Breakfast, Lunch + Dinner

Kristine's Menu

2012-02-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't done a meal week like this in awhile, but I love it when weeks like this roll around! Typically, I start the week by cooking a lot of meat with onions, garlic and other spices in a crock pot. The first night, we eat the meat and mashed potatoes and then continue to use the leftover meat (usually by adding other sauces and spices) in a variety of different ways. I definitely recommend trying it out... it is a major time saver!

Monday: Pot Roast. Mashed Potatoes. Vegetables.
Tuesday: Shredded Beef Enchiladas. Simply shred the meat, add in enchilada sauce (from the can or homemade), heat in the crockpot for 30+ minutes. Fill the tortillas with meat, refried beans (optional, but it cuts down the amount of meat I have to use), cheese and roll up. Top with additional enchilada sauce and cheese and bake!
Wednesday: Beef Sandwiches.
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner
Friday: Stuffed Quesadillas. If we still have leftover beef, I will make a stuffed quesadilla with that meat. If not, this is one of my go to recipes.
Saturday: Pizza! Not sure if this will be homemade or going out for pizza. But it is one of my favorites!

Twice Baked Potatoes

2012-02-07T19:15:00.001-08:00

These really take me back to my childhood. Sunday dinner in our house was special and usually involved barbecued chicken or steak, salad, my mom's homemade bread and a potato side. I liked sides even more than the main dish most of the time, especially when I saw her scooping out the middle of potatoes in preparation for twice baking them!

Twice baked potatoes are super easy to make and they taste amazing.
Here's what you need (makes 6 halves):

3 large russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
1 cup sour cream
4 tablespoons butter
2 green onions, chopped
2 cups cheddar, shredded
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Bake your potatoes in a 350 degree oven for an hour and a half, or until tender. Cut each potato in half and carefully scrape the potato insides into a large bowl. Take care not to scrape too much out because you want it to keep its shape. Add the rest of the ingredients into your bowl (I save a little cheese to top them with) an mix well, breaking up any potato chunks.

Now fill each potato with the filling and place it on a baking sheet. Top with more cheese if you want, or just more green onions. Bake the potatoes at 350 for about 15 more minutes or until the cheese on top is melty and filling is heated thru. These go well with grilled meat, pulled pork sandwiches or as a leftover lunch the next day. :)

Kristine's Menu

2012-02-06T14:04:00.000-08:00

It has been far too long since I have sat down and organized a menu. With the holidays, I got out of the groove, and it has taken awhile to get back into it!

Monday: Club Salad. After the Superbowl junk that we ate yesterday, I think a detox is necessary!
Tuesday: Pioneer Woman's Cajun Chicken Pasta
Wednesday: Beef and Broccoli
Thursday: Quiche
Friday: Spicy Bean Burritos - this is a new recipe that I am excited to try! I generally avoid any recipe that calls for chipotles in adobo sauce because I don't want to deal with it. But I am giving this one a whirl!
Saturday: Garlic Chicken Farfale - not sure if I have posted this recipe before, but it's a winner! I am cutting down on the bacon this time and I always cut down on the butter. I am also going to do half and half with skim milk instead of the full cream!

Rice Pudding

2012-01-10T04:15:00.000-08:00

If you like creamy vanilla desserts, then this is one for you! It's very easy to make and always a crowd pleaser. Plus, I love using up my leftover cooked rice from dinner.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups cooked white rice
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup raisins (I leave them out sometimes)
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash of cinnamon + nutmeg

Directions: In a saucepan, combine the rice and 1 1/2 cups of the milk. Bring to a simmer stirring quite often. Let it boil while stirring for about 5 minutes, or until the milk thickens up a little. Now combine the other 1/2 cup of milk in a bowl with an egg and beat it up. Slowly pour the egg/milk mixture into the saucepan while stirring the rice constantly. Keep simmering slowly, and add the salt, raisins, vanilla. Cook until it's your desired consistency (for me it's about 2 more minutes). Then serve it hot with your spices on top, or let it cool a bit (we like it warm) or stick it in the fridge and have it cold. It's good any way you have it! And leave out the raisins if you're not a fan. David is not a dessert guy, but he will gobble up two servings of rice pudding any day!

Natalie's Menu

2012-01-09T04:33:00.000-08:00

We've set a New Years goal to only eat out once a week. That means even more meal planning! Yay!

Monday: Albondigas soup, crusty bread + spinach salad
Tuesday: Chicken enchiladas, rice + raw veggies with ranch
Wednesday: Pulled pork with coleslaw on rolls + baked potatoes
Thursday: Pork tacos, guacamole and toppings + PW's ranch style beans
Friday OR Saturday: Trader Joe's pizza dough for homemade pizza + veggies with ranch!
Sunday: I'm going to attempt a Peruvian feast. There's a Pervuian place we LOVE and they make delicious cilantro-y soup and have this amazing spicy cilantro garlic sauce that is good on everything. Maybe a roasted chicken with the sauce like this? Or the amazing soup I love and try out this recipe? I'll have to decide before I finish my list!

What are your food related 2012 goals? Mine is not only to eat at home more, but smaller portions and to include plenty of veggies and fruit in every meal!

Natalie's Menu

2011-12-05T06:27:00.001-08:00

With the stress of Thanksgiving over I am back in the habit of making dinner. Here's what's on the menu this week:

Monday: Chicken gravy over rice + green beans
Tuesday: Grilled cheese (on sourdough is my husband's favorite) +leftovers
Wednesday: Pumpkin pancakes + bacon + cut up apples (using homemade pumpkin puree!)
Thursday: Beef stew + french bread
Friday: Roasted lemon salmon with bacony lentils.

The rest of the weekend we will probably eat out and then make pizza on Sunday. We can't get enough of Trader Joe's ready made pizza dough- it's the best! Also, here's what I made for dinner last night...yummy toasted ravioli!

crock pot ranch potatoes

2011-11-10T09:03:00.000-08:00

I've mentioned this recipe a couple times in my menu but I don't think I've actually posted the recipe. This is one of our favorite side dishes, especially with steak! I got the idea from here and changed it a little to ingredients we like.

Crock Pot Ranch Potatoes

Ingredients:

2-3 large red potatoes, diced (about 1 inch or 1/2 sizes)

1 pkg. ranch dress mix

3/4 c. sour cream

1 can cream of chicken soup

Spray crock pot with cooking spray, this will help a lot. Combine all ingredients except potatoes in a large bowl and stir well. Add potatoes and stir til the potatoes are completely coated. Pour in crock pot, cook on low for 4-5 hours or til potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally as cream and potatoes start to stick to the sides. You may need to add a little salt and pepper but taste first before you add any.

Enjoy!

Mexican Lasagna

2011-11-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

I just tried this recipe for the first time last night and we really enjoyed it. I hope you do as well!

Mexican Lasagna

recipe source

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

3/4 c. salsa

1 pkg. taco seasoning

4 flour tortillas

1 can pinto beans, drained & rinsed

1- 1 1/2 c. grated cheese (I used cheddar)

Heat oven to 400 degrees.

Brown your beef and drain. Add salsa and taco seasoning (may not need the whole pkg, season to taste) and simmer for 10 mins.

Grease an 8x8 square pan and spread 1/2 c. meat mixture across bottom of pan.

Layer 2 tortillas on top of that.

Pour half the remaining meat on top of the tortillas.

Pour half of your can of beans on top of that followed by half of your cheese.

Layer once more with tortillas, beans & cheese.

Cover and cook for 30 minutes, let sit for 5 minutes after removing from oven.

We ate this with a little sour cream on the side and a salad.

You could easily do more layers with only one tortilla and less of your meat & beans per layer. You can experiment with it.

my favorite salad

2011-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

I have been making this salad for quite awhile now and absolutely love it every time.

You will for sure have 2-3 servings or more.

Bacon Parmesan Salad

Dressing:

2/3 c. vinegar

1 c. oil

1 1/4 c. sugar

2 t. salt

2 t. mustard

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend well. Pour into any container with a lid such as a tupperware or jar. I half this recipe for my husband and I, it makes quite a bit.

Salad:

Romaine lettuce

bacon

sugared almonds

parmesan cheese (I prefer the shredded kind in the little tub for this salad)

mandarin oranges (optional)

red onion

Slice your onion (however much you prefer) and add it to the dressing, put the lid on and allow the onion to marinate for an hour or so.

Now cook your bacon. I slice it up before cooking it, just because I like to :)

Make your sugared almonds. They are kinda hard to explain...but I'll try. Put your almonds and a lot of sugar in a pan. Turn your heat up to medium high and stir the entire time. As soon as the sugar starts to melt continue stirring for a few seconds then remove from the heat before they burn. Remove from pan onto wax paper. Delicious.

Combine your lettuce, bacon, sugared almonds & mandarin oranges in a large bowl. Pour your dressing over the entire salad and toss. Add your parmesan cheese and toss again.

Now...enjoy my favorite salad!

Kristine's Menu

2011-10-25T09:00:00.000-07:00

I haven't done a menu for awhile. The last few weeks have been slightly crazy with going out of town, spending time with family who just moved closer and adjusting to the new weather! This menu is mostly made up of stuff that I had planned on my menu WEEKS ago, but am finally getting around to making.

Monday: Smothered Chicken. Skillet Potatoes. Green Salad. This was something I just kind of made up on the fly. I butterflyed a chicken breast, breaded it lightly in some Italian bread crumbs and then cooked it on the stove with a little olive oil. Then I smothered it with cheddar cheese and bacon.

Tuesday: Broccoli Cheddar Soup. 30 Minute Rolls. Both new recipes I am looking forward to trying!

Wednesday: Pot Roast. Mashed Potatoes. Green Salad.

Thursday: Shredded Beef Enchiladas. Green Salad. I make the enchiladas with leftover meat from my pot roast. I just warm it up in the crockpot with a little salsa or enchilada sauce, then put it into tortillas with more sauce and cheese and bake. Every time I make a roast, I always use the leftovers to make burritos, tacos, quesadillas, cafe rio salads, etc. It's the easiest and best way to use up all of those leftovers.

Friday: Hamburgers. We've got to grill one more time before the cold comes in for good!

Dresden's Menu

2011-10-24T17:29:00.000-07:00

We just got back from a trip to California and when we got home...our cupboards were empty. So I spent some time today planning a menu and writing out a very long grocery list. So here's what I came up with...

Monday: Pizza (I was lazy and bought a Boboli-yum!)

Tuesday: Pasta w/ Creamy Tomato Sauce & Meatballs (thanks to Natalie!)

Wednesday: Cheesy breadcrumb chicken with YUMMY salad (both recipes coming soon)

Thursday: Creamy Chicken Taquitos

Friday: Date Night

photo source

Saturday: breakfast- Sticky Buns

(I rarely make breakfast so I thought I'd surprise my husband this weekend)

dinner- Potato Corn Chowder

Have a great week!

White Chicken Chili

2011-10-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Seriously, my next post will have a picture! I thought about taking a picture of this recipe once we had slurped down every last bit in the crock pot! Oh well, it's still a really good recipe that you'll have to try. Plus it's really easy!

I modified this recipe from a large recipe, this one serves 2-3 people (double or triple as needed).

White Chicken Chili

1 large (or 2 small) chicken breasts (I put mine in frozen)

1 1/2 c. chicken broth

3/4 c. salsa

1 can white beans, UN-DRAINED

1/2 medium onion, diced

1/2 t. cumin

1/2 t. black pepper

3/4 c. sour cream

shredded cheese (enough for garnishing...we like a lot!)

Put everything except the sour cream and cheese in a crock pot. Cook on low for 4 hours, or til chicken is cooked and easy to shred. Once it's cooked, shred the chicken well, add in sour cream and cook for another 15 mins or so. Add cheese to each bowl and more sour cream is desired.

Enjoy!

My husband and I are home visiting my parents for a few days, I collected a ton of acorns today to spruce up our fall decor. Can't wait to use these!

Natalie's Menu

2011-10-18T15:26:00.000-07:00

Monday: Roasted shrimp pizza, spinach salad
Tuesday: Pasta fagioli (one of our favorite soups), french bread + raw veggies
Wednesday: Honey chicken (trying it for the first time) over rice, roasted broccoli
Thursday: BBQ chicken sandwiches + roasted potatoes, carrots and radishes
Friday: Garlic butter shrimp with french bread for dipping, green salad

Something I'd like to note- when recipes I use call for wine, I've always replaced it with chicken stock or broth, so feel free to do so if you don't feel comfortable buying it. I'm too lazy to pick it up + spend the extra money on it for now.

