Friday, February 27, 2015

And.... I am back!

So I am sure you all are alarmed. Where the heck has Melissa been? How could she just abandon her beloved blog? Oh no, let me reassure you... I simply took a break!I have been blogging pretty regularly for 8 years. That is a long time! As much as I love a good conversation, it does become a little repetitive at times...even for me - the little talker. I am much inspired and can't wait to tell you what I have been up to!
I am a big fan of moving furniture. It probably doesn't help my bum shoulder but ever since I was a young girl I have loved the art of a rearranged room. I have attacked one of our guest bedrooms, our living area and ...wait for it... Scott's office! I always wait until he is out of town to create my magic but the results are always welcomed with open arms. I guess I am that good! I just like mixing things up!



What am I obessing on now? Well, same old/same old really. Tons of bright color!  Bougainvillaea in pink and lots of it! I am a connoisseur of rugs since I installed dark hardwood floors throughout my home so I am constantly on the look out for really unique ones.

My Queen, Winnie, is still enjoying motherhood and recently was bred to Hottish! He is one of the really cool NCHA Stallions that is a freshman to the breeding scene. I am so hopeful for all the exciting moments she will provide for me through her babies!

Hey girl, you are a food blogger! Where is the FOOD?!

Ok, ok! Scott took me to a really cool place the other day called Freddy's Frozen Custard and Steakburgers. Westlake Village, a very affluent part of Ventura County, is home to this chain that sort of reminds me of a cross between In-N-Out and Hot 'n Now. The burgers are good of course, the fries are better!

  What about the Fish Sandwich? You know I had to do it. It was one of the best I have ever had due to the amount of fish given. They just need to add more tarter! Pass on the onion rings in place of the crispy fries.

Meanwhile back at the ranch...
Deb and I have been perfecting our ability to burn brush piles! Just one of many talents Melissa Good Taste can add to her resume.

And in closing...
I would just like to thank my loyal readers. 
You all have been so supportive and I love this blog like it is one of my closest friends. "MGT" has been sort of a 'Dear Diary' slash 'What I am Up To Now'.
 Thank you for following my journey!


Thursday, February 19, 2015

Bye Felicia!

Hey there fine folks of the Internet! I am taking a break from this informational super highway to focus on some projects at home. It will be a welcome vacation for sure! I look forward to catching you up when I am back!

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole

 I love a good casserole.

They are easy to prepare, can be frozen for future meals and most importantly they are always satisfying, comfort food. I can honestly say that most of the meals I make now are some sort of spin of a casserole. I am always on the go working so a good meal in the refrigerator is usually on hand. The most recent casserole winner is definitely this version of my childhood favorite: Chicken Cordon Blue.


  • 1 whole Cooked Chicken, Meat Diced Or Shredded (Should Be 5-6 Cups of Chicken)
  • ½ pounds Very Thinly Sliced Deli-style Honey Ham, Chopped
  • ¼ pounds Thin Sliced Baby Swiss Cheese
FOR THE SAUCE:
  • 4 Tablespoons Butter
  • 4 Tablespoons Flour
  • 3-¼ cups Milk (I Used Whole Milk)
  • 1/2 cup White Wine
  • 2 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon Mustard
  • 1-½ teaspoon Salt
  • ½ teaspoons Smoked Paprika
  • ¼ teaspoons Pepper
FOR THE TOPPING:
  • 6 Tablespoons Butter
  • 1-½ cup Panko Bread Crumbs
  • ¾ teaspoons Seasoning Salt
 Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter a 9- x 13-inch baking dish. Set aside
For the sauce:
  • Melt the butter in a large sauce pot over medium heat. When butter is melted, quickly stir in the flour to form a smooth roux. Do not brown! Once the roux is smooth and bubbly, slowly pour in the cold milk while stirring briskly to make a smooth sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens. Stir in the lemon juice, Dijon mustard, wine, salt, smoked paprika and pepper. Bring sauce just back to a low boil and turn off heat. Pour sauce evenly over the casserole, being certain to get some of the sauce around the edges of the pan.

For the topping:

  • Melt the butter in the microwave in a medium sized microwaveable bowl. Heat it for 30 seconds at a time and stop once it’s melted. Take the bowl out of the microwave and stir in the panko bread crumbs, seasoning salt and crushed dried parsley. Sprinkle over the top of the casserole.
Bake casserole uncovered for 45 minutes until hot and bubbly throughout and topping has turned a light golden brown. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5-10 minutes prior to serving.

