Spring!

Well, Glitterinas, there are signs of Spring all over the place at my house.

What about your place?

I hope you are having some lovely days with

touches of green and patches of sunlight!

Spring Has Sprung

by Scott Austin

Spring has sprung
With the abundance
Of blossoming flowers

The feel of affection
With kindling of love
When two souls meet

The spring brings such delight
In the early morning light
With hearts of satisfaction

Spring brings sweet smells
Of lily of the valley
Where the green grass grows

Where the water flows
And children are playing
With fun and laughter

One would say that
Spring has sprung
With such loveliness

That can only be felt
This time of year
With such an exhilaration 

I am wishing you sunshine on your shoulders 

and a light, soft breeze on your cheeks.....if not today, then very soon!

Thanks to Scott Austin for a special piece of poetry.

Thank you for stopping by and sharing 

some early signs of Spring with me, Glitterinas!

Until next time,

Tammy

Swiss Chard Enchiladas

Welcome back to my kitchen, Glitterinas!

I am glad you are joining me for a recipe that's a healthy, fresh twist on

a popular Tex Mex dish......enchiladas!

I'll start with some of the Swiss Chard that we grew
in one of our backyard garden spots.

I'll trim out the middle rib of each large, green leaf.

Then mix up the filling.....

a tube of mild pork sausage

a can of drained garbanzo beans

some chopped, white onion 

salt and pepper, to taste

Now, put a generous spoonful of filling on each trimmed Swiss Chard leaf

and roll 'em up!

Arrange these roll ups in a 

13X9 glass dish that you've sprayed with non-stick spray.

Sprinkle with some rough chopped white onion......

Bake for 35- 45 minutes at 350 degrees.

While these roly poly yummies are baking, make a quick

white, mushroom sauce to pour over them when they are served.

Mix

half a cup of sour cream

1 T ranch dressing

can, drained mushrooms, sliced

Give it a taste.....and add what your taste tells you this

easy, simple sauce needs.

Salt?  Pepper?  Red pepper flakes?

Top each plate of enchiladas with some sauce and serve!

I served these with a beverage.....but if you want to, add your family's favorite side

and enjoy a yummy meal!

Add this Swiss Chard recipe to your recipe box and trot it out 

the next time you have some delicious, fresh chard to eat up!

Glitterinas, you are the best!

Thanks so much for hanging out with me while I cooked up

a unique creation for something that came out of our garden!

Until next time,

Tammy

Thankful for

our little garden spot

Sunshine....Where Are You?

Warm weather is coming to stay, isn't it, Glitterinas?

We have had some crazy, cold weather here in Central Texas this year.

I think there's quite a few warm weather loving Texans who

are about done with the cold.

Done, I tell you!

The weatherman announced that Spring was officially here......

I was cruisin' around a favorite store the other day and saw a cute

container for flip flops that would be so cute out by the pool.  It was a bit pricey, though.

As I inspected this cute receptacle, I found myself wishing for warm, 

sunny days when we're out by the pool.

When I came out of my sunshiney filled reverie, I decided I could

make something that would work without being so expensive and would be cute, too.

I found a large, plastic flower pot that was just what I needed.

Using a sharpie marker, I wrote "flip flops"..... 

and drew some dots....

.....done!

Now, let's get out those big beach towels we use out at the pool......and inflate

all those fun pool toys!

Come on sunshine, you have lots and lots of fans waiting for you!

Glitterinas, are you wishing for sunshine to warm your days?

Thanks bunches for checking in......

Until next time,

Tammy

Eggplant Bianco.....Chapter Two

Ciao Glitterinas!

Are you ready to turn some leftovers into two yummy lunches?

In the previous post, I shared my recipe for Eggplant Bianco.  It was just husband and I eating the casserole so, there were leftovers.

I love leftovers.....but husband, not so much.

So, I have to be crafty sometimes in the kitchen to make leftovers not seem so "leftover-y".

Oh, come on.....it could be a word....right?!

The first lunch on this meal deal is Pasta Eggplant Bianco.  Not a very original or catchy name but it is good.

I used some spiral pasta that I had left in the pantry.  It wasn't really enough for a big meal but the amount was perfect for this!

