Nibbles of Tidbits, a Food Blog

I like the Claim Jumper Restaurant because they give you tons of food.  I was recently offered the opportunity to try a few of their Frozen Entrees.  The main purpose of this post is to provide visual insight to assist with consumer selection.  I like the Classic Ravioli Parmigiana pictured above — It’s spicier than similar dishes and has good flavor.

Claim Jumper’s Shrimp Scampi.

Claim Jumper’s Chicken Marsala.

Claim Jumper’s Chicken and Penne a la Vodka.

I was also supposed to try Claim Jumper’s New Chicken and Shrimp Penne Rustica, but didn’t see it in the store.  Instead I selected the Salisbury Steak for old time sake.  I haven’t had Salisbury Steak since I was a kid, when it was the first frozen entree ever.  It took me back.  You’ll need an extra plate for the Claim Jumper’s Salisbury Steak, unless you don’t mind mixing the Gravy with the Macaroni and Cheese. 

An honorable mention should go to Claim Jumper’s Spaghetti and Meatballs (not pictured), since the Meatballs are the best “frozen” ones I’ve had — They’ve got a surprisingly good grilled flavor.

Related Links:

http://www.claimjumperretail.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Claim_Jumper

These were created by a food lover and 10% of the proceeds go to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.  To learn a lot more, visit Grill Charms’ website.  If you type “grilling” in the Coupon Code box, you’ll save $5.00.  I could have used them on past occasions.  How about you?  Related Link:  www.grillcharms.com

UPDATE (09/29/09):  Leslie Haywood of Grill Charms just got offered a sizzling deal on ABC’s Shark Tank.  Congratulations and good luck!

Have you seen this yet?  I just got it from the OC Market Place aka the Orange County Swap Meet.  When you throw it against a hard surface, it appears to splat then slowly returns to its original shape.  This picture doesn’t do it justice.  A guy was demonstrating them by throwing Tomatoes against his mini-van window.  It looked really cool, so we had to get a few.  On Saturdays and Sundays, the OC Market Place sells these Tomatoes, Eggs and other non-food related splatting toys.  We bought two Eggs and this Tomato. 

HOWEVER, my Tomato started leaking after one of my throw downs, so I sadly had to say goodbye.  I hope that doesn’t happen often — I’m not that strong.  We’ll be monitoring the Eggs.  Be careful if your kids have these, since I’m not sure what they’re filled with.  Related Link:  http://www.ocmarketplace.com/

I don’t have the complete story on this yet, but it’s the latest creation by Chef Lexi from Kid’s in the Kitchen.  Ta Da.  The recipe is most likely from the best kid’s cookbook I’ve seen so far — Family Fun Cooking With Kids.  I’ll find out and update this post soon.  UPDATE:  The recipe isn’t from the aforementioned cookbook.  It came with the Gingerbread pan and I’m told it tasted bad.  The words were “yukkie.”  If you buy the pan, use a different recipe.

After my Christmas Party this year I ended up with leftovers from two generous Vegetable Platters.  I love having washed pre-cut vegetables on hand.  They’re a great snack, but you can only eat so many Celery and Carrot sticks with Ranch Dip.  Since I had so many, I tried a few recipes.  Before that I did eat the Red, Yellow and (most) Green Peppers, and there were no Cucumbers after the party — I made a few dishes with the remaining Cherry Tomatoes, Celery, Carrots, Broccoli, Bell Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas.

White Bean & Celery Soup – This may not look like much, but it’s good.  The recipe (linked below) is a combination of Celery, Onion, Garlic, Cannellini Beans, Vegetable Stock and S & P.  I substituted Chicken Stock and added some fresh squeezed Lemon Juice at the end, plus Scallions on top.  It hit the spot after that.  http://www.opensourcefood.com/people/netwalker/recipes/white-bean-and-celery-soup

Creamy Vegetable Soup – I roasted Broccoli, Carrots, Bell Peppers and Sugar Snap Peas in the oven.  After all were a little charred, I removed the vegetables from the oven and added hot Chicken Stock.  I mixed some Milk with a little Cornstarch and poured it in, then brought all to a quick boil, simmered a bit and served this Soup within a short time.  It was easy and flavorful.

