Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

Have you ever tried Pickled Grapes?  I hadn’t until last year and will now eat them forever.  I buy Grapes more often because of it.  Pickled Grapes are amazing, especially when served with Fish over a Summer Succotash, pictured below — It’s our favorite Blue Apron meal that I’ve made several times.  The original recipe used Cod, which is fine, but I’ve since used Salmon and Yellowtail at different times.  This dish is extremely flavorful with much attributed to the Pickled Grapes.

A little White Wine Vinegar (2 T.), Sugar (1 T.), and a big pinch of Salt do a lot to elevate Grapes (at least 2 oz.), to a refreshing gourmet topping, side or special ingredient in another dish. Simply combine cut Grapes with all ingredients, let marinate for at least 10 minutes and see what we’re saying.  Yum!  Pickling is a beautiful thing, I’ve discovered.  And my husband happens to call me Pickles.  It’s just meant to be.  Consult Blue Apron for more about recipe #227.  We love it too.

Our garden and Tomatoes continue to flourish — Yeah!  Now I must put all to good use.  I’m currently oven roasting the pictured Cherry Tomatoes at 200˚ in the oven for approximately 4 – 5 hours.  They always turn out great that way.  And I’m contemplating what to do with the rest of them.  Most likely they’ll become a Soup or Sauce, or just had with a little Olive Oil, Kosher Salt and freshly ground Black Pepper.  We’re growing Basil too, a supplement for all the big plans.

As for the pictured Corn, we plan to set it aside until October.  They are beautiful and hard as a rock. We thought we were growing edible Yellow Corn, but found these under the husks.  Not sure if it’s something we did or if the baby plants were wrongly marked.  Either way, we’re pleasantly surprised and look forward to seeing what our other corny-children will look like. 😉  It’s exciting.

Have you heard of Lay’s Do Us A Flavor Chip Contest?  Lays may someday pay YOU for coming up with a great Chip idea.  This time the finalists’ flavors are… West Coast Truffle Fries, Southern Biscuits and Gravy, and Greektown Gyro and New York Reuben Sandwich flavors. Different.  I like that and was excited to try each, but… hhmmm… some aren’t executed that well. Bummer. The Reuben and Gyro Chips just taste weird.  Some of the respective Sandwich components can be tasted in each, but neither come together in a positive tasty manner.  And the Truffle Fries Chips don’t have enough Truffle flavor.  They taste more like Sour Cream and Onion Chips.  The best of the (4) in a collective opinion of five are the Southern Biscuits and Gravy Chips.  They have a good, peppery Biscuits and Gravy flavor and might be purchased by us post review.  Lays should pick my Chip idea next time — TBA if it happens.  In any event, it’s a fun contest that I hope continues.

A friend posted this Cake on Facebook and I had to share it here — It’s the coolest!

Congratulations Chef Niece Bailee of Kids in the Kitchen — She graduated from high school and had the BEST American-Western Themed Party I have ever seen.  It was stylish and delicious.

Her name was spelled on painted wood in rope, wild flowers were displayed throughout in cowboy boots, burlap was used as tablecloths, and photos of Bailee were perfectly peppered throughout.

Strawberry Lemonade was served in mason jars.

Homemade Tamales, Rice and Beans were served with a variety of fresh Fruit and Vegetable Salads, along with Chips & Salsa.  And there was an amazingly set Dessert Bar for all to enjoy.

The Dessert Bar included Pies, Cakes and Cookies ready for the taking.

My only contribution to the party was the giant Mother Load Cake from Claim Jumper.

I took the easy way out while my sister’s friends, especially Wendy, created most of what’s pictured, which doesn’t do all justice.  Wendy also decorated my Wedding Shower a while back and it was equally impressive.  She should start a business and charge for her chic helpfulness.

And perhaps it should be called Wonderful Wendy?!  Just a thought.

We’re also very proud of Bailee (below with my mom) for her accomplishment.

Love them!

To top it off hand-made streamers with photos of Bailee growing up hung across the windows.

This had to be shared as great ideas for your next party

Happiness is Being Shelly’s Parents — I secretly added a license plate frame saying that to my parent’s car when I was a kid, hahaha.  Happy Mother’s Day Pam B.  Flowers for your special day.