* * Glitterina Tip:  Place a wooden spoon over your pot when you are boiling pasta and it will not boil        

over!  This really works......cool, huh?!

Mix the cooked pasta into some of the leftover eggplant casserole (I used about half of the eggplant because I was making two leftover creations.)  It was about a cup of cooked pasta and a cup of eggplant.

I served this pasta mixture over spinach and topped it with fresh chopped tomatoes.  Did I take a picture?  Ummmm, no.  So sorry!

The next lunch in our leftover meal deal is roll ups.  I. love. tortillas.

I love them warm with butter....

I love them with eggs, bacon, cheese etc. in a breakfast taco....

I love them with frijoles, shredded chicken and guacamole....

I love them with creamy coconut curd.....

I love them with smoked oysters and hot mustard.....

I love them with pickles and mayo......don't judge......I love tortillas!

Moving on......

On a tortilla, lay out some fresh spinach....

In a small mixing bowl, mix some eggplant casserole with some room temp cream cheese.  Use enough cream cheese to make a smooth, thick spread.

Spread some of the mixture over the fresh spinach and roll that baby up!  Repeat until you've used all of the spread.  Cover the roll ups with plastic wrap and place them in the refrigerator to cool.

We had these for lunch with some fruit and iced tea.  Soooo good.

So there you have my Eggplant Bianco not so leftover-y leftovers!

Do you eat leftovers at your house?  What's your favorite trick for leftovers?

Please share......

Thanks so much for letting me take you on this little culinary journey!  I am really glad you stopped by today.

Until next time,

Tammy

Eggplant Bianco

Hello Glitterinas!

Welcome to another easy and yummy meal at Pink Glitter!

I had fun developing this recipe for eggplant.  Most traditional eggplant recipes have a red, tomato based sauce......but I wanted to make an eggplant casserole with a creamy, white sauce.

Let's get going on preparing these pretty eggplants!

Beautiful, aren't they?

The eggplant need to be cut up and placed on an oiled, parchment covered baking sheet.  This is how I cut them up.....

Cut the top off.....

Cut down each side to peel.....

Then slice into half inch rounds.....

Cut the rounds in half.....

Toss with 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil and some salt and pepper.  The first time I made this I stumped my toe on the salt.....so, just a pinch.....

Oil the parchment paper that's on your baking sheet.

Spread the eggplant slices out on the baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

The peels go into a bowl for.......

.....my chickens and their "watch dogs", the guineas!  The girls like it when I fix eggplant......

OK, back to our dinner......

While the eggplant slices are baking, it's time to make the sauce......again, easy peasy!

Mix 4 cups of your favorite alfredo pasta sauce with 2 tablespoons of sour cream, 1 tablespoon of butter, and 2 tablespoons of chopped oregano.

When the eggplant is finished baking, cool slices for 5-10 minutes.

Now, you are ready to layer together the casserole.

In an oiled baking dish, layer eggplant slices, sauce, Parm....repeat, slices, sauce, Parm....I made three layers.

End with Parmesan cheese on the top.

Now, it's ready for the oven.

Bake for 20-25 minutes at 350 degrees.....until the edges are bubbly.

* * Glitterina Tip:  Store your fresh Parmesan cheese in the freezer.  It will last much, much longer!

Just a bit more to finish up this delicious casserole......

Make and add the topping......and bake a bit longer.....

Mix 1 cup of Panko bread crumbs, one half cup shredded Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.  Remember my boo boo....just a pinch of salt or omit the salt.

  

 Grate some fresh Mozzerella.....about a cup will do.

Layer the Panko mixture on top of the eggplant casserole and then top with the mozzerella.

Back into the oven for about 10 minutes.  Then you have a delicious meal to serve and enjoy!

I set the table with white dinner plates, green depression glass salad plates, green napkins, and grand mother's favorite bridge glasses.

I served my eggplant casserole with a green salad and cheesy Boboli bread.

It was a good dinner......

The next time you go to the grocery store.....

                   look for the eggplants and buy a couple......

                                   because now you have a yummy recipe to try!

I am so glad you stopped by Pink Glitter today, my sweet Glitterinas! 

Thank you for letting me share my Eggplant Bianco recipe with you!

Next time, I'll share what I did with the leftovers.....they were pretty yummy, too!

Until next time,

Tammy