Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Z

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Zebra Pretzel Snacks! This treat makes everyone smile! You only need three ingredients, it takes merely minutes to make, and it’s very kid-friendly! With that being said, “What’s black and white and has a salty, sweet taste?”  
ZEBRA PRETZEL SNACKS
1-pound of mini square or round pretzels 

14-ounce bag of Hershey’s Hugs

1-pound bag of M&M candies
Preheat oven to 250°. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper or Silpat. Place pretzels in single layer forming even rows. Top each pretzel with one unwrapped Hershey’s Hugs. Place tray in oven. Bake for 4 minutes. Watch! Remove when candy begins to melt. Moving quickly, gently press a candy piece onto each Hug. Allow to cool completely in refrigerator to firm up chocolate. Remove and store in airtight container. 

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter Y

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Yakitori Chicken Skewers! Our dinner was supposed to be grilled outdoors. Thank goodness when the weather doesn’t cooperate, meat and vegetables can be broiled indoors with very tasteful results. The international marinade lends itself to an enhanced blend of aromatic soy, olive oil, and pungent ginger which is pleasing to the palate. The Japanese-style dish is a light and healthy alternative when mixed with fruit and vegetables. 
YAKITORI CHICKEN
Ingredients:

2-3 chicken breasts, boneless, skinless, and cut into small sections

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup soy sauce

1/2 cup sake or vermouth

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1/2 teaspoon fresh ginger, shaved

1 garlic clove, minced

6″ skewers

1/2 cup pineapple chunks

1/2 cup green pepper strips
Instructions:

Place chicken in a dish. Combine sugar, soy sauce, sake, vinegar, ginger, and garlic. Mix well to combine. Pour over chicken pieces and marinate in the refrigerator for one hour. Thread chicken, pineapple, and green pepper alternating on skewers. Preheat oven broiler on high setting. Place skewers on a foil-lined baking sheet. Broil 5 minutes; turn and broil an additional 5 minutes on the other side. Cook until chicken is fully cooked. Remove from oven being careful of hot juices. 

💟 Isn’t She Lovely? 💟 “One Lovely Blog” Award!

It is exciting to be on the cusp of discovery. I am still learning the ropes of this intriguing realm of Internet blogging. Meeting my peers, and getting to know them better, is sometimes similar to a domino effect where one comment touches another, and another, and then yet one more reader. That is exactly how I met Anugya of  http://indiancurryshack.com whose love of food and cooking equals mine. Please check out a segment called “Shack Saturdays” where weekend specials are highlighted and featured. Thanks, Anugya, for the nomination!
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These are the Rules for this Award:
1. Thank the person who nominated you for the award.
2. Add the “One Lovely Blog” logo to your post.
3. Share Seven (7) facts about yourself.
4. Nominate up to 15 bloggers you admire, and then inform the nominees by commenting on their blog.
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Here are Seven (7) Facts about me:
* I was a tomboy when I was growing up.
* My long legs make me a fast walker.
* I once participated in a bicycle race and was the only female to cross the finish line.
* I don’t wash windows or mow the lawn.
* I am afraid of heights.
* I don’t know how to swim and really don’t like to get my face wet.
* I tend to read more than one book at a time, savoring each one chapter by chapter.
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Here is the list of bloggers that I wish to nominate: (up to 15)

http://maureenlermer.wordpress.com
http://thoughtsofagirlnamedvierareign.wordpress.com
http://erikakind.wordpress.com
http://dinnercheznous.co
http://lolawi.wordpress.com
http://weight2lose2013.wordpress.com
http://strassenfotografien.wordpress.com
Have a lovely day and Pay It Forward! Blessings! 💟

Gail  http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter X

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: X-tra Thick Mango Crush! Is it fresh fruit? Is it ice cream? Or is it a sparkling Italian beverage? Surprise! It’s all three. The intensity of this mid-summer treat is so refreshing and thirst quenching, you’ll find yourself asking, “Is it a delightful dessert or a tangy beverage?” My thoughts? I don’t need a reason to enjoy the citrusy intense flavors. After all, it’s summer and anything is possible!
X-TRA THICK MANGO CRUSH
Ingredients:

2 medium mangoes, peeled and sliced

1/4 cup powdered sugar 

1/2 cup heavy cream, very icy cold

1 11.15-ounce can of San Pellegrino Aranciata Rossa Blood Orange Sparkling Beverage
Directions:

Combine the ripe fresh fruit and sugar in a food processor or blender. Process on “Pulse” until the fruit is roughly chopped. With the processor running, slowly add the heavy cream until fully mixed. Transfer fruit ice cream to a plastic storage container with lid. Place in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until firm. To serve, use a melon ball scoop to fill a tall glass. Slowly pour the sparkling blood orange beverage over all, being careful not to foam over. Garnish with toasted coconut. 

