Not So Healthy Blog Post...

 All my exercising has given me quite an appetite and I have acted on a few of my favorite Pinterest pins. I have had my eye on Tater Tot Casserole and Saltine Toffee for quite sometime now so over the weekend I whipped up them both...

Tater Tot Casserole

• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1/2 medium onion, chopped
• Cream of Chicken Soup 
• 1/2 cup sour cream
• 1 16oz package frozen tater tots
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
• salt and pepper

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Brown ground beef. season with salt pepper.
3. Add chopped onion, cook until tender.
4. In a casserole dish, combine ground beef mixture, sour cream and  cream soup.
5. Top mixture with tater tots.
6. Bake, uncovered, for 30-40 minutes till bubbly and Tots are golden brown.
7. Remove from oven; top with cheese, return to oven until melted.
8. Enjoy!

Saltine Toffee

• 48 saltine crackers
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound unsalted butter
• 3 cups semisweet chocolate chips.

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line a sheet pan or large cookie sheet with sides with heavy-duty aluminum foil. Arrange the crackers side by side in a single layer on the foil.
2. In a small saucepan, melt the sugar and butter, stirring constantly until they bubble, about 2 to 3 minutes. 
3. Pour evenly over the crackers and, using a spatula, spread to cover evenly.
4. Bake immediately. 
5. After 7 minutes, remove the pan from the oven and sprinkle the chocolate chips evenly over the crackers. 
6.  Spread the chocolate evenly over the crackers with a clean spatula. Cool for 20 to 30 minutes before transferring the tray to the freezer. 
7. The next day, peel off the foil and break the toffee into pieces. Keep frozen or refrigerated.

Your mouth will thank me for all the deliciousness but your jeans may be fitting you a little extra snug. Eat this in moderation and everything will be all right! 

H.C. Seafood - Oxnard, CA

On Saturday I woke up early for a benefit 5k for the Ojai Valley Community Hospital. I am not in the best shape but I figured I could power it out with my friend Nichole. With her motivation not only did I finish but I recorded my best time ever! 34 minutes! Wahoo!!

After we completed the race we went our separate ways but I really wanted to reward myself for the job well done so I headed to Oxnard to escape the Ojai heat and to try a restaurant I had been scoping out. H.C. Seafood is an order at the counter seafood joint that is also a fish market.

They even have a pick your own crab tank. As cool as this is, it is a little sad too.  

My lunch! They had a lobster special of $22 for the Grilled Lobster plate complete with fries, cole slaw and toasted bread. It was delicious! The lobster was a perfect treat for me entering, finishing and blasting my run time. I could see this being a regular thing!

After lunch I took a little walk down the harbor to check out the boats. It was such a stunning day I wanted to spend as much time as possible outdoors. The heat spell in Ojai is hopefully coming to a close, otherwise you just might find me here parked at H.C. seafood more often. two thumbs up! 

Blue Stove - Thousand Oaks, CA

What is better than finding a really classy Christmas Outfit at Nordstrom's half off? Well... Not much but the lunch I had at their in house restaurant, Blue Stove comes in a close second! Read on...

I have had a Nordstrom's Gift Card burning a hole in my pocket (Thank you Kate Good Taste) for quite sometime now and after scrolling online for something that caught my eye I just never used it. I decided maybe a trip to the actual store might do the trick and it worked! After my successful trip I was starting to get a little hungry. A glass of Chenin Blanc perked me up and I was ready to make a lunch decision. 

 They must of knew I was coming... A perfectly sized portion of scallop to risotto was waiting patiently for me on the menu. The Lemon Scented Risotto was lovely, as was the jumbo scallop that was nicely split three ways. I must say this deal of a meal was only $12. In fact nothing on their menu is over $13. I know the portions are smaller and meant for sharing but for me, they were just my size.

Do I love Nordstrom's? Of course. Do I love Blue Stove even more? Absolutely! I will be a repeat guest for sure!

Aloha Steakhouse - Ventura, CA

Hello Alvin! 

Hello Cassie!

The Ranch crew has been enjoying working with our remuda this week because of the cool weather. It is nice to throw on a sweat shirt in the morning. It makes me feel snuggly. Anyway, the horses are all on their game and are gearing up for upcoming shows to Bakersfield and Paso Robles.

 After long days at the ranch Scott and I get to occasionally treat ourselves to date nights on the town. This particular evening we went to one of our beach front favorites, Aloha. I felt festive by ordering a fruity cocktail - The Kauai Love.

We decided to start with an appetizer of a Stuffed Artichoke with sauteed mushrooms. It was an interactive starter that required a little work with our conversation. I totally recommend it. 