Photo of the honey chicken via blogchef.net

For dessert this week I'm making homemade orange rolls. It's the same recipe I use for bread or cinnamon rolls, so I will post it soon! It's my mom's recipe and its the BEST!

Swedish Meatballs over Mashed Potatoes

2011-10-13T19:55:00.000-07:00

I love pretty much anything served over mashed potatoes (one of my absolute favorite things). I saw a recipe for Swedish meatballs last week and thought that it might be fun to try them out. I've never made them before but I have had them at Ikea :) The photo I saw of the pretty little meatballs sitting in a creamy, brown gravy really got my attention. I added it to my weekly menu and made them tonight. I cut the recipe in half and it made about 15 meatballs which is more than enough for the two of us. The meatballs were tender and flavorful and the gravy was sooo yummy. I mixed up my own version of my favorite potatoes to serve under the meatballs.

Here's the recipe (below it's cut in half), and my variations are in parentheses.

1 slice fresh white bread (I used sourdough)
1/8 cup milk
4 tablespoons clarified butter, divided ( I just used regular butter and still used all 4 T)
1/4 cup finely chopped onion
1 teaspoon kosher salt in the meat + 1 teaspoon koser salt in the gravy
3/4 pound ground beef (I only used beef, not pork)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground allspice (left this out)
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups beef broth (i used chicken)
1/4 cup heavy cream

You can read the directions on the actual post, but I'll break down what I did since I changed it up a bit.

Soak the bread in the milk in a little dish.
While it soaks, saute the onion (which I grated, not chopped) in one tablespoon of butter for about 3 minutes. Then turn the heat off of the onions and let them sit.
Now take the beef and put it in your kitchen aid bowl (if you don't have a kitchen aid, just mix it by hand. This tip was amazing tho, and from Stephanie Meyer's recipe). Add the egg yolk, salt, nutmeg, pepper to the meat. Add the cooled onions and milky bread. Now mix it for like 2 minutes in medium with the paddle attachment.

In the same pan you cooked the onions, add another tablespoon of butter, heat on medium-low and start forming meatballs. As you form them, put them in the pan. Brown them all over, but don't worry about cooking them through. As they are done browning, place them in the crock pot.

Once all of the meatballs are browned, put in the last 2 tablespoons of butter, melt it, and whisk in the 2 tablespoons of flour. Cook it for about 30 seconds. Then add the broth and cream plus salt and pepper to taste. Stir it until it's decently think, then pour over the meatballs in the crock pot. I simmered mine for about 3 hours on low. That's it!

As for the mashed potatoes- let me tell you two things that will change your life. 1) YUKON GOLD. For mashed, NOTHING is better. They're creamy, golden and perfect. 2) A POTATO RICER. I thought they were a bulky piece of whatever that didn't make a difference. Well, I was wrong.

Golden Mashed Potatoes:

4 Large Yukon Golds
2 Tablespoons of butter
2/3 cup sour cream or cream cheese or both
1/2 cup milk OR cream OR buttermilk
1 or 2 or 3 teaspoons of salt (add it slowly and taste as you go)
1 teaspoon of pepper (I like a lot of pepper)

Cut your potatoes the same size (like 1 inch). Place in a pot and cover them with cold water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat, simmer for about 10 minutes or until you can pierce the potato piece and it falls apart. Rice the potatoes a scoop at a time into a bowl. I like to put the other ingredients in first so as the hot potatoes fall on the cream cheese and butter, it melts it. Then add in the liquid and stir. DON'T stir your potatoes for ten minutes. They'll get gummy and cold. Stir until everything is incorporated and thank me later.

Dresden's Menu

2011-10-11T10:53:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I've posted my menu...I finally got one together, I hope you enjoy or use some of the recipes for your menu. Have a fabulous week!

Monday: Cornbread Taco Casserole

(sounds kinda gross but it was actually really yummy!)

Tuesday: Fajitas

Wednesday: White Chicken Chili

Thursday: Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Pasta Salad & Peaches

Friday: Date Night

Saturday: Chicken Alfredo Pasta

Sunday: Steak with Twice Baked Potatoes and veggies

image source

Fun stuff happening over on my blog...check it out!

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

2011-10-10T12:47:00.000-07:00

Image

I love chicken enchiladas. I was partial to a creamy white enchilada that my mom made all growing up. It was one of the first recipes that I learned to make all on my own and I haven't branched away from it at all. I saw this recipe a long time ago, but didn't make it until last week. I think it is definitely going to be added to our rotation. Making your own enchilada sauce seems intimidating, but I think the extra little bit of effort was worth it. And cooking the chicken in with the sauce is genius since it added flavor and saved me a pot :)

Chicken Enchiladas with Red Chile Sauce

1 medium onion, chopped fine

1 jalepeno, seeded and chopped fine

1 teaspoon oil

3 medium garlic gloves, minced

3 Tablespoons chili powder

2 teaspoons ground cumin

3 teaspoons sugar

2 8 oz cans of tomato sauce

1 cup water

1 large tomato, chopped

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 2 large pieces)

1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup mozzarella or monterey jack cheese, shredded

1/2 c minced fresh cilantro

6-8 flour tortillas

cooking spray

salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 425.

Combine the onion, jalapeno, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and oil in a large saucepan. cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring often, until the onions and peppers have softened, 8-10 minutes. Stir in the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and sugar, and cook until fragrant, less than 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce, water, and chopped tomato. Bring to a simmer, and cook until slightly thickened, 5 minutes.

Nestle the chicken into the sauce. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook until chicken is cooked through (thickest part is no longer pink in the middle), about 12-20 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate, and set aside to cool.

Shred the chicken into bite-sized pieces and add 1/4 cup of the enchilada sauce, 1 cup cheese, and the cilantro. Toss to combine.

Spread the tortillas on a clean work surface, and spoon 1/3 cup of the chicken mixture evenly down the center of each. Tightly roll each tortilla and lay seam-side down in a greased 9x13 inch baking dish.

Lightly spray the tops of the enchiladas with cooking spray. Place in the oven, uncovered, for about 7 minutes, or until the tortillas start to brown slightly (skip this step if you don't like the crunch).

Reduce heat to 400. Remove enchiladas and pour sauce evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese. Cover dish with foil, and bake an additional 20 minutes, or until heated through.

Remove foil and bake another 5 minutes, until cheese browns. Remove from oven and let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Serve with sour cream, guacamole, salsa, additional cilantro, etc.

Recipe adapted from Tide and Thyme, but originally from America's Test Kitchen

Natalie's Menu

2011-10-10T12:36:00.000-07:00

You'd think it would be cooling off since it's nearly the middle of October, but here in Orange County it is still HOT! This week the forecast shows two 99 degree days. I'm sad about it, but what can I do? All I know is I will not be turning on my oven those days! That means crock pot or stove top meals for the most part this week. I'm planning 7 meals and attempting to eat at home for the next 7 days. ( to the left is the yummy aebelskivers I made for Conference breakfast).

Monday: Taco Salad. (Lettuce, tomatoes, avocado, ground seasoned beef, canned beans, chips, ranch dressing)
Tuesday: Crock pot chicken served over rice. Frozen peas with butter, green salad.
Wednesday:Crock pot Swedish meatballs. Trying this recipe and serving it over mashed potatoes.
Thursday: Creamy chicken + garlic pasta. Green salad.
Friday: Sourdough pancakes (need to post this recipe), sausage, green smoothies.
Saturday: Taco soup + cornbread.
Sunday: Chicken pot pie. Veggies and ranch.

What are you making? Is it fall where you are? I'm jealous!

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

2011-10-09T11:36:00.000-07:00

I made this recipe awhile back and forgot how much I liked it. We had it this week again and it was even better than the last. I still don't have a camera...

so I'm using the picture from the original recipe (kinda blurry).

picture source and original recipe

Chicken Enchilada Pasta

Serves 2-4

1 large chicken breast, cooked and shredded or cubed

2 T. olive oil

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 medium onion, diced

1 smallish red pepper, diced

4 oz. can of green chilies, diced (I only used about 1/2 of the can)

1 can of green enchilada sauce

1/3 c. red enchilada sauce

1 c. sour cream

1 c. grated cheese (I used colby jack)

2 c. penne pasta (more or less depending on how saucy you like it)

Bring a large pot of water to boil, cook pasta. While pasta is cooking, heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Cook for 2-3 mins then add garlic and red pepper. Let that cook for another 2-3 mins til red pepper is barely tender. Add cooked chicken, green chilies and enchilada sauces, let the sauce simmer for 8-10 minutes. Add sour cream and cheese, heat through but do not boil. Pour the sauce over the hot pasta, garnish with anything such as tomatoes, green onions or crushed tortilla chips.

The original recipe had about 4-5 more ingredients...I used them all the first time I made it and didn't think they were necessary. I have modified the recipe to feed less people, if you want the full recipe click here.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

2011-10-05T13:16:00.000-07:00

I hereby declare that this is the easiest meal EVER. This is serious. I said EVER. For one, you probably already have everything on hand. And the original directions for the recipe pretty much consisted of "open up cans, dump everything in, heat through". If that doesn't sound easy, well then I don't really know what to do for you.

I originally got this recipe from my Aunt Jenny. I made a few adjustments to make it a little more hearty, but still - easy peasey. Since the weather is rather dreary outside today, I thought it was the perfect day to share it. It tastes similar to a taco soup, but with chicken and my addition - rice. I used to defrost the chicken, cut it up, maybe even BBQ it. Then I eliminated the BBQ step and would throw the defrosted chicken chunks into the soup to cook. Last night? I just pulled a chicken breast out of my freezer and threw it in. When it was thawed enough, I just pulled it out of the soup, shredded it and threw it back into the pot. I also used to add in rice I had previously cooked, but then I just started throwing in raw rice and adding extra water. Give it a try tonight! You know you don't know what to make and going to the store doesn't sound fun!

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 can diced tomatoes
1 14.5 oz can green chili enchilada sauce
1 14.5 oz chicken broth
1 can black or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 can corn (or about 1.5 cups frozen or fresh corn)
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 chicken breast (thawed, frozen, cooked, whatever)
1 envelope taco seasoning
2/3 c. white rice (optional)
1-2 cups water

Combine all ingredients in a medium stockpot. Bring to a simmer. If you use raw chicken or rice, simmer until cooked through (about 25 minutes). Add water as needed when the rice starts to soak up the juices. Stir consistently - especially the bottom of the pot as all of the heavy ingredients fall there. Serve with sour cream, guacamole or avocado (my favorite), cheese, and tortilla chips

Kristine's Menu

2011-09-26T20:05:00.000-07:00

Sunday: Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers. Garlic Baked Fries. Salad.
Monday: Chicken wraps (chicken, tortilla, cheese, lettuce, veggies) with leftover chicken fingers and homemade honey mustard dressing
Tuesday: Lasagna. Salad. Fresh french bread.
Wednesday: Chicken Enchiladas. Salad. - I'm branching out from my normal creamy, white sauced chicken enchiladas
Thursday: Stir Fry. Rice.
Friday/Saturday: Asian Chicken Pizza. Salad. This is a recipe I have been making for years. Out of all of the people who have tried it, I have only come across ONE person who didn't love it. It sounds so weird, but it's tangy and delicious.

Chocolate Pudding Pie

2011-09-19T19:21:00.000-07:00

This pie is sooo yummy and easy. You could make the chocolate pudding from scratch, but the day I wanted it, the weather was too hot to stand over the stove and stir pudding. You HAVE to make the whipped cream on your own- nothing beats fresh whipped cream.

Ingredients:

12 oreos

Half a stick of butter, melted

Chocolate pudding mix

Whole milk

Whipping Cream

Sugar, about a teaspoon

Vanilla (optional)

Pulse the oreos in the food processor until they are crumbs, then pulse in melted butter. You want the crumbs to stick together when you pinch them between your fingers. Press the buttery crumbs into a pie plate. Make the pudding according to instructions, then pour it into the pie crust. Chill the pie until the pudding is set. Before you serve it, dump a small container of whipping cream into your kitchen aid or a bowl and use a hand blender, put it on high, add in a teaspoon of sugar. You can add a teaspoon of vanilla if you want, but it's good either way. This pie tastes way too good for how easy it is to make!

