I love lazy weekend fall mornings when I can whip up something warm and yummy for hubby and I for brunch while watching a football game. I don’t love all the dishes when I want to relax after filling my belly. This strata is made the night before in a large Ziploc bag and then simply placed in a pan and baked; easy and virtually no mess! A side of hashbrowns and fresh fruit rounds out the meal nicely.
Our local Grocery Outlet carries all of the ingredients regularly at about half the cost of other stores. The Lit’l Smokies come in a 28 oz package and can be divided and half frozen for other dishes (they are great in a rustic vegetable soup!). I used about half of the pack for this recipe. Any form of bread works, but I especially love the San Luis Sliced Garlic Sourdough. The garlic is already roasted and the crust has a nice texture. I used half of the loaf for grilled cheese and toast 5 days prior, which allowed the other half to become slightly stale, preferable for the strata.
Winter and spring are perfect for meals that require oven time. Living on a boat, we opt for barbecuing most of our summer and fall main courses so we don’t heat up our living space. But when the cold winds are a’blowin’ the oven helps to keep us cozy and fills our home with a delicious aroma as we tuck in against the elements.
Pickled peppers add zing to sandwiches and are used in many Asian and Mexican dishes. This recipe combines just the right amount of sweet and heat and are tasty eaten right out of the jar as a snack or with cheese and crackers. I’m a fan of savory martinis and think I’ll add a slice to my next dirty martini with my usual olives.
Shhhh! Don’t tell anyone how easy this silky smooth bite of chocolate heaven is to make! I made a double batch to bring to a holiday party, give as gifts and have some at home. It has only five ingredients and they are always in stock at our 
Winter is definitely upon us in San Francisco Bay, which means time to break out the Dutch oven and whip up pots of comfort food. I’m a fan of soups that need to simmer for hours to bring out the flavors, but sometimes I want a quick recipe that just tastes like I was in the galley all day.
I’ve been crazy busy with the holidays and babysitting my grandchildren and missed my weekly GO To Tuesday post … so we’ll do a GO To Thursday instead! Our local 
Both sweet and savory … these delicious noodles take minutes to prepare and make a great side to an Asian-inspired meal or, as we did, serve with fresh Dungeness crab and garlic bread. (One can never have enough garlic in my opinion!) Grocery Outlet doesn’t sell fresh crab, but they do feature an amazing ocean caught salmon that would be terrific with a miso-soy glaze. Hubby says he could easily eat just a big bowl of the noodles all by themselves … they are THAT good!
Vivo O Sonho 