Happy Friday!

I hope everyone had a fantastic 4th of July/Independence Day!  Some of you might be aware of the fact that my husband is a bit of a pyromaniac this time of year.  It doesn't help that he has a friend/co-worker who's even more of a fireworks freak.  While David will be setting off his stash later on this weekend, we got to see a fantastic fireworks display on Wednesday night, courtesy of David's friend.  I didn't take any pictures of the actual show because, let's face facts...fireworks do NOT normally photograph well.  And I wasn't about to focus on getting a good shot, while missing half the show.  This was super intense, we were super close (and a part of me was scared the whole time), and it was super awesome.  Just look at all those fireworks!!

Because David was home all day yesterday, I decided to go all out for lunch and try a new recipe that I found on Pinterest (shocking, I know).  Boy was this a winner!  I mixed up the recipe just a tidbit, which I've outlined below.  But, here's the original blog post that I worked from: just click here.

Spicy Sausage Pasta
adapted from Kevin & Amanda: Delicious Recipes to Spice Up Your Dinner Rotation

1 tbsp olive oil
1 lb smoked sausage
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth (plus a little more)
1 (14 oz) can diced tomatoes
1 (4.5 oz) can of chopped green chilies
1/2 cup heavy cream
12 oz penne pasta
1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper, each
1 cup Monterey Jack cheese, shredded

1. Add olive oil to an oven-safe skillet over medium high heat until just smoking. Add sausage and onions and cook until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.

2. Add broth, tomatoes, cream, pasta, salt and pepper and stir. Make sure all the pasta is submerged, so you may need to add more chicken broth.  Bring to a boil, cover skillet, and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer until pasta is tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove skillet from heat and stir in cheese.  Serve and enjoy!!

P.S. I think this may be a new Dave's Fave!!

Weekend Wrap-Up and Girl, Interrupted

Happy Monday all!  I had a super fun weekend.  This past Friday was supposed to be book club, but my girls are so awesome that a few months back we decided to do book club up here in Tulsa at my house.  Four of my favorite ladies drove up on Friday and we had a totally fun sleepover.  Lots of gabbing, good food and a little wine.  Then, Saturday morning two more book clubbers came (with their newbie babies, so cute!) and we officially held book club. 

I really enjoyed it because I love to host people and you know I made some tasty treats for my girls!  Friday night I made my favorite rib recipe, for that recipe simply click here.  Then, Saturday morning I made a couple Pioneer Woman recipes.  The first was an old standby that I love, her cinnamon rolls.  For her recipe, including step-by-step pictures, you can simply click here.  The second brunch-type item I prepared was a new-to-me PW that I'd been holding on to for such an occasion: Make-Ahead Muffin Melts.  These were delicious and a big hit, I'd highly recommend them!  For that recipe on the Pioneer Woman website, simply click here.

OK, so would you like to hear about one of the books I reviewed on Saturday morning?  Here ya go!

Did you know that this movie...

was originally a book?

Yea, me neither!  So, when one of my book club gals brought it one month, I totally snatched it up! 

This book is the true life story of Susanna Kaysen from when she spent two years in a ward for teenage girls at McLean Hospital.  The book includes copies of a lot of Kaysen's medical charts as well as her commentary of what happened while she was committed. 

If you've seen the movie, it pretty well encompasses this entire book.  I have to say though, that if I hadn't seen the movie first, I might have been a little lost.  A lot of times Kaysen's writing is disjointed and doesn't always follow chronologically.  What's funny is that the last two chapters included Kaysen's commentary of life after being released and how she feels about the whole process now.  She's much more clear and concise in these two chapters.  It's almost as if another person wrote these chapters.

This book was fascinating to me, partly because I never knew this was a true story.  It's a quick and easy read and I'd recommend it if you're into this sort of thing.

Shrimp Risotto

I know that this is probably going to come as a shock...but, I'm going to share with you guys a delicious recipe that I got from the Pioneer Woman's website.  I know, I know, I know...I'm surprised as you are.  Not.

I will begin this post by saying that this recipe only annoyed me in one way...it dirtied to many dang pots.  But, that's where my gripes end.  This was absolutely delicious and David LOVED it.  He scarfed down the first helping and devoured the leftovers the next day with zero complaints.  He did request the next time I make this to perhaps include some chopped jalapenos to give it a little zing.  I'll probably do that just to mix it up.

Now, this recipe on the PW's website doesn't have a quick and easy printable.  Nor does it even have an ingredient list...I'll share with you, approximately, what my recipe entailed. 

