Surviving the Kitchen

Help Raise $20,000 for Share Our Strength!

2011-07-19T19:10:00.000-07:00

As a FoodBuzz Featured Publisher I'm often approached with unique opportunities, not only to introduce you guys to new food products but also to promote charity organizations like Share Our Strength. They are a wonderful organization who has pledged to fight childhood hunger in America and are behind such campaigns like the Great American Bake Sale. As a mom I am honored to help in their campaign, not only are they fighting to end hunger but they are making sure children are getting the nutrition they need to learn, grow and thrive. I'm asking you to help their campaign and you don't even have to leave the computer, with just the click of your mouse you too can help fight to end childhood hunger.

Yahoo! is donating $20,000 to the charity on behalf of the Foodbuzz community and all the people who made Yahoo! their homepage.

All you have to do is click on this link to set your homepage to Yahoo! and you're supporting Share Our Strength.

Also, be sure to check out Share our Strength's website to learn more about what you can do to end childhood hunger
:)

I'm back!

2011-03-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

After a brief hiatus, due to my sweet baby making his arrival into this world and taking a few months off to get settled into my new role as mom, Surviving the Kitchen is back!

Thanks for sticking with me and continuing to visit my blog during my absence, it's much appreciated!

Now let's get back to cooking!

FOODBUZZ Tastemaker

2011-03-10T21:00:00.000-08:00

As a part of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program, I was invited to try Alexia products, so I opted to take advantage of it and boy am I glad I did. Not only are Alexia products delicious but they are also all natural, you can't beat that! I tried the Olive Oil, Rosemary, & Garlic Oven Fries, they went great with some marinated chicken fresh off the grill!

Be sure to check out this all-natural line of frozen veggies, potatoes, sweet potatoes and other items yourself, they are in your grocciers freezer! Be sure to visit the Alexia website to get a $1 off coupon :)
http://alexiafoods.com/coupon.jsp

Big thanks to Foodbuzz for this unique opportunity and thank you to Alexia for sending me an awesome new apron and product coupon.

Mushrooms and Scallops over Linguine

2010-11-01T15:50:00.000-07:00

Scallops are a quick and easy seafood that can be prepared in a variety of ways. It just so happens that scallops are my favorite seafood, I love seafood and I love pasta, but most of all I love when they are combinded together. This dish is the perfect marriage of the two.

Serves 2 with a little leftover.

Ingredients:

1 (16 ounces) box linguine

1/2 lb of scallops (either bay or sea)

1/4 cup sliced baby bella mushrooms

tablespoon of olive oil

2 tablespoons of butter

1/3 cup Heavy Cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons chopped Parsley

Splash White Wine

Begin to boil water in large pot and cook pasta as directed on box. While pasta is cooking, heat olive oil in large skillet, add in1 TBSP butter, scallops and mushrooms, and saute until cooked through. Once cooked remove from heat. In a small saucepan on low heat, add remaining butter and stir in heavy cream, next add in garlic, parsley, and the wine. Once the sauce starts to thicken add in the scallops and mushrooms. By this time the pasta should be ready to drain. Now it's ready to serve, pour the scallop and mushroom sauce over the pasta and top with your choice of cheeses and ENJOY!

*for a shortcut you could use store bought refrigerated Alfredo sauce.

Review & Giveaway: Pillsbury Sweet Moments

2010-10-13T10:53:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Pillsbury Sweet Moments Bite Size Brownies and Molten Lava Brownies at the grocery store yet? I picked up some of the Chocolate Carmel Bite Size Brownies yesterday and they are delicious! The perfect little sweet afternoon pick me up that's already ready to eat and the best part is they are only 60 calories per brownie! :)

They come in a package like this, and are hiding out next to the cookie dough

I didn't get a chance to try the Molten Lava Brownies that you heat in the microwave because they were all out at my store... evidently people in my neck-of-the-woods have already picked up on this sweet treat! Don't they just look Divine:

During the month of October you can deliver a special "Sweet Moments" to someone who you know could use an indulgent escape, by stopping by Pillsbury.com and Pillsbury´s Facebook page to send a special e-card with a coupon for $1.50 off one package of Pillsbury Sweet Moments Brownies and you´ll even receive another coupon for yourself. :)

One Surviving the Kitchen reader will win a Sweet Moments Gift Pack compliments of MyBlogSpark and Pillsbury, your gift pack includes: a free product coupon, T-shirt, an adorable bird pendant necklace and a set of magnets. Just leave me a comment telling me who you would send a "Sweet Moment" to.

~~Giveaway ends Friday, October 29th~~

Winner chosen using Random.Org:

Nicole @ BusyGirlBlog

Disclosure: The Pillsbury Sweet Moments, prize pack, information and additional prize pack to give away were all given to me from Pillsbury through MyBlogSpark. All opinions are my own.

Tilapia Piccata

2010-09-07T19:23:00.000-07:00

This meal was easy to make and delicious as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

What You Need for Tilapia Piccata:

2-3 tilapia fillets

sea salt and black pepper

splash of olive oil

about a tablespoon butter

splash of white wine

1/4 cup chicken stock

lemon (use half for juice and cut the other half into slices)

2 tablespoons capers

about a tablespoon butter

Heat olive oil and butter in your pan over medium heat, meanwhile season your fish with the salt and pepper. Add your fish to the pan and fry until they are a nice golden brown on each side, remove from heat. Add a splash of wine to deglaze your pan and pour a glass for yourself :)

Add the chicken stock, lemon juice, and capers to the pan, let simmer for a minute or two until liquid reduces by half. Add the butter to thicken up the sauce. Pour sauce over fish and garnish with lemon slices.

I prefer my fish served over rice and then topped off with the sauce but you can omit the rice if you would like.

And the winner is...

2010-08-26T07:41:00.000-07:00

Big thanks to all who participated in the Macaroni Grill Giveaway, as well as MyBlogSpark for providing the prize pack! :)

Remember you can always 'Like' Macaroni Grill on Facebook and 'Follow' them on Twitter to get the latest information!

Tammy

You have won the Macaroni Grill Prize Pack!

Please contact me via email (sammy@survivingthekitchenblog.com) with your address within 48 hours or a new winner will be chosen.

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend!

Homemade Egg Rolls

2010-08-19T07:28:00.000-07:00

The other day after watching Iron Chef, I had an urge to make homemade egg rolls. It's a lot easier than you think and you can freeze some to have as a ready-to-go snack!

Here's what you need:
1 lb ground beef (or pork)
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 cups coleslaw mix
3 green onions, finely chopped
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
vegetable oil
Stir-fry meat or tofu and ginger in wide skillet over high heat until lightly browned. Next, add coleslaw mix and green onions, cooking for about 2 minutes. Then, stir in oyster sauce and allow mixture to cool. Now for the rolling/folding, use about two tablespoons filling for each egg roll, nothing more or you won't be able to roll them.

To fold:
1. Place filling diagonally on wrapper.

2. Fold corner over filling; roll snugly half-way to cover filling.

3. Fold up both sides snugly against filling; moisten edges of last flap with a little bit of water.

4. Roll over flap to seal; lay flap-side down.

After rolling you can either freeze or fry the egg rolls.

Frying: Deep-fry at 350 degrees, turning occasionally, until golden, 2-3 minutes. Drain on paper towels, let cool and enjoy!

Freezing: If you want to save some, freeze them immediately after you roll them up. Line them up on a cookie sheet and freeze, after they are frozen you can put them in a zippy bag. When you are ready to cook them, just fry them frozen.

This makes about 20 egg rolls. I served mine with soy sauce, store-bought duck sauce, and homemade special sauce.

Special Sauce:
6 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sugar

To make the dipping sauce, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and sugar in a small bowl. Stir well, makes a half a cup.

Enjoy!

Review & Giveaway: Macaroni Grill Frozen Entree

2010-08-18T11:23:00.000-07:00

Recently, I was sent a Macaroni Grill Frozen Entrée to try out. I sampled the Basil Parmesan Chicken, it was really easy to make as well as tasty. It was full of grilled white meat chicken, broccoli florets and tomatoes with cavatappi pasta tossed in a flavorful creamy basil parmesan sauce. It only took about 15 minutes to heat up and the only additional requirements was a 1/4 cup of milk! Full of flavor, quick to make, and a one-skillet meal... the perfect combination for a busy weeknight!

It was just enough for two people, very hearty and filling.

Doesn't that look tasty!

Macaroni Grill frozen entrées come in four varieties that are available in the freezer section of your local grocery store. It's like having a restaurant meal at home, kinda like take out without the drive or wait! :)

Check out Macaroni Grill on Facebook and Macaroni Grill on Twitter to keep up with the latest news about the restaurant and their products!

GIVEAWAY

Would you like to win a sample Macaroni Grill Prize Pack? It includes one frozen sample, along with a serving bowl and pasta tongs courtesy of Macaroni Grill and My Blog Spark.

To enter the giveaway, leave me a comment telling me which of the following frozen entrees you’d like to try:

Basil Parmesan Chicken
Grilled Chicken Florentine
Roasted Garlic Shrimp Scampi
Spicy Italian Sausage Pomodoro

This giveaway is open to anyone in the United States and will be open until Wednesday August 25th, 2010. One winner will be chosen by a random number generator at Random.org, and will be emailed. The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize or a new winner will be chosen.

Disclaimer: Macaroni Grill provided the free product, information, and prize pack through MyBlogSpark.

Cornish Hens: Easy but Fancy

2010-08-09T12:30:00.000-07:00

I made Cornish Hens for the first time last night and they were delish! I looked at a few of my cookbooks and some recipe sites online then concocted my own little version. This dish is perfect for two, but easily doubled for a dinner party. I served it with mashed sweet potatoes, garlic green beans, and a mini baguette.

Here's what you need:

2 Cornish Hens

olive oil
salt and pepper
half of a lemon, quartered
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
12 cloves garlic (yes, you read that right!)

1/3 cup chicken stock

Preheat oven to 450. Rinse hens with cold water and pat dry. Rub a splash olive oil on hens and season with salt and pepper. Stuff one lemon wedge and rosemary spring (in 'u' shape) into each cavity. Place in roasting pan and add garlic around the hens. (see picture below) Roast for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile whisk together chicken stock and a splash of olive oil. Reduce oven temp to 350 and pour mixture over hens. Cook for additional 25 minutes, baste with pan juices as necessary. When the hens are golden brown they are done.

If you want a sauce, you can boil down pan juices after you are finished cooking. And that's all there is to it! I told you easy but fancy! :)

Lobster Ravioli with Homemade Sauce

2010-07-21T14:53:00.000-07:00

Sometimes it's okay to cut some corners, especially when it comes to making ravioli. For this recipe I used a store bought refrigerated Lobster Ravioli, and made a homemade white sauce. It was tasty, plus very quick and easy, as it was on the table in 20 minutes.

Cook ravioli according to directions on the package, it should take about 4 minutes on a low boil.

Next, make the sauce while you allow the ravioli to cool.

about 2 tablespoons of butter

1/4 cup chopped shallot

carrot, thinly sliced

tablespoon of tomato puree

cup of lobster stock (or chicken or shrimp stock)

1/2 cup Champagne
3/4 cups heavy cream

Saute the shallot and carrot in butter until shallots become translucent. Add tomato puree, stock and champagne, reduce to a simmer for about 5 minutes or until mixture reduces to about half. Then stir in cream, allow sauce to thicken then strain to remove carrots and shallots.

Finally, toss ravioli with sauce and serve.

Baked Spaghetti

2010-06-18T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here's my take on my mom's recipe... It's delicious and makes enough for leftovers (and nothing is better than leftover baked spaghetti- yum!).

Ingredients you need:
1 box spaghetti noddles
1 jar store bought tomato-basil pasta sauce
half a bag of finely shredded mozzarella cheese
about 1 lb of ground beef
about 1/4 cup onions (finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
olive oil
fresh basil (dried works too)
fresh thyme (dried works too)
fresh oregano (dried works too)
a shake of crushed red pepper

Cookware you need:
spaghetti pot or large stock pot
medium-large saucepan
9x12 glass baking dish
tin foil

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Start off by cooking your pasta, remember to go with the instructions on your box for cooking times because not all spaghetti noodles cook the same. I add some salt and a splash of olive oil to prevent sticking...
Now for the sauce, I used a medium size saucepan. Added a splash of olive oil and saute the garlic and onions for about 5 minutes over medium-high, add in your ground beef and cook until brown and crumbly. Add in your jar of pasta sauce and reduce to a simmer. I have a herb garden now and decided to use that to flavor my sauce. I lightly chopped the leaves of my herbs and tossed them in, along with a shake or two of red pepper to 'add some spice'. I let my sauce simmer for about 8 minutes...
Meanwhile drain the pasta and grease your baking dish with some olive oil.
After your pasta has been drained, return to it's pot and mix in the pasta sauce.
Add about half of the spaghetti mixture to the baking dish and top with mozarella. (You can add any cheese you would like at this point, I added some leftover fontina and gruyère that was hiding out in my fridge)
Finish with the remaining spaghetti mixture and lightly top with cheese. Cover with foil and place in oven for 20 minutes, remove foil and bake an additional 5 minutes until cheese is bubbly. Let cool a little then serve.
YUM!