Kristine's Menu

2011-09-17T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have been so bad about posting my menu. I have been planning it out, but the last time I planned it out, I threw away my list and just never got fully organized after that. No point in planning a menu if you don't follow it! Here is my menu for the week.

Sunday: Tri tip steak and mashed potatoes. Salad.
Monday: BBQ chicken chop salad - I have had this on my list of things to make and am FINALLY making it
Tuesday: Baked Ziti. Salad. - I liked it so much I am already making it again. It is SO easy. Have you made it yet?
Wednesday: California Club Pizza - I'm obsessed. Someone told me that they made this and it was kind of plain. However, they didn't put bacon on it. The bacon is NECESSARY! It adds a lot of salty flavor. Don't leave it out!
Thursday: Orange Chicken. Rice. Broccoli - this chicken has also been on my list for probably over a year!
Friday: Jordan will be at a football game, so I will probably be stuck at home eating leftovers :)
Saturday: Beef Tacos. Another recent repeat, but they were deeeeeelicious.

refreshing lemon, cucumber, & mint beverage

2011-09-14T11:48:00.000-07:00

photo & recipe credit

This is my new favorite drink! I don't recommend drinking it with a meal so much but by itself it is an amazingly refreshing beverage. I highly recommend trying it.

I read that it's supposed to help keep your belly flat (if you have a flat one, yeah right!!) and help control your weight. I don't know how true it is, I just know it's delicious and only has natural sugar. YUM!

2 quarts of water

1 lemon juiced

8-10 mint leaves

1 medium cucumber, sliced

Combine all ingredients in a pitcher with a lid. Allow it to steep all night. Stir each time before pouring a glass.

This will quench your thirst, I promise. I think next time I'll add limes too. Mmmm...

Natalie's Menu

2011-09-11T21:45:00.000-07:00

We are finally getting back into a normal dinner schedule after 2 weeks of moving in and unpacking. We didn't have silverware/pots and pans until Friday (they were packed up and stored somewhere else), so we've been eating simple meals or cereal or eating out. I'm excited to finally make dinner every night this week! Here's what I have planned:

Monday: Steak and shrimp fajitas, bell peppers + onions (never made these before)
Tuesday: Waffles, bacon + fruit
Wednesday: Calzones (frozen ones my mom made last week) and salad
Thursday: Steak, mashed yukon gold potatoes, roasted green beans
Friday: Cilantro lime quesadillas, spicy pinto beans

My Green Smoothie

2011-09-08T13:03:00.000-07:00

I've loved drinking smoothies forever. My first taste was Juice it Up's Strawberry Wave when I was young. Since then my taste has changed and I think most smoothie place's ingredients have gone downhill in quality...so I don't mind making them on my own now :)

My palette has become more 'sophisicated' with varying ingredients. I have a general recipe that changes based on what I am in the mood for and what's in my fridge. Here's one I had a month or so ago.

This is the breakdown:

Fruit, at least 3 kinds

Juice, just a splash and I only use not from concentrate juices

Milk or water, just a splash (regular, almond or coconut)

The green: a big handful of kale, spinach, or chard

A large scoop of ice

This particular smoothie included half an apple, a scoop of cut up melon, a kiwi, a scoop of berries, a splash of simply orange, a splash of coconut milk, a big handful of kale and lots of ice. I think the trick is making sure you add in season fruit so the flavor is good. You'd be surprised how much green you can add without even tasting it. The ice makes a huge difference, too. These smoothies get me full, give me energy and make me feel good about my day since I usually drink them for breakfast. What do you put in your green smoothie?

Kristine's Menu

2011-08-30T10:01:00.000-07:00

I thought I would report back on a few recipes that I tried last week so everyone would know how they turned out. I updated the post with my reviews, so feel free to revisit this post if you were thinking about making something, but wanted to hear more first.

Sunday: Italian Lemon Butter Chicken - I used white cooking wine instead of champagne and also omitted the mushrooms. I liked it enough to make again. I used the juice of two lemons for the sauce and when I tasted it, I thought WOW, that is way too much lemon. I ended up adding a little more cream and milk to the sauce, but once it was on the chicken and pasta, I couldn't taste the lemon strong at all. So next time, I will leave as is!

Monday: Chicken Pillows - Jordan's favorite thing I make. And maybe the most ghetto :)

Tuesday: Waffles & Eggs

Wednesday: Creamy Chicken Pesto Pasta

Thursday: Chicken Cordon Bleu

Friday: Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers - never got to them last week because my mom came into town!

Saturday: Hamburgers

Dresden's Menu

2011-08-29T19:58:00.000-07:00

Happy Monday evening everyone! I've heard from a few of you that you've been using our recipes. I am so glad! We'd love to see some of your yummy recipes, feel free to email us or leave a link in a comment.

Last week I posted a recipe for crock pot ranch potatoes, I highly recommend them if you're looking for a good side dish. I used cream of chicken instead of cream of mushroom only because I am not a fan of cream of mushroom. I also added a decent amount of salt & pepper, season to taste.

Here's my menu for the week:

Monday: Leftover French Dip Sandwiches

Tuesday: Enchiladas (didn't get to this last week) with salad

Wednesday: Crock Pot Lasagna (thank you for the recipe Lani!)

Thursday: BBQ Chicken Salad (using Natalie's idea from here)

using this salad dressing recipe

Friday: Hamburgers with corn on the cob

Dresden's Menu

2011-08-23T07:15:00.000-07:00

Another week is already here, I seriously feel like August flew by faster than any month this year. Which is weird cause my birthday is this month and it usually goes by really slow. We've been super busy every week this month so that's probably why it's has gone by so quickly. I have a few new recipes I'm trying this week, click on the green ones new recipes to try.

Monday: Hamburgers with fruit

Tuesday: Crock Pot Orange Chicken & rice

Wednesday: My birthday!

Thursday: Enchiladas with salad

(I can never have too many of my mom's enchiladas:))

Friday: Chicken Alfredo with broccoli

(this is my favorite alfredo sauce recipe)

Saturday: Steak with Crock Pot Ranch Potatoes

I was looking for a healthy granola recipe for awhile when I came upon this. My old roommate is a super incredibly healthy strong girl. She has lots of great workout and healthy eating tips over at her blog here. These little babies are peanut butter oatmeal banana granola bars, a recipe from her blog. I made a batch of them, wrapped each one in freezer paper + tape and grab one on my way out the door from the freezer every morning. I highly recommend them as a snack at work, they are yummy!

Kristine's Menu

2011-08-22T21:23:00.000-07:00

Image credit

I didn't post a menu last week because I only cooked twice as we were out of town. It is tough getting back into the swing of things, but I know with a menu, I am MUCH more organized! Here's my menu for the week!

Sunday: Had dinner at my parent's house. Why does food taste much better when you are not cooking and it is cooked by your mom? :)

Monday: Neighborhood BBQ

Tuesday: Alfredo Pizza - I have some frozen leftover alfredo sauce from a few weeks ago and I am pretty sure this is the only thing I have the ingredients for. I need to go grocery shopping!

Wednesday: Breakfast burritos - tortillas, eggs, bacon, cheese and salsa verde. So easy and so delicious!

Thursday: Baked Ziti and Garlic Pull Apart Bread - both new recipes that I am excited to try out. - UPDATE: loved this. It reminded me of a dish that my mom used to make when we were kids. It was super easy and super fast. And really only required one dish! I didn't have any ziti, so I used macaroni noodles. I would DEFINITELY recommend using a pasta with a little more stability because mine was a little too soggy. I also didn't have any fresh basil on hand, so I just threw in a few dollops of Costco's prepared Pesto. I didn't want to make a whole recipe of the pull apart bread since there are just two of us, so I halved it and put three little balls into a cup of a muffin tin. They turned out really cute, but I think they needed a little more garlic. Also, beware of overcooking! I was waiting for mine to turn golden brown, but they really never did and turned out on the slightly overcooked side.

Friday: Ground Beef Tacos - I never use ground beef besides hamburgers, so I am branching out and making some good old fashioned tacos
UPDATE: also, loved these. The fried shells made all of the difference. Maybe not the most healthy thing, so I am going to try a baked version very soon (especially since I have a big ol' bag of corn tortillas sitting in my fridge waiting to be used.)

Saturday: Crispy Baked Chicken Fingers and Skillet Potatoes - recipe coming next week!

I am also trying to eat lots of fresh fruit and vegetables this week. I have recently started making Green Monster Smoothies and it is such an easy way to get both of those in. I make a few batches at a time and freeze them so Jordan and I can both have a good breakfast!

Natalie's Menu

2011-08-22T17:59:00.000-07:00

David started school today so we are back into the normal swing of things. However, we are probably moving into our own place this weekend so that will probably stir things up, right when I thought they were going to slow down :) Here's what we're having this week:

Sunday: Sonoran hot dogs, grilled corn (recipe coming this week!)
Monday: Crock pot chicken tacos + easy mexican rice
Tuesday: Teriyaki salmon, rice, roasted veggies from the garden
Wednesday: Creamy chicken taquitos + raw veggies
Thursday: Stuffed zucchini (filled with sausage, tomato sauce + mozzarella. Probably a variation of this recipe.) + green salad
Friday + Saturday we will be out of town because Davids family will be visiting for our nieces 1st birthday and our other nieces baby blessing.

Photo is of the pretty cupcakes my mom made for a bridal shower she threw. They were DELICIOUS! Now I want to make a chocolate mayonnaise cake tonight. Have you ever had a cake made with mayonnaise in the batter. THE BEST!

Natalie's Menu

2011-08-15T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy week! I barely made dinner last week, we had so much going on. Shame, shame. David started school this week, so I should have plenty of time to plan and work on some yummy meals! I'm only planning thru Thursday because it's our anniversary on Friday! David will be at school all day, but we'll grab dinner and spend the rest of the day together-- and then this weekend we're going to celebrate for reals at Disneyland because our passes will finally be unblocked! Can't wait to grab a Gibson Girl ice cream.

Monday: Chicken Pot Pie // I'm going to do a simpler version of Ina Garten's Pot Pie
Tuesday: Roasted pork tenderloin, mashed potatoes, roasted broccoli + asparagus
Wednesday: Kristine's California club pizza // cut up watermelon, pineapple, melon + grapes
Thursday: Bacon basil chicken // roasted potatotes, green salad
The rest of the week we'll be super busy and celebrating!

California Club Pizza

2011-08-10T15:36:00.000-07:00

If you know anything about my cooking, you know I LOVE pizza. I am not talking about plain old red sauce and pepperoni pizza {although I still think it is yummy}. I am talking about delicious specialty pizzas which usually include chicken. I make a variety of different pizzas, but I am pretty sure this is my all time favorite. And lucky for you, it is also one of the easiest!

This pizza is a direct replication of the California Club Pizza from California Pizza Kitchen. I always used to go there just for this pizza. I decided that I could try replicating it on my own and it tastes EXACTLY like it came from CPK. Since making it on my own, I never have a reason to go there anymore! This pizza tastes so fresh, it is perfect for summer.

Also, are you still buying your pizza dough? Give the recipe below a try! It is SO EASY! Don't be intimidated by the yeast. I think that pizza dough is the perfect place to start using yeast because if your dough isn't perfect, it doesn't ruin the pizza.

Pizza before toppings are added. This is how I store my leftovers as well.

California Club Pizza

1/2 recipe pizza dough (see below)

1 chicken breast cooked and cut into small pieces {cooking method is all preference here. I browned mine in a little olive oil and salt & pepper}
6 slices of bacon - cooked and chopped into small pieces
Grated Mozzarella cheese {I'm not putting a direct measurement here because 1- everyone has different preferences for how cheesy they like their pizza 2- does anyone actually measure cheese?}
2 Tomatoes, sliced and slightly salted
1 Avocado, sliced
1/2 head Romaine Lettuce, chopped into tiny pieces {like almost pulverized :)}
Mayonnaise - desired amount. I like a little, my husband likes a lot.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Roll out dough onto pizza stone leaving the outer area slightly thicker to create a crust. Poke holes in dough to prevent bubbles and leave standing for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare chicken and grate cheese. After dough has slightly risen, layer chicken and cheese on the pizza. Put into oven and bake for about 10 minutes. Pull out and top with bacon. Put back into oven and bake until crust is golden and cheese is starting to get small brown spots (about an additional 5-10 minutes). When pizza comes out of the oven, let it cool just slightly for a few minutes. During that time, toss lettuce with mayonnaise. Top pizza with tomatoes and avocado and finish off with the lettuce/mayo mixture.