You can also click here to see this post on the PW's site.

Ingredients
1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp
1 stick of unsalted butter
Worcestershire sauce

minced garlic, approximately 3 cloves
2-3 shallots, finely chopped
olive oil
1 cup Arborio rice
1 cup dry white wine
chicken broth, lots of it
salt and pepper
2-4 green onions, thinly chopped

OK, here's where you want to start...melt the butter in a small saucepan.  Pour in some Worcestershire sauce, how much depends on how much you like Worcestershire sauce.  Then, add in the minced garlic as well.  Let this warm for a few minutes while you peel your shrimp.  Then, pour the sauce over the shrimp in a bowl, allowing them to marinate for a few minutes.

Pour a good amount of chicken broth into a small saucepan (I quickly washed out and reused the pan I used to prepare the shrimp marinade so as to dirty as few pots as possible.).  Simmer.

Heat up the olive oil in a separate nice-sized dutch oven.  Throw the shallots in and let them cook for a couple minutes.  Next, pour in the Arborio rice and stir it around a little bit so that it gets slightly toasted.  Pour in the white wine and stir.  There'll be a nice sizzle and the wine will then cook off.  At this point starts the inevitable...the risotto process of pouring in a little of the warmed chicken broth (enough to cover the rice a little), stir a little until the broth has cooked off.  Repeat until the rice is done.  This will take approximately 20 minutes and the rice will be done when it still has a nice bite to it, but is fully cooked.

At this point you want to grill up your shrimp.  I used my cast iron skillet pictured below...it worked beautifully.  And have I mentioned how happy I was to find that pin that details the best way to care for your cast iron skillets?  Heaven.  Everyone always just tells you to not wash them and just cook on 'em.  Ummm, hello!  I needed a little more info than that!  If you missed it from my last Friday Funday, click here.

After I grilled my shrimp, here's what my cook top looked like. 

Over on my chopping block, I proceeded to cut up the shrimp into bite-size pieces along with the thinly sliced green onions.

Once the rice was done, I threw in the shrimp and green onions and stirred it up.  

Yum, this paired great with a quick and easy Caesar salad.  I didn't want to dirty up yet another pan to cook some veggies...I was too lazy for that. 

 

I definitely recommend this recipe for just about anyone.  Super delicious and easy to make!

Turkey Meatballs Times Two

It hasn't been since January that this blog has spotlighted a food post.  Yikes!  I hadn't realized that it's been so long.  A sounding board for my recipes was one of the main reasons I started this blog...oops.  Honestly, I've been cooking and baking good stuff.  But, it's mostly the old standbys and all the really good ones are already on this blog, archived under the Dave's Faves tab above.  There have been a few recipes I've tried here and there, but with nothing fantastic to write home about.  I'd prefer to just share with you guys really, really, really good stuff.  And I hope you like it that way, LOL!  Well, I finally have a recipe to share on here...it hopefully won't take that long again for me to find another goodie. 

First off, I record a few cooking shows on my DVR and one of them happens to be Giada de Laurentiis'.  A lot of her recipes are a little much for me, but a lot of times they're fantastic.  In fact, one of David's more recent likes is her turkey taquitos (my blog review here).  That one is well on it's way to becoming a fave.  Well, her show a couple weeks ago focused on making turkey meatballs two different ways, for dinner two different nights of the week.  David happened to watch this episode with me and both of us thought the recipes looked delicious.  I did tweak both a little, simply because neither of us care for fennel or kale.  But, if you'd like to see and print her original recipes, a link is provided below each recipe's title. 

Both dinner preparation options utilize half of this first recipe for meatballs.

Classic Italian Turkey Meatballs
Giada recipe, click here for her printable

1 cup plain bread crumbs

1/4 cup milk, at room temperature

2 large eggs, at room temperature

1 small onion, finely chopped

1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

1/4 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 cloves garlic, minced

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 pound ground dark turkey meat

1 pound spicy Italian turkey sausage links, casings removed**

Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling

**Note: I couldn't find turkey chorizo (as she calls it in her episode), so I used turkey bratwurst.  I'll be on the lookout for turkey sausage links or chorizo in the future now though!

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the bread crumbs, milk, eggs, onion, Parmesan cheese, basil, parsley, tomato paste, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using a wooden spoon, stir to blend. Add the ground turkey and sausage meat. Using fingers gently mix all the ingredients until thoroughly combined.