 Baked Cherry Tomatoes – I stumbled across this recipe (linked below) which seemed easy and a little different.  I had all ingredients, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, Chives, Lemon Juice, Olive Oil and S & P.  I followed the recipe exactly, but next time I might add less Lemon Juice, or add the Peel/Rind instead.  I’ve found that the Rind imparts a Lemon flavor without making a dish too tart.  Or Lemon Juice added at the end is sometimes best.  http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/egg/egg0896/cherryto.html

Roasted Carrots – I roasted Carrots in the oven with a little Olive Oil and Salt.  I ate several, then mashed the rest and incorporated them into an easy Carrot Souffle recipe.  It didn’t turn out like I hoped, mostly because I didn’t have all ingredients.  I tried to improvise, but the final was too dense, not fluffy and light how I want.

Cafeteria Carrot Souffle – Here’s the wannabe Souffle photo and recipe (linked below).  I mickey-moused this one, but you might want to give it a try.  It has potential.  After making all the above, I’m down to a small bag of Cherry Tomatoes, Carrots and Broccoli.  Any suggestions?  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Cafeteria-Carrot-Souffle/Detail.aspx

I’m eating too many of these, but trying to balance it out with the several dishes I’ve made from the leftover Vegetable Platter.  Many will be featured in the next post.  Until then, I’ll have a few more Peanut M&M’s.  🙂

Related Link:

How to get personalized M&M’s for a gift, party, surprise, fun, etc. – http://www.mymms.com/

Thanks to my cherished friends (and sis) for delivering the wonderful Appetizers and Desserts to my 14th Annual Christmas Party.  It was a blast like always.  Michelle’s Pesto Loaf (above) was voted Best Appetizer.  Congratulations!  The recipe is linked below.

And every party needs a Fresh Vegetable Platter — Ours was over the top good with Yellow and Red Bell Peppers, Cherry Tomatoes, Cucumbers and more.  And continuing on down (L-R), this year we enjoyed Artichoke Dip and Chicken & Lemongrass Spring Rolls.

Chicken Tamales with Colorado Chili Sauce, Salami, Brie and Smoked Cheese with Crackers, and Fresh Homemade Salsa and Tortilla Chips.  The Salsa deserves an honorable mention for its restaurant quality flavor.  I’ve got to get the recipe.

Egg Rolls, Pesto Loaf, and Cream Cheese with Blueberry Preserves and Crackers.  Then moving on to the bakery quality Desserts prepared by Loretta — She took the prize for that category with her Lemon Bars, Chocolate Cake with Vanilla Icing, Magic Cookie Bars, and Chocolate Dipped Oreos and Graham Crackers as the Cake presents.

We had more than pictured here, but some photos didn’t quite make the quality cut.  I do appreciate ALL the food!  We mostly enjoyed Champagne, Chardonnay, Juice and Bottled Water, but many options were available.

This year I have a Charlie Brown Christmas Tree — It’s cute, don’t you think?  Here we are in a rare people picture on Nibbles of Tidbits.  I didn’t get my friend’s approval for the posted photo so it could come down if someone doesn’t like the way they look.  You know how some girls can be – HA. 🙂

Related Link:

Winning Appetizer Recipe (Pesto Loaf) – pesto-dip-appetizer

For the daily readers, I’ll get to the Christmas Party Appetizers shortly, but now I have to mention the luxurious Tea I’m enjoying.  What a treat!  One of my fabulous party guests gave me an amazing gift.  Have you seen this before?  I hadn’t.  It’s cute, practical and the Crimson Nectar Tea is a layered flavor explosion.  I love it all — Thanks again.

Related Link:

http://www.teaforte.com/

I’m busy getting ready for my 14th Annual Christmas Par-tay, whereas each guest (close friend) brings an appetizer.  I award a PRIZE and RIBBON for the Best Voted Appetizer — It’s a super fun and yummy party.  It’ll be interesting to see what comes this year and every first Friday in December.  Check back.  🙂

I buy and a co-worker flies, and buys more for the office.  It works out well for a few lunch meals.  One of my professions requires that I work in an office across the street from The Irvine Spectrum, a fun place that offers a multitude of dining experiences. 