Pizza Dough
Note: This recipe makes enough for TWO pizzas. I always make the full recipe, let the dough rise, cut the dough in half, wrap it in plastic wrap and throw it into the freezer for another time. {When you are ready to use the frozen dough, just pull it out a few hours before you need it and let it rise until double in size.}

1 1/2 c. very warm water
1 Tbs yeast
1 tsp sugar
2 Tbs oil - I use olive

3 1/2 - 4 c. flour

1 tsp. salt

Combine yeast, sugar and water in a bowl (or bowl of KitchenAid). Let stand for about 5-10 minutes. When the yeast is ready, the foam of the mixture will be about 1/2 inch thick. Add salt, oil and add flour in 1/2 c. increments until dough is fully combined. You want the dough to be slightly tacky, but not too sticky, so adjust flour measurements as needed. Knead by hand or mixer for 5-7 minutes. Cover with towel and let rise about 1 hour until doubled in size.

Kristine's Menu

2011-08-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Hope you all had a good weekend! Here's my menu for the week.

Sunday: Nothing! We were at a friend's baby blessing, so no cooking!

Monday: BLT pizza - never got around to it last week, but I am CRAVING it today, plus I need something good to eat for the premiere Bachelor Pad :)

Tuesday: Mexican Baked Chicken. Mexican rice. Salad. Fruit.

Wednesday: Burritos w/ leftover meat from Tuesday.

Thursday: Breakfast egg sandwiches. Fruit.

Friday: Hamburgers {we didn't have these last week either. We love hamburgers, so making them at home keeps us from eating out all weekend}. Homemade friends {we obviously love these}. Salad.

Saturday: Giving myself one free day of either leftovers or out!

Easy Ranch Chicken Pillows

2011-08-06T11:52:00.000-07:00

We pretty much love anything wrapped up in a crescent roll and baked. Who doesn't?! Well the other night I was thinking about what to make and this popped into my head. It is a combination of a couple recipes. I cooked an extra breast at the beginning of the week and put it in the fridge. When it came time to make this it took like 15 mins in total to prepare. Simple.

If this is for a family you'll want to double the recipe, this feeds me & my husband.

Ranch Chicken Pillows

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast cooked & shredded (I bbq'd mine)

1/3 cup cream cheese, softened (1/3 less fat tastes great in this)

1/3 cup cream o ckn (or more depending on how saucy you want it)

2 t. Ranch Seasoning (ranch dressing mix)

1 pkg. crescent rolls (the ones with 8 in them)

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine cream cheese, cream o ckn & ranch seasoning in a bowl. Add pepper to taste or more ranch seasoning. Add chicken and mix well.

Open crescent rolls, spread them all out on a cookie sheet. It should be one large rectangle. Take 2 crescents and press the centers together making 4 small rectangles in total (make sense?).

Add a spoonful of ckn mixture in the middle of each rectangle, fold sides over and seal edges.

Bake for 13-15 mins, checking often after 13 mins. You want them to be golden brown, like a normal crescent roll.

Serve with a side of veggies and enjoy!

Sorry no pictures again...my point & shoot got wet last weekend :(

Fried Chicken Sliders

2011-08-04T09:56:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, Jordan and I went to Cheesecake Factory with some friends. We ordered an appetizer of Fried Chicken Sliders and they were so good. I thought I could easily replicate them at home, so that is what I did! I knew this was up on my menu, so when I made homemade buns a few weeks ago, I split up two sets of the buns in two to make four mini buns. You could obviously easily make this into a full sized sandwich instead of sliders. This recipe makes four mini sliders, but it is very easy to change the portions since there isn't a lot of measuring.

1 large chicken breast
Flour
Salt
Pepper
Cajun seasoning {I use Tony Chachere} - optional, but adds a great flavor
1 Egg
1/4 c. Milk
Buns
Vegetable Oil

Butterfly the chicken breast and then cut in half to make four equal pieces. Combine flour, salt, pepper and cajun seasoning. Combine egg and milk in a bowl. Dredge in flour, then egg mixture, then back in flour mixture. Cover a medium skillet with about 1/4 inch of oil. When you place a corner of the chicken in the oil to test the heat and it bubbles, you know you are ready to go! Fry each side of the chicken until it is golden brown {about 4 minutes on each side}.

Place on bun and top with any of the following:

Sauce: Fry Sauce {equal parts ketchup and mayo}, Special Sauce {BBQ sauce and mayo}, Ranch, Mustard, Honey Mustard Sauce, Guacamole
Pickles
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Avocado
Onions
Bacon
Or whatever your little heart desires

Natalie's Menu

2011-08-03T15:44:00.000-07:00

It's already Wednesday! We skipped a few days of making dinner to meet up with friends we hadn't seen in years. But I'm back on track tonight! And I'm planning on making these yummy no-bake cookies since it's so dang hot.

source

Sunday: Homemade hamburgers, fresh cut french fries with lots of salt + pepper and salad.

Monday + Tuesday: Ate out

Wednesday: BBQ chicken drumsticks, roasted lemon broccoli, garlic bread

Thursday: Chicken enchiladas + green salad (we didn't end up getting to it last week)

Friday: We're shooting a wedding in LA so we'll grab dinner afterward.

I'm excited about chicken drumsticks tonight. We eat chicken breast every week and my husband likes a break with a little dark meat every once in a while and these organic ones I got were on sale for less than $3 for a pack of 5.

Country Chicken Piccata

2011-08-02T12:19:00.000-07:00

I don't know where this recipe came from, but I remember my mom made it when I was in high school and I LOVED it. This, along with chicken enchiladas, was the first meal that I perfected. It is so easy. I hadn't made it in awhile and apparently Jordan forgot all about it. He loved it so much that he wants it to become one of our regulars! Seriously, make this!

4 chicken breasts
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten
1/3 flour seasoned with a little salt and pepper {original recipe calls for cornflake crumbs, but this is not something I keep on hand, so I just substituted it with a simple flour dredge}
4 TBS butter
1 tsp chopped garlic
2 TBS lemon juice {I didn't measure this, I just used the juice of one lemon}
A few green onions, chopped.

Combine the milk and eggs in a bowl. Combine flour and salt and pepper on a plate. If chicken is too thick, flatten so it can cook evenly. Dip chicken in flour mixture, then egg/milk, then back in flour to dredge. Melt 2 TBS butter in skillet and add garlic. After the butter is melted and the garlic is fragrant, add chicken and cook on medium heat. Flip after golden brown. If all of the butter has been soaked up, add remaining 2 TBS butter after flipping. After both sides are golden brown and chicken is cooked through, squeeze lemon juice over chicken and top with green onions.

I served this with Mashed potatoes and corn on the cob and it was perfect.

Kristine's Menu

2011-08-01T11:52:00.000-07:00

We had two unexpected visitors this past week, so again, I only cooked 5 out of the 7 meals last week! But for real this week, I am committing to at least SIX of them!

Sunday: Chicken Alfredo. Broccoli. Salad.

Monday: Cilantro Lime Enchiladas {new recipe I am excited to try out!}. Salad. Zucchini.

Tuesday: French Toast. Fruit. {this is one of those meals from a few weeks ago that was replaced by eating out so it's back on the menu}

Wednesday: Pork chops. Mashed potatoes. Salad. Zucchini.

Thursday: Navajo Tacos.

Friday: Hamburgers. Fries. Fruit. Broccoli.

Saturday: BLT pizza {will post recipe next week when I take pictures}

Pero + Milk

2011-07-31T22:51:00.000-07:00

My newest favorite drink doesn't have a real name. I've called it cold Pero, milky Pero, iced Pero... Whatever you want to call it, it is delicious! I don't drink coffee but I've tasted it before, and I never really liked it. My SIL used to drink it and introduced me to her alternative now that she doesn't drink it anymore.

Pero is a 'coffee substitute' that is most commonly made hot. It's instant powder that just has to be added to a liquid. I love that it's made out of chicory, rye and other natural things- but none of them have to do with actual coffee.

source

The other day I was at my SIL's house and she made me this drink. I fell in love! Perfect for a hot day. Also, a good alternative to chocolate milk.

Here's how I make it:

Fill a tall glass with cold milk. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of Pero and mix. Add 1 teaspoon of brown sugar and mix. Top off with some ice. Enjoy!

Kristine's Menu July 24-30

2011-07-26T09:56:00.000-07:00

I have another lofty goal this week to cook EVERY meal at home. I had the same goal last week, but only ended up cooking 5 out of the 7 nights because of unexpected plans and my craving for a JCW hamburger :) Here's my menu for the week!

Sunday: Country Chicken Picatta {recipe coming this week}. Mashed potatoes. Asparagus. Salad.

Monday: Tin foil dinners {hamburger, onions, carrots and potatoes wrapped in foil and baked}

Tuesday: Pesto pizza. Salad.

Wednesday: Ranch chicken {chicken dredged in ranch dressing mix and bread crumbs and baked}. Mashed potatoes. Salad. Broccoli.

Thursday: Egg Breakfast Sandwiches. Fruit.

Friday: Fried Chicken Sliders. Salad. Natalie's onion rings. Sooooo excited to try these!

Saturday: Pork chops. Salad. Fresh fruit.

Have you jumped on the plan your menu bandwagon yet? What's on your menu this week? I love looking at other menus to get inspiration for next week and to get out of the rut of cooking the same thing over and over and over again! Share your menus in the comments!

menu, menu, read all about it!

2011-07-25T19:01:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! How was your Monday? Ready for another week? I'll tell you what, I am not. I was out of the office all last week at a show in Chicago so it's a little hard being back at work. But I still managed to go grocery shopping and come up with a menu.

I hope this helps you with your menu!

Monday: Chicken Enchilada Pasta (click for new recipe!)

Actually made this on Sunday and we really enjoyed it-if you like enchiladas and you like pasta then I highly recommend it.

Tuesday: BBQ Pulled Pork

(we are huge fans of Dr. Pepper BBQ sauce, just toss that and a pork roast in a crock all day and you're good to go!)

Wednesday: Chicken Fajitas (a mean staple in our house and so easy)

Thursday: Steak & Mashed Potatoes with veggies

Friday: Chicken Wraps (click for recipe)

Have a great week!

I'm starting P90X tonight...yikes! Wish me luck!

Natalie's Menu for the Week

2011-07-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last Friday we spent the day exploring LA and eating yummy food (and three desserts in one day). We checked out an indoor kind of market and the spices display was beautiful at this particular booth.

Sunday: Rotisserie chickens, baked beans (my mom's recipe. SO good. I have to post it soon), grilled zucchini, artichokes, toasted sourdough bread.

Monday: Cilantro Lime Quesadillas using leftover chicken.

Tuesday: Taco salad (seasoned ground beef, chopped romaine, pinto + kidney beans, pico de gallo, tortilla chips and fresh made ranch dressing)

Wednesday: Crock pot chicken over rice. Roasted broccoli (perfected it last week).

Thursday: Hot dogs with homemade J-Dawg's sauce. Green salad + chips.

Friday: Green chicken enchiladas + green salad.

Steak Sandwich with Chimichurri

2011-07-24T20:25:00.000-07:00

David introduced me to chimichurri when we came across it already bottled at a farmer's market a few years ago. It's an argentine type sauce they put on meat and vegetables. I tried it and fell in love! It has so few ingredients, a while ago I figured I'd try to make it myself. It's tangy and fresh and amazing. We made steak sandwiches marinated with a Paula Deen's marinade recipe (just the marinade not the horseradish).

