Mmmmmm SO YUMMY! Tuesday, Nov 18 2008 

recipes , , , , , krissyrigo 4:03 am

I’m not typically a HUGE fan of Red Lobster, but I am a fan of their cheddar biscuits.  I probably could eat about 10 in one sitting.

I was looking around online for restaurant recipes that I could recreate at home and found the recipe below for their deliciously addictive cheddar bisciuts (and found out that, apparently, this recipe is the most searched for “clone recipe” on the Internet).  Don’t make them all the time or you may have to buy a new wardrobe…

RED LOBSTER CHEDDAR BISCUITS

Cheddar and Garlic Biscuit

Picture obviously from ThinkInsideTheIceBox.com

Ingredients:

2 ½ cups Bisquick baking mix

¾ cup cold whole milk

4 tablespoons cold butter (1/2 stick)

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese

 Brush on Top:

2 tablespoons butter, melted

¼ teaspoon dried parsley flakes

½ teaspoon garlic powder

pinch salt

 Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.

2. Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don’t want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and ¼ teaspoon garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don’t over mix.

3. Drop approximately ¼-cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet using an ice cream scoop.

4. Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

5. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl in your microwave. Stir in ½ teaspoon garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.

…Because you can make them at home at 1:00am (when the restaurant is closed)…

 

A Quote I LOVE Right Now… Tuesday, Nov 18 2008 

quotes , , , krissyrigo 3:52 am

“Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.”

- Elizabeth Gaskell

…Because it’s much more fun to be a leader than a follower…

 

An Article I Love… Friday, Nov 14 2008 

health and life and love , , , , , , , , , , , krissyrigo 7:45 am

 I was reading Oprah’s November 2008 edition of O Magazine and saw an article that I thought was wonderful.  Every month she ends her magazine with a “What I Know For Sure” section and I always make sure I read it carefully because she typically has very insightful advice and comments that are worth listening to. 

The November issue is a compilation of her all-time top 20 answers to the question, “what do you know for sure?”  Usually my posts aren’t this long but I don’t want to leave any out since they are all so great…

Oprah’s Top 20 Answers: “What Do You Know For Sure?”

 

1. What you put out comes back all the time, no matter what.

2. You define your own life.  Don’t let other people write your script.

3. Whatever someone did to you in the past has no power over the present.  Only you give it power.

4. When people show you who they are, believe them the first time.

5. Worrying is wasted time.  Use the same energy for doing something about whatever worries you.

6. What you believe has more power than what you dream or wish or hope for.  You become what you believe.

7. If the only prayer you ever say is thank you, that will be enough.

8. The happiness you feel is in direct proportion to the love you give.

9. Failure is a signpost to turn you in another direction.

10. If you make a choice that goes against what everyone else thinks, the world will not fall apart.

11. Trust your instincts.  Intuition doesn’t lie.

12. Love yourself and then learn to extend that love to others in every encounter.

13. Let passion drive your profession.

14. Find a way to get paid for doing what you love.  Then every paycheck will be a bonus.

15. Love doesn’t hurt.  It feels really good.

16. Every day brings a chance to start over.

17. Being a mother is the hardest job on earth.  Women everywhere must declare it so.

18. Doubt means don’t.  Don’t move.  Don’t answer.  Don’t rush forward.

19. When you don’t know what to do, get still.  The answer will come.

20. “Trouble don’t last always” — sort of like one of my old favorites: ”this, too, shall pass”

…Because successful people give good advice…

 

A Picture I LOVE Tuesday, Nov 11 2008 

home and life , , , , , krissyrigo 8:50 am

Winter Trees III Art Print by Ilona Wellman

Winter Trees III Art Print by Ilona Wellman

Every single time I see this picture I cannot help but stare at it.  Something about it is breathtaking to me and I hope to buy it someday.  I can see myself sitting on the sofa next to this picture drinking a steaming cup of hot chocolate.  Just the thought of this makes my happy.

…Because surrounding yourself with little things you love allows you to truly enjoy every moment you spend at home.  This, really, is what is so beautiful about being at home…

 

Mmmmm: Salad Dressing! Tuesday, Nov 11 2008 

recipes , , , , , krissyrigo 8:42 am

Krissy’s Tomato Vinaigrette Salad Dressing

1/2 cup vegetable oil or light olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1/4 teaspoon garlic granules or powder
1/8 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Place all ingredients in jar, cover and shake well.  Shake before each pouring…

I really am a creature of habit and once I find something I like, I could literally eat it every single day for years (it certainly happened with oatmeal!).  I am obsessed with spinach salad topped with grilled chicken, pecans, and chopped up hardboiled egg drenched in this dressing.  I think I may make it this week…

 

A Quote I Love Tuesday, Nov 11 2008 

quotes , , , krissyrigo 8:38 am

 ”Out of intense complexities intense simplicities emerge. ”

— Winston Churchill

 

A Quote I LOVE! Tuesday, Nov 4 2008 

life and quotes , , , , , , , , krissyrigo 4:01 am

“We can only be said to be alive in those moments when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.”

— Thornton Wilder

I love this quote because I have begun to realize just how much outlook alone plays a role in having a happy and fulfilled life.  I have noticed that the people who complain the most and are the most negative are the ones that are constantly having “bad luck.”  Realistically though, there are a lot of people who have had bad things happen to them that are full of life and positive and happy.  These people tend to be the most thankful for what they have and for the good things that have happened to them along the way. 

I think that, to a certain extent, you create your own “luck” and that people who are always focusing on the negatives in their lives are the ones who are not taking advantage of situations around them that could end up turning the negatives into positives.  They are simply too preoccupied with feeling sorry for themselves.  I don’t want to be one of these people.  Starting today, I am going to try to go all week without complaining even one time.  I think people get into habits of complaining and “venting” to friends and, before they know it, they turn into people who focus only on the bad and quickly forget about the good.  I want to focus on the good.

For every accidental complaint that I find myself mentioning to someone, I am going to write down a list of 5 things that I am truly happy about and thankful for.  At the end of the week we will see how many times I had to add to my list.  I will wrap up my experiment by taking a moment to read over the items (if I complained and there are any) as a reminder of the things I have that I should always remember to be appreciative of.  I think just by doing this I will be more aware of the things that I say and will be on my way to becoming the happiest person I can become.  I am ready.

P.S. Sorry that it has been a really long time since I’ve been able to put up a post.  Things have been really busy but I will make it a priority to post more often.