Monday, December 30, 2019

Dining Out Southeast: Shell's Downtown Bar & Grill, Piedmont, AL


I've heard good things about Shell's Downtown Bar and Grill located at 105 North Center Avenue, Piedmont, Alabama.  On a recent afternoon, we decided to stop in and give some items on the menu a try.

We always like to try our baseline for appetizers:  the amazing fried dill pickles!

These were a little thicker cut than usual and weren't as crispy as some we've had, but the batter was well seasoned.  The Ranch dipping sauce was disappointing in that it was REALLY thin.  If it had been a thicker consistency, I would give this appetizer much higher marks.


Sweet Harold ordered the cheeseburger with fries. This is perhaps the most unusually assembled cheeseburger that I've ever seen.

Apparently, the cheese was placed on the bun, and then the burger placed on top of the cheese.  Notice the extremely thick-sliced onions, along with the tomato slice, and lettuce.

He gave a big thumbs up for the bun.  In fact, he stated it's the best burger bun he's ever eaten.  The onions were a little much, so he removed those.  Fries were served hot and crispy.


I chose the blackened chicken alfredo, which was served with a side salad.  The salad was very fresh and crisp.  Yes, that's real bacon.  Sadly, the same very thin Ranch dressing was present.


The star of the meal was my blackened chicken alfredo. Served HOT (which is always a huge plus with me!) and loaded, and I mean loaded, which tender and flavorful chicken.  The sauce was creamy and cheesy.  A great dish.

The rolls were an added bonus. They were very soft and served hot and fresh from the oven.  

This was a considerable portion.  I enjoyed three meals from this order!


The positives?  The chicken alfredo was terrific.  The salad was great and would have been perfect with better dressing. The hamburger bun was perfection...the burger assembly line just needs some tweaking.  

The menu has varied options from burgers and sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes, etc.  

Stop by and give Shell's a try!

Friday, December 27, 2019

Dining Out Southeast: Heirloom Taco, Jacksonville, AL


Several friends and my daughter have been after me to try the new Heirloom Taco just off the Square at 111 Ladiga Street, SE, Jacksonville, AL.  Located in the former fire department building, the location is unique and casual. This isn't your typical Mexican restaurant with chips and salsa and combo plates with rice and refried beans.  Heirloom Taco is just that...tacos that are authentically made with fresh ingredients. 

You can pick up a menu when you enter, grab a seat to check out that menu which changes daily, and then get in line to place your order.  While you wait for the food to arrive, dive into this bag of Duros to munch on after you add a squeeze of fresh lime.  Duros are a popular Mexican snack food made of puffed wheat and are often flavored with chili and lime.  They have a light, airy consistency similar to chicharrones.


We sampled two side dishes to go along with our tacos.  I'm allergic to avocados, so, unfortunately, I couldn't try the Fried Avocado with Chipotle Aioli.  I can tell you the aioli was well seasoned and delicious!


I ordered the Elote, or street corn, which is grilled and then covered with mayo, cotija cheese, and paprika. I enjoyed (and agreed to share with Sweet Harold!).  None of the flavors overpowered the other.  


We ordered a variety of tacos to try.  Here are our choices:

The Brisket Barbacoa is grass-fed brisket braised in guajillo chiles, onions, garlic, and orange juice and topped with cilantro and onions.  The brisket was very tender, and the combination of flavors was amazing.

The Carne Asada is grilled steak topped with onions and cilantro.  This was my favorite until I had the chicken, and it was Harold's favorite until he had the Al Pastor.


I'm not a huge fan of pineapple, but Sweet Harold certainly is.  The Al Pastor is pork butt marinated overnight and sauteed.  It's topped with roasted pineapple, onions, and cilantro.  Pork always pairs well with pineapple, and this taco proved it was no exception.  


I very seldom order chicken tacos.  That being said, I could have quickly eaten three of these.  The Pollo Verde taco is made with pasture-raised chicken, sauteed and topped with salsa verde, and pico de gallo.  This was incredibly tender chicken, and the salsa verde was outstanding. 


The next time you're in the mood for tacos, and you're anywhere near the campus of Jacksonville State University, stop in and tell them Lolly sent you!

Did I mention the menu changes daily?  So many tacos to try!