Chimichurri "sauce" ingredients:

bunch of parsley
6 cloves of garlic
juice of one lemon
splash of vinegar
1/4 to 1/3 cup of olive oil
lots of salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in the food processor and blend until it becomes almost creamy looking. Marinate meat in it or just top your sandwich with it, like I did.
I toasted french rolls, sliced and spread a teeny bit of butter on them, topped with the grilled, thinly sliced steak, spinach and LOTS of chimichurri. I ate two and didn't want to stop there. :)

Chicken Waikiki Beach

2011-07-21T20:26:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is the recipe for Chicken Waikiki Beach. I wish I knew where this recipe came from so I could give the proper credit, but I have no idea! I know it did come from an old roommate and she probably got it from a cookbook... or was it a family recipe? I can't remember. It's a little bit sweet and a little bit tangy but definitely packed full of flavor. The prep time is minimal with most of it being in the oven! It probably isn't the healthiest of recipes, but serve it up with some brown rice and veggies on the side and you might be able to get away with it ;) Hey, healthy food gets boring sometimes.

2 chicken breasts cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 c. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and brown in a small amount of oil. Since the chicken will be going in the oven, it is only necessary to brown it instead of cooking it all of the way through.

Sauce:
1 can pineapple
1 Tbs. soy sauce
3/4 c. sugar
1/4 tsp. ginger
2 Tbs. cornstarch
1 Chicken Bouillon cube
3/4 c. cider vinegar

1 green pepper cut into bite sized pieces

Drain pineapple juice from can and combine with water to make 1 1/4 c. Add to a saucepan. Add all sauce ingredients and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for 2 minutes {the sauce will be relatively thin, but will thicken in the oven}. Place browned chicken in a 9x13 baking dish. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes uncovered. Add pineapple and green pepper and bake 30 minutes longer. Serve with rice.

{Before adding the peppers and pineapple}

This is definitely enough to feed a whole family. With my husband and I taking large portions, we still barely made a dent in it, but it makes great leftovers!

Kristine's Menu

2011-07-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

Hello! I'm back from a very long hiatus. Right after I last posted, I found out I was pregnant and food and I weren't exactly friends during the whole process. My baby boy is a month old now and I finally feel like I am getting back into the groove, so I hope to post regularly!

{Photo by Natalie}

This is the first week in a long time that I have sat down and scheduled my menu. It makes such a difference! No more 4:00 anxiety wondering what I am going to make!

Sunday: Baked Creamy Chicken Taquitos. Salad. Guacamole.

Monday: Lasagna. Asparagus. Bread.

Tuesday: Leftovers! Even though my pan is only 8x8, my lasagna makes enough for a few meals although my husband will only eat leftovers the next day.

Wednesday: Chicken Waikiki Beach {recipe coming soon!} Rice. Broccoli. Salad.

Thursday: French Toast. Bacon. Fruit. {I like to do breakfast once every two weeks or so - a break for me & my pocketbook!}

Friday: BLT Salad w/Basil Mayo Dressing {recipe posted soon}

Saturday: Guacamole Bacon Cheeseburgers w/ homemade buns. {After trying these last month, I will never buy again! Makes homemade burgers better than restaurant. The recipe makes 8, so I pop the rest in the freezer to save for later.} Homemade fries with special sauce (bbq sauce and mayo mixed). Salad. Fruit.

Menu for the week

2011-07-19T12:36:00.000-07:00

Now that I have access to Food Network, I keep craving whatever I see the chefs making. Last week my mom had a bunch of leftover ground beef and for some reason all I could think of making was empanadas. David served his mission in Argentina and always raves about how delicious the empanadas were. He loved these! This is the recipe I used: How to make classic beef empanadas

The crust is definitely the best part. The cream cheese and butter makes it flaky and it melts in your mouth. I plan on using it for chicken pot pie crust soon!

As for my menu for the week, here it is!

Monday: I made bbq chicken salad last night. Here's what I put in it:

Chopped lettuce + spinach really small, top with black beans, fresh cut corn, tomatoes, avocado, bbq sauce drenched chicken (ours was leftover from a barbeque), ranch dressing and tortilla strips. YUM!

Tuesday: I'm making Ina's pasta bolognese. I'm using Orecchiete pasta, and making garlic bread and a salad.

Wednesday: Pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and fruit on the side. (I'm going to cook the pork plain with salt + pepper and just top the sandwiches with bbq sauce so the pork is plain for tacos).

Thursday: Leftover pork turned into mexican tacos + avocado corn salad.

What are you making for dinner? Have you made Ina's bolognese, or any of her recipes that you loved?

Week of Meals

2011-07-06T21:47:00.000-07:00

I'm close to a Trader Joe's now! I'm beyond excited. They have a great selection of growing herbs and I picked up this thyme a few months back. It's lemony goodness is the perfect accompaniment to chicken, shrimp or pasta. Can't get enough. They also have baby broccoli, frozen steel cut oats and tons of organic choices. I'm in love. Here's what I'm making this week.

Wednesday: pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw (minus the almonds + apples), green salad and iced herbal tea

Thursday: fusili with homemade pesto and roasted shrimp, bread + butter

Friday: teriyaki chicken kebabs + grilled veggies (probably zucchini + pineapple)

Saturday: seared pork tenderloin with apple butter sauce, roasted veggies

Sunday: BBQ chicken pizza and green salad

Ive been making super yummy smoothies for breakfast every morning- with variations of fresh fruits. Today was 4 strawberries, a peach, a banana, 2 cups of chard and spinach, simply orange juice, coconut milk, and lots of ice. I love it!

Also, I always hear people's frustrations about how hard it is to make dinner most nights of the week + how they struggle at the grocery store. I know I've said it before- but PLAN your menu! Do it Sunday night or Monday morning, write down all the ingredients you need along with the meals you're making on your list. You'll get home with more than cereal + milk and you'll be grateful you planned ahead!

Dinner this week

2011-03-28T08:12:00.000-07:00

Monday: David's making us homemade ravioli! Using this pasta recipe

Tuesday: Penne with spicy sausage and tomatoes

Wednesday: Corn chowder with bacon

Thursday: Shrimp in white wine + garlic

We eat out on Friday nights a lot, and we'll probably make homemade pizza on saturdays.

I'm also planning on making this garlic vinegar dressing this week. It looks amazing.

Menu for the Week

2011-03-13T21:04:00.000-07:00

I just finished my menu for the week and finally finished my grocery list so here are some ideas for your menu this week. I went to a fun cooking demo on Friday so I'm kinda hooked on Our Best Bites recipes this week. I hope you enjoy!

Monday: Chicken Cacciatore

Tuesday: Hamburgers with homemade fries

Wednesday: Panzanella with Grilled Chicken

(p. 78 if you have the Our Best Bites Cookbook)

Thursday: Waffles with Strawberry Sauce

Friday: Chicken Fajitas

Saturday: Sweet & Sour Meatballs

Have a great week!

This week's menu

2011-02-21T13:18:00.000-08:00

Dresden posted her menu last week, this week I'll do mine (and hopefully she'll post hers this week too so you all have double the ideas!)

This week I'm making:

Homemade pasta with meat sauce, salad + whole wheat garlic bread

Breakfast for dinner: blueberry pancakes, nitrate free bacon + fruit smoothies

Pork won tons + white rice

Nitrate free hot dogs + homemade hot dog buns + raw veggies with ranch

Something with chicken... maybe crock-pot tacos? maybe marinated? I need to do some more searching.

If you're wondering what my nitrate-free obsession is... I've been trying to eat more naturally by going the organic route whenever possible, so I've decided to avoid nitrates as well.

I have some yummy recipes to post and I'll get to it soon :)

Menu for the Week

2011-02-14T20:01:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone! Natalie and I decided we should start posting our menu for the week to give you all ideas for your meals. If you want a recipe that isn't already linked to the recipe feel free to contact me and I'll get it to you! Please be aware...my meals are usually full of calories, my husband has an insanely fast metabolism and I gotta keep him full!!

Monday: Valentine's Day
Tuesday: BBQ Chicken Pizza
Wednesday: Spaghetti
Thursday: Italian Crock Pot Chicken
Friday: Chicken Enchiladas
Saturday: Carne Asada Tacos
Sunday: Garlic Chicken with Mashed Potatoes

I hope everyone had a lovely Valentine's Day <3

Chocolate banana blueberry smoothie

2011-02-13T21:03:00.000-08:00

I get on smoothie kicks every so often and I'm always looking for something new to try. A friend had mentioned how good dark chocolate almond milk is, so I decided to pick up a carton and I'm so glad I did! I love chocolate and any way to get it into a smoothie is ok with me! Here's what I put in it:

Frozen blueberries
a banana
a big glug of dark chocolate almond milk
sometimes I put some normal milk in it too, if i want it to be thinner

It makes a great breakfast or snack and really fills you up.

Zucchini Cookies

2010-12-21T12:57:00.001-08:00

Actually, Dresden gave me this recipe from one of her old roommates a while back. Here's the blog. They are sooo good and everyone is surprised when you tell them that they're pretty good for you. Just mix everything together (don't ever overmix cookies or they'll get tough). My trick is underbaking cookies so they stay fresh longer. I'll probably be making these tonight because it's been way too long since I've had them!

1 c. sugar
1/4 c. butter
1/4 c. applesauce
1 egg
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 c. whole wheat flour
1 c. oatmeal
1 c. grated zucchini
1 c. chocolate chip

Directly from her blog:
Nutrition Facts: per 1 cookie
Calories: 86
Fat: 3 grams
(2 grams saturated, 1 mono-unsaturated)
Carbs: 14 grams
Fiber: 1 gram
Protein: 1 gram

Cream together sugar, butter, applesauce and egg. When well blended
add dry ingredients, add zucchini and chocolate chips. When well
blended spoon out onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 375 for 10-12
mins. Makes about 3 dozen.

Cajun Chicken Pasta

2010-12-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

Hey everyone, this is Dresden, hopefully I'll be posting a recipe every week or so to add to Natalie's delicious recipes! Want to know more about me? Visit my blog and feel free to visit often. Today I'm sharing a recipe that happens to be one of my very favorite. I cook this as often as my husband will let me, especially because it's really easy and quick. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:
3 cups Rotini, cooked & drained (or any other pasta works, I use penne a lot)
2 Tbl. butter
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts sliced in strips about 1/2" thick
3 glove of garlic (minced)
1 bunch green onion chopped
2 Tbl. Cajun seasoning
1 tsp. ground pepper
1 tsp. ground red pepper (cayenne pepper)
8 ounce heavy cream
1 green bell pepper (cut up)
1 red bell pepper (cut up)
8 oz. fresh mushrooms quartered (optional)
½ cup parmesan cheese grated (fresh really makes a huge difference)

Directions:

Cook rotini (or similar pasta) according to the package directions. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add chicken. Cook stirring frequently done (10-15 mins). Add garlic, onions, Cajun seasoning, ground black and red pepper. Add bell peppers and mushrooms. Stir to combine. Cover for 5 minutes.

Uncover stir in cream and let it simmer another 2 minutes. Stir in parmesan cheese. Stir in cooked pasta and serve immediately.

Side notes: Cajun seasoning can be a little spicy,
I would start with a little less if you do not like spice.
This makes quite a bit, for two people I usually only do 1 large chicken breast and 2 cups of pasta. This recipe can be stretched really far by adding more pasta and whipping cream.

garnish with more parmesan cheese

Stuff that looks good

2010-10-27T08:08:00.001-07:00

These two little goodies have been waiting for me to make them for a while.

Danish croissants. With orange marmalade or jam inside?? YUM

Pumpkin steel cut oatmeal. It looks soooo comforting.

BBQ Onion Rings

2010-10-21T17:45:00.000-07:00

I've never made onion rings before but I've always liked them. I never order them but I'd eat them if someone made them for me... Well now I think I'm going to be eating a lot of them. I found a recipe for BBQ onion rings here the other day and showed them to my cousin Blake. He's in love with onion rings. He made us make them that night. He couldn't wait. They were AMAZING.

I took the general idea of the recipe and made it a little simpler. I even put some of the rings on my pulled pork sandwich. YUM.
We also didn't dip them in anything- they were good by themselves. Here's what you need, and what i did:

Serves 4 as a side dish.

1 BIG yellow onion
Buttermilk
BBQ sauce
Hot sauce (optional)
Flour
Salt + Pepper
Vegetable oil for frying

Cut the onion into thick rings. I like mine a little thinner so I did probably 1/4 inch slices. It's really up to you and how thick of an onion ring you like. Separate all the rings in a bowl. Add 1/4 of bbq sauce and a few dashes of hot sauce on top of the rings and oll them around in it. Cover the onion rings with the buttermilk. The longer you let them set the better they get. Mine sat for only about 15 minutes because we were starving, but up to an hour would be good.

