roasted red pepper tomato bisque...

We went back to school this week.
Will you just look at my homegirl...
She started high school this year.
She's not a baby anymore. *sniff*
Where does the time go?


And take a look at my handsome boys...
A sophomore, a toddler, and a senior.
May the force be with me this year.

So, now that we're back on a schedule,
I was forced to dust off my stove.
Although, in my opinion, it's still too hot to cook.
But heck, what's my opinion around here anyway...
my homies demand my home cooked meals.


This is a perfect soup to serve your kiddos after a long day
of school... it pairs nicely with a grilled sandwich.

Let's make it...


First, you'll need to dice up a small onion and several cloves of garlic.


Fire up your stove.

Drizzle a little olive oil...

and melt a couple tablespoons of butter.

Then toss in your onions and garlic.
*So sorry, forgot to take a photo of that step.

Be sure to salt and


pepper according to taste.

Now, while the onions and garlic are sauteing,
grab a jar of roasted peppers... red preferably.

And chop 'em up.
I only used about half the jar... which measured about 1/2 cup.

After the onions and garlic are cooked, grab your blender
or food processor and toss them in with the chopped peppers.

Pour in 1 cup of chicken stock.


And blend... or puree.

Now grab a can of diced tomatoes and pour them into a pot.

Add in the blended roasted pepper mixture.
Turn your heat to a medium-low.
Then, give it a nice stir.

Add in a can and half of tomato puree.

Sprinkle in about a 1/2 teaspoon of dried basil.

Now comes the good part. *grin*
Pour in 3/4 cup heavy cream... yum.


Stir well.
Now, give it a little taste.
Add in more salt and pepper to taste.
Heat thoroughly for about 5 to 10 minutes.

While your soup is heating, whip up some grilled cheese sandwiches.

Aren't mine the cutest? We have a thing for Mickey Mouse over here.

Just a little thing...

It's really no big deal. *giggle*

But seriously, you've got to make this soup.


It'll make you smile.


~Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Bisque~

1 small onion, diced
3 to 4 garlic cloves, diced
Olive Oil
2 tablespoon butter
Salt & Pepper
1/2 cup roasted red peppers, chopped
1 cup chicken stock
1 can petite diced tomatoes
1 1/2 cans tomato puree
1/2 teaspoon dried basil
3/4 cup heavy cream


~Heat the olive oil and butter in a pan.
~Saute the onions and garlic for about 5 minutes until translucent.
~Salt and pepper to taste.
~Blend the cooked onions and garlic, roasted red peppers,
and chicken stock in a blender or food processor until blended.
~Heat the diced tomatoes in a pot.
~Stir in the blended roasted pepper mixture.
~Add the tomato puree. Stir.
~Sprinkle in the dried basil.
~Pour in the cream. Stir.
~Taste and add more salt and pepper to taste.
~Serve with a grilled cheese sandwich.
~Smile.

Much love,

rolo

billy...

On our last night in Port A, which was three weeks and one
day ago now, we took the family on a sunset dolphin cruise.


Where we met Billy (I'm pretty sure that was his name),
the first mate, aboard the Mustang out of Woody's.


Billy is a pretty cool guy.
He told us stories... one in particular of
how he came to be missing an eye and half of
one of his first fingers.


And here's the reason why...
They caught a shark and the sucker's
tail came around and whacked Billy in the eye
and made it fall out. Then, it bit his finger half off.
So, Billy decided he would keep the sucker's jaws!
Wow! What a story.


Billy also gave us a crash course in Marine Biology...
but how could you focus on what he was saying
after the story he just told while looking at his eye.

Ahhh... I do remember he said this was a blue crab.
Of course, the fact that it's blue didn't matter one bit. ;)
Oh, and check out his missing finger... he had a face tattooed on it!

And this one here is a female... you know how I remembered that?

Because she's expecting... as in baby crabs.
Awwwww...

She was shy.

Baby boy was captivated by it all...

And then he showed me how he really felt.

I hope you're enjoying your week.
We've got some exciting things happening around mi casa...
I'll share details with you soon.
xo
rolo

pork chops in a white wine onion cream sauce...

Oh heaven help me. I had dreams about this...
then I woke up, made it, took one bite and passed out.

And yes, I dream about food. Making it and eating it...
and passing out from it's goodness.


After I woke up, again... I did this.
This is the best part about this dish.
Then I passed out... again.

I'm kicking myself for not taking step-by-step photos...
but to be honest, I wasn't sure how this would turn
out, and didn't want to waste time pausing and clicking.
But because it was passing out good, and super easy to make,
I decided to share it with you.

You'll need...

2 to 4 pork chops... I used 3 thick cut boneless.
1 medium to large onion, sliced
4 Tablespoon butter
2 Tablespoon olive oil
Salt... Kosher is best
Fresh ground pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup heavy cream

~Start by heating 2 tablespoon's of butter
and 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a heavy skillet.
~Toss in the sliced onions, salt and pepper to taste,
and cook until caramelized.
~Remove from pan and set aside.
~Melt the remaining butter and olive oil.
~Add the pork chops, salt and pepper to taste
~Sear for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side.
~Turn heat down to medium-low.
~Pour in the chicken stock. Let simmer on low a couple of minutes.
~Add the wine and the cream. Stir and continue to simmer,
turning over the chops occasionally for about 5 minutes,
depending on the thickness of the pork chops.
~Add the onions back in.
~Serve immediately with veggies and fresh bread!
~Passing out is optional.


Now, go my friends... make this tonight.
Show the people some love.


'Cause up next, I'm gonna tell you about this guy.

Dreamer of food,
rolo

why port a...

From the ferry ride over, this Texas coast town is full of charm.
It's quaint and friendly, sleepy and spunky.
This little fishing town is everything we love about a beach getaway.

JB grew up vacationing here with his family. It's a place
that holds a lot of fond memories for him.

He introduced me to Port Aransas back in 2005 and
I absolutely fell head over heels for it too.
How could anyone not?


So naturally, in 2007 when we decided to get hitched,
it was the only place for us to do so.


Since 1833 Port A has been known as a fishing town where
the wild mustangs run free on Mustang Island...
however, they no longer do.

We love Port A for many reasons...


The food.
Moby Dick's is a fun, must-eat-at, eatery.


La Playa... Our favorite!


The dolphin watching...
To which I highly recommend the sunset
dolphin cruise out of Woody's.


The sunsets.
By the way, this lighthouse is a historical sight.


We love standing in the mouth of a shark...


We always have to do it. We're dorks like that.


This is an awesome place to buy fresh shrimp...
like, caught-minutes-before-you-got-there, fresh.
For the night that you're cooking in. Yum.


The nail salon is fun...
especially if you like listening to that "Get Down Tonight" song
while getting a leg massage from a little Asian lady. Yepper.


We always stay at a fun little beachy place...
and for some reason, they've all been aqua blue.


This place was a newly remodel, just in time for summer...
I think we were the forth or fifth occupants.


So cute and perfect for us... I borrowed this photo from the website.

This one too.
My homegirl loved this futon.
She slept there for five nights.

A perfect sized kitchen for vacationing families.


The dining area is super cute and charming.
A quiet place to sit early in the mornings,
sipping on your coffee, while blogging away.


This is the quiet street our beach cottage sat on...
just one of many.

And that's just a few reasons why we love Port A...

Oh yeah, and of course

this.

Wishing I was in Port A,
Rolo