**sorry for such small pictures, my camera is MIA (well, I think it's at my parent's house.) and these were taken from my cellphone.

And The Winner Is...

2010-06-07T07:41:00.000-07:00

Natalie

You have won the Wanchai Ferry Prize Pack!
Please respond to my email sometime this week to claim your prize.

Big thanks to everyone who participated!

Have a great rest of the week!

Review & Giveaway: Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli

2010-06-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Last week I received the coolest item in the mail...a frozen meal for two along with a fun prize pack of two tea sets, all thanks to MyBlogSpark.

The newest Wanchai Ferry flavor, Beef & Broccoli, is the first beef dish in their line of great-tasting, complete Chinese meals for two. Ready to serve in only 14 minutes, Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli comes with tender beef strips, and an assortment of Asian-style vegetables, including broccoli florets, red peppers and water chestnuts. It even includes rice and a rich brown sauce accented with soy and garlic for an authentic flavor experience.

The Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli meal for two was the perfect meal for a day when I worked late. It was easy to have ready, and only took about three steps. All I had to do was pour the meat and veggies into a skillet with some water and let it cook for a bit. Then add the sauce and saute, meanwhile pop the rice packet in the microwave.

Everything should be done at exactly the same time and ready to serve.

This meal had the perfect portions for two adults and it was really tasty! We both decided we would love to have this meal again. I highly recommend you try it and see for yourself. It's a delicious meal that comes together faster than it would take to get take-out! :)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Everyone can get a $1.60 off coupon available here so you can try your own Wanchai Ferry frozen entrée. Be sure to try the two additional new flavors of Wanchai Ferry frozen entrées, Kung Pao Chicken and Szechuan Style Chicken, which will soon join five other delicious varieties including Orange Chicken, Shrimp Lo Mein, Spicy Garlic Chicken and Sweet & Sour Chicken. Additionally, all of the entrées have no added MSG! Also, check out their website for meal tips to enhance your Wanchai Ferry frozen entrée.

One lucky reader will win their own Wanchai Ferry Beef & Broccoli Prize Pack that includes one VIP coupon and two tea sets, thanks to Wanchai Ferry and MyBlogSpark.

To enter you must be a follower of my blog and post a comment with an Asian meal you would like to see as part of the Wanchai Ferry lineup.

Giveaway ends Saturday June 5th at 11:59PM

(winners will be chosen via random.org)

Wanchai Ferry provided myself with the product, information, and prize pack, as well as, providing one reader a prize pack, through MyBlogSpark. All opinons are my own.

Piggies in a Blanket!

2010-05-22T12:43:00.000-07:00

We love these little guys! So tasty the perfect snack for appetizer night! :)

2 cans refrigerated crescent dinner rolls (I used Pillsbury, they usually have coupons and are on sale)

1 pkg cocktail-sized smoked link sausages (I used the beef Lil smokies)

Heat oven to 375°F. Unroll both cans of the dough, then separate the preferated triangles and cut each triangle into three mini triangles. Place sausage on shortest side of each triangle and roll them towards the other end. Place on two ungreased cookie sheets and bake for about 12 minutes. Remove from sheet and serve immediately.

We put about different mustards out to have as dippers. Usually Spicy, Djonn, Honey, and Yellow; but it just depends whasts in the fridge. :)

Menu Plan Monday ~ May 17th

2010-05-17T01:51:00.000-07:00

Here's What's Cooking In My Kitchen:

Monday: Dinner Out (Olive Garden)

Tuesday: Taco Night yum! with my homemade salsa hopefully with some local veggies from the neighbor's garden, if the peppers are ready

Wednesday: my mom's Baked Spaghetti, (recipe to come)

Thursday: Breakfast for Dinner

Friday: Appetizers and Leftovers

Saturday & Sunday: Out of Town

Afternoon Snack Wrap

2010-05-13T12:08:00.000-07:00

Need an afternoon energy boost that's not in the form of a drink!

How about an easy tasty and nutritious wrap!

I used some ingredients that are always found in my house to make this delicious snack!

All you need is:

- wrap (I used sun-dried tomato, but any flavor can be used)

- a handful of diced cucumbers

-a handful of diced tomatoes

- feta cheese (to your liking)

- one tablespoon plain Greek yogurt (or just plain yogurt)

- hummus

Spread a generous portion of hummus on your wrap, then add the veggies and feta cheese to the middle. Then top with the yogurt. Then fold your wrap: Fold in one side of the wrap just past the center; be sure to cover the filling entirely with the wrap, then fold in the other side of the wrap to overlap the first side. Enjoy :)

And the Winner is....

2010-05-12T07:46:00.000-07:00

There were 76 entries and I used random.org to find the winner... which is #27!

Congratulations Stephanie

You have 24 hours to respond to my email for your $50 gift certificate!

Big thanks CSNstores for providing me with this wonderful giveaway and to allwho entered!

Menu Plan Monday: May 10th

2010-05-10T11:06:00.000-07:00

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen this week!

Monday: Pizza Night
Tuesday: Dinner cooked by Adam's dad, some sort of Moroccan Chicken (I'll take pictures for yall)

Wednesday: Manicotti with Red Sauce
Thursday: 15 Minute Mussels from SteamyKitchen with a garden salad

Friday: Grilling Out (not sure on the entree but Corn on the Grill, Grilled Zucchini Bites, and Potatoes, will be on the menu)
Saturday: Date Night
Sunday: Leftovers

Visit OrgJunkie for more menus and inspiration!

$50 Gift Certificate Giveaway

2010-05-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

As promised, here's the first giveaway ever on Surviving the Kitchen!

Here is your chance to win a $50 gift certificate to use as you wish on any of CSN Stores websites where they have bar furniture, bedding, cookware, baby items, and even stuff for your pets!

Here's a few things on my wishlist that I found on their website!

Le Creuset 9" Square Baking Dish with Bonus 5" Baking Dish in Caribbean

Emile Henry 2.6 Qt Tagine in Red Flame

Rachael Ray Cast Iron 1.5-Quart Fondue Set

One (1) Surviving the Kitchen reader will win a $50 gift certificate to CSNstores to use in any of their 200+ stores!

Mandatory Entry:

Be a Follower of Surviving the Kitchen

Visit CSNstores.com & tell me what you would buy using the gift certificate

Extra entries (seperate comment for each):
-Follow me @TheSassyChef on Twitter

-Follow @CSNstores on Twitter

-Tweet about this Giveaway

(you can use the re-tweet button at the top of the post)

-Grab my Button and Place it on Your Blog (2 entries)

- Blog about this Giveaway (3 entries)

Giveaway Open Until 5/11/2010 at 11:59pm

Winner will be chose using random.org

Good Luck!

Be On the Look-out!

2010-05-04T12:36:00.000-07:00

Do you know where you can find everything from everything from bar furniture to bedding, cookware to cribs, and even home decor? Well that would be CSN Stores. The best way I can describe them is a 'virtual mall', they have over 200 individual stores that have just about everything under the sun.

Lucky for you guys, CSNstores.com contacted me to do a giveaway!
One (1) Surviving the Kitchen reader will win a one-time-use $50 gift certificate for you to use as you wish on any of their 200+ websites! Go ahead and start looking around their site, I promise you won't be disappointed with the selections they have to offer.

Be sure to look for the post tomorrow morning to enter the giveaway!

Winner will be chose using random.org

Menu Planning Monday: May 3rd

2010-05-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

Now that session is over and my life has slowed down = no more long hours at work, I'm back in the swing of things and can enjoy my meals at home! Here's what's cooking in my kitchen this week:

Monday: Taco Night (get your supplies at Publix, they have BOGO on everything you need for tacos!)

Tuesday: store-bought Lobster Ravioli with homemade sauce, served with house salad

Wednesday: Breakfast for Dinner, my stuffed French toast and trying Eggs Benedict

Thursday: Grilling out! (Adam's cooking)

Friday - Sunday: Mother's Day/My Brother's Birthday Weekend at my parent's house

(Some years, like this one, my brother's birthday is on Mother's day and my birthday is on Father's day so we have a weekend family celebration)

Visit OrgJunkie for more menus and inspiration!

You Can Win: Ice Cream Maker!

2010-04-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

My lovely bloggy friend SnoWhite over at Finding Joy in My Kitchen is having a really cool giveaway that is just in time for summer! She's giving away not one, but TWO Cuisinart Automatic Ice Cream Makers from CNS stores! How cool is that!? All you have to do is head over here and enter to win! Good Luck!

Menu Planning Monday: April 19th

2010-04-19T09:13:00.000-07:00

Monday: Dinner Out or Leftovers depending on how late I'm at work
Tuesday: My Egg Drop Soup and Gyoza, Hot & Sour Soup by Simple Recipes and Sesame Chicken from SugarCrafter
Wednesday: Pizza at Home
Thursday: Picking up a deli rotisserie meal, easy $10 dinner and can use leftover for tomorrow!
Friday: Chicken Alfredo Bake
Saturday: Chicken Tetrazinni
Sunday: Cookout

Check out more menus over at OrgJunkie!

Menu Planning Monday: April 12

2010-04-12T07:11:00.000-07:00

Check out Laura's post over on Org Junkie for this weeks link-up full of awesome Menu Plans!

Here's what's cooking in my kitchen this week:

Monday: Tacos, easy and tasty! (cooking up extra ground beef for tomorrow's meal)
Tuesday: Last Minute Ziti
Wednesday: leftovers, since it's a busy night!
Thursday: Breakfast for dinner, I love this! Sun-dried Tomato Scramble and trying out my new juicer! :)
Friday: For the love of cooking's Beef Pot Pie (moved from last week)
Saturday & Sunday: out of town, going to visit some friends and go to Ikea!! :)

Check out these Menus with Recipes by some lovely blog friends: SweetPea, Jessica, and Snowhite

Pizza at Home

2010-04-09T11:16:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick way to fancy up one of those take & bake pizzas they have a Sam's Club!

The cheese pizzas we're just $4 the other day

I looked around the kitchen and grabbed the following items: a block of cheddar cheese, some fresh tomatoes, jalapenos, and green peppers. I thinly sliced tomatoes, chopped the jalapenos and green peppers, and then laid them out on the pizza. I didn't put that many jalapenos on one side since I'm not a huge fan of them on my pizza, so I added extra cheese on it. Then, grated the cheese right over the top of the pizza. Then placed it in the over for the time that the box stated, (12-15 minutes).

And here's the pizza right out of the oven!

Yummy!

See simple way to dress up a pizza with ingredients you already have on hand.

It's easy to add leftover chicken or ground beef, as well as any cheese or veggies you want.

Kefta (Middle Eastern Meatball) Sandwich

2010-04-08T14:25:00.000-07:00

Sneak peek...

A Sandwich that's a Meal in Itself!

Recipe coming Friday :)

Yum!

What is Fresh this Spring!

2010-04-06T08:38:00.000-07:00

Springtime is the best time for FRESH veggies and fruit. I took a trip to my local flea/farmers market and purchased one grocery bag full some 'right off the truck' veggies for under $8. The trick to buying local produce is to know what's in season ahead of time! We purchased tomatoes, carrots, a variety of peppers, radishes, and some fresh limes.

Here's a quick list of what to buy this spring:
-Carrots (very tasty, and easy to grow in your yard)
-Peas (yum!)
-Asparagus
-Artichokes (which I've tried to work with but have been unsuccessful, if you have a tip let me know!)
-Strawberries (easy to grow yourself!)
-Blueberries (I love to go handpick them!)

Find local farms, Farmer's Markets, Co-Ops, U-Pick-Em farms in your area here

Tallahassee Area:
-Tallahassee Farmers' Market at Market Square in Tallahassee, Saturday Mornings
-Lake Ella Growers' Market at Lake Ella in Tallahassee, Wednesday 3-6pm
-You Pick Blueberries: Green Meadows Farm in Monticello, June Only

Menu Planning Monday: April 5th

2010-04-05T08:37:00.000-07:00

Hope everyone had a blessed Easter with their family and friends!

Here's what is cooking in my kitchen:

Monday: Cheater Lasagna with Tossed Salad

Tuesday: For the love of cooking's Beef Pot Pie

Wednesday: Chicken Breast with cajun spices on the grill with grilled veggies

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Cookout with some friends, weather permitting

Saturday: Date Night

Sunday: Leftovers or Breakfast for Dinner

Head on over to OrgJunkie for more menus and great recipes for your week!

Menu Planning Monday: March 29th

2010-03-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Can you believe it's almost Easter! I'm very excited, it's one of my favorite holidays and times to be a church with family and friends. We'll be heading to my hometown to spend time with my parents and my brother is going to be there too! I cannot wait :)

Monday: Baked Chicken over rice EDIT: chicken wasn't defrosted so we switched to Tuesday's Pizza night, and made it a Meatless Monday meal, YUM!

Tuesday: Pizza Night, taking a store bought Sam's Club cheese pizza and adding our own veggies plus leftover chicken from Monday EDIT: Monday's Meal will be for today.