Heat your oil in a pan (I like to use a deep pot so there's less splattering all over my counter) and meanwhile, start dipping your buttermilk covered rings into the flour (season the flour with a little salt and pepper). Shake off the excess flour and fry a few at a time.

Don't crowd the pot too much, otherwise they won't cook well. I cooked mine on medium heat and they took a minute on each side. They should be golden brown when you take them out. Here they are again!

Stuff that looks good!

2010-10-06T06:26:00.001-07:00

We've decided Wednesday will be our weekly post dedicated to recipes we've been saving forever that we need to finally make~ and hoping that posting the link on here will help us remember the goals we have!

Kari says:
Now that fall is here I am dying to get my hands on something pumpkin delicious. And how can you go wrong with Paula Deen? These Pumpkin Bars are on my list this year for sure.

And while we're on the subject of not going wrong, Pioneer Woman never dissapoints. That's why I'm drooling over this Pasta w/ Tomato Cream Sauce Recipe. Perfect for a cold fall/winter evening!

Natalie says:
I love all things chocolate- and I've been wanting to make Ina Garten's Brownie Pudding for wayyyy too long. It will happen soon.

Kristine says:
I love the combination of chocolate and peanut butter and these look so cute! Although, when I make them, they probably won't look as cute as this!

I love Cafe Rio. I always see copy cat recipes for their salad, but this is one of the first I have seen with the entire burrito.

Green Chili Soup - and a new author!

2010-10-04T10:11:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone! My name is Kristine and I am going to be posting recipes on this blog as well. I wish that I could say that Natalie invited me to post, but she didn't - I volunteered! If you want to know more about me, you can blog stalk me here.

Today, I am sharing a recipe for a delicious soup that I adapted last year from my sister's recipe blog here. With fall FINALLY making an appearance (maybe?), this is the perfect soup to warm you up on a chilly day.

Green Chili Soup

1 chicken breast

2 c. salsa verde/green salsa--I used medium and it was SPICY (the kind that makes your nose run). If you can't handle the heat, go with a mild salsa

1 4 oz. can fire roasted chilis

5 c. chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 c. milk

1/4 heavy cream

2 c. frozen corn

1 can black beans - drained and rinsed

salt + pepper, to taste

1 avocado, diced (optional)

sour cream

grated cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place chicken breast in a baking dish, cover with a splash of olive oil and season with a little salt and pepper. Roast chicken for about 30 minutes or until cooked through. (Or if you have an outdoor grill that you can still use, grill it!)

In the meantime, combine salsa verde, chilis, chicken broth, corn, black beans and cream of chicken soup in a large stockpot. Bring to a soft boil (just heated through and beginning to bubble a little bit--I just let it heat up while I was waiting for the chicken to roast). Once chicken is roasted, dice up and add to the soup mixture. Add cream and milk (only if you want it to be more creamy). Serve hot with diced avocado, sour cream and your choice of cheese. I also served this with some roasted chips and cheese (aka, chips and cheese that I put under the broiler).

This made enough soup to feed my husband and I for two dinners and I also had the leftovers for lunch a few days. It makes a lot of soup!

Enjoy!

BBQ Chicken Pizza

2010-10-01T20:32:00.000-07:00

above:pizza ready for the oven

I'm so excited to welcome Kari to the blog! She posted the great recipe below and I'm patiently waiting to see what else she will add to this neglected blog! Hopefully things will slow down for us so I can actually remember to take pictures of my dinner before I eat it. :)

Yes, another pizza recipe. But who doesn't like pizza? It's always a good go-to and since the dough is so easy, and there's a million variations that work to mix things up. BBQ chicken is one of my faves. Plus its easy.

Start with my favorite pizza dough recipe.
Last time I made it I used half white flour half whole wheat flour to make it a little healthier.

Let it rise, roll it out- Here's what you can top it with:

-BBQ sauce instead of tomato sauce (Sweet Baby Ray's is my favorite BBQ sauce right now)
-tons of mozzarella
-grilled chicken
-chopped onion: red onion is good, green onions, or shallots (david's favorite)
-chopped fresh cilantro
-sprinkle of salt and pepper
-sprinkle of red pepper flakes to give it a little spice
For a hawaiian twist you can even add some pineapple.

Bake at 450 degrees for about 10 minutes- or until the cheese is bubbly and brown and the bottom of the pizza is browned.

Wraps!

2010-09-29T14:15:00.000-07:00

Hey all, Kari here. Natalie invited me to start sharing some recipes here on her blog. And well, I'm honored because if you've ever eaten at Natalie's casa, you know she's a super amazing in the kitchen and will tackle just about anything and come out with shining colors.

So for my first post on here I thought I'd share a recipe that is a staple in our humble abode, I kinda developed this when Robert and I were just dating (and I'd impress him with my culinary skills trying to get a ring on my finger). It was inspired by the Sicilian pizza he loves to get from CPK. If you've never gotten it...go.now.

In our house we just call them wraps, or deliciousness wrapped in a tortilla, if you will.

This recipe serves 2

Ingredients:
- 2 Tortillas (right now we are flat-out addicted to these tortillas from Costco)

- Grated/Shredded Cheese of your choice (we love sharp cheddar)

- Lettuce (Romaine, Green Leaf is what I'd recommend)

- Caesar dressing (I prefer the creamy fatty stuff)

- 1/3 8 oz. package of Pepperoni

- 4-6 Ham, Turkey or Chicken thin cut slices (like lunch meat size)

- Any veggies you'd like to add to give it some extra nutrients I've been known to add: Hothouse Cucumbers, Tomatoes, grated carrots, scallions, corn, peas, cabbage and jicama.

Start cooking your tortillas, that is if you bought the doughy ones, on a griddle.

Shred lettuce and toss with Caesar dressing in a bowl, include any additional veggies you'd like, set aside.

Meanwhile, slice pepperoni and meat slices into thin short strips, toss these strips into a small frying pan on medium heat. Saute slices in their natural juices, or you can add Pam to the pan for extra protection, until Pepperoni is almost crisp and the meat slices turn a nice golden version of their original selves.

Once your tortillas are cooked turn on your oven broiler to high. Place tortillas on a baking sheet and sprinkle with grated/shredded cheese of your choice. Place the tortillas in the broiler for 1-2 minutes just until cheese is melted.

Top cheesey tortillas with tossed lettuce mixture and top that with your sauteed pepperoni and meat slices.

Here's the final product (excuse the cruddy photos, I am not blessed with Natalie's photog skills)

It's quick, it's delicious and it's one of my husband's favorites. Not to mention a great way to get veggies in him...yes, I married a 5 year old when it comes to veggies. Love you Roberto!

Toasted Ravioli

2010-06-29T14:26:00.000-07:00

I was craving pasta last night and found some frozen ravioli from Costco in my freezer. (the chicken, mozzarella, rosemary flavor). I was going to boil them and serve them with marinara when I remembered a little dish I made more than 3 years ago inspired by this Rachael Ray recipe. This is what I did last night, though, since I was in a rush and only had a few ingredients:

Box of frozen ravioli
Store bought breadcrumbs
1 egg
olive oil
jarred marinara sauce

Boil water
Put in ravioli (I cooked what I had, but it was probably about 15 pieces)
Heat olive oil in a different skillet(enough to cover bottom of pan)
Put a cup of store bought bread crumbs in a bowl
Break an egg into another bowl and beat it with a fork
Once ravioli floats and looks puffy, take them out to drain on a plate
Let the ravioli cool a little
Shake off excess water from a ravioli, dip it in the egg and dip it in the crumbs
Put the breaded ravioli into the oil
Cook on each side at like medium heat for 2-3 minutes
I like them really brown so I left them in a little longer
Heat jarred marinara sauce in a bowl in the microwave (i put a paper towel on the top of the bowl to prevent a sauce explosion from getting everywhere)

Serve with the sauce and dip with your hands. It's a nice little change from normal pasta, and it took...MAYBE 15 minutes. Don't worry, I served it with a salad so it wasn't completely unhealthy!

Lemon Ricotta Cookies

2010-06-29T10:07:00.001-07:00

Whenever I make homemade lasagna, I always have leftover ricotta cheese. These are the best way to use it up. They are so soft and cake-like. Perfectly lemony...Giada is a genius.

Image via Food Network

Stuff that looks good

2010-04-21T15:24:00.000-07:00

It's pizza day at our house. My dough rising as I type. I even made homemade sauce for the pizza this time! I was browsing through tastespotting.com and found 3 new takes on pizza dough I need to try SOON.

Pizza bites look fun and easy, just to mix things up from the normal pizza pie.

David loves homemade breadsticks so I'll need to give these a try as well.

And last but not least, I NEED to make this stromboli. Instead of the feta I'd use mozarella, since I'm quite picky about my cheese selections.

On a note completely unrelated to pizza, here's an image of a dinner I made last week. I barbecued chicken legs and vegetable kebabs. I'm so excited to get back into grilling now that it's finally warm.

Crock Pot Chicken

2010-04-15T13:52:00.001-07:00

Ok. This is seriously one of the easiest dishes I've ever made, especially when you taste how good it is! I'm writing it from memory, but I found it in a family cookbook. I will say that it's far from healthy. But sometimes you need something quick and easy and delicious. Serve a big salad next to it to make yourself feel better about the butter! :)

Here's what you need:

1 brick cream cheese
1 stick butter
1 ranch packet
1 can cream of chicken soup (you could use cream of anything probably)
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup chicken stock or broth
3-4 chicken breasts

Let the butter and cream cheese come to room temperature, then mix everything together (I mix it all in the crock pot, then add in the chicken on top.) Cook for about 4 hours and serve over cooked rice. It's so good!

Easter Cake

2010-04-04T18:46:00.000-07:00

I love colorful things! This is a little remake on the rainbow cake, I guess. I recreated it from this blog

The only change i made to the recipe is that I added vanilla to the frosting. I don't think the actual flavor of the cake was anything super special, but it was really moist which is always a plus. Here are some shots of my cake:

Herbs

2010-03-22T18:00:00.000-07:00

I have been wanting to plant an herb garden for SO long. I always ended up not because of some random excuse, but this summer I was planning on going all out. We stopped at Trader Joes in Vegas on our way out a few weeks ago and I saw this:

There were a few combinations, and I really wanted basil, but I opted for this combo of rosemary, thyme and oregano. I had never used fresh thyme or oregano before so I figured it was about time to try it out.

I have never liked dried thyme and usually leave it out of recipes if they call for it because it's so strong and hay-ish. I had heard Rachael Ray describe fresh thyme as lemony and fresh- and trying it out, she is right! It has a completely different smell and taste than dried thyme. It was a pleasant surprise!

I fully recommend purchasing some herbs- basil is a good starter because it's in so much, and rosemary is great on chicken and in marinades for meat. Let me know how it goes!

Teriyaki Pineapple Chicken Burgers

2010-03-16T20:06:00.001-07:00

Something about a big piece of pineapple on top of a hamburger just sounds so refreshing- After a recent trip to the Trolley, one of my favorite little places to eat in Utah, I decided to recreate it on my own.

What you need:

Grill a chicken breast that's been marinated in teriyaki
Pineapple slices (I used canned rings because the fresh ones didn't look good)
lettuce
some kind of roll or hoagie

I sliced the chicken breast (after letting it rest, of course) and loaded it on a warmed roll with the pineapple slice and lettuce. It was so juicy + refreshing. It's the perfect meal for the warmer weather.

Stuff that looks good

2010-03-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

There are so many recipes out there, I figure I can't make them all. Once a week I think I'll post links to what looks good to me. Maybe I'll make some of them, maybe I won't- But for those who are looking for ideas, maybe it will inspire YOU!

Someone showed me these Strawberry Lemonade Bars. A nice twist on the original!

I'm pretty sure I'm going to to have to fit this in one day this week. David LOVES gyros!

Wanna make your own girl scout cookies? I might have to since I haven't seen any little girls at wal-mart...

The Pioneer Woman's recipes always look heavenly. Especially these rosemary dinner rolls.