I ordered the Parmesan crusted Orange Roughy and regretted it based on my first saw through the "batter" it was an egg based and it was soggy and tough. A weird situation for such a tender fish. The taste of parmesan was nonexistent. I just ordered bad plain and simple.

Please do not let my entree order scare you away from this place. I usually leave here feeling amazing and totally pleased. Just steer around this order and try something else. I promise you will be content!

Hello Fall! - Ojai, CA

Last Saturday was the most beautiful introduction we have had to Fall in many years. The morning air was crisp and the warm, fuzzy it gave me inspired me to get cooking! I love cooking when the seasons change. Goodbye Summer. Hello Fall! Upper Ojai was just stunning, I had to snap a photo from my porch...

I set the table with candles, flowers and cloth napkins. It was just too pretty of a day not to go all out.

 Scott put on music and sweet tunes blasted through our outdoor speakers. 

Hi Scott!

My grandmother's wicker furniture makes for a lovely outdoor living space. We have used this sitting area so much this year. I see many more evenings of front porch sitting in our future! 

What I love most about cooking all day is the ability to have your meal ready and waiting with a fully clean kitchen to work in! Always clean as I cook, I hate dirty dishes. So with my kitchen spotless I decided to start cocktail hour...

 Cheers!

Scott requested his favorite, Deviled Eggs, to start. I like making them because it is such a labor of love. You must kindly handle the eggs to boil, crack and peel them without injury to the precious whites. Then whip up the yolks to your creamy desire. It is just such a personal recipe. A little of this, a little of that - add what makes you feel right. This time it was mayonnaise, mustard, sweet pickle relish, cherry pepper juice, salt pepper and a sprinkle (or in my case an accidental downpour) of paprika.

Our sweet friends Dana, Brandon and Ryan came over to enjoy eating with us. It is so nice to have local friends who appreciate good eats like we do! When I called them last minute to come up the hill and dine with us they were good enough to jump in their cars and join in. 

I love this shot of everyone digging in! Scott was in charge of cooking the steaks and salmon on the barbecue and he knocked it out of the park! Scott loves barbecuing so I knew he would love his job. He does get nervous about cooking up my seafood selections but every time he does it comes out perfectly. I love a little surf and turf with my meal.

My plate was complete with a piece of salmon, a big scoop of Melissa's Broccoli Salad, a twice baked potato (made with copious amounts of butter, sour cream, cheese and love...) and a slice of garlic bread. 

What is in Melissa's Broccoli Salad you wonder?

• Broccoli - 5 heads - finely chopped
• Red Onion - Only 1/2 - very finely chopped
• Cheddar Cheese - shaved, 1/2 cup
• Sunflower Seeds - 1 cup+, I used extra...
• Dried Apricots - 1 cup, also chopped finely
• The dressing - Mayonaise, sugar and vinegar - make a paste and adjust to your liking! I overly dress mine because I like my food saucy. But do remember as the vegetables "sit" the will sweat some of their liquids out and make the salad extra wet.

Mix it all up in a bowl and let it rest in the fridge for a couple hours!

Our party was a success. It was low key and last minute just like the best parties are. No fuss, no muss and just enjoying quality time with the people you love. 

Happy Fall everyone! Now get in your kitchen and start cooking!

Miz Shirley Marie's - Wilton, CA

 My Mom dis some guest blogging for me at the horse show while I was away. Miz Shirley Marie's Food Truck was all the rage from what I heard from my fellow cutters. From the jambalya to the wings the food rocked.

Based on the menu alone you know I would have had to the try the Nacho Fries. I can just imagine the boat of deep fried fries smothered in an excessive amount of nacho cheese and then hopefully topped with some sort of sinful protein. Ah yes, I can imagine those fries. 

My friend, Beth was a kind model for what my Mom called one of the "best sandwiches she has ever had in her life"- the Shrimp Po Boy. I thought it was a bold statement but based on the rave reviews from every person who dined with them that day, it must be true.

I like the looks of the sandwich immediately because it appeared to be perfectly sauced. I like a sandwich that is moist and this looks like it is done so. The shrimp were freshly battered and fried, giving each bite a snap. The bun had been warm and browned on the griddle, ding ding! More points earned! But, those fries, look at those glorious fries! I love a good steak fry and those look great.

Ok, my readers if you are located in the northern California area you can check out Miz Shirley's yorself. Their reviews can be found on Yelp: MIZ SHIRLEY MARIE'S and it gives you a link to their locations for the day. Give it a try!