Wednesday: Steaks with veggies and potatoes on the grill

Thursday: Kefta (Moroccan meatballs) on French Bagettes with Hummus and Moroccan Salad or Kefta stuffed poblano peppers ... can you tell it's Adam's night to cook

Friday - Sunday: Enjoying some home cooking with my mom, not sure what we will be making as she hasn't shared the menu yet.

I hope you have a delightful Easter with your family as well!

Remember to stop by OrgJunkie to find recipes and menu plans, don't forget to link up your menu there as well!

Kebabs!

2010-03-27T17:31:00.000-07:00

Meat on a stick! What is better than meat on a stick! I love kebabs and they are so easy to make. You can make your own beef chunks using beef top sirloin or by the ready to go beef chunks from the meat department at your local grocery store. Then add some veggies and throw those babies on the grill. Here's my recipe for some tasty kebabs!

Marinate your meat the mixture below for at least 2 hours (longer for tougher cuts of meat):
2 tablespoons minced garlic
4 tablespoons olive oil
3 teaspoons ground cumin
2 teaspoons paprika
2 small yellow onions (diced)
juice of a lemon
1 tablespoon fresh parsley
salt & pepper

Take your marinated meat and place on kebabs, remember to add bell pepper, mushrooms, and onions, too!

Place on grill for 20 minutes, turning every so often so all sides are cooked evenly.

When finished cooking, allow the kebabs to cool and remove meat and veggies from sticks if you wish or eat them right off them.

Corn On The Grill

2010-03-26T08:11:00.000-07:00

I love corn on the cob, but I don't eat it off the cob... I take it off with a knife, ha. It's so tasty and there is nothing like a good cookout to welcome springtime! My favorite way to cook corn is on the grill, it's just so tasty! Plus, I have the perfect way to make sure you always have tasty golden buttery corn each time you grill.

It's three main steps, that's it.

Fill a baking pan full of water, add about 1 tablespoon of salt per cob. Submurge the corn into the pan with the husk still on, let sit for about 30-45 minutes.

Remove the corn from the water and shake dry. Remove the first layer of husk on the out side, and peel the others down so your corn looks like this... (make sure to remove all the little 'hairs' too)

Now butter the corn with margrine or soft butter (the kind in a tub). Use your fingers, it's easier and gets the butter into the groves. Now fold the husk back up to protect the corn. Place on the outter sides of the grill so you can cook the rest of your meal in the middle. Turn the corn every 10 minutes or so and by the time you are done grilling the rest of your meal (45-50 minutes) your corn should be ready!

Remove from grill, allow to cool and then remove husk to serve!

Delicious corn everytime!

Moroccan Salad

2010-03-26T07:20:00.000-07:00

This is Adam's version of a tasty and refreshing side or appetizer.

4 medium tomatoes (chopped)
1 large yellow onion (chopped)
1 medium cucumber (diced)
1 garlic clove (minced, or finely chopped)
Handful of fresh parsley (minced)
about 3 tablespoons olive oil
about 1 tablespoons white vinegar
salt & pepper to taste

Place tomatoes, onion, cucumber, garlic, and parsley into bowl. Mix well, and place in the fridge for 30 minutes (or longer if you have time). When ready to serve add the oil and vinegar and toss. Season with salt and pepper. And that's it! Serve as a side, or with pita bread.

For a more fancier presentation serve on a iceburg lettuce leaf or on top a bed of baby spinach :)

Hot Tamale Dinner Ware Giveaway!

2010-03-24T08:05:00.000-07:00

Jen's blog 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven, is one the first blogs that I subscribed to and she has a few more blogs that are all amazing in their own way: life in mexico {and other places} a picture a day, 365 Days of TV-Free Toddler Time, and Mega-Family Blogs. Jen is giving away nearly $100 worth of Hot Tamale Dinner Ware... which is really pretty!

This, to be exact...

...and this...

To enter, go HERE! While you are there congratulate her on her newest baby boy, Daniel. He just graced the world with his presence a little over a week ago! :)

Menu Planning Monday: March 22nd

2010-03-22T11:20:00.000-07:00

I am battling a head cold and cough (I'm hoping it's just allergies that are welcoming the spring to my sinus) whatever the case, my brain just isn't thinking food right now. My menu this week is going to be very minimal, with plenty of soup, hot tea & freezer meals week for us over here.

Even though I don't have a menu plan up feel free to head over to OrgJunkie to find some great ideas for this week and some new recipes from everyone who linked up this week!

Cajun Spice Mixture

2010-03-19T07:26:00.000-07:00

I love spicy foods and Cajun seasoning, but I've found that the store-bought kind varies and isn't always spicy enough or is way too spicy. I've started making my own, kinda an adaptation from Emeril's recipe and my own taste buds. This will fit in the average pizza spice/Parmesan cheese spice shaker.

2TBSP paprika
2TBSP salt
2TBSP garlic powder
1TBSP black pepper
1TBSP onion powder
1TBSP Cayenne pepper
1TBSP dried oregano
1TBSP dried thyme

Now this is the basic ingredient list, which will give you a little kick to any chicken or seafood you add this too.

Additionally you may add 1TBSP red pepper flakes, if you want to spice it up. It will make a HUGE difference and will be spicy, spicy, spicy. Which is how I like it :)

Easy Shrimp Pasta

2010-03-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

Here's any easy pasta dish that is tasty and doesn't require many ingredients. I kinda came up with this out of nowhere, I just went with what ingredients were available in my kitchen and came up with this yummy dish that everyone enjoyed.

1/2 a bag of frozen uncooked shrimp (should be near the seafood section)
Cajun Spice Mixture (I make my own but you can use store bought)
olive oil
1 TBSP minced garlic
1/2 jar store bought vodka pasta sauce
8oz can tomato sauce
a shake of dried basil
a shake of dried thyme
1/2 box penne pasta

Cook pasta as instructed on box.
Place shrimp in strainer and run cold water over them (peel & deveine if needed). Pat dry shrimp and place in small bowl, season heavily with spice mixture.
Heat olive oil in medium skillet, add half the garlic, saute until fragrant over medium-high heat. Add in shrimp, cook until slightly pink (shrimp cooks fast, and you don't want to over cook it). Remove shrimp and set aside. Reduce heat to medium-low, add in pasta sauce, tomato sauce, basil, thyme, and the rest of the garlic. Allow to simmer for about 5 minutes, then add in shrimp.
By now your pasta should be done, drain pasta and add to skillet. Mix sauce and pasta together. Take a sample bite to test your spices, add more Cajun mix if you want. When your ready to serve top with shredded Italian cheese mixture or shredded Parmesan.

(Sorry about the bad picture quality my digital camera has decided it wants to remain stuck open- I have the worst luck with camera's, so this is a from my phone)

Happy St Patty's Day

2010-03-17T07:35:00.000-07:00

Happy St. Patrick's Day

The day when everybody is IRISH!

May your blessings outnumber
The shamrocks that grow,
And may trouble avoid you
Wherever you go.
-Irish Blessing

I hope you all enjoy drinking green beer, doing Irish Car Bombs, eating some Guinness cupcakes and celebrating this lovely holiday with your friends and family! Here's a few drink recipes if your having a party at home :)

Irish Car Bombs
1/2 shot Bailey's Irish Cream
1/2 shot Jameson Irish Whiskey
3/4 pint of Guinness
Add the Bailey's and Jameson to a shot glass, layering the Bailey's on the bottom. Pour the Guinness into a pint glass 3/4 of the way full and let settle. Drop the shot glass into the Guinness and chug! *seriously chug it or it will curdle and taste gross! haha

Mini Guinness
Fill a shot glass about 3/4 of the way with Kahlua, and top with Bailey's.
It looks like a baby Guinness beer, but has a chocolate/coffee taste :)

Black and Tan
1/2 Bass (pale ale)
1/2 Guinness
Pour the pale ale into a pint glass, then flip a teaspoon over and slowly pour the Guinness over it to layer it in the glass. *You can use Harp instead of Bass but it's called a Half & Half in America.

Menu Planning Monday: March 15th

2010-03-15T13:33:00.000-07:00

A little late getting this posted, I'm gonna blame it on the time change-haha.

This week isn't too busy but since there's more daylight I've picked a few nights of easy recipes I can make ahead that will be ready to pop in the oven when I get home from work! So, here's what's cooking in my kitchen this week...

Monday: Dinner Out

Tuesday: My Take on Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy

Wed=St. Patrick's Day: Corned Beef if I can make it right, this is my first try! or Zesty Italian with Caesar Salad as a back up :)

Thursday: Turkey-Ricotta Pasta Bake

Friday & Saturday: Out of Town, visiting family :)

Sunday: Breakfast for Dinner

For more menu plans and for tips on getting started on your own menu plan check out OrgJunkie! This week she even posted a giveaway!

Not Your Usual Creamed Corn

2010-03-10T13:43:00.000-08:00

Simple, yet tasty! My favorite way to make creamed corn!

Here's what you need:

1 can whole kernel corn and 1/2 block of cream cheese, that's it!

Just drain the corn and heat on stove over medium heat for about 4 minutes.

Add cream cheese and stir until it's melted and mixed in well.

Remove from heat and serve.

You can add salt & pepper as needed or even butter if you want, but I prefer it just like that.

See, I told you it was simple!

Menu Planning Monday: March 8th

2010-03-08T13:18:00.000-08:00

Another busy week for me this week! 10hr workdays, I'm already counting down until Friday! Be sure to check out Org Junkie's helpful tips on getting started on menu planning here and while your there check out her menu and many other's for inspiration and ideas!

Here's cooking this week over at my house:
Monday: Date Night!

Tuesday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew (moved from last week)

Wednesday: Simply Recipes' Basil Chicken in Coconut Curry Sauce

Thursday: Leftovers :)

Friday: Appetizer night! Adding some new lineups Southwest Chicken Eggrolls (TastyKitchen)

Saturday: my mom is coming into town for a visit and we're having a girls night out! :)

Sunday: Trying Basil Tortellini Soup recommended by the OrgJunkie herself!
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What is your menu for this week? Do you have any quick fix meals for busy weeknights, I would love to hear them!

Looking for Something?

2010-03-05T07:52:00.000-08:00

Hey yall! My Five Question Friday post have moved to my new blog Bits & Pieces.

Surviving the Kitchen is going to be strictly recipes, cooking, baking, and Menu Planning.

I hope you enjoy the change and visit both blogs often! :)

Green Bean Casserole

2010-03-03T08:00:00.001-08:00

Now if you are like me and born in the mid '80s (or earlier) you know that casseroles were all the rage growing up. My mom is a casserole queen and not all are as complicated as you think. Well, here I am last night with a hankering for green bean casserole and I don't have a clue how to make it. Of course I dial my mom, who has so many different casserole concoctions stored in her head that I can't believe she can remember anything else, for the recipe. Green bean casserole is one of the easiest casseroles to make which is suprising for how tasty it is. It's even better the next day :)

TAMMY'S GREEN BEAN CASSEROLE
2 cans green beans
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can of milk
about a cup of sliced baby bella mushrooms
1 small can of french fried onions
salt & pepper (to taste)

Preheat oven for 350. In a medium casserole dish mix the cream of mushroom soul and milk until creamy, add green beans, mushrooms, and half of the french fried onions. Season with salt & pepper and bake for 30 minutes. Top with the rest of the french fried onions and bake an additional 5 minutes. Let cool, serve and enjoy!

Menu Plan Monday: March 1st

2010-03-01T09:57:00.001-08:00

Days, Weeks, and now even months are flying by over here because now it's March and that means legislative session is starting. I work for a lobbyist and session is our busiest time of year, which means long hours and stressful days, and lucky for me it starts tomorrow! Thankfully menu planning has made my life so much easier, and is going to be very helpful these next two months. I really recommend checking out Org Junkie's helpful tips on getting started on menu planning here.

Here's how the week is looking over at my house:

Monday: Chicken Alfredo Bake (using leftover chicken from the night before)

Tuesday: Roast Chicken with Olive Relish (Real Simple Magazine)

Wednesday: Take Out (Chinese)

Thursday: Leftover with a few tasty appetizers to round out the spread. (jalapenos stuffed with cream cheese and wrapped in bacon and tomato salad with homemade pita bread)

Friday: Slow Cooker Beef Stew (trying a new recipe, will post as I go)

Saturday: I'm having dinner cooked for me... he won't tell me what it is yet but I'm excited

Sunday: Kevin from Closet Cooking has a tasty looking Spinach Salad that I have been dying to try!

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What is your menu for this week? Do you have any quick fix meals for busy weeknights, I would love to hear them!