My new favorite pancakes

2010-02-28T20:53:00.001-08:00

I found the best pancake recipe I've ever tried! The best part is that it lets you make a big batch that you can store in your pantry, that way when you want pancakes you just grab a cupful and add the wet ingredients. It's like making your own Bisquick, but these taste a million times better that store bought. Try them! Nigella Lawson knows whats up. All of the recipes I've tried of hers are winners- especially desserts + baked items.

I haven't tried the blueberry syrup that is part of the recipe but I'm sure it's good. We stick to the traditional as much as possible if David has anything to do with it :)

Cilantro chicken quesadillas

2010-02-21T20:52:00.000-08:00

I love Guru's but it's a bit expensive. One night Christiana and I decided to recreate their Cilantro Lime Quesadilla so we could enjoy it at home. It was a success! You can mix and match the ingredients but I think the chili powder on the outside of the tortilla really makes it. Here's how to assemble:

Ingredients for 2 large quesadillas (serves 4-ish)

1 bunch cilantro
4-5 garlic cloves, peeled
2 limes
flour tortillas (we prefer the uncooked ones)
1 chicken breast, cooked zn the oven and shredded
2-3 cups of shredded mozzarella and white or yellow cheddar (you can shred as much as you like and combine)
canned corn
black beans

To make the paste that you'll spread on the tortilla, combine cilantro (just the leaves), zest and juice of both limes and garlic cloves in a food processor or blender and blend until it's a paste. I also add a little salt and pepper to this mixture.

Spread the paste on two tortillas. Cover one of the tortillas in chicken, cheese, corn and black beans. Put the two tortillas together and top one side with a little chili powder. Spray your pan and heat. Cook each side of the quesadilla for a few minutes, or until very brown and the cheese is melted. I like to cut mine with my pizza cutter. I served it with the salsa (see below) and sour cream.

We served the quesadillas with Cafe Rio's cilantro lime rice:

1 1/2 cups rice (I like jasmine)
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 limes
1 stalk celery, chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 stick of butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
3 bullion cubes
3 cups of water

Melt butter in a pot and add onion, celery and rice and the 1/8 teaspoon of salt. Cook for about 5 minutes. Add the chopped cilantro, zest in the lime zest and add the juice of both limes as well. Add the water and bullion cubes. Bring to a boil and cover. Lower heat to low. Cook for about 20 minutes.

I also made Kelsey Nixon's guacamole-tomatillo salsa. It was really good with the quesadillas and with chips.

Apple Turnovers

2010-02-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

Based on Ina Garten's recipe.

1 1/2 apples, diced into little chunks
2 tablespoons sugar, plus extra to sprinkle on top
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
sprinkle in about teaspoon ground cinnamon
Pinch kosher salt
1 sheet of puff pastry, thawed (leave it out on your counter for a little bit before making the filling)
egg for brushing on top of the dough

Combine the apples, juice, zest, cinnamon, flour, salt and sugar into a bowl and let them sit for a bit. Slice the puff pastry into two triangles by cutting a diagonal line from one corner to the other. Fill each side with the apple mixture and fold the dough over to make a triangle. Use a fork to crimp all unsealed edges together. Do the same until you run out of apples. Brush the top of each with the water or egg and a little sugar if you want. Bake them on a cookie sheet for about 20 minutes at 400 degrees. You want them to be very golden brown all over. I like to serve them with a big scoop of vanilla ice cream.

Bacon Basil Chicken

2010-02-16T18:46:00.001-08:00

This meal is one of the first meals I made after getting married. It was inspired by David's LOVE of bacon. It's so easy and really really good. I'm always looking for ways to spruce up chicken, because it is my favorite meat!

Ingredients:

3-4 pieces of bacon, cooked
a handful of fresh basil
3 tablespoons olive oil
salt + pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Cook the bacon and let it drain and cool. In a blender or food processor combine the bacon (break it up a bit), basil leaves, a few tablespoons of olive oil and a teeny bit of salt and pepper. Blend until everything is about the same size, maybe 45 seconds. You don't want the mixture to be mushy or soggy looking, just broken up into small pieces. Set aside.

Take the chicken and slice a hole in the center. Don't cut all the way through the chicken. Put as much of the bacon basil mixture as you can into the hole. You don't want it coming out, just nice and full. Put the chicken breasts on a cookie sheet or in a baking dish thats been greased. Rub a little olive oil and salt and pepper on top. Bake at 350 for about 35 minutes. If you have a meat thermometer, you want the internal temperature to be at 165 in the fattest part of each breast. Don't let it go above 165 because it will continue cooking a tiny bit after you take it out of the oven. Once it's done, take it out and cover them breasts with foil- then let them sit for about 10-15 minutes. This will ensure juicy chicken! I would serve it with broccoli and mashed potatoes. It's a nice flavor change from normal chicken! Plus if you slice it on an angle, the green peeking through the slices of chicken looks really pretty and almost fancy.

Asian Chicken Pizza

2010-02-16T18:31:00.000-08:00

Kristine showed me this recipe at a girl's night last year. At first I thought it sounded so strange- asian flavors on pizza with mozzarella. Well, I was wrong. It is delicious! We also have been using a new dough recipe I found on tastespotting.com. I recommend this dough recipe because it's the best one we've found and we've probably tried about 8 different ones in the past few years.

Topping:

2 chicken breasts
1 tablespoon oil (vegetable or olive oil)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tablespoon corn starch

2-3 cups grated mozzarella

Make your dough and let it rise. In a bowl combine the oil, vinegar, soy, garlic and green onions. Chop the chicken breasts into bite size pieces and let them sit in the marinade for 30 minutes. Saute the chicken and sauce together in a pan after it's marinated. Cook the mixture for about 5-7 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink anywhere. Stir in the corn starch and turn the heat off.
Once the dough is risen, roll it out. I made two large-ish pizzas and topped them with the sauce, chicken + mozzarella cheese. Bake at 400 degrees for 10-12 minutes, or until the cheese has started to brown and the bottom of the pizza is golden. You won't be disappointed!

Notakeout.com

2009-12-31T10:25:00.000-08:00

I just came across this website that helps you prepare an entire meal- It has a shopping list, tools and detailed instructions. So if you need extra help this could be great!

Balsamic-Tomato Chicken

2009-11-03T10:54:00.000-08:00

This is a recipe that I make often. Whenever I want something flavorful, filling and light I head straight to this. The balsamic mixed with the tomatoes is so good. I have made it with rice and brown rice instead of the couscous lately, because David decided that he doesn't like couscous. Picky guy! Anyway, try it. It's worth it.

Balsamic Chicken from Ellie Krieger

Chicken Pot Pie

2009-10-14T09:23:00.000-07:00

The first time I made this was for our first married Valentines Day together. I originally used Ina Garten's recipe, which is delicious, but very involved. I made a variation using inspiration from Rachael Ray.

what you need:

2 medium carrots, sliced
1 cup onion, diced
1 large stalk of celery, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 russet potato, chopped into small chunks
1-2 chicken breasts, chopped
2-3 tablespoons flour
2 cups of milk
1-2 cups chicken stock or broth
1 cup frozen peas
1 package store bought puff pastry
2 teaspoons of salt
1 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 350. In a large skillet heat the oil. Add carrots, onions and celery. Also add 1/2 teaspoon salt. Saute over medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add potatoes and chicken. Saute until chicken is white. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and chicken and stir it in to allow the flour to cook for a few minutes. Add the milk and chicken stock (one cup first, then add more if it's too thick) into the vegetable and chicken mixture. Ideally you want the gravy to look like...pot pie gravy. Thick but not too thick.

You can make individual pot pies in little ceramic dishes or one large one in a pie dish. I like a bottom and top layer, but you can just do a top layer if you prefer. Cut the pastry to fit into the dish and fill with the chicken and vegetable mixture. Top with pastry if desired. I bake mine for 10ish minutes if I do individual pies, or probably 15-20 minutes if it's one large one. Keep any eye on the top crust; you want it golden brown.

When I make this much I do two individual ceramics that are a decent size and we both don't eat it all. So it can serve 2-4 depending on how hungry you are.

Cake Doughnuts

2009-09-05T16:07:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday morning, cake doughnuts sounded really good so I decided to try to make them. I found this recipe and they turned out amazing. I made a glaze from melted butter, powdered sugar, a splash of milk and vanilla.

Potato Gratin

2009-08-22T07:59:00.000-07:00

A gratin is basically a baked dish you can create with any vegetable (tomato, zuchinni, eggplant). I made this dish for our anniversary as our side. It's easy and so good.

Yukon gold potatoes, about 4 large ones
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg (i fresh grate mine)
1 cup cheddar cheese (i used sharp, but white cheddar would be gorgeous)

Heat the cream and milk in a large dish. Slice the potatoes so they are very thin and all around the same size. Add the herbs, salt, pepper + nutmeg into the cream. Simmer until the liquid is very hot. Put the potatoes in the cream and cook for 5 minutes. Butter a baking dish and then pour the potatoes and cream mixture into the dish. Top with cheese. Bake for 40 minutes at 350.

Puffy German Pancakes

2009-08-22T07:48:00.000-07:00

This is a recipe I grew up with. It's one of the easiest breakfasts! The best part is that you blend everything and just dump it in a pan, so there's no hassle of flipping individual pancakes. You just bake, cut and serve.

Preheat oven to 400
Put 2 tablespoons of butter in a 9 x 13 baking pan and put it in the oven

In a blender put:
4 eggs
2/3 cup flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt (i use kosher)
2/3 cup milk
Blend and pour over the melted butter in the 9 x 13

Bake at 400 for 10 minutes
Then turn down the oven to 350 and bake for about 15 more minutes. Check it periodically. You want the sides to be puffy and the center to be firm. That's how you'll know it's done.

Tomato Soup

2009-08-22T07:34:00.000-07:00

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
2 carrots peeled and diced
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
4 pounds tomatoes on the vine- peeled
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup packed chopped fresh basil leaves
3 cups chicken broth or stock
1 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

I boiled my tomatoes in hot water for about 1-2 minutes, then took them out of the boiling water to cool. I peeled all of them so that the skins don't get into the soup. Then I chopped them up.

Saute carrots, onion, salt and pepper in the olive oil for about 5-7 minutes. Add garlic and tomatoes. Cook for 3 minutes. Add sugar, tomato paste, basil and stock. Simmer on low for 40 minutes. You want the tomatoes to be very tender. Ideally you'd want to use a hand blender at this point to blend up the soup. I don't have one so I just ladled small portions into my regular blender and blitzed it up. You have to be careful with blending hot things because the heat and pressure can blow the top off of the blender (so I held a kitchen towel over the top of the whole blender while blending. You can also use a food processor. Once it's blended as thin as you like it, reheat it and eat!

I served the soup with a drizzle of cream on top, because the soup is already so rich.

My Favorite Vinaigrette

2009-08-15T17:21:00.000-07:00

I made this salad for Thanksgiving one year and fell in love with the dressing. I found it on the Food Network website under Rachael Ray's recipes. I always have all of the ingredients on hand so it's always a go-to.

Here's the vinaigrette:

1 tablespoon orange marmalade (I've also made it with apricot jam)

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary (I like to chop it up a bit)

1/4 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes

1/4 cup olive oil

Mix it all together in a bowl with a whisk. I like to make vinaigrette instead of buying bottled dressings- I haven't found a bottled dressing that I really love.

Kitchen Essentials

2009-08-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

I saw a post about what you need in your kitchen. This is a really good thing to know, especially if you are engaged and planning on registering soon. I didn't know everything that I needed, but I had a pretty good idea of the basics... there are a few things I would have changed though.

#1 If I registered all over again I wouldn't register at Target. Their return policies are a hassle...you can only exchange something for another item in the same department...it was a nightmare.