El Rancho Futurity #2 - Rancho Murieta, CA

 Days came and went with early mornings and warm evenings during the 8 day show. It seemed like it all blended together and I opened my eyes and the last day was upon is. We managed to get off the show grounds a couple times and during one of those trips we decided to give Big Al's BBQ in Elk Grove a try.

Animal hide on the wall, different BBQ sauces to try and an all wood interior got us in the mood to get our fingers messy with some BBQ. The menu was pretty straight forward: Pulled Pork, Brisket, Chicken and Ribs. 

 Scott went for a Brisket Sandwich Special with Beans and Potato Salad. He said the brisket was tasty as he doused the entire sandwich with their BBQ Sauce that is made in house. The potato salad was fresh and the beans lacked the pizazz he was looking for.

I wanted to get down with some ribs so I decided to do a Combination Plate as well. The ribs were fine, nothing that my momma can't do better. The french fries were divine. I was really craving french fries. Dipped in the BBQ Sauce was just perfection. They served a small piece of cornbread that I was not expecting and that was my favorite thing on the plate! Ask for the cornbread...

Back at the horse show...

Cowboy Ron made both of his finals the in the Non-Pro Derby and Amateur Derby. How cool is that? He walked away with a big check and two trophy knives!

Are you curious how Elvis and I ended up?

We navigated our way to Reserve Champions of the Non-Pro Futurity! I could not be any prouder of my horse, help and myself! It was just an outstanding experience. I got to add another El Rancho Futurity buckle to my belt and I could not be any more thrilled to sport it.

Thank you to show producer, Carol Ward and her entire staff... 

Cheers to the memories!

El Rancho Futurity #1 - Rancho Murieta, CA

Have you met Elvis yet? This is my horse, Elvis and I am sure he is thrilled to meet you. Elvis has a back story too long to post but let me sum it up. He was bought in a sale in Texas with my horse show winnings in 2012 and I paid for a shipper to ship him to California. After 3 weeks of being stranded in Texas, he finally made it home. We soon discovered he had no tear ducts and had artificial ones (hence his registered name... "Metallic Tears") put in at UC Davis, twice! He then caught the herpes virus while at Davis and was in quarantine for 3 months! Shortly after we had him castrated at UC Davis and a whole mess of problems with infection hit him after that. So needless to say his start in life was not the best. But, through good faith and a lot of luck Elvis is here today cutting at the 2014 futurities!

I got to show him for the first time last week at the El Rancho Futurity. Just to walk him to the herd seemed surreal, it seemed like problem after problem with him medically sealed his fate of never cutting. But look at us go! I was not nervous to show him, as I sometimes get when I walk to the herd on my horses. I was just happy to be there!

Cutting on him was so much fun! He is a cool, calm competitor that doesn't get rattled during his run. He is small in size but a pretty steady dude. I cruised through the first round of competition with a score of 213, which is just above an average score in the National Cutting Horse Association's five judge system. With the first round over, I felt pretty excited to continue to show my horse well and advance through the rest of the rounds.

My Mom was the one who had to haul poor Elvis to his grueling veterinary appointments. She is the one who received the bad news when his procedures went not to plan. She is the one who kept me upbeat when I thought all was lost. My Mom never lost hope. She was thrilled to watch Elvis show his stuff, I think she was mostly nervous though.  

After we put Elvis in his stall and feed him some treats my mom and I decided to go treat ourselves to a Mexican food lunch that we enjoyed many times before - Coyote's in Lockeford. 

And this is me howling like a coyote portrayed on the menu...

Sometimes I am a little dramatic.

My mom had to actually take my photo doing this.

What a sport! 

Listed as a special on the menu board was "Real Crab Enchiladas" and I knew my mom would order it. It was served with a tangy green sauce. I sometimes regret ordering seafood type entrees at Mexican restaurants because I know they do their shredded beef right. So I leave the seafood section alone when dining la Mexicana! She did not seem to mind it but in my heart I know she wished she ordered her usual order of "Chile Relleno".

I ordered what I always do because on that day I felt like staying on course. One shredded beef enchilada and taco with rice and beans. It was perfect! I loved their enchilada sauce, it was smoky and not heavy on tomato taste. I know that sounds weird but I like a doctored up version. Make it sweet, make it spicy, smoke it up even if it is from the can it does wonders. The rice was fluffy although beans lack luster.

The chips and salsa are worth the drive alone. They sneak in flour chips with their tasty salsa and that is just my favorite! It was a perfect day. Horse show fun, socializing with my mom and eating Mexican food. My idea of perfection! 

Are you wondering how the rest of the horse show turned out? 

Stay tuned...