Azoresgal~Life on an Island

Seriously, sometimes, a girl just needs a little snack...this hit the spot ! On a nice slice of bread, spread some OLIVE CREAM CHEESE , next top with some chopped OVEN/SUNDRIED TOMATOES , then sprinkle with some SHREDDED CHEESE .  Bake or toast and ta~dah a quick bite ! xo, Diana

Apple fritters are  so delicious, and easy to make, you can have them any time of the year. The outside is crispy, the inside is soft, bursting with little bits of apple. Sprinkled with icing sugar and some cinnamon, the only thing missing is....a nice cup of coffee or tea. Oh and famliy and friends to share them with ! 2 large apples, peeled, cored and dices 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/4 cup brown sugar 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 eggs 2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted 3/4 cup milk 2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring Oil for frying                                                         Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl with a whisk. Next add the milk, eggs, vanilla, butter and beat with whisk.  Peel, core, and dice apples and fold into the batter.  Pour enough oil into skillet to make about 1/4 inch.  Heat oil and drop spoonfuls of batter into hot oil. Cook until b

Sweet or Salty ??  Salty wins almost everytime! Crispy,crunchy, potato pancakes...yes run to the kitchen, and make these ! 1 small onion  4 medium potatoes 1 large egg 2 tablespoons self-raising flour Salt and pepper  olive oil, for pan-frying Peel onion and grate into a small bowl. Peel and grate potatoes into a large bowl. Remove excess moisture from potato by firmly squeezing handfuls of grated potato over the kitchen sink. Add onion, egg, flour, pepper and a generous amount of salt to the potato and stir well to combine. Heat the olive oil in a heavy-based, non-stick pan over medium to medium-high heat. Drop mixture into pan and flatten slightly, either make one large pancake, or smaller induvidual pancakes. Cook pancakes for about 4-5 minutes on each side, or until golden and cooked through. Adjust the heat if the pancakes are browning too quickly or too slowly. Better a low heat than high,so they cook evenly. While frying up all the pancak

This is one of those easy~peasy ones. The most difficult part is boiling the water for the pasta...see easy ! I just used what I had in the pantry, and in the fridge. It was yummy, and well liked by the little's, our youngest, after eating 3 bowls, requested, I make it more often ! Bring to a boil a pot of salted water, cook your PASTA of choice. Once cooked, drain the pasta,return to the pot. Now into the pot, add in a small bag of FROZEN BABY PEAS , add in a small carton 200ml of CREAM , and add in a package of  chopped SMOKED SALMON. Gently toss everything together, and adjust any seasonings, salt, pepper, I think dill, would be great in this. Add some cheese if you like, some grated Parmesean.  See easy~peasy ! xo, Diana

This creamy, cheesy, tangy dip with a bite tastes a lot like Buffalo Chicken Wings. With alot less work, and no messy fingers. It is really, really good!  I usually serve with corn chips or tortilla chips, or crackers. If you must serve them with a vegetable, celery sticks are nice..It’s kinda spicy for some people, but the delicious flavor, is addictive, and will keep them  coming back  for more! 2 1/2 cups shredded chicken ( I boil up 2 chicken breasts, and shred the meat~ or you can buy a roasted chicken) 2  packages cream cheese, softened 1 cup  blue cheese or ranch dressing 3/4 cup pepper sauce ( Frank's Red Hot,) 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese crackers or chips MIx chicken and hot sauce in a bowl. Stir in cream cheese and blue cheese dressing. Stirring until well blended, add in  the shredded cheese and  transfer to a casserole dish, and heat in a  180/350-degree oven until hot and bubbly.  **** I like to add a panko topping (thats just m

Perfect for a rainy day, have a great weekend everyone.  xo, Diana

A lamb shoulder is such an easy dish to make. TRUST ME please. You place it in the oven, and walk away  and a few hours later, it’s ready.  The meat  will roast,  melting  the fat, its juices will create a fantastic jus/sauce in the bottom of the pan. You will need  plenty of yummy bread for soaking up the juices. I roasted lamb for New Year's Eve, we used our brick oven, it was out of this world, I don't know why we waited so long, to roast this cut of meat. The meat was falling off the bone, fork tender. I was inspired by Jamie Oliver's recipe in his book Jamie at Home, online the recipe can be found here . ***I did however do things a bit different. I used lots of rosemary, pulled of the stem. I also used lots of chopped garlic lots ! I marinated the lamb shoulder the day before, rubbing the rosemary, garlic, sea salt and black pepper, into the meat. I did not make the gravy or the veggies, instead on the side, just roasted a big pan of bab

My dear acquaintance... It's so good to know you. For strength of your hand. That is loving and giving. And Happy New Year With love overflowing, With joy in our hearts For the blessed New Year.... Raise your glass and we'll have a cheer, For us all who are gathered here, And Happy New Year To all that is living, To all that is gentle, kind and forgiving, Raise your glass and we'll have a cheer, My dear acquaintance- a happy new year.... xo, Diana