Using a 1-ounce cookie scoop or a small ice cream scoop, form the meat mixture into 1 1/2-inch balls (about 22 to 24 meatballs). Place the meatballs on a heavy non-stick baking sheet, spacing apart. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes until cooked through.

Now, for the first night's preparation of the meatballs.  This sauce recipe I have slightly modified and halved, since only half the meatballs were to be served with this sauce and the original recipe is for all the meatballs.  The original Giada sauce recipe is included in the link shared above with the meatball recipe.

Sauce
1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 large onion, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3 large garlic cloves, smashed and peeled

2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I just sprinkled a good amount of dried basil since this time of year isn't conducive to having fresh on hand)

1/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth (I didn't end up using any, it wasn't needed)

Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet with 2-inch-high sides over medium-high heat. Add the onions, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cook for 5 to 6 minutes. Add the crushed tomatoes, oregano, and basil. Bring to simmer. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens slightly, stirring occasionally, about 15 to 20 minutes. Adjust the seasoning with more salt and pepper, if desired.

Add the meatballs to the tomato sauce and simmer until the meatballs are heated through, about 10 minutes. Thin the sauce with chicken stock, if needed.

Serve with grated Parmesan cheese alongside.

This recipe was absolutely delicious.  It's one of those items that you take a bite or two and you're like, "This is pretty good."  And then, by the time you finish, you're thinking it's better than you initially speculated.  But...my real favorite from this recipe paring is below.

First off, this is a pizza recipe, so I started with my favorite pizza crust, the Pioneer Woman's.  But, I like to healthify it a little by making it whole wheat.  Here's a link to one of her pages that contains the printable, but the way I make it is listed below.

Basic Pizza Crust
adapted from the Pioneer Woman

1/2 teaspoon instant or active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups whole wheat flour (or white whole wheat)
1 teaspoon Kosher salt
less than 1/3 cup olive oil

Sprinkle yeast over warm (not lukewarm) water. Let stand for a few minutes.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined, and the dough comes together in a sticky mass.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and set it aside for 1 to 2 hours, or store in the fridge until you need it.

Note: it’s best to make the dough at least 24 hours in advance, and 3 or 4 days is even better. (for the recipe below, my crust was refrigerated a couple days...she isn't kidding, it really is better a few days old)

When you are ready to make the pizza, you can roll out the pizza with a rolling pin if you’d like, but sometimes it’s just as easy to throw it around and pull and stretch till it feels right. And when the crust is nice and thin, lay it on an oiled baking sheet or pizza pan. (I usually roll it on my oiled pizza stone)

OK, so onto the important part...

Pizza Blanca with Meatballs
adapted from Giada, click here for her printable

Sauce

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup milk

1 dried bay leaf

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 clove garlic, smashed and peeled

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Pizza
Extra-virgin olive oil, for oiling the baking sheet and for drizzling
1 pizza crust (above recipe)

3/4 cup coarsely grated whole-milk mozzarella cheese

Classic Italian Turkey Meatballs, halved
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Sauce
In a heavy small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the flour and stir constantly for 1 minute. Gradually add the milk, whisking constantly. Add the bay leaf, nutmeg and garlic. Whisk over medium heat until the mixture thickens to sauce consistency and is smooth, about 6 minutes. (Sauce is done when you can sweep your finger down the sauce-covered spoon and the line remains intact) Stir in the salt and pepper.  Remove and discard the bay leaf and garlic.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

Prepare above listed pizza crust on cooking stone or sheet pan.

Spoon the sauce on top and spread evenly leaving a 1-inch border around the dough. Sprinkle the mozzarella cheese on top. Arrange the meatballs, cut-side-down, on top. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until center of pizza is set.

OMG...so stinkin' good.  I will definitely be making this pizza again.

So, there you have it!  Delicious recipe!  Hopefully I'll have another one (or 3) to share with you again soon!

Happy Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day all!

David got a jump on the rush and had these beauties delivered yesterday afternoon.  Already a couple of the irises are blooming and the tulips are just ever so slightly cracking open.  I love this type of bouquet and so does David.  In fact, we talked about it yesterday evening and he's bought me this exact bouquet three times now.  Because it's just so gorgeous.  Maybe in a day or two I'll share how it's progressed.

How we celebrate Valentine's Day has developed of it's own accord, but we seem to be running a pattern.  And actually, I believe his sister and her husband tend to do the same thing as us.  Rather than fuss with reservations and battle a crowd on the actual day, I prepare one of our favorite dishes at home on Valentine's Day.  Then, either the next day or the weekend after, we'll make reservations somewhere nice (usually a steakhouse) and go all out there.  It makes for a much less stressful (completely made-up and commercial) holiday.