#2 I would not get a pot & pan set. Ours is from Crate and Barrel, and I love it, but I have a lot of small pans that I don't really use. I would recommend registering for individual pieces, as in a large stock pot, a large non-stick skillet, another non-stick skillet with higher sides, and a sauce pot. Those are the ones I mostly use, and I cook 6/7 nights. Later, if you realize you might use it, I would recommend getting something in cast iron. I have a smaller dutch oven style cast iron pot and a cast iron skillet that are Le Creuset and I'm obsessed with them :)

What I recommend:
2 pairs of tongs
2 spatulas (for flipping things such as pancakes) I have one that is rubber material and one that is metal.
2 bowl scrapers (I actually own 4 and use them all often)
2 ladles
1 pasta grabber
1 hand held strainer
1 potato masher
1 cookie scoop
2-3 cookie sheets (I use these for cookies but also things like roasting potatoes)
1-2 loaf pans
2 9 x 13 baking pans for cakes
1 rolling pin (I like wooden ones)
1 vegetable peeler
1 pair of kitchen scissors
1 pie pan
1 cooling rack (perfect for cookies)
4-8 mixing bowls (I own a lot. I have melamine, glass and plastic ones.)
2-3 whisks (I have 3 in different sizes)
1 large colander
1 microplane (for grating zest, nutmeg)]
1 stand grater (I recommend investing in a good sturdy, sharp one. I hate grating)
2 cutting boards (I use mine every single day. It's a really nice one from Crate & Barrel. Make sure you pick one that has a non-slippery surface...I hate when a knife can slide around on the board. Also pick one that has some kind of grippage at the bottom so it doesn't slide on you. Very dangerous!)
3 wooden spoons(Again, I love mine from C & B. I also recommend some kind of flat edged wooden utensil for breaking up ground meat when you're browning it)

Knives:
I have a set of Kitchen Aid knives that we got for our wedding, and they are really good. There are better brands that I like more, and will get someday. Wusthoff seems to be my favorite ones right now- I only own their bread knife at this point. If you don't want to splurge on a set, the most important knife I use is a chef's knife. I like the ones with indentation so that the food you chop doesn't stick to your knife. I prefer a blade that is rounded at the end on top and straight along the bottom. It's my go-to knife.

My favorite appliances:
kitchen aid mixer- I use this for making all of my cookies, cakes, and even breads. I also have the pasta making attachments. You can use a hand mixer just as well, but the stand mixer lets me walk away and come back without having to turn it off.

food processor- mine broke recently. It wasn't the best quality and I used it at least once a week. My favorite brand of processor is Cuisinart. They make large ones and small ones- I would like to own both. If you don't have a large family, the small one would be perfect. I use it to make pesto, pastry dough, sauces...

rice cooker- not a necessity, but I use it often. We have rice every week and I love being able to turn it on and leave it alone. It stops cooking when it's done and keeps the rice warm.

bread maker- I use this once a week too- to make homemade pizza dough! I used to make bread in it a lot, until I mastered my mom's homemade recipe. If you like homemade bread but are afraid to do it by hand, I would definitely recommend one. Mine cost about $50 so it's not a huge splurge.

What can you not live without in the kitchen?
Here's my fave:

Pasta Fagioli

2009-08-06T07:20:00.001-07:00

It's about time for another post! I feel like we've been eating the same things for the past few weeks, but I realized last night that my favorite soup recipe isn't on my blog. Here it is!

Pasta Fagioli Soup

This is a hearty vegetable, ground beef, pasta and bean soup. It's easy and really good.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 onion, chopped (any color. I like yellow because I think it's sweeter)
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 pound ground beef or turkey or italian sausage
1 small zuchinni, grated
1 carrot, grated
1 can white beans, drained and rinsed (cannelini or white northern)
1 can red kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup small pasta (ditalini, macaroni)
1 can stewed tomatoes
6 cups chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
2 teaspoons salt (salt as you go, and taste at the end)
1 teaspoon pepper

In a large soup pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add in onions + celery and a little bit of salt (this helps the onions sweat and release their juice). Cook 3 minutes. Add chopped garlic. Cook 2 minutes. Add in ground meat. Break it up and brown. Once there is no more pink in the meat, add the grated veggies.

Stir in the chicken broth (I like to use bullion cubes or canned broth. either one is fine) canned tomatoes, herbs, salt + pepper, + beans. Simmer for 15 minutes. Add in the pasta and cook for 15 more minutes, or until the pasta is soft.

Serve in bowls with some parmesan over the top, or more pepper- thats how I prefer it :)

Waffles

2009-07-12T09:28:00.000-07:00

This is my mom's recipe for waffles. They are SO good, and light and fluffy. The trick to tender waffles is not overmixing. Mix all of these ingredients until they are just combined.

In a bowl combine:

2 cups flour
2 cups milk
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup (one stick) melted butter
2 eggs (separate the egg whites into a separate empty bowl, and put the yolks into the other ingredients. beat up the egg whites with a whisk until they are foamy, then add gently into the batter)

Put a scoopful into your waffle maker. You will not be disappointed!

homemade pasta

2009-07-11T13:05:00.001-07:00

I've been making a lot of homemade pasta lately since I got the pasta making attachments for my kitchen aid. You can also just buy a hand crank machine or even roll out the dough by hand and cut it into strips with a knife. We like to use the linguine attachment. The best part about making pasta from scratch (besides the fact that it is so tender and delicious) is the cost. For the two of us I use 1 cup of flour and 2 eggs, and then about a tablespoon of olive oil. Mix it up with a fork and then finish with your hand. Keep surfaces and your hands really floured. The pasta goes directly into salted boiling water and takes about 3 minutes to cook- literally! Here we made the pasta with 1/2 cup whole wheat flour and 1/2 white flour. We put it into marinara sauce with meatballs. It was amazing!

Chicken and Pasta in Cream Sauce

2009-07-01T08:45:00.000-07:00

From Hot off the garlic press

This is Kristine's sister's blog, and she posts really yummy stuff on there. I tried this pasta recipe last summer, and the first time I made it I fell in love. It is one of my favorite meals now and it takes MINUTES. The first week I tried it, I made it 4 times. The recipe calls for basil and parmesan, and I didn't add either of those things...I just do the cream, salt, pepper, garlic, chicken, bowties and broccoli.

It would also be delicious with spinach added into the sauce at the end, or even asparagus and chopped tomatoes. You can't go wrong with heavy cream :) The best part is that the chicken and broccoli and pasta all cook in the same pot, so you don't need 10 different pans to make dinner with. TRY IT. It's the best! Here's the link: Pasta

Yes, we eat a lot of pasta at my house!

Shrimp Scampi Verde

2009-06-16T07:53:00.001-07:00

The won tons turned out great- so good, in fact, that there were none left over for me to photograph. I think we will have them again this weekend and I'll shoot 'em then. Tonight I'm making one of our all time favorite pasta dishes:

Spicy Shrimp Scampi Verde

It's a Rachael Ray recipe and it is so easy and delicious. I love the combination of the basil and lemon, and shrimp in anything is really a good thing, to me :) If I can't find arugula for the recipe, I'll just use spinach. I also don't have any chives so I'm going to use leftover scallions that I already have in the fridge. YUM

Pork Won Tons

2009-06-15T14:10:00.000-07:00

1 pound ground pork
1/2 cup chopped green onions
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon ground ginger
2 cloves garlic minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 pepper
40-50 wonton wrappers
A few inches of vegetable oil in deep pan
(i like a deep pan to prevent oil popping on me)

I usually mix up the meat and seasonings in a bowl, then divide the raw meat mixture in half, put it in a ziploc and freeze it to use another time.
With the rest of the mixture, fill teaspoon with the mixture and place on half of the won ton. Dip your finger in water and moisten the edge of the triangle. Stick the other side to it so it seals well. At this point you can either steam them (I have a bamboo steamer but I've also used the vegetable steamer that goes on top of my rice cooker) and then fry in the oil, or just put them straight into the hot oil. Make sure if you steam them to try to get as much moisture off of them as possible so the water doesn't pop in the oil. When frying, let them cook until golden, then flip. I drain mine on a paper towel. Then I dip them in this:

1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon ginger

english muffin pizzas

2009-06-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

like i said before, we have pizza usually once a week. i try to mix it up between pepperoni, pesto or asian. when we're really busy or i do not feel like waiting for my breadmaker to mix up some dough, we make pizzas on english muffins or bagels. you can add whatever toppings you like and even us whole wheat bagels or english muffins as the base. they are so good! and i can imagine kids liking the individual portions and even helping assemble the toppings.

english muffins or bagels
pizza sauce (i like the jarred kind)
mozzarella cheese
pepperoni
i also like to add pineapple to mine
a sprinkle of salt and pepper, or garlic salt

i toast the base before putting the toppings on, to ensure that it is crispy and not soggy. bake at 400 until the cheese is bubbly and the bottom seems crisp. keep an eye on them, they're done fast. never gets old :)

rainbow cake update

2009-06-09T18:57:00.000-07:00

here is the link for the rainbow cake!

it was so fun to make! i would definitely make it if i had a baby or a kid having a birthday. instead i just made it for fun :) the best part is cutting it open, because i covered mine in white frosting so you couldn't tell what was inside.

coconut banana bread with lime glaze

2009-06-09T09:00:00.000-07:00

this sounds like the perfect summer snack! i am totally going to try this out.

coconut banana bread with lime glaze

this blog is very inspirational

Lamb-Burgers

2009-06-06T08:58:00.000-07:00

I found a great sounding recipe for a Caprese Burger from a commenter on a blog i frequently read, This Week for Dinner.
A caprese salad is usually made with slices of fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil leaves. This hamburger has all of those ingredients and it sounded fabulous, so I bought the ingredients and they turned out awesome. We grilled ciabiata rolls with the aioli (which is just a jazzed up mayo, basically) on them. I added tomato, David didn't. It was nice to have something more than the regular ketchup and mustard.

What is your favorite hamburger?

bbq pork sandwiches

2009-06-02T15:14:00.000-07:00

these are so easy and delicious. even david makes them for me sometimes :)

put these in your crock pot:
1 pork tenderloin (it's super lean but very flavorful)
1/2 c bbq sauce
1/4 c brown sugar
1/4 cup vinegar (white or cider)
1/4 c orange marmalade
1/3 c of water

put on low and cook for 6-8 hours. i serve it on french rolls with extra bbq sauce on top. it makes your house smell so good!

rules of dinner making

2009-05-27T08:41:00.001-07:00

i've always loved to cook, but i know that most of my girlfriends hate doing it, or don't know how to go about it. there are a few things that help me make dinner a big part of my week without it taking over.

my number one rule:
1PLAN AHEAD
pick a day- saturday, or monday afternoon, for you to go to the store with a list that you've planned out. write down what you plan on eating for dinner each night (realistically) and search your pantry and fridge for what you have. write down what you need to get at the store.

if you make a list and pick a day to shop, you wont be running to get pizza or a missed ingredient right in the middle of making the meal. just doing this has saved me hours of time at the grocery store and hundreds of dollars in the past 3 years.

2buy every day items and keep them on hand. i normally buy these items at costco in bulk so they are always available. some items i regularly buy at costco are:

cheese (it's an amazing deal)
olive oil
frozen chicken, pork tenderloins, salmon
chicken bullion cubes

3start slow.
don't try to do all new recipes every night of the week. stick to what you know most nights and if you know you're going to have a little free time to try something new, fit it in.

4make it easy. think of cooking as a time to relax and enjoy. cooking is fun. you're creating something for your family to enjoy. make a main thing and one side. you only have two things to assemble and worry about cooking times for.

what days do you like to grocery shop, and why?

welcome!

2009-05-08T15:26:00.000-07:00

this blog will help me organize all of my recipes and allow everyone to access them.

here is what i want to know for all of my family/friends who might read this blog:

what are your meal making dilemmas?
what stops you from making dinner?
what do you want to learn how to make?

comment and let me know what you'd like to see.

what we're having tonight

2009-04-30T13:06:00.000-07:00

Pizza! Lately I've been making homemade pizza once a week. Kristine introduced me to the pesto pizza which is delicious, but tonight I'm making regular pepperoni. I use our breadmaker to make the crust.

Dough:

Throw all of this into the breadmaker and set on the dough setting

2 1/4 c flour
1 T dry milk
2 T olive oil
1 T honey
1 1/4 c warm water
1 t yeast (heaping)
2 t salt

another option for the dough is stopping by your favorite pizza joint and asking them if you can purchase some of their dough. usually it's cheap and delicious.

Sauce:

1 can pizza sauce
4 garlic cloves chopped

Cheese:

3 c grated mozarella

I add pepperoni to the top or sometimes I add pineapple pieces too.

For the sauce I buy canned pizza sauce and add chopped garlic to it. The dough makes enough for about 3 personal pizzas.