Keep Calm and Carry On! 🍓 “Post a Quote” Challenge! 🍓

We’ve all heard the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” (Benjamin Franklin said that.) Now here is a challenge that provides a pleasant diversion from regular posting. It has no thought-provoking questions to answer and no need to dig any deeper than the tip of your tongue. Whether your blog is nutrition, travel, fashion, food, art, poetry, photography, fiction, or non….everyone has quotes that impact them, in my opinion. Perhaps you will take a moment to share those quotes with others by accepting this challenge. It’s really very simple, actually.
I have Gabriel to thank for this well-deserved break. His blog, A Little Me, Apparently at   http://gabriel360live.wordpress.com is so surreal. He can transform your imagination from superhero to computer geek to food junky to author. The guy never fails to entertain. And just when you think you caught a glimpse of his soul peeking through, he’ll be as fickle as a cat and take you into a dream world on a thrilling adventure. Don’t take my word for it, go check out The Dark Room yourself. If you dare.
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The Rules of this Challenge are:
– Post 1 quote a day for 3 days (can be your own or from other sources).
– Nominate 3 bloggers to participate per post.
– Thank the person who nominated you.
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My Nominations are:

http://williamleeone.wordpress.com
http://tanvil8.wordpress.com
http://tanvi18.wordpress.com
Keep Calm, Carry On, and Post a Quote! 🍓
Gail     http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter W

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Wholesome Waffle BBLT! You’ve never tried a waffle sandwich before? Me, either. Since I had some Belgian waffles in the freezer from the last time we pulled out the waffle iron, I thought today would be a great day to transform a classic BLT sandwich into something wonderful. The waffle dough keeps the sandwich soft and chewy, rounding off and eliminating the sharp edges of toast. The extra B, you ask? It’s for the subtle hint of bleu cheese; Bacon-Bleu-Lettuce-Tomato!
WHOLESOME WAFFLE BBLT
Ingredients:

1 Belgian waffle, quartered

6 slices black pepper bacon, cooked crisp

Romaine lettuce leaves

Sliced tomatoes

1 tablespoon Bleu cheese, crumbled

1 tablespoon Greek yogurt

3 tablespoons mayonnaise
Instructions:

Warm waffle wedges on low heat in a skillet brushed with a little butter. Do not let burn. Remove from heat. In a small bowl mix mayonnaise, yogurt, and Bleu cheese crumbles. To assemble sandwich, spread the mayonnaise blend on one waffle. Next, layer tomato, lettuce, and bacon. Top with another waffle. Secure the stack with a toothpick. 

Keep Calm and Carry On! 🍓 “Post a Quote” Challenge!

We’ve all heard the saying, “If you want something done, ask a busy person.” (Benjamin Franklin said that.) Now here is a challenge that provides a pleasant diversion from regular posting. It has no thought-provoking questions to answer and no need to dig any deeper than the tip of your tongue. Whether your blog is nutrition, travel, fashion, food, art, poetry, photography, fiction, or non….everyone has quotes that impact them, in my opinion. Perhaps you will take a moment to share those quotes with others by accepting this challenge. It’s really very simple, actually.
I have Gabriel to thank for this well-deserved break. His blog, A Little Me, Apparently at http://gabriel360live.wordpress.com  is so surreal. He can transform your imagination from superhero to computer geek to food junky to author. The guy never fails to entertain. And just when you think you caught a glimpse of his soul peeking through, he’ll be as fickle as a cat and take you into a dream world on a thrilling adventure. Don’t take my word for it, go check out The Dark Room yourself. If you dare.
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

The Rules of this Challenge are:
– Post 1 quote a day for 3 days (can be your own or from other sources).
– Nominate 3 bloggers to participate per post.
– Thank the person who nominated you.
🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓
My Nominations are:

http://intlxpatr.wordpress.com
http://thestardustelephant.wordpress.com
http://malctg.wordpress.com
Keep Calm, Carry On, and Post a Quote! 🍓
Gail    http://snapshotsincursive.com

Eating My Way Through the Alphabet; Letter V

What’s Cooking in Gail’s Kitchen? Home Cooking: Vanilla Frosting-Dipped Fruit and Cookies! Sometimes providing a last minute dessert is easier than you think. The trick is making others believe you spent hours creating such a masterpiece. Choose your favorite fruit, cookies, and frosting. (Now some may really need to cut corners and buy the ready-made frosting as well. I’ll pretend that doesn’t happen so I can share my easy buttercream frosting recipe with you today.)
VANILLA FROSTING-DIPPED FRUIT & COOKIES
Ingredients:

1 pound strawberries, whole with stems

1 package Strawberry Macaroons

2 ounces white nonpareils

12 bamboo skewers
Frosting Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter

3 cups powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon almond extract

1-2 tablespoons milk, warmed
Instructions:

Cream butter and sugar on low speed with hand mixer. Gradually add extracts. Blend until smooth. Add enough milk to keep it creamy, but not runny. Spoon a portion into a small microwave-safe dish and warm frosting 10 seconds in the microwave. While the frosting is warm, dip a piece of fruit or a cookie into the bowl. Using a swirling motion, rotate each piece to cover. Immediate dip into the nonpareils to coat. Place on a baking sheet lined with wax paper. Repeat until all desired pieces are covered. Refrigerate for half an hour or until firm.