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Rubio's - Oxnard, CA

                                         
 Hey have you ever been to Rubio's? I had not ever been and while my Mom and I were running errands in Oxnard, we decided it was worth a try. It is that in between restaurant that is a step up from typical fast food and just under your common dine in restaurant. Think Baja Fresh type menu, order at the counter and take a number.
   
                                               
I knew right off the bat I wanted to try the Crispy Fish Tacos. The best version I have ever had are the Snapper Jack's version. These unfortunately did not surpass the quality of Snapper Jack's due to the quality of the fish. It was fried nicely but the actual white meat was not as big and flaky.                                         

                                        
Kathy ordered the Shrimp Taco and she said it was totally tasty. She also tried the chicken version and it failed to impress after consuming the shrimp. 

I liked that the restaurant was totally clean, had a salsa bar and prices were totally reasonable. For two people to get a lunch for under $20 these days is pretty amazing. I would return.

           After our errand running, we went back to my house to work on our Beef Jerky production. We went to the butcher inside our local grocery to slice a London Broil steak into 3/8 in slabs. It made less work for us as we sliced the meat into strips.

 After a quick soak in soy sauce we laid out the strips on oven racks. We then seasoned up the batches, experimenting half way to see which would come out the best. My version which included garlic powder, onion powder, pepper and a generic Barbeque seasoning seemed to really do the trick. What I learned from this experience is over season the meat, to the point you really thought you over did it.


 With your oven set a 170 degrees, place the jerky racks in and set your timer of 6 hours (all depending on the size and width of the jerky). I placed a spoon in the oven door, to keep the air flow going during the cooking process.

My brother taught me this recipe and I think he just may be the master. Although my version was good, it was not great like his. He should package, label and put his jerky in stores!

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

My blog is on vacation!

Scott took the computer and Internet chip to Texas with him so my regular blogging schedule will be on hold until he returns! Aye yi yi...

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

A day in the life...

A day in the life of Melissa Good Taste has been full steam ahead with short bursts of horses, work, researching American War history (my new favorite subject since watching American Sniper) and squeezing in family and friend time. This is what I have been up to lately...

I was fortunate enough to be able to make it to my girlfriend, Nichole's Birthday celebration last week at the Old Creek Winery in Ojai. Our usual group, plus a few new gals joined in for the fun and it was a blast getting caught up on all the details in everyone's lives.

We made it a kind of potluck setting, with each of us contributing a little something to the group. I of course made the Broccoli Salad. I love my version so much mostly because it contains mayonnaise, bacon, cheese and sunflower seeds. It really should not even called a salad with all those fun ingredients!

I mostly love this location because of the tree I shot in this photo. I hope it stands there forever. 

 Back at the ranch...
 Meanwhile at the ranch, Scott and I have been preparing the horses for a quick show this Friday in Paso Robles. We will bring a full load for Cowboy Ron, Scott and I to show. We just recently got magnets for the doors of our big truck proudly wearing the colors of Performance Equine, a company we are endorsing for our equine supplement needs. Scott will be packing the rig up again this Sunday and headed to Texas to the Bonanza NCHA Cutting in Glen Rose, Texas.

If not on a horse, Scott has been on a tractor - discing, planting and covering up seed. He has dreams of our pastures knee deep in green grass for our horses and cattle to enjoy. I give him a lot of props because it has been a time consuming task.

Last night I had the opportunity to try something I had never done before, I made Blackened Ahi. The Ahi Tuna was screaming at me from the seafood counter and I decided to give it a try. I usually am not a "blackened" anything fan, because my past experience with it always left me with just a "burnt" taste in my mouth. I decided to roll the dice and created my own blackening seasoning with a combination of paprika, garlic salt, onion powder, cayenne and sugar. I pressed the mixture into the flesh until it coated the filet completely. With a thin layer of oil in a pan, I quickly seared the fish, maybe a minute if that. It doesn't require much. I was amazed at the ease and most importantly the taste! It was perfect. This will be a go to option for warm summer nights when you dread any heat from the kitchen. 

I hope all of you out there are doing well and just as busy as I am. Days roll into weeks, and weeks rolled into a month that just blew by without the blink of an eye. Hello February!