So, what's on the menu for VD this year?  My spicy shrimp recipe with some mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli.  Yum!  For a refresher on my shrimp recipe, just click here!

Here's something new for us this year...David and I have decided to observe Lent.  First time I've ever done it...and we've given up desserts.  We were going to give up sweets in general, but David was concerned about how his syrup for his waffles would be judged.  So, we decided to qualify it as "desserts."  When Valentine's Day is only one day after Ash Wednesday, that makes it a little bit of a challenge.  But, I think we'll be better off because of it...though missing out on some delicious chocolates will be a struggle for us sweet toothes.  Or is it sweet teeth?  Haha!  Anyway!  I have Easter to look forward to, where I'll be able to scarf down a Cadbury Egg...one of my all-time favorites!

Do you have traditions for Valentine's Day, planned or that just naturally happen (like ours)?  Or do you let this commercial holiday just pass you on by without a second glance?

Friday Funday

Happy Friday everyone!  I thought I'd mix it up a little this week.  I haven't done a recipe post in a while, so instead of incorporating my favorite pins of just this past week, I thought I'd share some of my foodie pins that I have actually tried out.  Kind of a Friday Funday Foodie edition.  Below each pin is my mini review of each!  Enjoy and have a fantastic weekend!

Source: millerfamilyorganizer.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

These are a super simple crock pot meal, but they are a tad bland...at least for this household.  We love our spicy Mexican food around here!  The second time I attempted these I threw in some extra spices and even served them with some sliced avocado, which helped a lot!

Source: kitchenconfidante.com via Crystal on Pinterest

This recipe is so, so, so, so delicious!  I'm a HUGE pork tenderloin fan and this recipe brings out all that yummy flavor.  Definitely give this one a try!

Source: luluthebaker.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

This soup is super good, David gave it a thumbs up.  But, I can only get away with this as a side dish...so, as long as there's a protein alongside, we're good!

Source: minimalistbaker.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I made this for Christmas and it was really just OK.  A tiny bit bland, so I probably won't be making it again with so many other tasty breakfast recipes in my repertoire.

Source: cdm-arewethereyet.blogspot.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I made these with eggs, some bell pepper from our garden and B&G sausage from my friend's kiddo's fundraiser.  Yummo and so easy to make!  You just need to allot some time to prepare and freeze...worth the effort!

Source: lovintheoven.com via Crystal on Pinterest

Been making this topping for my ol' banana bread recipe and I love the change.  I still make it without, but it's always fun to mix things up!

Source: dlynz.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I actually tried these out last night!  Super delicious, but a little labor intensive and messy to make.  I think I know now how to be a little more careful in preparation...I'll definitely be making these again!

Cheese Soup with Red Pepper and Bacon

Jeez, sometimes I don't realize how long it can take for me to try out a recipe...I printed off this recipe back when this blog published it and I just noticed that was back in 2009.  Yikes.

The prompt for finally trying out this recipe is that there was a freeze here recently, our first one.  And David ran out to our bell pepper plant to rescue all the peppers on the vine pre-freeze.  So, I was in need of utilizing these babies before they wrinkled up into nasty rot-ness.

So, I hunted through my recipe books in search of something scrumptious that called for red bell pepper...bingo.  I changed this recipe up a bit, but not much.


Cheese Soup with Red Pepper and Bacon
adapted from How Sweet It Is

1/2 sweet onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped (or 3 small home-grown red peppers)
3 slices bacon
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 cup grated yellow sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated colby cheese

Cook the bacon in a medium sauce pan until crisp.  Remove from pan, place on paper-towel-lined cutting board.  When drained, chop finely.

Retain the bacon grease in the pan, if there's a whole lot then you can remove some.  You only want a teaspoon or two's worth, which is what about three bacon strips will give you.  Throw in the chopped onion and saute until translucent.  Be sure to scrape up all those crusty bits on the bottom of the pan leftover from the bacon...mmmm...that's the flavor right there.

Add flour and butter, whisking constantly to create a roux.

Reduce to medium heat, and add heavy cream and chicken stock. Add cheeses in increments, stirring constantly so cheese does not stick to the bottom of the pan.  [I would recommend using a roux or flat whisk (like this) or a gravy or sauce whisk like I'm using in the picture below.]