DISCLAIMER:

1.  Terms of Use:  This website provides recipes, food photos, and engaging written content.  I am not a nutritionist and have no expert knowledge on the topic.  Any information provided on or taken from this website is for your enjoyment. 

2.  Copyright policy:  Please feel free to share photos and recipes so long as full credit is given to this blog.  Give me a shout out when you share on your own social media sites, please.

3.  Advertisers, Sponsors, and Affiliate Links:  Occasionally, there may be ads on this site along with sponsorship, affiliate links, and other items that may compensate the owner of this site.  If you click on those ads and links, you will be taken to a separate site.  This website is not responsible for anything found on those websites.  Any dispute arising out of a third-party advertiser or affiliate link must be handled through them.  About those affiliate links:  If you click it and make a purchase, the owner of this website will get some cash money.  How much?  It varies.  You may see a few sponsored posts on this website.  This website will inform you if a post is sponsored and will give honest reviews.

4.  Comments:  I love hearing from readers and provide a space for comments.  All comments are subject to review before publishing.

5.  Nutritional information:  As mentioned above, I am NOT a nutritionist.  Under no circumstances will fleurdelolly.blogspot.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information or lack thereof.

Sunday, December 22, 2019

Around Lolly's Table: Christmas 2019


This year's Christmas table is a complete mish-mash of patterns, styles, and decades!  Nevertheless, I believe it came together nicely.

Let's start with the place settings.  These beautiful, semi-rustic plates, salad plates, and cups were purchased at Hobby Lobby years ago along with the golden chargers.

Look closely at the flatware.  There's a pine cone motif on those as well.  They were purchased at Gander Mountain. The water glasses were that giveaway kind from Long John Silver's years ago!  The green punch glasses were an online auction win.




I made the place cards and used place card holders from Hobby Lobby.


The candlesticks and salt and pepper shakers are "sage" from Fiestaware.


Santa has been a part of my collection for decades.


The table runner was purchased during a visit to an Amish community in Lancaster, PA.  



Merry Christmas!

#aroundlollystable 

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

Tortellini Soup with Italian Sausage and Kale


This is the perfect weeknight soup that can easily be dressed up or down.  We used chicken Italian sausage and if you don't care for kale, you could easily substitute spinach.  I would recommend that you use the cheese tortellini instead of those filled with chicken or sausage.


1 lb. mild ground Italian sausage
1 onion, minced
6 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart chicken stock
14 oz. can crushed tomatoes
2 T. tomato paste
1 t. salt
1 bunch kale, stems removed
10 oz. bag refrigerated fresh cheese tortellini
1 cup heavy cream
¼ t. red pepper flakes (optional)
Parmesan cheese for garnish

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat.

Add the sausage, onions and garlic to the pot and and sauté until the onions are soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. (Drain off any excessive fat.)

Add the chicken stock, crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Whisk until tomato paste is fully incorporated.

Bring to a boil, season with salt then simmer for 15 minutes.

Add the kale, tortellini and heavy cream. Simmer for 3-5 minutes until the kale is wilted and the pasta is tender.

Serve with Parmesan cheese and red pepper flakes if desired.

Adapted from The Modern Proper.

DISCLAIMER:
1.  Terms of Use:  This website provides recipes, food photos, and engaging written content.  I am not a nutritionist and have no expert knowledge on the topic.  Any information provided on or taken from this website is for your enjoyment. 

2.  Copyright policy:  Please feel free to share photos and recipes so long as full credit is given to this blog.  Give me a shout out when you share on your own social media sites, please.

3.  Advertisers, Sponsors, and Affiliate Links:  Occasionally, there may be ads on this site along with sponsorship, affiliate links, and other items that may compensate the owner of this site.  If you click on those ads and links, you will be taken to a separate site.  This website is not responsible for anything found on those websites.  Any dispute arising out of a third-party advertiser or affiliate link must be handled through them.  About those affiliate links:  If you click it and make a purchase, the owner of this website will get some cash money.  How much?  It varies.  You may see a few sponsored posts on this website.  This website will inform you if a post is sponsored and will give honest reviews.

4.  Comments:  I love hearing from readers and provide a space for comments.  All comments are subject to review before publishing.


5.  Nutritional information:  As mentioned above, I am NOT a nutritionist.  Under no circumstances will fleurdelolly.blogspot.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information or lack thereof.


