The Golden Nugget Gourmet

For over four years, after removing a large crop of weeds, we had this big round patch of dirt on our front yard.  However, rather than just grass it over, we lived with the eyesore because I had big plans for that circle.  This whole time I have been telling our neighbors, many of which are Terp faculty, staff, alumni, or family, that I planned to replicate the Maryland "M" on our front yard. Well, 2020 was the year we finally got it done, and just in time for Maryland's Homecoming.  And the best part is it lights up at night! First Scott (aka Dr. Evil at UMD) created a template that laid out exactly how many bricks I would need to create the M in the front circle.  I got the bricks with three holes in them so that there could be lights in each hole and the whole M would gently glow.  Luckily, our friend and neighbor Reggie, who is an architect, brought up the concern of pooling water when we told him about our idea of using lights, so we changed our initial design to in

Next time you are making your favorite chili, throw a can of 100% pumpkin puree into the mix. Why? Pumpkin is a superfood jam packed with with antioxidants, disease-fighting vitamins, and fiber ( Greatist , 2013). I love letting my chili simmer for a long time, so instead of having to tend to it all day over the stove, I throw it together in my crockpot in the evening and let it cook on low overnight. The tomatoes develop a richer flavor the longer they simmer and when done, you have the convenience of leaving the chili in the crock and setting it to warm until you are ready to serve. If you are looking for a crowd-pleasing chili recipe, my current go to is  World's Best Chili Recipe (AKA Bill's Chili)  from  Cupcake and Kale Chips.  Here is a slightly adapted recipe for the crockpot with my addition of a 15oz can of Libby's Pumpkin. Ingredients: 2 lbs lean ground beef 1 lb stew beef, cut into about one inch chunks 1/4 lb bacon, diced in small pieces 1 small red bell pepper

So this sweater weather has me craving comfort food, especially Cajun Chicken Alfredo.  This quick and easy recipe adapted from Tasty did not disappoint! We are on round two tonight!  Ingredients: 4 cups penne pasta, cooked 3 Tablespoons Olive Oil 1 Cup Cooked Andouille Sausage, sliced 2 chicken breasts, thinly sliced 1 Tablespoon Cajun seasoning 2 cups heavy cream 1 cup parmesan cheese 1/4 cup fresh parsley Directions: Cook penne pasta as directed on box. Heat oil in a large pot (I prefer a wok) over high heat. Cook the sausage, chicken, and garlic until the garlic turns golden and the chicken is no longer pink. Sprinkle the Cajun Seasoning and stir to evenly coat the sausage and chicken. Add the cream and bring to a boil. Add the pasta, stirring until evenly mixed. Add the parmesan, stirring until cheese melts and the pasta is coated with a thick sauce. Turn off the burner, add the parsley, and gently mix. Serve and enjoy! Makes approximately 4 servings. GNG Tip: If you prefer makin

In early June, in preparation for possible extended quarantine and food shortages, we decided to get an extra freezer. Unfortunately, the freezer was too big to fit in our storage room, so it's home for now is in our dining room. Sometimes you just got to roll with it, and really, who cares? It's not like we are having company over right now, and our priority it function over Feng Shui.  Luckily, on our summer commute route to our borrowed beach house in Calvert County, there is specialty grocery store, Nick's of Calvert . Nick's has a phenomenal high quality butcher counter, and the best part is that you can buy in bulk and save a bundle! Over the summer we made multiple trips to Nicks to slowly stock our freezer.  The last thing I wanted to do is invest in filling our freezer and a few months later pull things out to find freezer burn. It was time to dust off my FoodSaver. My partner is crime in the meat packing process was my mom. Early in the morning, we would throw

By far, my favorite homemade recipe for grilled shrimp is Grilled Herb Shrimp  by Barefoot Contessa. I was tempted to hop in the car and run to Giant and grab what I needed to make the marinade, but why bother when I could save a trip and the prep time and use a bottle of To-Kill-A-Lime Tequila Sauce already in the pantry? I marinated the shrimp in a Ziploc bag for a few hours before firing up the grill.  They turned out wicked flavorful. I served them with Rice Pilaf by Lidl and a simple salad. I can't wait to use this "zesty Mexican-inspired" sauce as a marinade for steak and shrimp fajitas and fish tacos! I used the time it would have taken to make the marinade from scratch to catch this shot instead!  This time, I'm glad I took the easy route!

While out here on the Chesapeake Bay, my focus is on delicious no fuss food so we can maximize our time on the beach. This also means that I may not always have time to catch the perfect photo but  promise the flavor will not waiver.  Living in a bathing suit all summer inspires me to find SOME meals that are on the lighter side. This quick and easy No Bake Chocolate Avocado Pie recipe did not disappoint. It took less than 10 minutes to make with the help of a Keebler Chocolate Ready Crust and Reddi Wip whipped cream. Here came the true test. What would my very picky eater Morgan think? He didn't feel like posing for the picture, but his plate says it all! No kidding, when I looked over and saw him scarfing down the pie I ducked behind the breakfast bar and did a little dance. Score!  No Bake Chocolate Avocado Pie Ingredients 3 large ripened avocados 3/4 cup 100% maple syrup or agave  1/4 cup high-quality unsweetened cocoa powder (I use Ghiradelli) 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract 1/4 t