Summer Catch-Up

Posted Wed, 08/12/15

Lack of foody blog posts over the last several months is not due to an absence of culinary experiences, but rather a lack of time or energy in which to write about them. Without going into details, various personal catastrophes involving myself or family members have seemed to occur in steady onslaught fashion, wearing down my natural enthusiasm for just about anything, including my passionate inclination to write. The urge disappeared for a long time, but has recently been creeping back into my daily routine.


Firstly, several new recipes have been added to Food Fare since April (most with photos included). Savory Stuffing Cakes became the result of leftover boxed stuffing and my use of it:


Savory Stuffing Cakes (preparation)      Savory Stuffing Cakes


Slow Cooker Mushroom Chicken & Rice is my version of a childhood favorite, the inclusion of dill weed and broth made from chicken bouillon cubes being the only deviations from Mum's original recipe:


Slow Cooker Mushroom Chicken & Rice


I also experimented with my recipe for Couscous Mini Bells, adding chicken and mushrooms for a nice variation (Chicken & Mushroom Couscous Mini Bells):


Chicken & Mushroom Couscous Mini Bells


Along the way, I messed with a standard variation of meatloaf (using a tiny amount of beef mixed with egg-breadcrumb filler and baked with small white potatoes and baby carrots):


Meatloaf variation. Click on image to view larger size in a new window.


Other new recipes (all from Food Fare contributors) include Bak Kwa Burgers, French Vanilla Chai Cake, Kiwi Crumble Bars, Potato, Cauliflower & Onion Pakoras and Stuffed Bread Bowls.


Secondly, I have the "ups and downs" on two restaurants I visited with Mum over the last few months:


  • Thumbs Down: Granny Annie'sGranny Annie's: I'll never frequent this restaurant again. It was horrible - lackluster service, and the food was nothing to write home about. Their self-named "famous" scones were doughy and tasteless. Mum could not eat the turkey plate she ordered because the gravy was beyond salty, so she finally settled for a side dish of tater tots. The apple turnover for dessert was just another scone heaped with gobs of sickeningly sweet frosting. Not recommended!

  • Village Inn. Highly recommended!Village Inn: Wonderful food, and nearly perfect service. I realize Village Inn is a chain restaurant, but the variety and quality of dishes offered is impressive and on much better par than some of the top tier eateries I've tried. My recent favorite meal is their Denver Omelet, which is perhaps the best I've ever tasted (including my own recipe). Mum enjoyed their tomato-basil soup tremendously. We plan to return to Village Inn for our joint birthday celebration later this month, and probably on many other occasions before the year draws to a close as well. Highly recommended!

We live, eat and learn . . .

 

Blog Tags: Food Photos

 

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