Coastal Oaks

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 season...

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...

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.