UPDATE!

Here are the promised pictures!














Mom went to a party up in NJ over the weekend, so Dad and I decided to throw her a "see ya later" dinner. Grilled flat-iron steak with steamed green beans and garlic-pepper mashed potatoes. I used a mix of Russet and New potatoes. I LOVE using red (New) potatoes, the skins are soooo pretty!















While mom is away, the chefs like to play!
Spring rolls, adapted from a nifty Johnson and Wales recipe book that was complementary with the Career Explorations program in Culinary Arts. I had NONE of the ingredients needed except for the rice wrappers, carrot, and rice vermicelli (aka Glass Noodles). Their version calls for shrimp... we used sautéed pork and apple. They called for lettuce... we used spinach! Curry powder made the whole thing just beyond-description excellent!

The sauce is a pomegranate reduction. I overdid the lime a bit, so it was more bitter than I would have liked. Next time, I'll juice the lime instead of putting in pieces.















Mmm, dinner rolls...

These dinner rolls were OUT OF THIS WORLD. My bread machine is awesome... set it to "dough" and in 1 h 30 you have any of a various list of doughs. These tasted like they came out of a restaurant.. oh wait, they did! My kitchen, that is! A little butter and jam and you had a perfect egg accompaniment for breakfast.
















Shrimp, version 1!

Bacon-wrapped shrimp on basil, mozzarella, and pork scallopine. This one was my dad's creation. It was Saturday's dinner, along with the biscuits and spring rolls.


The non-photographed dessert was a chocolate whip with cream puffs. I mentally thwack myself on the forehead for forgetting to photograph it, it was a work of incredible tastiness.


TONIGHT'S MEAL!














Shrimp version 2!

This time, we added a little bit of bleu cheese and served it over chicken! I took action and added a dash of chili powder as well, just to kick it up a bit. Served over spinach and a (sadly pre-made but WHAT A DEAL; my grandfather would be proud) pickled shrimp salad consisting of baby shrimp, peppers, and onion all pickled very nicely. Also came with a roll.

Now that we know how incredible THAT was, we're thinking of trying beef next time in a surf-and-turf idea. I have a feeling that that is going to take it to the next level entirely!

















Dessert: a trio of mousses.

I worked on this one for a while, but it was well worth the effort. Lemon and orange mousse and a chocolate "mousse". The chocolate is more of a whip, because it has no gelatin. I'm working on that... I think I'll just try a version of the dark chocolate mousse I made back in July next time. The lemon mousse idea was from a Johnson and Wales Open House back in May or June. I played around with it to make the orange one. It was all very good fun. And now I have breakfast! Woohoo!















AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACK BLOOD!

I lie, that's the pomegranate reduction. I thought it had a nice arterial-blood shade though. I have some new Halloween tricks now! That and the glass noodles as some sort of squishy brain-mass or something... teehehehe.


And that is how I spent my weekend!