And thanks for always turning off the beaters.

Funny Easter Egg ideas by Bailee and Lexi, also known as Kids in the Kitchen here on Nibbles of Tidbits, and my talented Nieces in real life — They decorated each adorable Easter Egg pictured here.

I’m impressed — They’re all so expressive and made us laugh.

If I copy them mine probably won’t turn out as great, but next year I want to try.

The green zombie eggs in the lid of the carton show their support for The Walking Dead, yikes.

Happy Easter to everyone from Nibbles of Tidbits — We’re thankful for this day!

The kid’s inspiration and my copycat comparison shall be posted next year.

Did you know that you can make a Pizza Dough using only two ingredients?  You can.

Two Ingredient Pizza Dough is made with Self Rising Flour and Plain Greek Yogurt.  I heard about it and had to try it.  And it’s true, it works with (1 ½ Cups of Self Rising Flour & 1 Cup of Plain Greek Yogurt).  I simply combined the two, then kneaded both into Dough.

It didn’t take much time or effort to convert into a blank Pizza canvas.

I made a basic Pepperoni & Pineapple Pizza, with a Pineapple homegrown by my husband, I might add.  I also added Pizza Sauce, Parmesan and Mozzarella Cheese — Other Recipes.

The Pizza was baked in a preheated 450° oven for 12 minutes and all turned out well, though the flavor of the Pizza Crust is a little bland and would taste better as a Three Ingredient Pizza Dough with the addition of a little Salt — That’s what I’ll make next time.

The true annual treat is spending time with best friends decorating Halloween Cookies, Cupcakes and Candy.  Each year we take home trays and boxes of homemade and hand decorated treats after a fun evening of trickery — It’s quite a funny bunch (below).

I’m truly grateful for all!

This year’s decorating ideas are posted here and others from previous years are linked here.

We’re no design professionals, but have a lot of laughs and the Cookies always taste great.

It’s also possible that you may learn how not to decorate your Halloween Cookies here. 😉

Halloween Appetizer Idea — Deviled Eggs with Olive Spiders.  You can figure it out.

Happy Halloween from Nibbles of Tidbits and friends.

I’m not sure where the baby shower idea and photo (above) originated, but think it’s adorable, thus post it here along with my favorite bridal shower FOOD idea (below).

More baby shower food ideas are here — More about my Cupcake Bridal Shower Cake is here.

We got this Cake for our parents 50th Wedding Anniversary — It’s them on the edible topping.  They were impressed to see it and so were we.  It’s from Albertson’s Bakery.  It tasted good too, with a Whipped Cream Frosting, Vanilla Cake and Strawberry Filling.

Happy Easter from Nibbles of Tidbits — More food PLEASE and much THANKS for all.

Umami:  A taste sensation that is meaty or savory and is produced by several amino acids and nucleotides (as glutamate and aspartate) — It’s the definition of Umami.  Understand now?

How about this… Umami is a savory taste, one of the five basic tastes (together with sweet, sour, bitter and salty).  A loanword from the Japanese, Umami can be translated as “pleasant savory taste” — It’s basically a description, NOT specific ingredients.  I didn’t know all this.

Pictured is the Original Umami Burger from the Umami Restaurant Group’s Umami Burger.

And Beer Battered Onion Rings from Umami Burger’s Sides Menu.  They were good, but I prefer thinner Onions.  Theirs are thick with too much Onion — Not sure if they are always like that?!

As for the famous Original Umami Burger, I regret to inform that we thought it was just okay.  I’d heard great things about it over the past couple years, but we didn’t find it mind blowingly different.  It’s quite rich actually.  We like its ingredients… Shiitake Mushrooms, Caramelized Onions, Roasted Tomato, a Parmesan Crisp and Umami Ketchup, but idk — It was pleasantly savory, but other Burgers have been even more pleasantly savory, if allowed.

It’s not inexpensive, but had to try it and you may still want to too.  I’d like to try Umami Burger’s Ahi Tuna Burger.  It looks and sounds impressive, like many of Umami Burger’s other Burgers.

It’s not about me here, but some have asked… “Where have you been?”  Though FOOD is the star (and heart) of Nibbles of Tidbits, its publisher (me) is getting married in a week.  Oh boy!  So, I’m still here, but currently busy seeing the world through heart shaped glasses.