Reduce to low-medium heat, and let simmer for 15 minutes, or until thick. Stir occasionally.

You can add salt and pepper to taste, if needed. I found that the bacon grease adds plenty of flavor, making the need for such seasonings obsolete.  If soup is not as thick as you would like, add flour by the tablespoon, stirring until it thickens.

Add the chopped red pepper and bacon to soup, stirring to mix.  You may save some extra of each for garnish, if that floats your boat.

Let simmer for 5 more minutes.

Serve in soups bowls. And prepare to swoon.

I l-o-v-e-d this soup.  It was rich and creamy and perfect for a cold winter night when you just want to curl up on the couch in your sweats n' fuzzy socks and watch some chick flick like Bridget Jones, Princess Bride or 16 Candles.

Needless to say, this was not a manly man soup.  It has girly written all over it simply because the meat to cheese/veggie ratio isn't nearly high enough.  I'll definitely be making this for myself again in the near future...but as a meal for both David and I?  Not so much.

A Little Chinese Flair...

Happy Monday everyone!  I'm in a super good mood on this first day of the week because, yesterday, my husband decided to perform a rarity.  He cooked us dinner last night! 

Now, most of the time David-prepared meals include either a steak or some brats.  However, last night he decided to utilize his special skills by preparing his utmost specialty in the kitchen, General Tso's Chicken!  To view the recipe David uses, simply click here (his only tweak includes adding ginger to the sauce mixture). 

David says this recipe actually tastes better than any General Tso's that he's ordered in a restaurant before...and I'm not about to argue with him on that one.  I mean seriously, can a meal look (and taste) any more delicious than this?

(David's plate)

Or perhaps this?

(my plate)

Keeping with mood of this post, I thought I'd share my review for one of my most recent reads.  I grew up reading and watching the movie, The Joy Luck Club.  It's wonderful, so when I saw another Amy Tan book a few years ago at the library book sale, I snatched it up.  This book was The Bonesetter's Daughter.

The premise of this book involves the relationship between Ruth, an American-born Chinese woman, and her mother, Lu Ling, a Chinese immigrant.  Lu Ling has grown into an elderly state and appears to be suffering the beginning stages of dementia and Alzheimer's.

Kind of like The Joy Luck Club, the daughter doesn't truly know her mother's real story nor does she have a completely happy home life.  Ruth's live-in boyfriend takes advantage of her presence...a classic example of "why buy the cow when you can get the milk for free?"

As the story unfolds, you learn (with Ruth) the true story of her mother's birth and that, perhaps, the dementia isn't quite as advanced as Ruth initially thought.  Lu Ling might simply be sharing certain things that purposefully weren't revealed before for reasons unbeknownst to Ruth until now...

At the conclusion, this book wraps up all the loose ends well, including details about Ruth's grandmother/Lu Ling's mother, THE bonesetter's daughter whom the book is named after.  Ruth's relationship at home is resolved through her struggle to move Lu Ling into a safer home environment.  Tan figuratively sticks a nice, fat bow on top of her story.

I enjoyed this book, although it hasn't become my new favorite Amy Tan work, that ranking still belongs to The Joy Luck Club.  Which, if you haven't read, you need to run out and get.  OR at least watch the movie; one of the better book-to-movie renditions out there.

Asian Roasted Chicken

I hope everyone had a fun and safe Halloween...and entire October for that matter.  It is the most wonderful month of the year...but, I might be slightly biased in that it's my birthday month aaaand marks the beginning of my favorite season, fall.  Plus, after October the best holidays of the year are right around the corner, Thanksgiving and Christmas.  And today actually marks the beginning of my favorite holiday of the two, Thanksgiving.  I love Thanksgiving because the true focus is more on family and being together without that stress and anxiety over gifts, which Christmas can bring.  Luckily, both holidays have tons and tons of delicious comfort food.

Speaking of comfort food, I had a landmark experience in my kitchen this past Sunday.  I roasted an entire chicken for the first time ever.  I know, weird, but true.  I've either (solo and/or assisted) cooked the Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys and hams for years, but never roasted a chicken.  David asked me if I knew how to de-bone a chicken, to which my response referred to having carved up a turkey previously.  I knew there were minor differences, but a bird is a bird...for the most part anyway.

I decided to try out a recipe in my Cooking Light cookbook.  Of course, a recipe for roasted chicken would be in a healthy cookbook, haha!  I followed this recipe pretty closely, since it was my first time...minus the green onions at the end.

