Review: Sedona Restaurant & Lounge

How did we not try this place sooner?! We first tried them for their 1/2 off burger and beer night which is Wednesday. Now they only offer two burgers and they’re on the lunch menu (so if you go for dinner you’ll have to request it)… But they can make you any type of burger you want and are pretty accommodating. So, while their advertisement/offerings can be confusing, it turned out to be quite a gem. At 1/2 price, the burgers were around $7, and they were GOURMET burgers. The burgers were AMAZEBALLS- high quality meat, delicious bun and flavorful and big, thick patties. The beers we chose were only $2.50 at 1/2 off, we drank Magic Hat #9- which, if you haven’t tried, is delicious. However, there were other similarly priced options. They have rotating specials such as no cork fee for bringing your favorite wine, $20 off your bill ON SATURDAYS when you use your players card (it IS Vegas, there is gambling), and 1/2 off wine (glasses AND bottles!) on Tuesdays. And, bonus, the decor/ambiance is great too!

Fabulous patio area and the venue would also be awesome for a private party of almost any kind!

We will definitely be going back and taking our friends!

Review: el Segundo Sol

El Segundo Sol in the Fashion Show Mall has got to be the best deal on the strip for happy hour. $5 premium free pour margaritas and a nachos that will fill you up for only $3.75. We will be visiting again for sure!

Review: Thai Basil

Thai Basil is a small restaurant out at the edge of the earth in North Las Vegas. Ann Road to be exact. What a little gem though! For $10.95 you get a huge bento box, soup, wontons, sushi roll, tempura- the list goes on and on! I had the Mongolian Beef and Al had the Basil Chicken and both were delicious.

Review: Lahaina Grill

We have done it. We have found the best deal on sushi in Las Vegas.

Lunch: $19.95 pp

Pros: cheap eats and drinks

Cons: ?

Verdict: must try

AYCE sushi including nigiri and apps, $2 beer selection during football games and FREE sake flight when you download their app AND current valpak coupon for buy one get one half off  (this translates to $30 AYCE sushi lunch for 2- even on the weekends!!)

We can’t rave about this place enough, we’ll definitely be back!

Review- Main Street Station Buffet

Lunch: $8.99 (with player’s card) or $9.99 (without)

Pros

• lots of options
• good food quality
• diverse selection

Cons

• not a lot of convenient, free parking
• desserts were sub par

Verdict: while it is not a gourmet buffet, this is a great, reasonable option in the Fremont district in downtown Las Vegas.

An Evening Out

A couple weekends ago we went out with friends. It has been well over a year since we have had a nice evening out with a group of adults. It was really nice to get out with other couples and enjoy a nice dinner and some drinks. It made it that much more enjoyable that the drinks were free. And, we even had a photographer catch us like real Vegas celebrities!

And, if you’re looking for the best steak in Vegas (a lofty statement I know, but you won’t be disappointed!), look no further than Herbs & Rye on Sahara 1/2 price entrees on their daily happy hour from 5-8pm and midnight to 3am that includes some of their steaks, you can’t beat it. And, for those of you who may  prefer seafood/pasta, their linguine and clams are on the 1/2 price menu too and they’re just as amazing as their steaks. Yes, this happy hour schedule includes weekends AND it’s throughout the whole restaurant, not just the bar! A far less costly meal than steak restaurants on the strip, yet only a couple miles away!

And, if you’re looking for cheap,stiff drinks before or after your luxurious dinner…. Shifty’s is a great little dive bar just two doors down.

Casseroles!

I just love them in the fall! So easy and delicious. Probaby highly fattening, especially the way I make them, but yummy nonetheless. Here are a couple I made this last week.

Jumbalaya Casserole

1 box Zatarans Jumbalaya rice mix

1 jalepeno (to taste)

1 package kielbasa sausage (cut up into bite size pieces)

1 tomato (can easily be left out if you don’t like them)

1 cup bread crumbs

4 cups shredded cheese (I used mexican blend)

cook Zatarans as directed and then add in jalapeno, tomato, kielbasa and any other seasonings you want (I added cayenne pepper yum!) then place in casserole dish and cover generously with bread crumbs and shredded cheese. Bake uncovered at 375 for 15-20 minutes and then broil for 3-4 minutes to really make the cheese crusty. Let cool for 10 minutes and then serve with a salad.