Notwithstanding, there’s big stuff coming here, after the REALLY big stuff happens.

I love this low calorie Banana Split (above) — Maybe I should marry it. 😉

Photo credits are linked here, here and here, respectively.  Thank you.

I’m grateful to be back to share (not enough) photos from a beautiful Bridal Shower.

It’s mine — This stylish and tasty day was prepared for me (pictured in the Berry spoon).

I feel showered by love and well displayed, satisfying, glorious food — Thank you so much!

I’d been absent from here for good reason — To partake in this, move and finally reconnect.

Is this (above) not the cutest Bridal Shower Cupcake Cake you’ve seen?  I just LOVED it!

After the first guest arrived, I stopped taking photos of the food, thus missing the hot dishes… Quiches with Green Chili’s and Bacon, and delicious Potato Casseroles topped with crunchy Corn Flakes — With Mimosas, all was/is tailor made for a Special Bridal Shower Brunch.

Veterans and active-duty military personnel deserve to take advantage of the day.  It’s Veterans Day and many want to say thanks!  Several restaurants and others are offering FREE meals.  Those qualified should plan their schedule around the options — Start here.

How to contribute to Thanksgiving — Make this Turkey Vegetable Platter for your family and/or friends.  One friend is making this for her family on Thanksgiving and she’s going to send us a photo when it’s done.  We’ll be posting it here in an update.  That ain’t no jive.

Happy Halloween — If ever there was a time to carve, decorate or eat a Pumpkin, it’s now.

This year especially, Pumpkins are available in a lot more colors than orange.

Though it kicks off scary, Pumpkin’s purpose is a magnificent thing — It’s simply stylish & tasty.

I cherish its Seeds, Soups and Pies in Fall (or anytime at all).

They’re diverse on the table as decor, a side or dessert, or as the table for snacks and apps.

Several large and small examples are posted for reference.

Post was inspired by this day and our food coloring series — Some shown here.

Photo credits are here, here, here, here, here, here and here — Thanks!

All my hard work paid off — I won at least (1) of (10) $500 prizes in Idaho Potato Commission’s Recipe Photo Contest.  I just received notification that my photo of the Idaho Potato, Jarlsberg Lite and Roasted Vegetable Terrine was chosen to represent the recipe on the Idaho Potato Commission’s (IPC’s) website.  Thank you!  I’ve previously posted about the contest and my participation in it here, here and here.  The pictured is not the actual winner chosen by the IPC.  It’s a similar photo that was taken for the contest, but not submitted.

Sandwich, Handwich (and Panini’s too) — It’s time for this many of them in August.

The Idaho Potato Recipe Photo Contest — Now this contest moved me.  I’m already in with a similar, but different photo than above.  It’s a cool contest!  I receive a lot of email regarding cooking/recipe contests, new food products, new menu items, new restaurants, new cooking shows, new cookbooks, national food days and all things food related.  Though I’d like to try, participate in and/or review most, there’s not enough time in a day, even so I appreciate all.

It’s the simple things in life, like when and where — Enjoy it All Summer Long (and always).

Snapshots of Summer in America — Thanks (again and again) to those who paved the way.

We grew these Grapes (above) and will report more about ’em later.

Free to cut or sledgehammer a Watermelon, if we so choose.

Pink Lemonade near the pool.

Sipping Whiskey out of the bottle, not thinking about tomorrow — Okay, it was Pina Coladas.

Singing sweet home USA all summer long…

Corn on the Cob with Oil, Butter, Garlic and Herbs wrapped in foil.

Potato Salad with never too much Mayo — The only way to have it (or none is fine too).

Celebrate America Cupcakes anytime.

Pasta Salad — Add a lot of Italian Dressing.  If unsure, add more.  Better more, than less.

Star Spangled Cupcake.

Water Balloons ready for a fight — Unfortunately had to put away the camera for it.

Maggie (below) ready to catch BBQ area leftovers.

Oh, how we thought those days would never end…

Where’s a Pool O’Ranch, some Oil, a Jacuzzi, a little Salt or a good Salad — It’s time for a tan.