Asian Roasted Chicken
Cooking Light (click here for their printable)

1 (3-pound) broiler-fryer chicken
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated peeled fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) can fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth 
1/4 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1/2 cup (2-inch) sliced green onions

Remove and discard giblets and neck from chicken. Rinse chicken with cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, gently pushing between skin and meat. 

Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and broth in a large heavy-duty zip-top plastic bag.

Add chicken; seal and marinate in refrigerator 4 to 8 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Remove chicken from bag, reserving 1/2 cup marinade.

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place chicken, breast side up, on the rack of a broiler pan or roasting pan. Insert meat thermometer into meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone.

Bake at 375° for 1 hour and 10 minutes or until thermometer registers 180°. Cover chicken loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes for chicken to reabsorb juices. Discard skin.

Add 1/2 cup reserved marinade to drippings in pan (you'll have about 1/4 cup drippings), scraping pan to loosen browned bits. Pour marinade mixture into a small saucepan; bring to a boil, and cook 5 minutes. Stir in sesame oil. Cut chicken into quarters. Drizzle with sesame mixture.

Sprinkle with onions (or not, like me).

I really enjoyed this recipe, it had a nice, mild flavor; not overly intense.  David wasn't as enthralled.  But, then again, it's a roasted chicken...not his favorite manly-type meal.  For leftovers, after I had removed all the meat from the carcass and shredded it, I added some mayo turning it into a type of chicken salad.  I ate that within a tortilla for lunch and really enjoyed that as well.  I probably won't be rushing to make this recipe again super soon (I'll want to try a few other roasted chicken recipes first), but I'd definitely say it was good and would be worth you trying out...if you're into roasted chickens, that is.

Cornbread Stuffed Peppers

So, this past week I decided that I really needed to use up all the vegetables that my in-laws left with us from their garden.  I saw this pin and thought this was a really good idea...only instead of using jalapenos, I'd use the big green peppers my FIL gave us.

Source: ohbiteit.com via Crystal on Pinterest

So, I started out with the four beautiful peppers and mixed the cornbread mixture together. 

The cornbread mixture is super easy...I just used Jiffy and mixed up the batter according to the box's instructions.  Then, you add one cup of corn (I used frozen) and one cup of shredded cheddar cheese. 

Next, you want to cut the peppers open length-wise and remove the seeds and membranes.  Then stuff the cornbread mixture into the peppers.  And sprinkle with another 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes, until the cornbread is cooked through and puffy.  I made these on the same night that I made my famous stuffed peppers (a definite Dave's Fave).  So, it was truly a "stuffed pepper night."

I really liked this recipe, but I think next time I'll use my MIL's corn casserole recipe and just stuff that inside the peppers.  It has a creamier consistency...plus David grew up with it and might be slightly jaded to it's flavor.

While this was a recipe I'll be amending for future consumption, I'd definitely say this was a winning food pin on Pinterest!

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Sunday night and all day Monday I was suuuuper sore from The Dirty 30.  You know how when you overdo it, you always feel it the most a couple days afterwards?  Yea.  That was me...but, at least I can find some solace in the fact that I'm one of these people...

Source: koyushoyu.tumblr.com via Crystal on Pinterest

As we march right into fall, I need to really remember this...

Source: healthy-is-the-way-to-go.tumblr.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I believe I mentioned a while back, that for our two year wedding anniversary David and I bought each other road bikes.  Tulsa has an absolutely awesome trail system and I've been utilizing this...A LOT.  In fact, my weekly exercise regime has been approximately two days on the bike and two days in the gym.  I think I'm in love...with my bike.  But, last week I got caught out when the wind was horrendous.  Ever tried to ride a bike in strong winds?  No fun...at all.  And since then it's been kinda windy and kinda cold (at least in the mornings when I work out).  And it's Thursday and the bike has hung on it's rack all this week, getting zero of my attention.  So, maybe tomorrow?  I'll keep the above pinned quote in mind tomorrow when I crawl out of bed.

With all of this exercise and soreness talk, I thought I'd share with you a pretty healthy recipe that I've encountered recently...and love.  I copied this recipe out of my MIL's Cooks Country a while back and haven't had any cucumbers on hand to give it a go.  Well, if you have a home garden...or have a friend or family member who has one...then you've probably noticed a run on cucumbers this year.  My in-laws are covered up in these and peppers.  With the cucumbers they gave me (David doesn't like cucumbers, so yes, they were for me and me alone) I've made two batches of this recipe and have loved every forkful.  

