Purple Plums

It's a long story...yesterday I went to the grocery store and they were giving out complimentary "Burgundy" plums at the checkout! Could this be? Could the insides be purple like the ones I crave from my childhood when we had plums with purple insides growing on a tree in my backyard? The same ones my mom would make plum jam out of? Yes!! My wish had been granted. Oh the joy of purple plums! :9

Believe it or not, I actually left the store content with my free perfect plum. Of course, as soon as I got home I wanted more!! I convinced my daughter to come back to the store with me on the hunt for more of these plums. They were hard to find. None of the plums said, "burgundy" on them, they all said "black" on them, but I know from my own experience they have yellowish insides. No thanks. Yes, I'm a plum snob. ;)

We found the plums that we were searching for, in bags that were labeled "premium plums" and were noticeably more expensive-- so I was convinced we had the right ones. Part of the reason why Sarah came with me was because she made a deal that I would buy her a coconut, so we picked out one of those next. Then, she was fascinated by all the other tropical fruits that we had never tried and we picked up a few of those as well. The one she wanted the most was the dragon fruit--of course she would, it cost $6.99! She offered to pay for it even, so I got it for her, knowing I wouldn't make her pay for it because we would all share in eating it if it was good.

Here is a display of the fruits that Sarah put together. She knew I'd want to get a picture of it, so here it is. I love that she took such joy in arranging it on a plate. Everything we tasted she "liked" or, at least, she convinced herself it was good even though some were barely edible. She cracks me up. She also called yesterday our "Fruit Day" and asked if we could do this every year. She set a goal of trying every fruit too. So, we are off to a good start.

Chicken Teriyaki Kabobs

Thanks Brooke for this recipe idea! :)
(a Warner family favorite)

2 Pkgs chicken breasts--cleaned and cubed

Marinate in:

4 TBSP soy sauce
4 TBSP oil
4 TBSP orange or lemon juice
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground ginger

Thread chicken on skewers with green peppers, cherry tomatoes and small white mushrooms.

Tilapia a la Steph ;)

Thaw frozen Tilapia Loins as directed on package. Drizzle a couple of tablespoons of extra light olive oil in large fry pan, add thawed tilapia loins to pan. Sprinkle each loin with garlic salt and fresh cracked pepper. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle parmesan cheese over the tops to coat. Saute over medium-heat for 4-5 minutes. Carefully turn tilapia over using a spatuala. Season tilapia loins as above with garlic salt, pepper, lemon juice and parmesan. Cook for another 5 minutes or until a light golden brown and then turn and brown the remaining side. :) I prefer to overcook the tilapia until there is a bit of a crispy outer layer. Mmmm... 

Serve with Rice Pilaf that's been cooked in chicken broth.

Bleu Cheese Au Gratin Potatoes

Several years ago, Steve and I had dinner at Inn On The Creek in Midway, Utah. One of the best dining experiences ever! :) I have never been the biggest fan of bleu cheese but after having their Au Gratin potatoes I was forever changed. haha. Steve came home from Costco with a container of bleu cheese chunks and I knew immediately what I wanted to try to make with it--potatoes! Steve bought it with the intention of putting it on top of steaks he was going to grill. Our family was in barbecue heaven today with steak & these fancy potatoes. I realize that not everybody will like them, but I can't imagine who!

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large skillet, saute until translucent and golden:
1/2 yellow or vidalia onion, sliced (or chopped)
1 small clove garlic, minced
drizzle of extra virgin olive oil
(set aside)

Sauce:
1 small clove garlic, minced
2 T. butter
2 T. flour
2 C. milk
1/2-2/3 C. crumbled bleu cheese or chunks
3 T. cream cheese

*Melt butter in a small sauce pan and saute garlic. Add 2 T. flour and heat, while stirring to combine. Add 2 C. milk, a little at a time. Heat over medium-high heat and stirring often. When mixed well, lower heat and add 1/2 -2/3 C. of bleu cheese chunks, 3 T. low-fat cream cheese, and 1/8 c. parmesan cheese. Stir until cheese is completely melted and remove from heat.

In a medium-size casserole dish, layer:
russet potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and fresh ground pepper
grilled onions from above
pour sauce over potatoes at half-way and then the rest over the top
top with about 1/4 C. bleu cheese, finely crumbled

Cover potatoes tightly with foil. Bake for 1 hr. 15 mins. Remove foil and bake another 10-15 minutes until slightly golden. Is this what heaven smells like? ;)

Let sit for 10 minutes before serving to help potatoes firm up. 

My family devoured these potatoes. I was actually kind of surprised. One of my kids was a little more resistant to eat it--and it wasn't my youngest. I actually made a second batch of potatoes, substituting the bleu cheese with cheddar cheese and increasing to about 3/4 c. cheese. Reduce cream cheese to 2 T. and omit Parmesan, if you want. The cheddar cheese potatoes were good, but not as good as the bleu cheese potatoes. Mmmm....