Today we were craving the #12 from Johnny Rockets — It’s a Hamburger I used to love.  I hadn’t had one in years.  And of course we had to compare their Chili Cheese Fries to those already posted on Nibbles of Tidbits.  A few others got Chili Cheese Dogs.  As you can see it was a low calorie lunch this day. 🙂

Although it’s not that far and we phoned in our order the last minute, the food didn’t travel well.  The Burger was a bit soggy and flat, but I’m glad to admit the tasty flavor was still there — I might want to eat it at the restaurant next time.  The Chili Cheese Fries are rated in a related post linked below.  And the Hot Dogs were good but messy and greasy.

Related Links:

http://www.johnnyrockets.com/index2.php

http://www.shopirvinespectrumcenter.com/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1110

Cheese and Pickles compliment each other so well.  I eat the combination often as a snack or appetizer.  Pictured here are two of my favorites, an Extra Sharp New York Cheddar Cheese and Bubbies Pure Kosher Dill Pickles.

Related Links:

http://www.bubbies.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cheddar_cheese

Happy December.  A friend gave this to me last year for Christmas.  I love it!  The lights flash like a real sign, my name is spelled correctly and it’s so darn cute.  I had to display it all year.  I told myself I’d put it away in January, but do I have to?  🙂

Related Link:

http://www.department56.com/

Swanson’s Chicken Broth/Stock is okay.  I’ve used it many times, but it’s not gourmet.  If the sponsor (Swanson’s) hadn’t paid to be on Top Chef, the Judges might scoff at it being added to a recipe.  Maybe — Although they wouldn’t want to injure a brand.  Instead the products were highlighted in way too many frames.

Related Links:

http://www.swansonbroth.com/default.aspx

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1332

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1360

Edamame are one of my favorite snacks.  I prefer them warm with Salt — That’s what I just made HERE.  Most Japanese Restaurants appear to serve them chilled.  I’ve seen and like both offerings.  When not eating out, I buy them frozen, cook for 10 minutes, drain, Salt and eat.

Related Links:

http://www.edamame.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edamame

Thanks to my Parents for this wonderful Thanksgiving meal.  A few of us can’t hold back from eating the Crispy Turkey Skin (with Salt) before the Turkey is carved, hence its less than pristine exposure. 

And Chef Lexi made Apple Betty for Dessert — She shows how good it was.  More Chef Lexi meals and recipes can be found under the ‘Kid’s In The Kitchen’ section.

Everything was great as usual.  I’m a bit spoiled in that all I have to do is show up and eat.  I’m thankful for all my blessings and I do help with the dishes.

This time we tried the Spicy Thai Chicken Pizza and Moo Shu Egg Rolls.  Both were top notch, just like most dishes at the Yard House.  The price and quality are there.  And the varied menu items are consistently good.  There’s more photos of other fabulous Yard House appetizers linked below.  We’re getting around to trying them all.  Why not?

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1310

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=762

The recipe is real, but the story behind it isn’t.  You must have heard the story about the lady who paid $250 for the Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe from Neiman Marcus?!  When I heard about it, the amount was $2,500 — You know how stories get exaggerated.  Either way, Snopes reports it to be false.  The full interesting story is linked here.

http://www.snopes.com/business/consumer/cookie.asp

Aside from that, an old friend recently reminded me how “freaking good” they are.  I used to make the recipe a lot and do think they’re possibly the Best Chocolate Chip Cookies in the world — The blended Oatmeal and grated Chocolate certainly contribute to it.  I usually add Walnuts, Pecans or Macadamia Nuts.  The recipe is linked above and below on an album page I created over ten years ago.  It’s not fancy but includes four bonus recipes if interested.