Creamy Cucumber Salad

Cooks Country

3 cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and sliced thin (home-grown cucumbers tend to run smaller/skinnier, so I used 4 and didn't de-seed since there wasn't much to de-seed)

1/2 cup thinly sliced red onion

3 tbs cider vinegar

1/2 cup sour cream (you could easily use Greek yogurt and health-ify this recipe even more)

1/4 cup minced fresh dill

1/3 tsp granulated sugar

salt and pepper

Spread cucumber slices in single layer on paper towel-lined baking sheet; refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Combine onion and vinegar in a bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.

Whisk sour cream (or Greek yogurt), dill, sugar and 1/2 tsp salt together in a large bowl.

Add cucumbers and onion-vinegar mixture, and toss to combine.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Enjoy!

I'm seriously diggin' on this recipe.  In fact, I can't wait for more leftovers tonight with my supper!  Try it out, it's super quick-to-make and super tasty!

Healthy Taquitos!

This past Friday I did something pretty amazing...I got an iPhone.  Specifically, the iPhone 4S.  I'm not one to need the latest and greatest, most cutting-edge technology when it comes to phones.  But, in the past year I've had REALLLLY bad luck with cell phones.  And I don't understand it.  The usage of my cell phone has dropped dramatically, yet the last two phones I have had appeared to be super delicate and started messing up almost immediately.  Could it be a conspiracy amongst the cell phones manufacturers?

I'll bring you up to speed...one month after moving to San Antonio (April 2011) I bought an HTC slide phone.  I'd heard good things about these types of phones.  I bought the hard case to protect it and...lo and behold, two months later the texting stopped working when the phone was vertical.  I had to turn it horizontal ever.single.time to text.  Annoying, yes.  Deal-breaker, no.  Then, when we moved to Tulsa in November (2011), the phone started to mess up even more.  I figured, I only have a few more months to go for an upgrade, I can make it.  In February (2012), I accidentally dropped it (in the case) and the entire screen cracked and went super dim.  I hobbled along for a week or so, but then bought a new Blackberry off eBay.  I figured I just needed it to get me through to April (2012), when I'd claim my yearly upgrade.  April came and went and the Blackberry was suiting me just fine, so I figured I'd keep it for a while longer.  No point in buying it and dumping it just because an upgrade was available.  Then, within the past month/couple weeks it started to act up and I figured I just needed to wait a few more days until the iPhone 5 came out...that way I could get the 4S for cheaper than it was pre-iPhone 5 release.

You know, you hear that once you get an iPhone, you'll never go back.  It's been pretty fantastic thus far...I never realized how much more user-friendly they could be!  And there are sooooo many useful apps.  I figured out this week that there is a Hobby Lobby app, so you don't have to print off their weekly coupon to provide to the cashier.  Rock on.  Let's hope the cell phone honeymoon period here doesn't last a mere 6-9 months like it has with my past two cells.  Cross your fingers for me...it's encased in an Otterbox, so we should be good!

One of the things that's super fantastic about my new iPhone is the camera.  It's way better than any camera phone I've had before...in fact, I decided to take a picture of our supper from Sunday night and Tweet the pic.

Delicious-looking, no?  They were.  Big time.  I got this recipe from Giada's show, "Giada at Home"...also referred to by David as "Boobs at Home."  Have you ever watched this girl?  She's cute and skinny, the daughter of a chef and model, I believe.  The ol' saying goes to never trust a skinny cook, but I like to watch some because I feel they're more healthy.  I can't continuously watch other cooking shows (which shall remain nameless) where every recipe starts with a stick of butter or a cup of whole milk/cream.  At least, if I make a Giada recipe, I know my waist won't be expanding later on that day/evening.

But seriously, look at the girl.  She kinda deserves the nickname David has dubbed her with.  This is the kind of outfit she seems to wear EVERY EPISODE.

But, I digress.  Giada's recipe was delicious and I highly recommend you trying it.  David doesn't even like black beans and still really liked this recipe...of course, I waited until he said it was tasty before I revealed that tidbit of information.

Here's the recipe and if you'd like a quick and easy printable, just click here.

Turkey and Spinach Taquitos

Ingredients

Vegetable oil cooking spray
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, minced
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound ground turkey
1 tablespoon ground cumin
2 packed cups baby spinach leaves, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup mascarpone, at room temperature (8 ounces)
Eighteen 6 1/2-inch-diameter extra-thin or regular corn tortillas
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup shredded white or extra sharp Cheddar (4 ounces)

Serving suggestion: salsa or guacamole

Place an oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F. Spray a heavy nonstick baking sheet with vegetable oil cooking spray. 