Time To Try: Emeril's Jambalaya Pasta

2010-03-01T09:33:00.000-08:00

I love pasta and I love my family's Louisiana cooking, so this combination that Emeril came up with is just divine! Seriously spicy, seafood, and pasta is my kinda heaven. I substituted already peeled and deveined shrimp, and chicken breast strips, which was a major time saver. However other than that I didn't change a thing. It was a big hit in my house and it was gone by lunch the next day! :)

Jambalaya Pasta

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch

1/4 cup plus 3/4 teaspoon salt, divided
1 pound dry penne rigate
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound peeled, deveined large shrimp
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Essence, divided, recipe follows
3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1-inch diced
3/4 pound andouille sausage, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup yellow onion, small diced
1/2 cup green bell pepper, small diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon freshly chopped thyme leaves
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
1/2 cup grated Parmesan
Directions
Fill a large, 1-gallon stock pot with a pasta insert, 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil over high heat and add 1/4 cup of the salt as it boils. Place the penne in the salted water and return to a boil, stirring occasionally. Cook the pasta until nearly al dente, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and set aside, reserving 1 cup of the pasta cooking water.
While the pasta cooks, set a 14-inch saute pan over medium-high heat and add 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, swirl the pan to evenly coat with the oil. Season the shrimp with 2 teaspoons of the Essence and 1/8 teaspoon salt. Place the shrimp in the pan and sear for 1 minute per side. Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside. Add another tablespoon of the olive oil to the saute pan and season the chicken breast with 2 teaspoons of the Essence and 1/8 teaspoon of the salt. Place the chicken breast in the pan and sear for 3 minutes, turning to ensure even browning. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside with the seared shrimp.
Place the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the saute pan and add the sausage, onions and bell peppers. Saute, stirring occasionally, until the sausage is lightly caramelized and the onions are translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic to the pan and saute for 30 seconds. Add the chicken stock to the pan and scrape with a spoon to remove any browned bits that have formed in the bottom of the pan, about 30 seconds. Add the diced tomatoes, fresh thyme, the remaining tablespoon of Essence and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook for 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream to the pan and cook an additional 2 minutes. Return the shrimp and chicken to the pan, as well as the nearly al dente pasta and the reserved 1 cup of pasta cooking water. Continue to cook the sauce and pasta, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp and chicken are cooked through, the pasta is al dente and most of the pasta cooking water has evaporated, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the basil and Parmesan. Toss to combine and serve while hot.

Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning:
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup

5QF: Last One for February

2010-02-26T12:55:00.000-08:00

I know I haven't been blogging all week but I really can't miss this weeks Five Question Friday!

Questions for Friday, 2/26/10:
(Compliments of Lily,Thorney London, Maryanne, Renee, and Mama M)

1. Do you sing karaoke? If so, what is your go to song?

Sang Ice Ice Baby, once for my 22nd birthday with my friend Emma (who by the way is really good and a karaoke regular) but lets just say it was my one & only time.

2. What is your favorite coffee drink?

I was a latte kinda gal, but I don't drink any coffee drinks reguluarly.
3. If you could choose your own name, what would it be?

Well my name can easily be 3 in one so I have variety depending on who or where I am, and I kinda learned to like it. I've often been mistaken for a Sarah or Courtney. Not too fond of Sarah (that's what my little brother was gonna be named if he was a girl, haha) but Courtney is okay with me.

4. Were you ever bullied?

Not that I can recall. Thankfully I grew up with all boys in my family and neighborhood so it takes a lot for me to feel threatened.
5. How often do you eat fast food?

Not very often at all. Maybe once or twice a month when I really get that hankering for some MickyD's fries! But, I do order takeout from sushi places at least once a week so that's kinda my version of fast food.

Getting to Know YOU - Feb 21st

2010-02-21T14:27:00.000-08:00

This is my first time joining in on Keely's Sunday bloghop, "Getting to Know You" I've seen a few of my blog friends answering these and since I have some time to kill waiting on my pita dough to rise, I'm going to play along and I think you should too! Head on over to her blog to join in on the fun!

The questions..

1. How often do you wash/change your sheets?
Once a week, either on Sundays or Mondays, I love the smell and clean feeling of clean sheets!

2. When is your birthday?
June 20th, it's Father's Day this year, ironically my brother's birthday falls on Mother's Day this year too!

3. Have you ever met a bloggy friend in real life?
not yet but I would love too! I do however have a real life friend, Lauren who has a wedding planning blog 4. Brad Pitt or George Clooney? George Clooney, he's got the look but I do love some Brad Pitt (pre-caveman Fight Club/Ocean's 11, but now he's starting to look like the creepy homeless guy by my office downtown)

5. If you could change one thing about your body what would it be?
I'm 5'7 and I hate that I look like the Amazon woman when I wear heels, I just wanna be two inches shorter please :)

6. How often do you wash your hair?

every other day if I blow dry and straighten it
7. Do you have pets?
Gracie Mae, my 3.4 lb Chihuahua
8. How many social networks do you belong to..if you had to give up one, what would it be?
Okay, yall are gonna laugh... I still have a myspace that I rarely check so that would be the one to give up. But I do have FB and twitter as well.

Five Question Friday: February 19th

2010-02-19T09:43:00.000-08:00

WOW! It's that time again! My favorite day of the week... FRIDAY! :)

Not only do I have a lovely work-free weekend but Friday is date night this week, it got moved off my Menu Plan because I caught that 24hr-bug that was going around. I'm really excited about my date tonight! I have no idea where we are going for dinner or if we're going to play pool and darts afterwards or just hit up a movie. Either way I know we're gonna have a good time!

Now on to the main reason for this post Five Question Friday

I know you wanna play along... the rules are simple, so simple they really aren't rules. You just copy and paste the following questions to your blog, answer them, come back, link up and grab the MckLinky Blog Hop code for yourself and then of course link your post back to our lovely hostess with the mostest... the one and only Mama M.!

Questions for Friday, February 19th:

1. Have you ever hit an animal with your vehicle?

Not to my knowledge, um but I almost hit a bird one time (I might have actually hit it, no evidence though). I have no idea what a bird is doing that low on the interstate, it obviously knew there are cars there.
2. When you see a string on your clothes do you pull it off or cut if off?
depends on if I have scissors near me or can find some... I really need to organize my desk.

3. Did you have your own room or share a room when you were young?

When I was 5 my brother who's just shy of 2 years younger than me shared a room. I think it was originally supposed to be playroom but it was so big and my parents side of the house my mom converted it into two rooms in one using these big shelving units as a wall down the middle so that we would be closer to them instead of on the other side of the house. But that was the only time we ever shared a room. A few years later we moved out of that house I got a hot pink sponge painted bedroom, it was so girlie and so early 90s -haha.
4. Would you rather wear the same thing for the rest of your life or eat the same thing for the rest of your life?

This isn't hard for me at all... I love food too much (heck, this is majority a cooking blog-haha) so I could live with one outfit. It would defiantly be yoga pants, a tank top, and a jacket because I could be comfortable yet stylish :)

5. What was your favorite TV show as a child?

Umm lets see this is tough! I loved watching the Looney Tunes cartoons and Scooby-Doo! Oh and Rugrats, All That, Full House, and Home Improvement (ohh JTT I was so in love with you!)

Menu Plan Monday: February 15th

2010-02-15T11:06:00.001-08:00

Running a little late today, but better late than never! :)

I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and a great Valentine's Day! I feel like this week brings lots of holidays, yesterday was also Chinese New Year, today is President's Day, tomorrow is Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday), then we have Ash Wednesday to kick of the season of Lent. I still need to figure out what I'm giving up this year, maybe soda or caffeine? Do any of yall celebrate Lent and if so what are you abstaining for this year?

Monday: Appetizer Night!
Tuesday: My Aunt's recipe for Gumbo and maybe some boudin balls from our local Cajun restaurant(my family in Louisiana should be proud)
Wednesday: Steamy Kitchen's Beer Steamed Clams
Thursday: Chicken Scallopine
Friday: Date Night at a local Mexican restaurant
Saturday: Homemade Takeout (so far just egg drop soup & gyoza but looking for a good spring roll recipe and sesame chicken recipe, any suggestions?)
Sunday: My mom's Slow cooker Pot Roast/Beef Stew

Don’t forget to visit I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Planning Monday for other menus and tips to get started on planning your own menu plan! It really does make life a little less stressful (and can help you budget your groceries too!)

Made from the Heart: Valentine's Day Edition!

2010-02-12T13:18:00.000-08:00

It's the Friday before Valentine's Day and I haven't bought a card but I'm more of a homemade card kinda gal... so that's exactly what I'm gonna do! I grabbed some supplies:

A glue stick, card stock, red paper, scissors, paper cutter, and some cute little Valentine's I found off a website (that I can't remember at the moment).

I cut some red paper and layered it with the white paper too.

Layered white paper ontop of the red I previously glued down, then put this little card I printed out and glued it in the center for the inside

Glued four white background cards to red paper then to the white card stock
(this is the outside)

And that's it! I had to place it under a phone book to make it stay closed but now it perfect.

Next task, heart shaped cookies :)

What do you do for Valentine's Day? Store bought or homemade cards?

Cookies and treats, or gifts and candy from the store?

Valentine's Memories

2010-02-12T12:04:00.000-08:00

I remember one Valentine's Day more than any others I experienced through my highschool and college years. This boy that I kinda liked who went to another high school, we couldn't drive so I'm guessing it was our sophomore year. He worked with my hs best friend, she kinda set us up. He came to see me cheer at any sport us cheerleaders had to attend, we talked on AOL/AIM (haha), and I think went to the movies with some friends. Well, he had invited me over for dinner on Valentine's Day, the week before he would ask me what my favorite foods were. Valentine's Day night my dad dropped me off at his house (his mom was there and maybe a few other relatives), but I was sent to the back porch, where Christmas lights were strung around, candles out, table set, a chocolate heart and a stuffed animal of some sort set out for me. Our dinner had Publix sushi as an appetizer, steak and shrimp that he cooked on the grill, and a bunch of other things with them. It was really sweet, he actually made an effort to make sure to have everything that I love. We went to a movie afterwards, and he asked me to be his 'girlfriend', we didn't date for much longer but we're still friends to this day. I still find it kinda cute though.

Last year, my Chihuahua Gracie was ready to come home from the breeders on Valentine's weekend, it was great to have her finally home with me. Also, my mom came up to have sushi and go to the movies with me since my dad was out of town. This year I have no idea what Valentine's weekend/day will bring, but I'll be sure to let you know!

Do you have any Valentine's Day memories that stick out more than any other?

Menu Planning: February 8th

2010-02-08T08:07:00.000-08:00

To start this post of...
HOW BOUT DEM SAINTS! WHO DAT?!

I hope yall watched the Superbowl this year, my favorite team won their first ever Superbowl and I couldn't have been more excited. I have a lot of family over in Louisiana, my Aunt said the whole state is full of joy and so proud of their team! Mardi Gras came early this year! Besides a very well played and exciting game there is always the commercials, my favorite was the E-Trade babies... "milk-a-holic" too cute! Now time for MPM...

Every Monday morning I look forward to planning my menu for the week and wonder what I ever did before. This week I'm starting something new... clipping coupons and playing 'the coupon game' like so many other people do. I wanna test it out and see how well it works at saving money, since I'm looking to buy a house real soon.

Monday: I was just informed I will be going out to dinner and going to a movie - Yay!
Tuesday: Closet Cooking's Thai Chicken Noodle Soup (moved from last week)
Tuesday: My Turkey Ricotta Pasta Bake
Wednesday: My Upscale Tuna Salad (Tuna is on sale!)
Thursday: Trying this recipe: Ravioli with Artichokes, Sun Dried Tomatoes and Peas in a Champagne Cream Sauce
Saturday & Sunday: VALENTINE'S WEEKEND (which is a non-disclosed menu at the moment)

Be sure to check out I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Planning Monday for other menus and tips to get started on planning your own menu plan! I promise it will be the best decision you have ever made!

Operation Organization!

2010-02-03T13:21:00.000-08:00

I saw a few post on Org Junkie's 28 Day Organizing Challenge from other bloggers and finally this morning as I was desperately trying to find a lovely sweater from my closet I've decided to accept this challenge and take on my disarranged closet. Which by the way kidnapped my Chihuahua yesterday, seriously, she was under a pile of pajama pants and couldn't find her way out, and it took me a while to figure out where she was. Another reason for me to start this challenge, and even though I'm a few days late I think I can handle it. So wish me luck, I'll post some pictures of my closet later today as well as my idea on how to get it organized and who knows maybe I'll even tackle my kitchen too!

It's not too late for you to join in, here's the rules:
-During the month of February participants have 28 days to organize either a whole room and/or small space in their home
-You can enter multiple spaces if you’d like but participants will be asked to create a separate blog post for each entry
-Two Mr. Linky posts (one for small space and one for whole room) will go up on the morning of March 1st for participants to link up to with a post showcasing BOTH their before and after pictures of the newly organized space. Participants will also be asked to answer a few questions about the process they followed. Questions to come.
-Entries that don’t include both before and after pictures and/or question summary will be eliminated.
-The challenge end Mr. Linky cut off will be March 2nd at 12:00 pm PST.
Judges will be specifically looking at overall transformation, creative use of space, storage solutions that work and overall experience.

Menu Planning Monday: February 1st!

