50 States; 50 Meals: Nevada

Well it's a good thing that we weren't actually in Nevada for this meal because it didn't have the "stay there".  Get it?  Bad Joke.

So obviously when anyone things of Nevada they think of Las Vegas and when they think of eating in Las Vegas they think of All-you-can-eat buffets.

Our buffet included the basics you would see on any buffet.  I wanted to keep everything an appetizer size because we were decorating our Christmas tree at the same time.  It is our family tradition to have an appetizer dinner (aka Pickies; aka Appy's; aka Mrs. Flax dinner, Mermaids movie anyone) while putting up our tree so this worked out perfectly.  We had:
99-Cent Shrimp Cocktails
Steak Bites to stand in for Prime Rib
Grilled Mushrooms
Veggies
Summer Sausage - This was to fulfill another Christmas tradition


I filled the green dish with ice and then placed the shrimp on top in effort to make it look like a buffet chafing dish. 

I used Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond's recipe for the steak bites.  They were amazing.  Butter and Steak.  What could be better?  To add on to the steak I also cooked up some button mushrooms in some butter too with a splash (or two, or three) of red wine.  I have to say as we get closer to New Year's Eve those steak bites I have been on my mind. 

It was a  very delicious dinner.  We all got to keep our money but I would have liked to catch Britney Spears residency show or the Blue Man group. ;)

Next, we head back to New England for a mapley dinner.

50 States; 50 Meals: Nebraska

I hope everyone had a great holiday season! It is a great season for foodies for sure.

We had a simple meal for our Nebraska dinner.  It was a very Cornhusker dinner, if you will.  We had corn dogs, homemade popcorn and Eskimo Pies for dessert.A corn dog (just in case someone doesn't know) is a hot dog dipped in a cornmeal batter and then deep fried.

When I don't use the air popper I make Olive Oil Popcorn.  I follow the same instructions as you would to make popcorn with a canola oil but with a healthier oil.

Olive Oil Popcorn
1/4 Cup Olive Oil into a skillet
Add a single kernel of corn
Cover and heat at medium heat
When the kernel pops add enough corn to cover the bottom of the pan
Cover and shake
When the popping slows down, remove the pan from the heat
Salt to taste



Then for dessert we had Eskimo Pie ice cream bars.  Christian Kent Nelson, a school teacher and candy shop owner in Iowa, invented the Eskimo Pie in 1921, when a boy in his shop couldn’t decide between an ice cream and a candy bar. But it wasn't until Nelson traveled to Nebraska, where he met Russell Stover who helped him patent the idea and dub it “Eskimo Pie.”

Next up is a state famous for their buffets.