We Have Been "Lost"

I guess it is confession time. I know I have been a really bad blogger recently.

The last few weeks we have been “LOST”. “Lost” as in the series.
Even though it has been on television for several years I have had no interest whatsoever in watching. You see, I never watch nor read any fantasy or science fiction. As I have said before I can read the phone book but I always draw the line on the reality side.
That is until we went to visit Lacy-Jay and Bashar in late April. They sent us home with the first four seasons of “Lost”. My sister in law, Karen has watched from the beginning and I knew this was her addiction, but I never dreamed in a million light years that it would become mine too, Ronnie yes, me, no way!!
The discs sat around on our shelf for a few weeks with Lacy prodding us daily about watching. Finally, one Sunday afternoon Ronnie talked me into sitting down with him, promising that if I just watch an episode of two and hated it he would watch the rest alone. The rest is history. We have planned our lives around watching “Lost”. I have never, ever, been as involved in anything on television as I am “Lost”. You can never, and let me repeat never, see what is coming next.
Ronnie saw the cover of a magazine in the grocery store that said this is quite possibly the best written television series ever. Far be it from me to question that statement.
Anyway………………. we are in the middle of the third season of the four we have.
If we feel lost now can you just imagine how lost we will be when it is all over???

This in turn has caused me to be “lost” in the supper department too. Meals have been fast and furious with both of us cleaning up the dishes in order to get in as many episodes as possible before bedtime.

Tonight I am posting a couple of recipes that are stuck in my “to be tried” stack. If you aren’t “lost”, maybe you would want to try them and post your comments!!
Enjoy.


Zucchini Soup

1 cup chopped onions
2 T. butter
3 cups sliced zucchini
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. pepper
½ cup half-and-half

4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp, then crumbled
In a large saucepan cook onions in melted butter until tender. Add sliced zucchini and chicken broth and bring to a boil. Simmer until tender (about 15 min.) Add salt and pepper. Cool slightly. Pour mixture into blender and puree it. Stir in half-and-half (or milk). Return to saucepan and reheat, but do not boil. Garnish with grated cheese, sour cream, and bacon bits.
Makes 6 servings.


Olive Garden Salad

Olive Garden Salad Dressing:
½ c. mayonnaise
1/3 c. white vinegar
1 tsp vegetable oil
2 Tb. corn syrup
2 Tb. Parmesan cheese
2 Tb. Romano cheese
¼ tsp garlic salt – or one clove garlic, minced
½ tsp Italian seasoning
½ tsp parsley flakes
1 Tb. lemon juice

Salad:
1 large head romaine lettuce
slices red onion
black olives
2-4 banana peppers
2 small tomatoes, quartered
½ c. croutons
freshly grated Parmesan cheese
For homemade croutons:
4 slices sandwich bread
1 clove garlic, minced
3 Tb. butter
salt and pepper
dried parsley flakes

Mix all dressing ingredients in a blender until well mixed. If this is a little too tart for your own personal tastes, add a little extra sugar.
Chill one salad bowl in freezer for at least 30 minutes. Put lettuce in bowl. Place on top of lettuce red onions, black olives, banana peppers, tomatoes, and croutons. Add some freshly grated Parmesan cheese if you like, and add plenty of Olive Garden Salad Dressing on top.

For homemade croutons:
Cut off crusts of sandwich bread, and cut bread into cubes. Melt butter in small saucepan and add minced garlic. Toss sandwich cubes in the butter and spread out in a pan. Sprinkle salt and pepper and parsley flakes to taste. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°, turning half way through baking.

So, until tomorrow..........
S~~~