Coastal Oaks

I'm having this dish again for lunch today and its still to die for. Now that I think about it, I don't think I have even met a pasta dish I don't like.... I got this from a food blog I regularly go to for simple weeknight dinners.  The sauce in this dish is just delicious. I was spooning gobs in my mouth claiming I was testing it! Ha! Hope you try and enjoy it! Skillet Baked Ziti 6 cloves of garlic, minced 4 teaspoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes salt and pepper 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes, Hunts 3 cups water 12 ounces ziti or penne pasta (3 3/4 cups) 4 ounces (1/2 cup) whole milk ricotta 1/2 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil 1 cup mozzarella cheese, shredded Preheat oven to 475.  Combine 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, pepper flakes, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large non-stick skillet and saute over medium-high heat until fragrant or about 1 minute.  Add crushed tomatoes, water, ziti or penne, an

My Mom and I spent a girlie day together shopping, talking and eating. Frankly, I LOVE days like that! She has tried some new recipes too and I thought I might feature one of her creations here. She actually saw these taco shaped tortilla boats and made taco boats. They were super good and filling! I do advise using a fork and knife because I wore more than I ate.....  Here are the pictures of her taco Boats!

Well Good Morning League City!  Summer is such a lovely time of year. However I also really love the fall. My husband likes it for the football and I like it for the holidays! Combined we are like a few anxious teenagers! Fall always seems to be a popular time for events too.  I realize it's not fall yet but two entertainment events that caught my eye in the local   papers included: Clint Black will be performing at the The Grand 1894 Opera House in Galveston on August 24th starting at 8pm.   The Manhattan Dolls who are a New York based swing style female vocal trio will be performing at the Butler Longhorn Museum in League City on August 23rd starting at 5pm. Perhaps you may want to check it out....  In a pinch of time I had the main ingredients for burgers but wanted to spice things up a bit. So onion burgers were born.  Onion Burgers 1 pound ground beef 1/2 packet Lipton Onion flavored soup mix 1 tablespoon Worcestershire 1 egg 1/2 cup garlic flavored br

My Parents are going to kill me when they see this! These sausage cheese balls are a Christmas tradition. I can't help it; I have cravings! Maybe we can just make up over some more sausage cheese balls?!!? Which brings me to some exciting news that I'd finally like to share. We are Pregnant! Well I'm pregnant of course, but Matt shares in my pains and gains! =) It's a very exciting time and we could not be more happy! So many things running through my mind... including food!  These sausage balls really hit the spot a few weekends ago. There are a few different variations of this recipe but I mostly use the one from Jimmy Dean. Eating these make me think of Christmas morning which is usually when we get to indulge in this treat. However instead of opening presents, I just opened the maill.... woo, bills.... Try them out for yourself.... Cheesy Sausage Balls 1 (12 ounce) package of Jimmy Dean original sausage 3/4 cup Bisquick 2 cups shredded fiesta cheese 1

Hello everyone! Hope you all had a great weekend!  I wanted to share a neat kitchen gadget find. It's called a Pot Clip! If you don't have a spoon rest or want to get a paper towel out you can get yourself a Pot Clip. No need to wash either. I found this at Central Market but now that I googled it I see many places carry them. It works best on bigger pots but I worked it out on a smaller pot below. Here is a picture of me below making some pasta using my Pot Clip. Perhaps a good stocking stuffer for the cooking guru in your life!

Happy Friday everyone! Today is a good day! In my cooking I'm trying limit the sodium. I know I've posted this before but do you realize how much sodium is in many of the foods you eat. Sodium is many time used as a means of preserving the food so it doesn't spoil as quickly. If you eat a lot of sodium you may also start to retain water....  I've read Margarita Pizza is low in sodium so guess what was on my plate! There is a pizza restaurant down on the Kemah Boardwalk. Its not on the restaurant side with your traditional suspects but under the hotel where the shops are. At this place there is no waiting in line... need I say anything more to convince you? Well I will anyway.... their pizzas are just wonderful! They cook them in a brick oven with thin crispy crust and fresh ingredients. Their salads are even pretty darn good (and huge)! They have a variety of pizzas, paninis, and salads on the menu so you can find what your stomach is craving! The Kemah Boardwalk&