Antipasto Skewers


Imagine the delicious Italian flavors of an Antipasto Platter on a skewer.  Such a beautiful and colorful presentation that really adds a great pop of color on your buffet table.  

You'll need some skewers as pictured above that has a neat little "handle" on one end.  I purchased these off of Amazon.

The mini cheese tortellinis, salami, and provolone cheese slice, have green olive anchors on either end of the skewer.  

You can make as many or few skewers as you like. The process is the same. Here's what I did:

24 oz. package of refrigerated fresh mini cheese tortellini
3/4 cup Italian salad dressing
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
Pimento stuffed green olives
Sliced salami, cut into fourths
Sliced Provolone cheese, cut into fourths

Prepare the tortellini as noted on the package. I boiled mine for four minutes.  Drain and rinse in cool water and drain again.

Place tortellini in a bowl and pour the salad dressing over the pasta and toss to coat.  Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and toss again.

Cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.

When ready to assemble the skewers, place one olive onto the skewer followed by a tortellini.  Fold the salami quarter slice in half and thread it onto the skewer.  Fold the Provolone quarter slice in half and do the same.  Repeat with another salami slice and then another green olive.

Repeat the process with the remaining ingredients.

Refrigerate until ready to serve.




DISCLAIMER:
1.  Terms of Use:  This website provides recipes, food photos, and engaging written content.  I am not a nutritionist and have no expert knowledge on the topic.  Any information provided on or taken from this website is for your enjoyment. 

2.  Copyright policy:  Please feel free to share photos and recipes so long as full credit is given to this blog.  Give me a shout out when you share on your own social media sites, please.

3.  Advertisers, Sponsors, and Affiliate Links:  Occasionally, there may be ads on this site along with sponsorship, affiliate links, and other items that may compensate the owner of this site.  If you click on those ads and links, you will be taken to a separate site.  This website is not responsible for anything found on those websites.  Any dispute arising out of a third-party advertiser or affiliate link must be handled through them.  About those affiliate links:  If you click it and make a purchase, the owner of this website will get some cash money.  How much?  It varies.  You may see a few sponsored posts on this website.  This website will inform you if a post is sponsored and will give honest reviews.

4.  Comments:  I love hearing from readers and provide a space for comments.  All comments are subject to review before publishing.

5.  Nutritional information:  As mentioned above, I am NOT a nutritionist.  Under no circumstances will fleurdelolly.blogspot.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information or lack thereof.

Friday, December 13, 2019

Instant Pot: Boiled Eggs


If you dislike boiling eggs for potato salad, eggs salad, deviled eggs, or just for breakfast, an Instant Pot will be your best friend.  I have used mine many times for boiling a dozen eggs for deviled eggs and was very impressed with the ease of peeling.

Today I had to cook a lot of eggs for deviled eggs.  A LOT of eggs.  Like 50.  I wondered just how many eggs can an Instant Pot handle at one time?  Did I dare to try to cook all 50 of them at one time?

Why not?

So here's what I did.

Place the trivet in the bottom of the Instant Pot.  Add 1 1/2 cups of water.  Place eggs carefully into the pot.  Put on the lid and make sure the steam vent is set to closed.

Plug in the Instant Pot and set Pressure Level to Low and the timer to 5 minutes.  Walk away.  😊

It will take a little time for the pressure to build and cooking to begin.  But when the timer sounds after the 5 minutes of cooking, quick release the steam and carefully remove the lid.

Using potholders, carefully remove the inner pot and place it in the sink.  Run cold water up to the top and then drain.  Refill with ice and water.  Let eggs rest in the ice water for several minutes and then drain.

You will be amazed by how easy the eggs will be to peel.  They will literally slip right off the eggs.  

If you like a softer boiled egg, reduce the cooking time by a minute or two.  You'll need to test a batch or two to determine what your "sweet spot" is time-wise to get the eggs cooked exactly like you prefer.


DISCLAIMER:
1.  Terms of Use:  This website provides recipes, food photos, and engaging written content.  I am not a nutritionist and have no expert knowledge on the topic.  Any information provided on or taken from this website is for your enjoyment. 

2.  Copyright policy:  Please feel free to share photos and recipes so long as full credit is given to this blog.  Give me a shout out when you share on your own social media sites, please.

