Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter P

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: PB&J Cupcakes! Mention peanut butter and watch how childhood memories instill sentimental feelings of joy and laughter. Add a dollop of jelly and suddenly the yearning is real. Here is a way to turn the classic sandwich into a yummy dessert that will find you clapping your hands with glee. The fluffy peanut butter frosting will leave you craving “just one more cupcake”! Yes, please.
PB&J CUPCAKES
Ingredients for Cupcakes:

1/2 cup raspberry jam

1 1/4 cup flour

3/4 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/3 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Line a muffin tin with 12 cupcake papers. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. Beat the butter and sugar with an electric mixer 1-2 minutes until fluffy. Add the egg and vanilla extract and continue beating. Stir in the flour mixture until no lumps remain. Pour a little in the bottom of the cupcake liners. Form a small well. Put a scant teaspoon of jelly in each well. Add more batter on top to cover. Do not fill cups past 2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.
Ingredients for Icing:

1/2 cup peanut butter, creamy

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup milk

Fresh Raspberries for garnish
Instructions:

Cream the peanut butter and butter until smooth in a mixing bowl. Gradually add the powdered sugar alternating with the milk. Blend in the vanilla extract until smooth. Frost the cooled cupcakes and top with a fresh raspberry.

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter O

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: One Fish, Two Fish! The health benefits of eating tilapia are enough to make you feel like a poet. By choosing a fish that is high in protein and low in calories, why not get creative with a baked and crispy crust? This one has a kick of spice balanced with natural cornmeal and grated cheese. Give it a whirl and pass your comments on to me. I’d love to hear from you.
ONE FISH, TWO FISH
Ingredients:

2 tilapia fillets, boneless and skinless

1 tablespoon olive oil

1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup flour

1/4 cup cornmeal

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 teaspoon sea salt

1/8 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/2 cup Jazzy Jerk Sauce*
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 425°. While the oven is preheating, cover the bottom of an iron skillet with the olive oil. Place skillet in oven while you prepare the breading for the tilapia. Mix together all dry ingredients and spread on a sheet of waxed paper. Pour the Jazzy Jerk Sauce* into a shallow bowl. Dip one fish fillet at a time into the sauce, coating both sides. Once wet, dredge in bread crumb mixture to fully cover both sides. Set aside and repeat for the second fish fillet. Using oven mitts, carefully remove iron skillet from oven. Place fish fillets in pan and return to oven. Bake 8 minutes, gently turn over and bake 4 minutes longer. Do not over cook. Serve with a side of cole slaw.
*Jazzy Jerk Sauce recipe may be found by clicking on the link below.

https://snapshotsincursive.com/2015/10/15

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter N

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Not-Your-Momma’s Scrambled Eggs! Do you have a fussy eater? Sometimes it takes a lot of energy to keep things interesting and fun. Here’s your answer for simplifying breakfast or dinner: put the scrambled egg mixture in a hollowed out pepper shell. Bake it in the oven while the bread is toasting. The aromas alone will grab their attention. Trust me, it’s worth the wait.
NOT-YOUR-MOMMA’S SCRAMBLED EGGS
Ingredients:

3 sweet peppers, seeded and ribs removed

1/4 cup dry aged prosciutto, cubed

2 tablespoons sweet red pepper, diced

2 tablespoons onion, diced

1 tablespoon olive oil

smidgen of seasoned salt

nip of cracked black pepper

1/2 cup cheddar cheese, finely shredded

2 eggs

1 tablespoon milk
Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350°. Coat oven-proof baking dish with nonstick spray. Place peppers upright in bottom of dish, like a boat. They need to sit flat in order to keep the eggs from running out. In a small skillet, add olive oil, red pepper, onion, and prosciutto. Sauté in seasonings. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and milk. Beat well. Layer the pepper boats with cheese and prosciutto mixture. Pour eggs over all to fill. Bake for 30 minutes or until set. Serve with buttered toast and salad.

📖 🍰 📖 Read, Bake, Read 📖 🍰 📖 🍰 “Blogger Recognition Award!” 🍰

It’s no secret people hang out in coffee shops and book stores for the atmosphere and aromas. After all, it’s becoming a favorite pastime as well as a way to connect with others. If you enjoy reading books, and totally love baked goodies, here is a way to enjoy both activities. Go visit Charley at her amazingly interesting blog where the title says it all. http://booksandbakes1.wordpress.comI truly appreciate being nominated and find it a privilege to share my story and carry on.
📖🍰📖🍰📖🍰📖🍰📖🍰
Here are tithe rules for the Blogger Recognition Award:

~ Post an image of the award.

~ Thank the person who nominated you and provide a link to them.

~ Briefly explain how your blog got started.

~ Give a piece of advice to fellow bloggers.

