Dinners

I saw an eipisode of some spice lady on the Food Network who made some awesome refried bean burgers last week.  However, I can't remember when I saw it, what the show was called or many of the ingredients.  I remember thinking, "I'd never have thought to put those spices together in one meal".  So, of course I couldn't recreate the meal the way she did.  However, I did remember the refried beans and the eggs, so this actually turned out really well.  And it's a good meatless dish that didn't feel meatless. 

Although the meal looks really colorless, my condiments didn't and it struck me how many were made from scratch.  Following a blog post on Dinner with Julie about ketchup and how easy it was to make, I made a few jars in tomato season and have enough to last the year without Heintz.  This is the same  Ranch Dressing that I made a few weeks ago, but I mixed up a smaller batch this time.  The crumbly cheese turned out really well and melts nicely.  It's an accidental creation from a failed batch of yoghurt that heated too high.  I can't take credit for the relish.  That comes from my mother-in-law.  They looked nice in the middle of the table.

I think I might try growing fennel again this summer.  It was very good in the salad, but I wonder how you preserve fennel if I have the happy problem of growing a successful excess. 

Last night was Crockpot Tuesday, so we had chicken, potatoes and veggies.  This meal bores me but the rest of the family likes it and it provides me with leftovers for other meals and lunches.