3.  Advertisers, Sponsors, and Affiliate Links:  Occasionally, there may be ads on this site along with sponsorship, affiliate links, and other items that may compensate the owner of this site.  If you click on those ads and links, you will be taken to a separate site.  This website is not responsible for anything found on those websites.  Any dispute arising out of a third-party advertiser or affiliate link must be handled through them.  About those affiliate links:  If you click it and make a purchase, the owner of this website will get some cash money.  How much?  It varies.  You may see a few sponsored posts on this website.  This website will inform you if a post is sponsored and will give honest reviews.

4.  Comments:  I love hearing from readers and provide a space for comments.  All comments are subject to review before publishing.

5.  Nutritional information:  As mentioned above, I am NOT a nutritionist.  Under no circumstances will fleurdelolly.blogspot.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information or lack thereof.



Wednesday, December 11, 2019

Monday, December 9, 2019

Dining Out Southeast: Bama Bucks, Sardis, AL

Friends chose Bama Bucks to treat Sweet Harold for his 4th Birthday Meal of the weekend.  Bama Bucks is a steakhouse and wild game restaurant with an exotic animal park.  Don't panic!  The animals in the park are NEVER served as a menu item.

Isn't this an inviting setting?

Image may contain: sky, night and outdoor

The interior is rustic but extremely inviting.

As to be expected, there are many out of the ordinary options on the menu.  

We began our meal with the Wild Game Sausage Trio $13.00, which consists of a link each of Elk, Bison, and Wild Boar. Served alongside is a serving of pimento cheese, onion mustard marmalade, Naan bread, and Wickles Pickles.

We all sampled one sausage at a time, beginning with the Elk.  It was well seasoned with a flavor that immediately brought to my mind of German food.  Maybe there's some carraway in that sausage seasoning blend?  



The Bison was very mild and a little denser than the Elk.  My #3 spot went to the Wild Boar.  Not really a "wild" or "gamey" taste, but with a stronger flavor than the other two.

The pimento cheese had a good flavor, but it would have been nice if it had been stirred some before plating.  Some portions were dry.  The onion mustard marmalade provided a palate cleaning taste between the sausage tasting, and the Naan and Wickles were tasty.


Next up on our tasting menu:  Gator on a Stick served with sweet slaw and chipotle ranch  $9.00  



Here's my dilemma:  My brain kept telling me that I was eating ALLIGATOR.  My taste buds kept telling me to try to get another bite or three without the others at the table, realizing how much of the gator I was eating!  It was lightly fried with an extremely delicate flavor.  The slaw and chipotle drizzle were both excellent.


I love bison burgers, so I used that as my guide to select my entree':  Bison Lasagna served with garlic bread ($10.00) with a Caesar salad ($7.00).

The salad was delicious, well dressed with a LOT of Parmesan cheese.  I love a good Caesar salad, and this one fits the bill.  In fact, I enjoyed it more than my lasagna.  



I wanted to love this lasagna.  I wanted it to be like the picture on the website.  This is a significant portion, but it lacked something.  It was almost as if it had been previously cooked and then re-heated.  I enjoyed every bite, don't get me wrong, but I had rather have had the large portion made up of many layers of pasta, sauce, bison, and cheese rather than a thin serving that was wider than it was tall.  I would order again after inquiring as to whether it was freshly cooked. As you can see, it looks a little too "done."




Our friends both ordered the 12 oz. Bison Ribeye ($36.) served with smoked tomato butter, garlic mashed potatoes, asparagus with fried onions on top.  They requested the smoked butter on the side.  But as you can see, no fried onions on top.  One steak was perfectly cooked and contained little gristle.  The other one was cooked more medium than medium-rare and was more on the gristly side.  



Sweet Harold chose a Grilled Marinated Brace of Quail for his meal served with crispy asparagus and biscuits and gravy.  ($17.00)  As y'all know, he is the most relaxed person in the world to please.  He reported that the quail was delicious, and he thoroughly enjoyed it.  However, to my visual, the asparagus was not crispy, and maybe a little more gravy on those biscuits would have been nice.  Speaking of biscuits, it's better to bake a few at a time and let them be soft and fresh than a lot at once and let them dry out.