I don't know about you but I'm just so happy to see William and Kate glowing with their new baby boy... I mean Prince! This is definitely history in the making.  Now for something to eat while watching all this news coverage. I follow the Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond. She is very enchanting in her blogging and cooking. Here is a recipe of hers I wanted to try. I have never cooked with roasted red peppers. I have never even bought them but luckily they were easily found at the store. I thought the final product was very pretty. The Pioneer Woman's website can be found HERE . Roasted Red Pepper Pasta 12 ounces, weight Pasta Of Your Choice (I Prefer Short Ones Like Rigatoni, Penne, Etc.) 4 Tablespoons Butter ½ whole Large Onion, Finely Diced  3 cloves Garlic, Minced 1 jar (15.5 Ounces) Roasted Red Peppers, Drained And Roughly Chopped 1 cup Vegetable Or Chicken Broth ½ teaspoons Salt, More To Taste Freshly Ground Black Pepper ½ cups Heavy Cream (more To Taste)

**** Newsflash***** HRH Duchess Kate is in Labor! How exciting!  If you are ever looking for volunteer opportunities here is one to look into. The Junior League of Galveston County. These type of societies have been around from ages. Their purpose is to enrich their local areas through volunteerism among other goals.  On the subject of cooking, I encourage you to check out their cookbook called Culinary Classics from Beachside to Boardwalk . I randomly stumbled up on this book one day and bought it as a Christmas present for someone. When I got it in the mail I opened it and browsed through.... poor friend who didn't get their cookbook. I just couldn't part with it. Not only does it have some wonderfully themed Gulf Coast classics but it also features many local highlights. These highlights include local restaurants and areas of town that are a staple to the landscape like the old League City Church on Main Street. There is also information on the many events that seasona

Quite regularly our weekend breakfasts include eggs, bacon and biscuits in some order. However, I'm trying to get out of a rut and make new things. So I thought... Hmmm... F rench Toast sounds awesome. We really like it, especially with coffee! French Toast 6 slices of bread, white or wheat is fine 5 eggs 1/2 cup buttermilk (may substitute regular milk) 1 teaspoon vanilla Butter for pan and spreading Cinnamon and sugar spice for dashing Powder sugar for topping Syrup for topping Strawberries and cool whip for topping (optional) In a small bowl, combine eggs, buttermilk/Milk, and vanilla. Whisk with a fork to break up egg.  (Because I like my french toast crunchy) I start by toasting the bread. Then with a knife spread on a little butter.  Dunk toast in bowl of egg/milk/vanilla generously. Place a pat of butter in medium skillet to melt.  Quickly place coated toast in pan. Sprinkle with cinnamon/sugar spice. Once browned, flip the toast to cook other side.  Once b

Hello everyone! Lately we have been doing easy dinners and taking advantage of the variety of restaurants in our area. One of our Go-to places is Tuscany Bistro. One of my favorite items to order there is Tomato Basil Soup. Its just so darn good! They have a great menu, mostly Italian choices. their lasagna is out of this world as well as their ravioli, blue cheese citrus chicken and potato crusted tilapia. Below is the tilapia and ravioli we had one night. Its a small, women owned business. We have made friends with a regular waitress who is just a lovely girl from Columbia. When you walk in its like you are family. They also have a great selection of reasonably priced wines. Go for the bottle, I promise you'll drink the whole thing and if not cork and take home!  Please check this place out. We love finding great local joints that are unique! This bistro definitely fits that ticket! CLICK HERE for their website.

Wow, have I been MIA! Sorry, I've been distracted the say the least. Please forgive me... over biscuits and gravy! They are so gravy baby! =)  When I was younger I was not a fan of biscuits and gravy but now I have learned to try things before passing judgement. They are pretty darn good plus my husband likes it so why not....  Biscuits and Gravy 1 pound Mild breakfast sausage 1/3 cup all purpose flour 4 cups whole milk 1/2 teaspoon season salt 2 teaspoons black pepper Tear the breakfast sausage into small pieces and place them in a signle layer into a large skillet.  Brown sausage on medium to high heat until fully cooked. Reduce heat.  Sprinkle half of flour onto sausage until absorbed. Add the remaining flour until sausage looks dry. Stir and cook for a minute.  Pour in milk incrementally while stirring constantly.  Cook gravy until sauce starts to thicken to your desired consistency. Add salt and pepper. If sauce gets to thick for your taste add more milk.