2010-02-01T09:13:00.000-08:00

Hello February, nice to see you again! I kinda dislike that you came into 2010 with a little cold snap, but it looks like you will be warming up to us later this week :)

Monday: I have a giftcard to Bonefish (prob takeout since they are always crowded)

Tuesday: Groundhog Day Homemade Pizza- this is a first for me, using Sarah's Pizza Dough Recipe **Moved from last week**

Wednesday: Penne a la Betsy (my take on Pioneer Woman's recipe)

Thursday: Black Bean Soup with pan con queso (pressed Cuban bread with garlic butter and cheese, so yummy!)

Friday: dinner out

Saturday: Closet Cooking's Thai Chicken Noodle Soup

Sunday: Superbowl Party/Birthday Party to attend, I'm making some snacks!

GEAUX SAINTS! WHO DAT?!

Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Planning Monday for other menus and tips to get started on planning your own menu plan!

Five Question Friday: January 29th Edition

2010-01-29T11:31:00.000-08:00

Whoa Dang! These weeks keep FLYING by, guess that's what happens in the real world. Well, it's Friday...again but at least that means it's the weekend and time for Five Question Friday!

Don't know what this fun little blog carnival is? Well, here's how to play.... copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, grab the MckLinky code, and link up and of course link back to the Queen of 5QF Miss Mama M.!

Questions for Friday, 1/29/10:
1. Would you ever vacation alone?
Um no, I will fly on a plane by myself or drive by myself to a vacation destination but I would always meet someone there. Why would you want to go on vaca by yourself, it just doesn't make sense to me, what all would you do?

2. Do you go the speed limit?
Well here's the thing, I don't really pay attention to them unless it's a school zone. I usually just 'go with the flow' I assume everyone else is doing the speed limit so I just keep up with traffic. But those speed traps where the speed changes in 50 ft to something like 10 mph slower, I have been a victim of a speeding ticket and man oh man are those pricey these days.

3. Why did you start blogging/following blogs?
One of the girls I worked with was planning her wedding and would send me blogs where she got inspiration from and one click led to another and I ended up on SmittenKitchen. From then on I was hooked to cooking blogs and then to every other kinda blog. It's so addicting and there's so many great blogs out there! Oh and I started my blog last summer :)

4. Where do you shop for yourself?
J. Crew (best t-shirts ever!), Forever 21, Macy's (gotta have my Guess? jeans, they are the only ones that fit 'just right' and aren't super expensive)

5. What was the song that you danced your first dance with your spouse to at your wedding...or...what song would you like your first dance to be to?
I haven't gotten married yet but I would love to dance to Clair de Lune by Claude Debussy, such a beautiful song.

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Well, this weekend I'm going to my parent's house to spend time with my mom for her birthday (it was yesterday). We're going to dinner at an Asian Fusion resturant that's on top of a hotel, it's one of my favs and then heading to some new fancy wine bar. It should be a lot of fun, I just need to start packing...nothing like waiting for the last minute! Hope you have a great weekend as well! :)

And don't forget to join in the Blog Hop! :)

Tomato Salad

2010-01-26T11:46:00.000-08:00

Some call it "chunky salsa", "Pico de Gallo", a topping for bruschetta, or just "chopped tomatoes and onions", whatever it is, I like it and so does my boyfriend. Almost to the point of us arguing over who gets to make it! We each have our own take on it but it's mostly the same, just different amounts of spices. He eats it with toasted pita bread or with crusty slices of baguette, most of the time that's how I eat it, but sometimes I go for the tortilla chips (usually blue corn, they are my fav).

Here's the basic recipe, just remember this is kinda a "whatever taste good to you" approach to measurements and it switches every time we make it.

5 Plum Tomatoes-roughly chopped
1 medium red onion-diced (or use a hand chopper, I got one at Ikea for $8 and it works great!)
1 clove garlic-minced
a few leaves fresh basil-roughly chopped (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
about 2 teaspoons fresh oregano-minced (or 1/2 teaspoon dried)
Salt and pepper to taste
Splash of vinegar (any variety is fine)
Splash of extra virgin olive oil

Combine all ingredients in bowl or container if you want to save for later. Mix well and refrigerate for about 15 minutes so the spices can soak in. Mix well before serving. ENJOY :)

Menu Planning Monday January 25th

2010-01-25T07:56:00.000-08:00

I skipped last weeks Menu Planning Monday since I was sick and knew I wouldn't be up to cooking. So now that I'm back at 100% I'm ready to take on this week with a great menu-plan. Here's what we are having this week:

Monday: Tilapia Piccata
Tuesday: Appetizer Night - trying a few new aps plus some old standbys like stuffed jalapenos!
Wednesday: Homemade Pizza- this is a first for me, using Sarah's Pizza Dough Recipe
Thursday: My Mom's CrockPot Beef Stew
Friday-Sunday: Out of town visiting my parents for my Mom's Birthday :)

Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Planning Monday for other menus and tips to get started on planning your own menu plan!

One Benefit of Living in Florida

2010-01-22T13:12:00.000-08:00

It's January 22nd and we have the most beautiful weather.
75 degrees, sunny with a slight breeze!

(eastern view from my office window, that's the First Baptist Church)

I've been stuck at the office all day today but I can't wait to be off work and enjoy this weather, hopefully it stays for a bit! It would be nice to spend a Saturday outside or have a Sunday afternoon picnic. This weather is such a BIG change from yesterday's nasty storm, that included tornadoes in the county south of us (thankfully they never touched down) and also a pleasant change from the frigid weather we had a few weeks ago, seriously did you see my post about Florida Snow, I wouldn't call it snow but still it was kinda cool. Oh weatherman please keep this sunshine here for at least another day. Well, now to finish up some last minute things at the office then home free to enjoy the rest of the evening!

Happy Friday yall! :)

Five Quesiton Friday - January 22nd!

2010-01-22T10:31:00.000-08:00

Do you know what time it is? It's time for Five Question Friday! Yay! I've been feeling a lot better today, so thanks for all the well wishes! I think it helps that it is a beautiful day, 72 degrees and sunny, gotta love Florida weather!

So here we go.... Questions for 1/22/10 are brought to you by Casia, the Unkept Cook, Renee, Liz, and Kate, thanks ladies!! And, it's really easy to join in... just copy and paste the following questions to your blog post, answer them, come on back and grab the MckLinky code -if you want and add your link! Oh and be sure to go visit Mama M. she's the amazing woman behind this fun party!

1. What is better, growing old with out money or dying young and wealthy?
Well money isn't everything and memories are priceless so I'm going to go with growing old without money. And yes that is my final answer

2. Who takes out the garbage at your house?
We have an unspoken rule of 'if you make if full, you take it out' so whoever realizes it's full first wins the lovely price of trash duty.

3. Have you ever had the same dream many times?
Not that I can remember, I have had those all too real dreams where you know it's a dream but can't wake yourself up when something terrible has happened.

4. Can you play a musical instrument?
I took piano lessons from the moment I can remember all the way through high school, so for about 14 years. I can read sheet music and play by ear.
I wish I could play guitar or something cool like the drums, but I guess that's why I have RockBand :)

5. If you owned your own store, what would you sell?
I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to own a boutique store that sells custom home decor, homemade bath items and candles, and has a small cafe with a menu that changes based off what is fresh/in season that day.

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Have a great Friday :)

Not Feeling So Hot

2010-01-20T07:50:00.000-08:00

Today, I'm battling a cold and have been for 4 days, and it's still winning. I have that lovely cough that makes me sound like a seal, along with the lovely body aches, and fever but enough about that. I have a few things that make me feel better that will taste good even if your taste buds are outta wack! Here's my favorites:

Hot Tea
I love hot tea, (my favorite is RedRose brand)with about a tablespoon of honey and a splash of milk. So good!

Chicken Spiral Soup

1 lb of skinless chicken tenderloins (or 2 boneless-skinless chicken breast) cut into small pieces
1 medium yellow onion, diced
4 carrots, sliced into rounds
7 cups chicken broth (homemade or store bought)
1 cup corkscrew/spiral pasta
salt & pepper
dash of thyme-to your liking

Coat large stew pot with olive oil and set stove to medium-high. Add chicken, onions, carrots, (celery if you want-I don't like it at all) and cook for about 6 minutes, stirring frequently. Add broth and bring to a boil. Finally, add in your pasta and reduce heat to medium. Cook until pasta is done and season with salt & pepper, and dash of thyme. You can also add in chopped bell pepper, garlic, and/or celery (I am not a huge fan of celery) to your liking, I switch it up each time.

Chicken Soup

Five Question Friday: January 15th

2010-01-15T12:34:00.000-08:00

It's that time again, which by the way is something I look forward to every week... and yes I think the weeks are getting shorter and shorter, where does the time go?!

So, here's the deal... copy and paste the following questions to your blog, answer them, then head on over to Mama M.'s and link up! Oh and rumor has it if we break 100 this week she's gonna have a 5QF Giveaway, how awesome is that!?! So what are you waiting for... do it to it!

1. Worst trouble you ever got into as a teenager?
My junior year I skipped school with my best friend and we went to Steak-n-Shake and to the mall to go shopping, I would have never gotten caught until someone cut me off right before a redlight and I rear-ended them. My dad is my insurance agent and I had to call him since the lady I hit was in a rental car. I lost my car for a month and was grounded that whole time, I couldn't go anywhere except for school, cheer practice, or my soccer games.
2. Are you a morning person or a night person?
Def not a morning person, but if I have to get up before 9am I am functional. I'm a night person, and have been most of my life. :)
3. Are you a one-handed or a two-handed Texter?
I can text one handed but I have a phone that has the whole keyboard so it's easier to text two-handed.
4. Democrat, Republican, or Independent..or maybe even Green Party (whatever that is).
Registered Republican, but I work with politics and they all are corrupt. I have my own set of beliefs that are a conservative mix of both.
5. Are you a pet person?
Yes, I love animals. I have dogs and fish. I'm allergic to cats but I still like them as long as they are outside and I feed the stray that lives in the woods next to my house. I would probably adopt every dog that is homeless if I had the room and finances :)

Time To Try: Pioneer Woman's Penne a la Betsy

2010-01-15T11:30:00.000-08:00

I do know about you but I love The Pioneer Woman, Ree always makes some delicious recipes and for weeks I've been eyeing her recipe that she made with her sister called Penne a la Betsy. I had a mad craving for some shrimp and I had most of the ingredients on hand so with a little tweaking I made a smaller version of her recipe that served two generous portions that literally blew my tastebuds away!

Ingredients
1/2 box Penne Pasta
1 lb Shrimp
3 Tbs Butter
3 Tbs Olive Oil
1/2 red onion
3 cloves Garlic
White Wine (probably about 1/2 cup)
1 8oz can Tomato Sauce
1 cup Heavy Cream
Parsley, Basil, Salt & Pepper to taste

Cook the penne pasta al dente.
While that's cooking peel, devein and rinse shrimp, (I had a bag of peel, deveined frozen shrimp from Publix that already had the tails removed so I skipped that step.)

Heat about 1 tbsp. butter and olive oil in a skillet. Add the shrimp and saute for a couple of minutes, don't overcook them. Remove from heat and let cool for a few minutes. (Her recipe calls for chopping the shrimp into smaller pieces but I kept mine whole.
Finely dice one small onion. Mince two cloves of garlic.

In a large skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add the garlic and onion and saute, stirring occasionally. After the garlic and onions have cooked a bit add your white wine. Let the wine evaporate for a few minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add an 8-ounce can of plain tomato sauce. Stir well until combined. Then add 1 cup of heavy cream. Continue stirring. Turn heat down to low and let simmer.

Add your chopped shrimp back into the tomato cream sauce, mix in spices, and finally combine with the pasta.

It looks so yummy and it was so delicious! I will defiantly be cooking it many many more times :)

Menu Plan Monday: January 11th

2010-01-11T09:59:00.000-08:00

Well it's Monday again, last week flew by and so did the weekend and I'm blaming it on the cold. It was 15 degrees last night and as a lifelong Floridian I am not used to having the heat on all the time and running out of firewood. This year we really are having a real WINTER. Now not only is this unusal but my parent's had 'snow' in Central Florida. However, here's a picture of Florida snow on a palm fron.l So, in honor of this cold weather, I'm making a menu that will warm everyone up!

Monday: Guy Fieri's Beer Can Chicken with Coleslaw & Potato Salad
Tuesday: Crockpot Texas Chili from Kelly at Faithful Provisions
Wednesday: Chicken & Dumplins or this white chili recipe I found online
Thursday: Lime-Honey Salmon from Dreamy Dish (Moved from last week)
Friday: Aaron McCargo, Jr's Mini Shepherd's Pie
Saturday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Soup (not sure what yet)
Sunday: leftovers of course!

Stay warm everyone! :)

Remember you can always join in our menu planning and find inspiration for your menu at I'm an Organizing Junkie.

TGIF!

2010-01-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

Wow! I'm running a little late here, this week has flown by for me, and I'm not sure if that is a good thing or not... oh 2010 please slow down at least enough so I can keep my days straight! And by the way 2010 will you please speak to the weather and remind it that Florida is the warm sunshine state, not this Arctic tundra you are turning it into, I hear we are supposed to get snow over the weekend...weird! Oh and I almost forgot that it's time for Five Question Friday!