For the filling: Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a 12-inch skillet. Cook the onions, salt and pepper, stirring frequently, until soft, about 6 minutes. Add the turkey and cumin. Cook until the turkey is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Add the spinach and cook until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the beans. Mash the beans until smooth, using a fork. Stir in the mascarpone. Place a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush each side of the tortillas with olive oil. Cook the tortillas in batches until warm, about 30 seconds.

Spoon about 1/4 cup of the filling into each tortilla and roll up into a cigar shape. Place the tortillas, seam-side-down, on the baking sheet and sprinkle with Cheddar.

Bake until the Cheddar is melted and the tortillas are crisp and golden, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes and serve with salsa and guacamole.

Witches' Fingers

I pinned this recipe the other day on Pinterest and didn't realize that's what it's actually called, witches' fingers. 

Source: foodgawker.com via Crystal on Pinterest

I just thought they looked good...so I decided to try them out.  It wasn't until I clicked on the blog post via Pinterest to see if there were any special instructions on how to construct these little guys that I noticed the title.  This name is kind of gross, but when it's near Halloween?  Why not?

I decided to make my own for lunch today.  The original recipe says to toss the avocados in lemon or lime juice and to use salt, pepper and chili powder.  Since I was eating these immediately, I didn't do any of that.  But, if you want to make these for a party or if you're not going to be scarfing them immediately, I suggest you follow her recipe (click here).

I started out by slicing and scooping out my avocado slices.

Then, I ripped some prosciutto slices in half, laid them on the cutting board.  One at a time, I stuffed the avocados slices with goat cheese and placed them on the end of a prosciutto slice.

Roll 'em up and arrange them on a plate.

 

Enjoy!  These were quite delicious.  When you combine the saltiness of the prosciutto, the creaminess of the avocado and the tartness of the cheese...mmmm, divine.  I highly recommend these, but only if you have foodie friends that enjoy this kinda thing.  David would never like this nor would a few of my less-than-adventurous friends I'm thinking of right now.  

I will definitely be making this quick and dirty lunch again...so easy to throw together!  The only thing I would change is the size of the slices of prosciutto.  I'll definitely be ripping/slicing skinnier pieces next time so that the meat goes a little farther and doesn't overwhelm the other two ingredients as much.

Spicy Shrimp

You might not have noticed, but I've added a few handy dandy tabs across the top of my blog.  While I was working on one last week, Dave's Faves, I discovered that one of my husband's favorite meals was not listed on my blog.  So, I decided that I needed to remedy that oversight immediately.

We're kinda big on shrimp around this household.  All three of us love them.  Molly especially; it's her favorite food.  What, don't believe me?  Well, let me give you a few reasons why I know this for a fact.  One, it's one of two types of food that she will drool for (the other is ice cream).  Two, she will indignantly bark at your feet while you are either peeling or cooking them.  Three, when David grills them she will purposefully get underfoot in hopes of him tripping and dropping delicious morsels on either end of the transportation route between kitchen and outside grill.  And four, she will beg shameless putting on her best teary-eyed expression and throwing in the periodic cold nose nudge.  Needless to say, when shrimp are on the menu, it's an experience in this house.  Such is the case when I make this recipe.

I found this particular recipe a while back on Souffle Bombay's blog.  You can view her original post about this recipe by clicking here.  I always cut the recipe in half (unless we have guests) and I cut down on the seasonings a bit.  But, it's almost exactly the same recipe otherwise.

Spicy Shrimp
adapted from Souffle Bombay

1 pound of raw shrimp (don't get the small guys, get big ones!)
a little more than 1/4 cup light olive oil
a little more than 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning - I use Old Bay
1/4 cup sesame oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
Tabasco - shake it until it fits the mood you're in...in my case, a lot
Cayenne pepper - again, shake it until it fits the mood you're in

Peel shrimp, remove the tails and pat dry.  Combine all ingredients except shrimp and whisk until fully incorporated.

Throw the shrimp into the marinade and stir around until they are all coated.
You can let the shrimp marinate for 30 minutes to an hour. Not much longer than that.

Skewer the shrimp onto metal or wooden skewers.

 

Cook on the grill for about 2 to 3 minutes per side - until all are pinked up and cooked through with a nice char. 

Remove the shrimp from the skewers and enjoy!