spicy.

Looks Delicious, doesn't it?!