1. What's your "comfort food"?
Well that's a tough one but I'm gonna go with either made from scratch mac & cheese or baked ziti, I LOVE my pasta dishes. Oh and homemade queso dip made with chorizo :)
2. Do you send Thank You's (handwritten or email)?
I do send them, handwritten of course because personally I love getting mail and I think the handwritten note makes it special, plus I get super cute thank you cards from my Mom for my birthday so I might as well use them :)
3. If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose?
True Blood, as long as I'm not one of the people who dies or is a victim.
4. What is your favorite online recipe site?
I love getting recipes from other bloggers so I try to search my google reader first. But I also love allrecipes.com, epicurious, and of course foodnetwork.com
5. If you had to choose: "Friends" or "Seinfeld"?
Seinfeld or Friends, um can I pick both. No, well then I'm going with Seinfeld, my family is big fans and I like that kind of humor.... Festivist, Soup Nazi -no soup for you, Technicolor dream coat, haha.

Head on over to Mama M.'s to join in on the fun and see all the other fun answers!

~IN OTHER NEWS~

Guess what... I received my FIRST blog award, The Sugar Doll Award, from one of my favorite blog friends! The lovely Miss Dot from Saving the World One Cupcake at a Time, who also has another blog dedicated to cupcakes and baking that's full of delicious cupcake recipes like Brown Sugar Pecan Cupcakes (yum!) over at Miss Dot's Cupcake Spot . I'm honored, truly honored!

I'm passing this cute little award over to Krista at The Double Dipped Life who has a delicious recipe for White Chocolate Lemon Bars :)

I'm Feeling Toasty: A Few Recipes for Toast

2010-01-08T09:04:00.000-08:00

Today I'm talking TOAST. I'm not a big breakfast person during the week, usually because I'm too busy running around the house like a mad woman trying to get out the door to head to work. You see, I'm always late. I have to set all my clocks ahead 15 minutes so I can be ready on time, which works until I remember that I have 15 minutes to spare. But since it's the New Year I'm pledging to be on time to all events and eat breakfast in the morning as part of my quest to get in shape (I heard skipping breakfast actually makes you gain weight, yuck!). Anyways, back to TOAST. Toast is a versatile breakfast sidekick, it goes well with an egg dish, yogurt, or even just plain fruit. Here's a few of my favorite ways to spice up your toast and add something more than just jam and butter. And I'm even adding my mom's fancy grilled cheese recipe that is to die for! Now I'm not saying these toppings are healthy but they sure are tasty and you can use any bread of your choice!

Easy Cheese Toast

Lightly spread butter onto one side of bread, top with a slice of yellow American Cheese. Place in toaster oven or conventional oven heated at 180 degrees for about 3-4 minutes or until cheese is melted. I like my cheese toast by itself but it goes well with eggs on the side or topped with scrambled eggs as an open faced sandwich.

Easy Cinnamon Toast

Lightly spread butter onto one side of bread, mix together cinnamon and sugar in equal proportions in small bowl, sprinkle mixture onto buttered bread. Place in oven at 180 degrees for about 3-4 minutes until bread is toasted. Serve with fruit and yogurt :)

Mom's Fancy Grilled Cheese

Stir together 1/4 cup butter and 1 tablespoon Parmesan cheese in a small bowl. Spread the mixture onto one side of each slice of bread (she does 2 sandwiches at a time). Put two slices butter side down on wax paper, top each with a slice of provolone and mozzarella, then place the other slices of bread on top (butter side up). Cook on a griddle for about 4 minutes on each side and enjoy!

You Can Win: A Waffle Maker!

2010-01-07T08:17:00.000-08:00

Oh My Oh My! The coolest giveaway ever! Jen at 11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven, 365 Days of TV-Free Toddler Time, and Mega-Family Blogs is giving away a flippin' waffle maker...

These things are so cool, I know I've always wanted one. I stayed in a few hotels that had these in the breakfast area and they make waffles fun (and easy) to make! Jen has a post where her son made some yummy waffles using this and she gives us the recipe! And, lucky for us she's giving one away! I know how AWESOME is that! To enter, go HERE! and GOOD LUCK!

Menu Planning Monday: First of 2010

2010-01-04T08:13:00.000-08:00

WOW, it's 2010... mixed feelings here, I feel like this last year has flown by and things are already picking up speed here. I blame it on being out of college and in the real world, and I heard when you're married and have kids time flies even more... eek! good thing I'm not in that boat yet maybe I can still save a little bit of time! Anyways back to Menu Planning since I've been out of town for a couple weeks... oh and I'm sticking with this time theme and going for quick fix meals this week!

Monday: Taco Night with Queso dip of course!
Tuesday: White Bean soup (it's in the William-Sonoma catalog)
Wednesday: Stuffed Chicken with Caesar salad
Thursday: Ground Turkey & Ricotta Pasta Bake
Friday: Lime-Honey Salmon (from Dreamy Dish)
Saturday: Date Night
Sunday: Leftovers or Pizza

By the way, you should make your New Years Resolution to participate in I'm an Organization Junkie's Menu Plan Monday. I promise that it will be worth it :)

I Won the Cutest Little Apron Ever!

2009-12-27T09:27:00.000-08:00

Remember a couple weeks ago when I enter a contest for a date night apron from Quilt A Treasure hosted by Tamara over on Cheapskate Mom well I WON! My apron joined me over the holidays down at my parent's house and let's just say this apron stole the show, almost more than our Christmas dinner! Everyone LOVED it! And now that I finally got a new camera now you can see this beautiful apron as well....

So, what do you think?

Be sure to check out Quilt A Treasure on Etsy and get yourself or a friend (an apron would make a great gift) a new apron! Thanks again Tamara for hosting this awesome contest, I'm one lucky girl to have this adorable apron! :)

Merry Christmas to All

2009-12-24T08:46:00.000-08:00

'Twas the night before Christmas

(Photo curtosy of deviantART.com)

Merry CHRISTmas to all of you and I hope yall have a safe and happy holiday weekend! I cannot believe that today is Christmas Eve, to me it seems like Christmas came out of nowhere. I'm sure a few of you know what I mean. I still have presents to wrap, and still need to get something for my mom (yes Mom, you are hard to shop for!). Later today I will be leaving town to spend the holidays with my family in Central Florida, where it's nice and warm, and hopefully it will remain that way. So, not only will I be one of the 40% of the USA that's shopping on Christmas Eve, I will also be joining those traveling on the lovely Interstates 10 & 75. But it will all be worth it when I attend the beautiful Candlelight Service tonight at my hometown church, with family and lifelong friends as we remember the real reason for the season, Jesus' birth and sing some of my favorite songs (I love the Christmas hymns) and tomorrow morning waking up at my parent's house for presents and delicious food. So tonight remember to leave cookies & milk out for Santa (if you follow that tradition) and tomorrow morning when you open your presents be thankful for your family and friends for being there with you, not just for what you have recieved. And once again,

Merry Christmas to All and to All a Good Night

Menu Planning Monday: Better Late Than Never (Dec. 21st)

2009-12-21T15:30:00.000-08:00

Well this week is a little hectic for me as I'm working Monday-Thursday, yes that's right I am working on Christmas Eve, but just for a few hours, unless I can talk my boss into closing the office... anyways besides working on Christmas Eve, I will also be driving 180 miles to my parents house to celebrate Christmas and spend a few days there.

Monday: sushi or something take-out :)

Tuesday: Chicken Pot Pie

Wednesday: Pot Roast it's easy and so yummy!

Thursday-Sunday: Enjoying my mother's cooking

Check out I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Planning Monday for other great Menu Plans!

Five Question Friday: December 18th

2009-12-18T11:59:00.000-08:00

Twas the Friday before Christmas and all through the house,

not a present was wrapped not even picked out.

The stockings were hung on the mantle with care,

with hopes that maybe a tree with be placed next to there...

....Oh wait it's time for FIVE QUESTION FRIDAY

You should really send a big thanks to Mama M. for saving yall from my crazy poem/rap and while your there join in on our Friday fun! :)

Questions for Friday, December 18th: (Thanks to Kyrsten, Liz, Brianne, and Keely for their question suggestions!!)

1. Which boygroup did you like most in your teens?
NSYNC.... seriously, there's pictures of me and my friends in 8th Grade wearing NSYNC shirts while holding there CDs and somebody even had the dolls! If only I knew where that picture was, I would post it... haha. BTW I still have all there CDs and a huge crush on Justin Timberlake!

2. Do you do Christmas cards, letters, photos, nuthin', all of the above?
I do cards, but not to a lot of people. Since I'm still the unmarried twenty-something, I get to be in my parent's Christmas card photo :)

3. If you could meet one celebrity who would it be and why?
Julia Roberts, she seems really nice and down-to-earth. Oh and Paula Deen (for obvious reasons)

4. Favorite thing to cook with (i.e. stainless, non-stick, microwave, debit card...cauldron, etc.)?
Depends... I usually go for the stainless but my favorite thing to cook with is my wok that my Mom got me a couple years ago. It's just so much fun to use.

5. What is the one thing you wear the most, besides your unmentionables?
Always have on diamond earrings that I got from my parents for my 18th Birthday. Other than that I LIVE in Reef flip-flops, they have been my favorite for years! I have every color and style. I guess that's the perk of living in Florida, comfy shoes year-round.

Menu Planning Monday: Dec 14th

2009-12-14T11:07:00.000-08:00

Can you believe that it's almost Christmas? I can't I feel like this year Christmas has just snuck up on me, it's CRAZY! With all the things that sneak up on you in life, dinner shouldn't be one, thanks to menu planning, my week was a little less hectic. With that being said, I know this is only my second week of meal planning but trust me it won't be my last! I had such a successful time last week that I don't ever want to go back to just guessing what's for dinner, it's just makes life so much easier. I went grocery shopping on one day for all my ingredients, and didn't have to make any trips back that week because I knew what I was cooking each night and had all the ingredients on hand. It was such a nice change and I'm sure the lovely Publix employees won't miss seeing my face 4 times a week when I'm missing random ingredients haha...

Monday: Egg Drop Soup & Gyoza with Rice
Tuesday: Dinner out at Mexican Restaurant
Wednesday: Chicken Tetrazzini
Thursday: The Pioneer Woman's Shrimp Pasta in Foil
Friday: My Office Christmas Dinner
Saturday: Guy Fieri's Beer Can Chicken (This is my fav recipe for beer can chicken! delish!) with Coleslaw & Potato Salad
Sunday: Leftovers :)

Don’t forget to visit I’m an Organizing Junkie’s Menu Planning Monday for other menus and tips to get started on planning your own menu plan!

Crock-Pots and Pot Roast

2009-12-11T12:50:00.000-08:00

Have you seen this guy?

Now, I'm gonna assume almost everyone has a crock pot/slow cooker hiding somewhere in their house. He might be MIA at the moment but I know you got one hiding deep in the pantry or way back in cabinet next to food processors and blenders. Or maybe right on you kitchen counter if you use it a lot. I happen to have three, all different sizes of course. Well with this cold weather here (40 degrees, I know you Midwesterners & Northerners are laughing at me) I love using the slow cooker for stews and soups! So this morning before I left for work I put together a quick meal that will be ready for me to enjoy when I get home from work...

This is my mom's recipe for Slow Cooker Pot Roast

4-5lb beef pot roast
1 can of beer (she uses Michelob, i use Budweiser, it really doesn't matter)
1 pkg dry onion soup mix
1 lb red potatoes (halved)
10-15 baby carrots

Place half the veggies on the bottom, sprinkle some of the onion soup mix on top, then add the meat and sprinkle the rest of the onion soup mix on the meat. Top with the remaining veggies and pour the beer over all of it. Make sure to turn the crock pot on low and cook for 8-10 hours until meat is falling apart. ENJOY :)

Merry SITSmas!

2009-12-08T11:47:00.000-08:00

Merry SITSmas to all my blog friends!

I just love reindeer, they just scream Christmas to me. If I lived where it snowed a lot instead of in Florida I would defiantly have a reindeer herd on my farm. But that would never happen because I only like cold weather and snow in small doses. Haha

So why not a Christmas picture or picture of my nicely decorated house, well I haven't taken my Christmas picture or even bought a tree yet, and yes, my house is one of the only ones without lights. I know you're thinking OMgosh how could you wait so long! I know, I'm a terrible person but I promise I'm not Scrooge! I LOVE the holiday season, I even decorated my parents' house with them this past weekend. They have a two trees, and plenty of Christmas cheer in each room of their house AND the outside is decorated with wreaths and a metal snowmen staked out in the front yard. I just haven't had time to decorate my little duplex, but I will this week PROMISE! But for now I'm going to enjoy SITSmas, check The Secret is in the Sauce for the hourly gifts and visit all my SITStas blogs to wish them a Merry SITSmas and Happy Holidays!