I liked that so much that I made another with a different twist a couple of nights later. The only thing I didn’t like about this next one is how greasy it seemed. Not sure how to remedy that, but it was delicious, just could use some refining in that area.

Twisted Kielbasa Potato Casserole

3 small potatoes chopped small (think 1/2 the size of a home fry, or smaller)

2 whole onions (I used one sweet and one red)

1 box of *rice

1 tomato

1 packet ranch dressing seasoning

1 pat of butter (for sauteing the onions)

1 package kielbasa

1/4 pound ground beef (season with kosher salt and pepper to taste)

4 pieces bacon (chopped)

4 cups cheese (I used half mexican blend and half fresh parmesan)

*1 cup bread crumbs

*I cannot cook rice. period. I think this might be part of the problem I had. I used a rice r roni which I don’t like, Zatarans or a plain, fluffy white rice would be better

* I did not have any bread crumbs this time so I used cheese alone and it does not make for as good a crust, use bread crumbs

cook up your rice as directed on packaging, cut up onions and saute with butter in pan then add the kielbasa and continue to saute on low heat to let the kielbasa soak up the flavor, add chopped bacon if desired (everything is better with bacon!)  Add tomato, cooked ground beef, potatoes and ranch dressing seasoning. Cook on low heat on stove top until potatoes are beginning to soften (they’ll fully cook in the oven) Place ingredient mixture in casserole pan and bake uncovered for 10 minutes at 375, then cover the top with bread crumbs and cheese and bake uncovered for about 15-20 minutes more and then broil for 3-4 or until top is golden brown. Let cool for ten minutes and serve. I didn’t have it with any sides, the consistency is like a thick stew or goulash and was very filling alone.

Necessity is the mother of invention

….and lack of funds can birth the creation of absolute deliciousness!

This is something my husband came up with

canned (that’s right CANNED) chicken (Costco brand all white meat is what we used)

green onions

spices to taste (we used garlic and powdered cayenne pepper)

mashed potatoes (we used Idahoan packaged)

shredded cheese blend

brown gravy (optional)

in pan saute the garlic and spices with the canned chicken to taste. Be sure not to over cook as canned chicken is already cooked. Cook mashed potatoes as directed. Layer chicken, mashed potatoes, green onions and shredded cheese (in that order) in an oven safe casserole dish and bake at 350 for 20 minutes-watch it closely, you just want to warm it up and melt the cheese. make up gravy (we used plain brown gravy from a packet) and then drizzle gravy over servings when plating.

This was amazingly delicious and so simple! The amounts can be changed to accommodate how many are eating, we used one can of chicken for two people and one small package of the instant potatoes and we were both stuffed. This could be good for kids too with less spice and no green onions.

TACOS!

Tacos are easy and the kids love the “buffet” feel I create by letting them make their own tacos

When trying to be frugal we came up with a great recipe for tacos using dark meat chicken last week and it was tasty- plus the kids liked it too so it was a win win!

1-2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

1 package steak seasoning (we used McCormick’s Fajita Lime)

1/2 cup olive oil

poke all thighs with fork to allow seasoning to penetrate meat. add seasoning mix and olive oil to 13×19 casserole pan and make a runny “paste” out of it. Add chicken to dish and coat thoroughly with mixture, cover with foil and bake at 400. Depending on how thick the chicken is, 20-35 minutes is usually the right amount of time. I check it often and then when I *think* it’s done I cut one of the thickest ones open. I never trust chicken is done by temping it I have to see it. When there is no pink and no shiny meat in the center it is done.

Add whatever condiments you like on your tacos and enjoy!

*tip: to keep children a little less messy- wrap hard shell in a soft shell as it holds in the broken shell pieces that are sure to fall on the floor if little hands aren’t careful. For added flavor you can even add some refried beans or nacho cheese sauce in between the hard and soft shells to hold them together. This is also slightly more filling for the older children.

Using the dark meat chicken versus ground beef was about half the price. If ground beef isn’t on sale it can be quite expensive, especially for the good stuff.