Granted, the restaurant was full of several large parties.  I'll cut them some slack for maybe being overwhelmed.  We'll go back and try some of the other menu items.  Several burgers sound appealing.  

All in all?  We enjoyed a lovely meal celebrating Harold's birthday and got to try some out of the ordinary offerings. We'll probably be back.


DISCLAIMER:
1.  Terms of Use:  This website provides recipes, food photos, and engaging written content.  I am not a nutritionist and have no expert knowledge on the topic.  Any information provided on or taken from this website is for your enjoyment. 

2.  Copyright policy:  Please feel free to share photos and recipes so long as full credit is given to this blog.  Give me a shout out when you share on your own social media sites, please.


3.  Advertisers, Sponsors, and Affiliate Links:  Occasionally, there may be ads on this site along with sponsorship, affiliate links, and other items that may compensate the owner of this site.  If you click on those ads and links, you will be taken to a separate site.  This website is not responsible for anything found on those websites.  Any dispute arising out of a third-party advertiser or affiliate link must be handled through them.  About those affiliate links:  If you click it and make a purchase, the owner of this website will get some cash money.  How much?  It varies.  You may see a few sponsored posts on this website.  This website will inform you if a post is sponsored and will give honest reviews.

4.  Comments:  I love hearing from readers and provide a space for comments.  All comments are subject to review before publishing.


5.  Nutritional information:  As mentioned above, I am NOT a nutritionist.  Under no circumstances will fleurdelolly.blogspot.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information or lack thereof.





Sunday, December 8, 2019

Cranberry Orange Scones


I baked these lovely Cranberry Orange Scones for brunch yesterday and placed them on the table.  When I was ready to take the picture, the sun was streaming through the French doors and it was so beautiful I decided to just go ahead and take the picture in the natural light.

If you don't care for dried cranberries, you can easily substitute raisins in their place.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 T. + 1 t. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/3 cup cold butter, cubed
1 cup dried cranberries (or raisins)
1 T. orange zest (one large navel orange)
1/4 cup orange juice
1/4 cup half and half
1 egg
1/3 cup powdered sugar
a few T. of orange juice

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Zest one large navel orange then cut the orange in half and juice the entire orange.  Set zest and juice aside. 

In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt and mix well.

With a pastry cutter, cut in the cold cubed butter until it resembles a crumbly mixture.

Add in the dried cranberries and mix.

n a separate small bowl, combine one beaten egg, with 1/4 cup orange juice 1/4 cup half and half, and 1 T. orange zest.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and gently stir until just combined and a soft dough forms.  

Pour onto a floured surface and pat or use a rolling pin to form the dough into an 8-inch diameter circle.

Cut the dough into 8 equal wedges and place on a parchment or silicone mat lined baking sheet.

Bake on the center rack of the oven for 12 minutes or until lightly golden brown.  Allow to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes or so while you make the glaze.

Mix together approximately 1/3 cup powdered sugar with a few tablespoons of orange juice (adding a little at a time) and stir to make a glaze.

Drizzle glaze over scones and top with additional orange zest.

Adapted from www.sandandsisal.com



DISCLAIMER:
1.  Terms of Use:  This website provides recipes, food photos, and engaging written content.  I am not a nutritionist and have no expert knowledge on the topic.  Any information provided on or taken from this website is for your enjoyment. 

2.  Copyright policy:  Please feel free to share photos and recipes so long as full credit is given to this blog.  Give me a shout out when you share on your own social media sites, please.

3.  Advertisers, Sponsors, and Affiliate Links:  Occasionally, there may be ads on this site along with sponsorship, affiliate links, and other items that may compensate the owner of this site.  If you click on those ads and links, you will be taken to a separate site.  This website is not responsible for anything found on those websites.  Any dispute arising out of a third-party advertiser or affiliate link must be handled through them.  About those affiliate links:  If you click it and make a purchase, the owner of this website will get some cash money.  How much?  It varies.  You may see a few sponsored posts on this website.  This website will inform you if a post is sponsored and will give honest reviews.

4.  Comments:  I love hearing from readers and provide a space for comments.  All comments are subject to review before publishing.

5.  Nutritional information:  As mentioned above, I am NOT a nutritionist.  Under no circumstances will fleurdelolly.blogspot.com be responsible for any loss or damage resulting from your reliance on the nutritional information or lack thereof.