Are you lost? Confused? Wondering what the heck is SITSmas... well your in luck! Head on over to The Secret is in the Sauce and join in the SITSmas fun! :)

Chicken Alfredo Bake

2009-12-07T12:26:00.000-08:00

I came home Sunday evening after spending the weekend at my parents house decorating for Christmas (Which by the way is my FAVORITE time of the year! I love Christmas decorations and my parents have so many that just mean a lot to our family.) Anyways, back to what I was saying, I came home and needed to make a quick dinner with the few supplies I had on hand. So I came up with this delicious, quick, and easy meal.

1 garlic clove
1 chicken breast (or 1 cup shredded chicken)
2 cups pasta (any kind will do, I used rotiniti aka the spiral ones)
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1 cup Alfredo sauce
sprinkle of shaved Parmesan

I boiled some water, dropped a garlic clove in with the chicken breast and reduced heat to simmer. I let it cook for about 10 minutes before removing the chicken. Meanwhile, boil some water, add a drop of olive oil and some salt for the pasta and cook according to package. After the chicken is cooled, go ahead and shredded the chicken and season with Italian seasoning, salt, and pepper. Drain the pasta and pour half into a casserole dish, top with mozzarella and chicken, put the rest of the pasta in, add Alfredo sauce and top with Parmesan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Menu Plan Monday: It's My First Time!!!

2009-12-07T12:06:00.000-08:00

This is my FIRST TIME doing a menu plan. After reading blog after blog on Monday (or Sunday night) about menu planning, I've finally caved in. At first I thought it was all about sticking to this plan but I've learned from many other menu planners that you don't have to and that my dear friends makes me super happy, why you ask, well because things don't always happen as planned in my life. So here it goes my menu plan for this weekdays, weekends are crazy so only gonna start with the M-F first! Wish me luck on sticking to it!

Monday: Beef Stir Fry with rice

Tuesday: Rotisserie Chicken Dinner from Publix (comes with sides and that delicious Hawaiian Bread)

Wednesday: Chicken Salad Sandwiches and Soup

Thursday: Mini Shepherd's Pie (This week's Time to Try)

Friday: My mom's Slow Cooker Pot Roast/Beef Stew (recipe to come)

FREE: EatBetter America Calendar

2009-12-01T11:44:00.000-08:00

I know I'm not commonly a big poster of freebies but this one is really good! It's the end of the year and who doesn't need a calendar, especially one filled with yummy (and healthy) recipes!
Just sign up here you will also get a newsletter with more recipes and coupons! And who doesn't LOVE coupons! They also will send you email updates for other freebies like coupon books!

Five Question Friday: November 20th

2009-11-20T11:20:00.000-08:00

It's the Friday before the last home college football game in my town, my alma mater has not been doing that hot this season but hopefully we will have a win tomorrow! GO NOLES! And it's also the Friday before Thanksgiving! I'll be going to Louisiana to visit family next week and I couldn't be more excited!

Anyways, here's this weeks Five Question Friday brought to you by Mama M.

1. Are you a Black Friday shopper?
Depends on what's out there and if it's a good deal. This year I most likely will be, along with my aunt, mother, and cousins.

2. What was your favorite childhood toy? (Think Easy Bake Oven, Cabbage Patch Kid, Shrinky Dinks, etc.)
PlayMobile, Nintendo, American Girl Dolls, GrandChampion Horses

3. Favorite Christmas movie?
It's a Wonderful Life (I know it's the classic favorite, but my mom got me hooked!)

4. What is the "must have" item on your Christmas list this year?
KitchenAid Standing Mixer! :)

5. Do you go all out with decorations or do you keep it simple and classy?
I LOVE CHRISTMAS and decorating for it is the highlight of my year. Not only do I decorate my own house, but I go to my parent's house to decorate theirs. If I could open a business decorating houses for Christmas I would, it's my favorite thing to do!

Time to Try: Everyday Italian-Giada DeLaurentiis

2009-11-19T15:15:00.000-08:00

YUMMY! I love me some stuffed shells, but never quite had the guts to make them. But for this weeks Time to Try, I wanted to go out on a limb and try stuffed shells. I was flipping through channels and stumbled on a re-run of Everyday Italian and Giada was making just that! Shells with Crispy Pancetta and Spinach Well, since my boyfriend is the one who gets to enjoy all my meals I had to cut out the pancetta since he doesn't eat pork, yes I know... major sadness since pancetta is so delicious, as is ham. BUT you won't be seeing much of that in my kitchen anymore.

Anyways besides that minor setback I decided to go ahead and try the recipe anyways.

Before you start, preheat the oven to 375 and bring a large pot of water to a boil (I added salt and a splash of olive oil). After it starts to boil, add in your jumbo shells and allow them to cook for about 10 minutes. Now for the filling... since I skipped the pancetta, I just went ahead and added one box of frozen spinach (that was thawed and drained) to a large boil, added in a container whole milk ricotta (15oz) and a cup of grated asiago cheese (just eyeball it, too much cheese is never a bad thing!). Shake in some fresh black pepper and a dash of grated nutmeg. Mix well to combine, by this time your those shells should be ready to drain. Now comes the fun part... stuffing the shells! Before I began I got my baking pan ready (I used a glass 9x12) by putting some olive oil in it to grease it down. Now i stuffed the shells, each one used about a tablespoon of stuffing. I used my hands to stuff them but you could spoon it in also. Now that the shells were done I could make the sauce, the rich, creamy, cheesey sauce. To start off melt about a tablespoon of butter in a saucepan, add in the garlic (one clove, minced), saute it for about a minute. Add one cup of cream to the mixture and bring to simmer.
Turn the heat to low and add 2 cups of grated asiago cheese to the mixture, along with a dash of fresh black pepper, and 1/4 cup of fresh parsley (the Italian kind). Continue to stir until all of the cheese is melted and it's a creamy sauce.
Pour all of the sauce over the shells and top with grated asiago cheese. Bake until golden (about 25-28 minutes depending on your oven.
Serve immediately!
So yummy! I WILL most defiently will make this again! And the sauce ohh how delicious it is, I think that it would be great over some chicken on a bed of pasta.

Chicken Scallopine

2009-11-17T11:33:00.000-08:00

This is my adaptaion of Giada Delaurentis' Chicken Scallopine recipe. It's my favorite dish to make (and eat), I usually make a large batch for dinner parties as it can be served with any pasta or alone. Plus who can resiste chicken breast with cheese inside!

First take thin chicken breast cutlets, I used a package of 8, (however, you can always buy the chicken breast and cut it up into strips yourself) and salt and pepper each side. Next place them on a plate and place a sage leaf down the center, then top with some goat cheese (you can use any crumble cheese, Giada's recipe calls for fontina but my groccery store rarely carries it, so I went with some goat cheese I had in the fridge, but use whichever you would preferer).

Now comes the tedious part, rolling the chicken. Basically you can roll the cutlets to starting with the largest end into little pinwheels then secure them in place, I use uncooked speghetti instead of toothpicks so I dont have to pull them out when it is finished cooking. But you can use toothpicks if you want. Meanwhile, warm some olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, add a galic clove that is halved, add the chicken when you start smelling garlic and brown on all sides. Remove the garlic and chicken from the pan (don't worry you're not done cooking it).

Add about a 1/2 cup of white wine (just eyeball it) and reduce heat to simmer to deglaze the pan, remember to scrape up the bottom. While this is simmering you can use the blender to mix the sauce. Use a 28oz can of whole tomatoes and add some red pepper flakes, blend until smooth. Now add the tomato sauce to the wine and let simmer for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan with the sauce and allow it to cook on med-low for 15 minutes, turning the chicken every once in a while so all sides get cooked.

Finally remove the chicken from the pan, while it's cooling pour some sauce on the serviving plates. After the chicken is cooled slice into rounds and place on top of sauce. Drissle more sauce on top before serviving and enjoy!

The original recipe for Giada's Chicken Scallopine with Sage and Fontina Cheese can be found here

Time To Try: The Pioneer Woman

2009-11-13T12:24:00.000-08:00

This week's Time To Try I went with The Pioneer Woman's Mushrooms Stuffed with Brie. I made them for my boyfriend and I as a snack, and let me just say that we both LOVE them! I was skeptical at first because I'm not a huge fan but ecidently his favorite cheese is brie so he LOVED it.

I followed the recipe she posted here.

Here's what you need :)
Remove the stems, melt butter in skillet and toss in the mushrooms.

Remove from skillet after they have been coated, place upside down in baking pan.

Add fresh parsley (about 1/4 cup, just eyeball it), chopped green onions (a handful or so), and 3 cloves of garlic that has been minced into the skillet, add a splash or so of wine and cook until its evaporated.

Next take the brie and remove rind, and place in mushroom caps, top with the garlic/parsley/onion mixture. And place in oven for 10-15 minutes at 350 degrees.

Yummy, they are better cooled but we just couldn't resist the mushrooms with the freshly melted cheese calling our names.

Five Question Friday: November 13th

2009-11-13T11:38:00.000-08:00

HAPPY FRiDAY THE 13th! Until my other blog is offically relaunched after it's extreme makeover, I'll be posting these little things over here :)

Here's this weeks Five Question Friday brought to you by Mama M.

1. What is your favorite "eat" on Thanksgiving?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE stuffing, (no celery though) topped with gravy, ohh it's a little taste of heaven. Second place is the sweets: sweetpotato pie, pumpkin pie, and these little mini pecan pie cookies my Aunt makes.
2. What is the name your best girl friend and the best trait about her or how you met (or heck, both!!)
Corrina, she's been my bestie since highschool even though we went to different schools. We met at the waterpark we worked at and have had our shares of ups & downs but always are there for each other, even though we live miles (and time zones) apart.
3. What would you say is one of your "weirdest" quirks?
Anything electronic where the numbers aren't on zero (like calculators or timers) or clocks that aren't set (on tvs, dvd players, microwaves, ovens) oh and everything has to be put up in its place before we leave the house. Dishes done, shoes in closet, etc.
4. What is your favorite genre of music? (Hip hop? Classical? Rock? etc.)
Oh gosh, I listen to everything. Seriously, Christian rock on the way to work, 90s Rock on the drive home, rap at night, country in the shower, haha it changes daily, sometimes hourly!
5. Are you a Night Owl...or an Early Bird?
Night Owl for the most part, I love sleeping in unless I have something worthwhile to get up for.

Quick & Easy Chili Recipe #1

2009-11-02T13:18:00.000-08:00

Finally we have some chilly weather in Florida. This "fall" has been from one extreme to another changing almost daily! But thankfully now we have a cold spell and hopefully it will stay around! :) I love chili and as long as it stays cold a new chili recipe will be posted every Monday because nothing is better than Chili & Football! For this week I'm using my Aunt's quick and easy chili recipe that's easy on the budget! Oh and don't forget some yummy cornbread to go with ->

Ingredients:

1 lb Ground Sirloin (you could used turkey if you wish)

1 can Tomato Soup

1 can Pork & Beans (don't get generic, it's not the same)

1 can Tomato Sauce

Brown the meat and add whichever spices you would like to season the meat (I used some red pepper flakes, fresh garlic, and some chili powder but you can use whatever you want). Add the tomato soup, pork & beans, and tomato sauce to a stock pot and place on med-low, add the meat, cover and stir occasionally. Let cook for about 20-30 minutes. Serve with all the fixings: sour cream, fresh grated cheddar cheese, and jalapenos if you dare. :)

Upscaled Tuna Helper

2009-10-06T12:42:00.000-07:00

This is my take on tuna helper. It's yummy, easy to make and perfect for a quick dinner after a long day at work. Oh and my roommates happen to be big fans so I always make sure to make enough for them too!

Upscaled Tuna Helper
All you need is:
olive oil
1 medium red onion (chopped)
red pepper flakes
2 cans of tuna in olive oil (make sure it's olive oil)
3-4 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup of white wine
splash of chicken broth
salt & pepper
10oz bow tie pasta
your choice of cheese(Parmesan, shredded mozzarella, ricotta, etc)

Cook pasta according to the box, I add a splash of olive oil to the water so the pasta doesn't stick together. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in medium skillet, add onions and saute for about 5 minutes. Add in red pepper flakes (adjust to your preference). Add in tuna and capers to the pan, then wine and reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. (During this time the pasta should be ready to drain, after drained place in bowl and drizzle with some olive oil) At the end of the 10 minutes add a splash of chicken broth and salt and pepper to taste, add tuna mixture to the pasta and mix thoroughly. Top with whatever cheese you have on hand and enjoy!

When I made it last night I only had ricotta and added about two tablespoons to mix in with the tuna and pasta. It was delish! I love this dish it's one of my favorites and I hope you will enjoy it too :)

You Can Win a Super Cute Apron!

2009-10-05T09:39:00.000-07:00

11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven is giving away THIS apron!...

Click HERE to find out how to win!

CUPCAKES! a little taste of heaven!