~ Nominate fifteen (15) more bloggers to receive the award, and notify them.
📖🍰📖🍰📖🍰📖🍰📖🍰
My Story:

I have always enjoyed the written word, from personal notes to scribbling in diaries and travel journals. There’s something about taking the ordinary moments in life and recording them for extraordinary flashbacks later on. The more descriptive, the better. I took a leap of faith in starting my blog, Snapshotsincursive, as a way to express myself while dealing with the loss of my father. At first it began when I started to notice that people are looking for a kind and gentle spirit in others, especially when you pay attention. Complete strangers, on impulse, started to share their stories with no more than a smile of encouragement, a listening ear, and a few moments of my time. As I took snapshots, the stories and photos came together. Because I love to cook and eat, food became another way for me combine the best of both worlds. What better way to share recipes than “Eating My Way Through the Alphabet”.
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My Advice:

Keep it Simple. Everyone is busy and has a desire to stay connected with other fellow bloggers. By being courteous with your time and posts, the likelihood of maintaining lasting friendships increase. There is no need to continually post several times a day, in my opinion. If you are looking to increasing your numbers, it could have an adverse effect. Once again, Keep it Simple.
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Here are my fifteen (15) nominees:

Gail of http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter M

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Mouth-Watering Strawberry Mint Salad! Before the frost sets in, I wanted to take advantage of the lingering crop of fresh mint in the herb garden. What better way than to give it center stage in this appetizing side salad? It’s refreshing, light, aromatic, and appealing to the eye. Experience your first bite through the sense of sight, then follow your heart to the nearest market and pick up 3 simple ingredients to create your own masterpiece.
MOUTH-WATERING STRAWBERRY MINT SALAD
Ingredients:

1 quart of fresh strawberries

1/4 cup feta cheese, crumbled

3 sprigs of fresh mint leaves
Instructions:

Rinse strawberries and pat dry. Remove tops and discard. Slice strawberries into quarters. Place portions into chilled salad bowls. Spoon feta crumbles over strawberries. Tuck mint leaves throughout. Serve.

🐶🐶 All Dogs Go To Heaven 🐶🐶 “Starlight Blogger Award!”

Everyone has lost a pet, a best friend, sometime in their life. It is heart-breaking and bittersweet. Nupur shares the life and experiences of Mowgli in her blog entitled https://letterstomowgli.wordpress.com

From laughter to tears, Nupur will captivate you in her creative writings. It was an honor to be nominated by her for a symbolic award that reaches to the stars.
🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶🐶
Here are tithe rules for the Starlight Blogger Award:

~ Post an image of the award.

~ Thank the person who nominated you.

~ Answer the three (3) questions listed.

~ Nominate six (6) more bloggers to receive the award, and notify them.

~ List three (3) new questions for the nominees to answer in response.
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I was asked the following questions:

1. What led you to writing? I have kept journals my entire life.

2. How did you overcome the weakest point of your life? Prayer, Faith, and Strength.

3. What is the one thing you’ve always wanted to do, but haven’t done yet? I would love to visit New York City and experience the food and culture there.
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Here are my six (6) nominees:

http://ditchingthedog.wordpress.com
http://lifekidsandaglassofred.com
http://abike4allseasons.com
http://agirlwithpinkcheeks.com
http://modernpilgrimjourney.wordpress.com
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Please answer the following questions.

1. Did you have a favorite pet or best friend who passed away?

2. How do you keep their memory alive?

3. What helped you heal from the loss?
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Reach for the stars and connect with those you’ve lost.

Gail http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter L

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? The Joy of Eating: Lively Calypso Mac ‘n Cheese! When I needed a quick side dish to serve with the Xtreme Sloppy Joes, I turned to my pantry for a flavorful inspiration from Pappardelle’s*. The multicolored shapes alone are conversation starters. Picture this: Lime gnocchi shells, mango-peach sea shells, and red southwestern chile lumache. The natural flavors explode when cooked and mixed with cheese, butter, and milk. It’s macaroni and cheese with a Caribbean twist. Well done!
LIVELY CALYPSO MAC ‘N CHEESE
Ingredients:

8 ounces Pappardelle’s Calypso Blend pasta

1 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup butter

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 cup milk

Crushed croutons for garnish
Instructions:

Bring a 2-quart pan of salted water to a rolling boil on high heat. Add 8 ounces of Pappardelle’s Calypso Blend pasta. Stir for the first 15 seconds. As the water returns to a slow simmer, reduce heat to medium and cook until al dente, about 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Drain pasta. Melt butter in pan on low heat. Add cheddar cheese and milk. Stir to blend until cheese is melted. Return pasta to pan and stir to coat evenly. Do not burn. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with crushed croutons.
*I receive no recompense for promoting their product.

Take a Seat at the Table

“You should make something.

You should bring something

into the world

that wasn’t in the world before.

It doesn’t matter what it is.

It doesn’t matter if it’s a table

or a film

or gardening-

everyone should create.

You should do something,

then sit back and say,

‘I did that.'”

~ Ricky Gervais

Dining Outside the Home: MIA of Oxford, Ohio

Smooth jazz set the stage for a celebration dinner at an intimate table for two in a private curtained alcove set apart from others. The flickering candlelight seemed to dance off the red lampshade casting tiny shadows across the stemmed water glasses. Dinner was divine: Filet mignon upon a bleu-cheese risotto cake served impressively with a delicate pink plumeria as its crown. Is it any wonder the magic of its allure transported us to a tropical island where these same flowers lure Sphinx moths to their fragrant petals? The attention to detail earned this upscale restaurant a five star rating, in my opinion.

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