Neiman Marcus Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe

Munchos are so salty good.  I remember eating them as a kid and then they seemed to disappear, so I was thrilled when I saw Munchos again a couple years ago.  And it’s great to see that they’re readily available here now.  Since I’ll eat a whole bag in an instant, I don’t buy too many, but I’m glad to know that I can.  It’s the only Potato Chip I eat without Dip — It must be that it’s a Potato Crisp?!  I’ll let Wikipedia tell you more about Munchos history.  It’s interesting.

Related Links:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munchos

http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/Munchos

http://www.thedailyplate.com/nutrition-calories/food/munchos/potato-chips

It’s Chicken Liver.  I fry small cubes then add them to any basic Stuffing / Dressing recipe.  Here I made Mrs. Cubbison’s Original Recipe – Basic Dressing Casserole.  It’s on the back of the box, which also notes a Lite Recipe.  After making the Original Recipe (OR), I learned that next time I’ll try the Lite Recipe.  I thought this one was too buttery — The OR seems to call for an unnecessary amount of melted Butter.

If you’re not completely adverse to Chicken Liver, you’ll love it in a good Stuffing Casserole.  Just bake it on the side or in the Turkey or Chicken.  Thanksgiving is around the corner — Why not give this addition some consideration?

Related Links:

http://www.mrscubbisons.com/

There are so many restaurants in Newport Beach and Costa Mesa.  You especially notice them if you’re on foot.  Below is a pictorial view of our walk from Costa Mesa to Newport Beach, then back.  Are you local?  Can you trace the route by street?  These pictures are in travel order from (general) start to finish.  Aloha Grill was our first stop, which is finally open — Then working on down (L-R) is Super Pollo, Santa Monica Seafood and continuing.

Mesa Grill & Barbecue, The Omelette Parlor/Chester Drawers, Billy’s at the Beach, Wine Lab Newport, Villa Nova Ristorante and A Restaurant (formerly The Arches).

On to Woody’s Diner, Avilas El Ranchito, Ten Sushi Steaks, Woody’s Wharf, The Crab Cooker and The Chicken Coop.

I’ve tried most of the above and wrote about some on Nibbles of Tidbits and for other publications.  I haven’t yet tried Mesa Grill & Barbecue, The Omelette Parlor, Ten, A Restaurant, or the Wine Lab Newport, so check back HERE for future information about them.

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=875

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1266

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1259

http://ocmexfood.blogspot.com/search?q=super+pollo

This Pizza was okay.  I bought Trader Joe’s Pizza Dough and Pizza Sauce, then added what I had on hand — It has Cheddar Cheese, Salami, Pineapple and Jalapeno.  The Sauce was good and the Dough works, but I might want to try it another time with Mozzarella, Pepperoni, Mushrooms, Olives, Pineapple, Artichoke Hearts, Jalapenos, and maybe more. 

I think I overcooked this Pizza and made the Dough too thick.  Good thing I didn’t videotape myself trying to spread out the Dough and make it stay – HA.  I really wanted to throw and spin it up in the air, but feared I’d drop it on the kitchen floor.  I wished I had a big bolt of plastic to lay down.  I might pick some up before the next Pizza.

Related Links:

http://www.traderjoes.com/

So far I like the European Guys better than Team Rainbow.  I think Hosea’s Hot Dog was the best during the Quick Fire Challenge, and Radhika’s second best, although I didn’t have the actual pleasure.  The Beef Carpaccio made by Fabio was my favorite during the Elimination Challenge.  And Carla deserves an honorable mention for her food and personality.  I think the appropriate person, Jill was eliminated tonight. 

Related Links:

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1332

http://www.bravotv.com/Top_Chef/season/5/about/index.php

Pastrami on a Hot Dog Bun is currently being sold at Wienerschnitzel formerly known as Der Wienerschnitzel — For some reason I’ve been wanting to cook Pastrami, so I tried this Sandwich for a quick fix.  And now I really want to make my own.  It didn’t taste bad at all, but I want to freely bite into a Pastrami Sandwich knowing there’s no fat chunks in it.  Is it just me?

Related Links: 

http://www.wienerschnitzel.com/

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1110

http://www.ineedtext.com/FoodBlog/?p=1298