WIAW #25: Vacation Eats in Mendocino

July 29, 2015July 29, 2015 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 6 Comments

A very happy What I Ate Wednesday to you! I’m excited to share with you a great day of eats- different than my typical everyday eats – in fact, I’m vacationing with my family in California and we had a great day in Mendocino. A great day with a nice walk around the town, and wonderful eats.

Gorgeous Mendocino!

The Inn that we were staying at delivered a great breakfast to us in the morning in a cute basket. The Inn boasts 100+ chickens, so of course there were some fresh eggs included with breakfast:

breakfast menu

Greg carrying our breakfast basket

the amazing meal

We took a great walk after breakfast around downtown Mendocino, all around the Headlands along the ocean. We got hungry along the way and snacked on some Malley’s Dark Chocolate Almonds.

Screen Shot 2015-07-29 at 12.53.52 AM

After our walk, we stopped for lunch at a cafe downtown. My mom and I split a lunch – we got a salad trio, with quinoa, kale and brussels sprouts salad. It was really good and tasted so fresh.

20150728_152224

Dinner was so good. We ended up eating at MacCallum House, an inn in town, and had an amazing meal. We enjoyed a bottle of local Pinot Noir, some fresh baked sour dough, and shared a cheese platter.

20150728_192552 20150728_194401

My mom and I split the arugula, proscuitto and chèvre salad and ratatouille. I love splitting meals, and it was the perfect way to try a bunch of food without getting too stuffed.

20150728_195928 20150728_195924

Dessert was so so so good. We had a fresh blackberry soufflé and split it four ways. Since it had been my mom’s birthday, they put a candle in a side of cream for her to blow out.

20150728_203332

That concluded our day in Mendocino. It was such a good day of eats – I really can’t complain! As always, click on the badge below to see what WIAW is all about.

Some questions for you:

What’s the best thing you ate yesterday?
Have you ever been to Mendocino?
Splitting meals – yay or nay?

Crock Pot Veggie Casserole

December 22, 2012December 22, 2012 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 3 Comments

I love my crock pot, and I’m always looking for new recipes other than stews, soups and heavy beef/chicken dishes. Well – I definitely found one, and it’s a keeper! When perusing the Internet a few months ago, I came across this recipe for a Vegetable Casserole in the slow cooker. Since B has what he likes to call a “meat tooth,” I hardly ever make vegetarian recipes and had put it aside. So, this week when I was home in NY, when my mom told me she had never used her crock pot and was looking for a recipe to try, I knew exactly what to suggest!

We made this recipe. It was delicious and filling – and my whole family (mom, dad and brother) really enjoyed it. Although my dad did end up grilling some chicken to eat with it, but it’d definitely be filling enough (in my opinion) on its own.

Crock Pot Veggie Casserole

(slightly adapted from Better Homes & Gardens)

Here’s what you need:

2 15.5-ounce cans cannellini beans
2 15.5-ounce cans chickpeas
1/4
c basil pesto (I used homemade, but you can certainly buy it at the store)
1 medium onion, chopped
4
cloves garlic, diced
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1
16-ounce package refrigerated cooked plain polenta cut in 1/2-inch-thick slices – we used this Sundried Tomato Garlic Polenta and only used 2 cloves of garlic, above
1 l
arge tomato, thinly sliced
1
8-ounce package finely shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese (2 cups)
2
cups fresh spinach
1
cup torn radicchio

Here’s what you do:

Rinse and drain chickpeas and beans. In large bowl combine beans, 2 tablespoons of the pesto, diced onion, garlic, oregano and basil.
In your large crock pot, layer half of bean mixture, half of the sliced polenta, and half of cheese. Add remaining beans and polenta.
Cover; cook on low heat setting 4 to 6 hours or on high heat setting 2 to 2-1/2 hours.
Add tomato, remaining cheese, spinach, and radicchio. Combine remaining pesto with 1 tablespoon water. Drizzle pesto mixture on casserole.
Enjoy! Serve alone, or as a side dish to a meat item (such as grilled chicken) if you prefer.

vegetarian crockpot casserole

labeled 2 bean mixture

labeled 3 first layer

vegetarian crock pot casserole

labeled 5 final layer
slow cooker veggie casserole

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken & Beans – For Two!

July 26, 2012July 26, 2012 / Melissa (I Crashed the Web) / 2 Comments

Even though it’s summer, I’ve been dying to use my crock pot. After all – what’s a better feeling than coming home from work and knowing that a healthy, easy dinner is already ready? That’s why I decided to find an easy recipe, with flavors good for summer, for two. That’s right – a crock pot recipe for TWO people (or one person – with a nice-sized lunch for the next day)!

So often whatever I make in my crock pot serves 6, or even more, and I’m eating leftovers for a week. After seeking a few recipes, I decided to just come up with my own – and here it is! Enjoy. If you are cooking for more than two, I have on doubt you could double, triple or quadruple this recipe to feed more hungry bellies.

slow cooker cheesy black beans and chicken

Crock Pot Cheesy Chicken & Beans for Two

Here’s what you need:

4 chicken tenderloins or 1 whole chicken breast
1 (15.5 oz) can of black beans, drained
1/2 (15.5 oz) jar of salsa (I used Tostitos Chunky Hot Salsa for a kick)
1/2 c. water
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbs chili powder
1 tbs cumin
1 tbs garlic powder
1/2 c Mexican cheese blend

Here’s what you do:

Place the chicken on the bottom of your crock pot.
Mix the can of black beans, half jar of salsa, and spices (cayenne pepper, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder) together. Pour on top of chicken.
Pour water on top.
Set your crock pot or slow cooker to low. Cook for 8 hours.
After 8 hours, mix chicken/bean mixture and serve in two bowls. Top with Mexican cheese.
Enjoy!

Note: I also made some Uncle Ben’s 90 second whole grain rice and topped with the chicken and beans. I also cut up some avocado, and B added hot sauce. For cilantro lovers, the recipe would also be delicious with some fresh herb sprinkled on top.

If you liked this recipe, or want more slow cooker recipes, check out the ones I’ve tried and shared, here.