Simmer a Pot Of Too Busy For Words

Tampa is full of unbelievable local restaurants. But, what is a Mom to do when her son is more interested in going to Outback and Lonestar Steakhouse? She goes!! All he wanted was big plates of steak and baked potatoes. There was a bright spot to my dining in Tampa.

Who goes to Tampa, Florida for an authentic Chicago Hot Dog? Well, you should if you are ever in Tampa. These things are fantastic! Of course, I have no pictures of the food because I am always too involved in eating it. (There goes my hope of being a freelance food reviewer) Mels is tucked away but worth the time to find. It is right by Busch Gardens. The menu offers a variety of hot dogs with the Chicago Dog being the most popular. You will get a beef hot dog with relish, pickle, onion, tomato, hot peppers and celery salt. I am here to tell you that it was lip-smacking good. With the basket you get a hot dog, fries and coleslaw. The coleslaw is sweet with a slight spicy kick and worth every delectable creamy calorie. Surprisingly enough, Mel serves homemade beef tamales. Can you believe that I have never had a tamale?? These things were delicious and once things calm down, I am setting my sights on concocting a batch of my own tamales.


Anyway, this brings me to Simmer a Pot Of Too Busy For Words. Sometimes the day just gets away from you, and dinner is the last thing you want to do EVEN when you love to cook. Being a "seasoned" stay at home Mother, I have learned to have a few quick back-ups in my freezer. I always have a pack of turkey sausage and turkey meatballs. If I don't have homemade Italian sauce to defrost, my pantry is full of jars of spaghetti sauce. So there you go, a Pot Of Too Busy For Words simmering away. You can serve this over garlic mashed potatoes, pasta or steamed veggies. All you need is warm baked bread and a fresh salad and dinner is on the table.


I am excited because I am getting new kitchen counters next week! My kitchen is getting ready to have a complete makeover. Believe me, it is really needed. This brings me to my long list of "to do." A lot has to be done before those counters come and me being the chronic procrastinator is not helping at all!