2009-10-05T07:44:00.000-07:00

Now normally I'm not a big review kinda gal but I had to share this cute little bakery, or shall I say cupcakery in my town. It's amazingly delicious but also so adorable. All the cupcakes are made fresh and when I was there decorated right before my very eyes! We got some German Chocolate Cake and Oreo cupcakes for a girl in my office's birthday. The oreo cupcakes even had oreo pieces in the batter! These cupcakes are delish! And the flavors change everyday, they have a schedule up on their website but if you follow them on twitter they will tell you whats on the menu for that day! Oh I forgot to tell you some more cute trivia about the place. The name Lucy & Leo is for their dogs which is so sweet! So if you are ever in the Tallahassee area feel free to stop on by! :)

Lucy & Leo's Cupcakery
1123 Thomasville Rd Tallahassee, FL 32303
850-765-0374
Hours: Tues-Thurs 10-6, Fri 10-9, Sat 10-6, Closed Sun & Mon
Their Website
Their Twitter

Zesty Italian

2009-09-28T08:06:00.000-07:00

This was my grandma's recipe, she made it up on a whelm and I love how easily (and budget friendly) it is to make...plus it reminds me of her. She was an amazing cook and a wonderful person, that I miss a lot. I know she would be so proud of my cooking skills she passed down to me when I was young. I still remember waking up at her house, running down (what I thought then was a long hall) and into the kitchen for some amazing french toast. Anyways, this recipe is my grandma's easy-to-make recipe that my mother (her daughter-in-law) always liked to make because it's time efficient and now it's one of my staple recipes :)

Betty Lou's Zesty Italian

- 1.5 lbs ground chuck (beef or sirloin or turkey would work too!)

- packet of dried spaghetti sauce (any kind will do)

- refrigerated crescent rolls

- 1/2 cup of sour cream

- 1 bag of shredded mozzarella cheese

- 2 tablespoons of butter (melted in microwave)

- Parmesan cheese

Brown the meat in the skillet (you can add onions or green pepper if you would like), and add in the packet of sauce, mix well and cook thoroughly. Next take the sour cream and mix with the shredded cheese. Meanwhile grease a square glass casserole pan (8x8 or 9x9) and preheat the oven to 350. Next, drain the meat and place on the bottom of the pan, top with the cheese mixture. Then, take the crescent rolls out of the tube, lay them flat across the top of the cheese mixture. Finally mix the melted butter and Parmesan cheese, then spread the mixture onto the top of the crescent rolls. Bake for 30-45 minutes until it's golden brown on top. Enjoy!

Pasta Salad with Mediterranean Twist

2009-09-11T12:16:00.000-07:00

I love zucchini it's one of my favorite recipes and with this easy dish you can get two side dishes in one which makes it easy to have a well rounded meal. It goes great with some grilled chicken slices.

*I appolige for the bad quality of the picture, I had to use my camera phone for this

Here's what you need:

some pasta, about half a box of linguine
olive oil
a few small zucchini sliced thin
kosher salt
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, rinsed
2 tablespoons garlic
crushed red pepper (to taste)
1/2 cup grated Parmesan

Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water, drain, and return the pasta to the pot. Meanwhile heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and 1/2 teaspoon salt, cook for about 5 minutes, make sure to give it a few tosses so they don't burn. Add the chickpeas, garlic, and red pepper and cook for about 4 minutes. Toss the pasta with the reserved pasta water and half of the cheese, add in the zucchini mixture and top with additional cheese. You can serve it hot as is, or let chill. If you serve it cold, drizzle some olive oil on top before serving :)

-This recipe is an adapted verision of one in the Real Simple Magazine.

Last Minute Ziti

2009-09-09T16:45:00.000-07:00

There are some days when you get home and just don't have time to go to the grocery before dinner so you have to rely on what is around the kitchen. I always have pasta sauce, some kind of noddles, some ground beef, and shredded cheese on hand for such occations. This is a quick and easy dish that can be modified based on what you have but is sure to be a winner in your house.
This time around here is what I used:
-box of whole wheat ziti
-jar of marinara sauce
-bag of shredded chesse -italian mix
-1lb of ground beef
-tablespoon of minced garlic (the jar kind)
-chopped onion (however much you like)
-chopped green pepper (however much you like)
-crushed red pepper
-basil
-Italian seasoning

Preheat the oven to 350. Cook pasta according to directions, add a splash of olive oil and salt. Meanwhile brown meat in a medium pan over med-high heat, add in some garlic, onion, and even green pepper if you have it. After the meat is cooked add in the sauce, I add a few spices (see above) so it doesn't taste as 'jarry'; reduce to simmer and stir occasionally so it won't burn on the bottom. Drain the pasta, return to pot and pour in the sauce mixture. Grease a 9x12 pan, (I use extra virgin olive oil and my fingers to do this) and pour in half the sauce/meat mixture and top with a couple handfuls of cheese, add the rest of the mixture finish with the rest of the cheese. Place the pan into the over for about 30 mins or until the cheese starts to bubble. Remove from oven and let cool for about 5 minutes so it's easier to serve. Enjoy :)

Easy Chicken Pot Pie

2009-09-04T13:08:00.000-07:00

Ingredients
1.5 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 carrots, diced
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 cups milk
half of a 10oz package frozen peas
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
salt and pepper
2 store-bought piecrust (let thaw so it's easier to work with)

Heat oven to 400° F. Cook the chicken in a pot of simmering water until cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. While the chicken is cooking place oil in pan over medium heat. Add the onions and carrots and cook until almost soft. Sprinkle the flour over the vegetables and cook, stirring, for about a minute. Add the milk and simmer until the sauce thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. S

Next shred the chicken and stir it into the sauce along with the peas, thyme, salt, and pepper. Next place one pie crust onto the bottom of the pan, spreading it out so it covers the bottom and the sides almost to the top, pour in chicken mixture. Lay the crust on top and then place the pot pie in the oven for about 30 minutes. Take out and let cool for about 5 minutes before serving. Dig in and enjoy! :)

Stuffed Chicken Breast

2009-08-31T11:49:00.001-07:00

I randomly came up with this, since chicken breast are on sale at Publix this week, and it is amazing! I made it for a cook-out we had with the neighbors and it won them over so I thought I would share it!

Stuffed Chicken Breast
1.5 lbs Boneless Skinless Chicken Breast (about 3 breast)
1/2 bottle Italian Dressing
Handful of Sundried Tomatoes
1/2 container of Goat Cheese
2 teaspoons of Minced Garlic
3 Tablespoons of Prepared Pesto Sauce
Salt & Pepper to taste

Rince and pat dry chicken and place into ziploc bag, add Italian Dressing. Let marinate in bag for about 20 minutes. While marinating, chop sundried tomatoes in half. Place tomatoes into bowl, add goat cheese, garlic, and pesto. Blend into all ingrediants are mixed well (shoud be at a paste consistency), you can taste it to see if you need to add salt or pepper. Set bowl aside. Remove chicken from bag and place on cutting board, slice a 'pocket' into the chicken, it's easiest to do by placing your hand on the top of the breast and starting at one end about halfway through the chicken slice down, but not through the bottom. After you have 'pockets' in all the chicken take one tablespoon of chesse mixture and place into each breast, continue until there is none left. Now you're ready to grill! Place the chicken on the grill for about 10 minutes on each side, but make sure to cut a slice in the middle to make sure it's not pink inside, because chicken needs to be cooked throughly before eatting!

Brands I used:
-California Sun Dried Tomatoes, Julienne Cut
-Classico Basil Pesto
-Wishbone House Italian Dressing
-Spice World Minced Garlic

**Instead of Goat Cheese, any of the crumble cheese and/or fresh mozarella cheese will make it delicious!
**Tomatoes can be omitted as well!

Using Leftovers: Wine

2009-08-20T12:16:00.000-07:00

I'm a big wine drinker and always have wine in my house, but sometimes there are times when the bottle doesn't get completely used. When this happens I use the little bit of wine that's left to make a variety of recipes. Also, you can always add a splash of wine to sauces and cooking. Remember white wine goes with fish, chicken, pork, and white sauce, where as red wine goes with meat and red sauce.

White-Wine Vinaigrette
1/3 cup white wine
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 2 to 3 lemons)
1 teaspoon honey
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

In a bowl, whisk together the wine, lemon juice, honey, salt, and pepper. While still whisking, slowly add the oil in a steady stream. Use in salad or over fish, will last for one week just remember to stir before pouring.

Poached Pears
1.5 cups red wine
1 lemon
1 orange, quartered
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cinnamon stick
5 cloves
4 small ripe pears, peeled

In a saucepan, combine the wine, the juice from the lemon and orange, 1 of the squeezed orange quarters, the sugar, vanilla, cinnamon stick, and cloves. Add the pears and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, turning the pears occasionally, until they can be pierced with the tip of a knife (about 25 minutes). Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pears to individual plates. Remove and discard the orange quarter and spices. Return the liquid to a simmer and cook until syrupy and reduced by two-thirds, about 15 minutes, depending on size of pan. Spoon the sauce over the pears.

Chicken Tetrazinni

2009-08-12T10:47:00.000-07:00

I had a delicious chicken tetrazinni at a resturant a couple weeks ago and it was delicious. This Tuesday was my day to cook for a few of my friends, we rotate houses and cook for each other once a week, and I thought it would be a perfect time to try to cook it. It takes almost two hours to make but it's well worth it! I took Giada De Laurentiis' recipe and tweaked it a bit.

Ingredients:
9 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 1/4 teaspoons salt
1 1/4 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 large onion, finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tablespoon thyme
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups whole milk, room temperature
1 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature
1 cup chicken broth
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
12 ounces linguine
1 cup grated Parmesan/Motzorella
1/4 cup dried Italian-style breadcrumbs
Directions
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
Spread 1 tablespoon of butter over a 13 by 9 by 2-inch baking dish. Melt 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil in a deep large nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the hot pan and cook until pale golden and just cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the chicken to a plate to cool slightly. Coarsely shred the chicken into bite-size pieces and into a large bowl. This is the time consuming part, I think it's a good job for an assistant :)

Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon each of butter and oil to the same pan. Add the mushrooms and saute over medium-high heat until the liquid from the mushrooms evaporates and the mushrooms become pale golden, about 12 minutes. Add the onion, garlic, and thyme, and saute until the onion is translucent, about 8 minutes. Add the wine and simmer until it evaporates, about 2 minutes. Transfer the mushroom mixture to the bowl with the chicken.

Melt 3 more tablespoons butter in the same pan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for 2 minutes. Whisk in the milk, cream, broth, nutmeg, salt, and pepper. Increase the heat to high. Cover and bring to a boil, watch the sauce as it will start to burn if you don't stir. Simmer, uncovered, until the sauce thickens slightly, whisking often, about 10 minutes.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the linguine and cook until it is tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 9 minutes. Drain and return to pan. Add sauce and chicken mixture to the drained pasta. Toss until the sauce coats the pasta and the mixture is well blended.

Transfer the pasta mixture to the prepared baking dish. Stir the cheese and breadcrumbs in a small bowl to blend. Sprinkle the cheese mixture over the pasta. Dot with the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter. Bake, uncovered, until golden brown on top and the sauce bubbles, about 25 minutes, watch it since all ovens are different, mine took about 20 minutes!

Let the dish cool before serving as it's extremely hot when it comes out of the oven.

Refreshing Refreshments!

2009-08-10T11:59:00.000-07:00

I live in North Florida and even though it's almost the middle of August it's still scorching outside, at the moment it's 91 degrees and only getting hotter as the day continues. Now as much as I love the Sunshine State, I hate being hot and feeling lethargic from it. But rehydrating with just water can be so boring, however i will say that sometimes a nice cold glass of ice water is so very refreshing! Anyways, I've decided to share with you a few easy updates to make water more appealing when it gets boring.

The most refreshing take on water is Spa Water also known as cucumber water...

1 gallon water

about 5 lemon slices

about 5 cucumber slices

Put everything in pitcher and place in fridge for about an hour, then serve.

How about some Lemonade it's easy and tasty! Here's how...

1 1/2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (takes about 12 lemons)
1/2 cup sugar
6 cups cold water
lemon slices
ice

Put the lemon juice, sugar, and about a cup of water into the pitcher and stir until dissolved. Add the remaining water and lemon slices, mix together. Serve over ice. Enjoy :)

Or you could easily make Southern Sweet Tea with a fresh ingredients:

1 quart water
4 family size tea bags (Luzzienne)
2 cups sugar

ice
mint leaves and lemon slices (optional/for garnish)

In a large pot bring the water to a boil. Remove pot from heat, add the tea bags, cover with a lid, and steep for about 20 minutes. Pour sugar into pitcher, add some water and stir to dissolve sugar. Once the tea has steeped, remove tea bags and pour tea into pitcher and stir. Add cold water to fill the pitcher. Serve over ice with lemon slices and mint.

Using Leftovers: Chicken Salad Sandwiches

2009-08-06T13:09:00.000-07:00

Grabbing a rotisserie chicken from the deli is a quick and easy way to get a delicious meal for those nights when time is limited and the best part is if you don't eat it all you can use it for another meal! Here's my take on Round 2 of Rotisserie Chicken... Chicken Salad Sandwiches!

To make the chicken salad sandwiches you will need:

-leftover rotisserie chicken, shredded
-mayo

-salt and pepper

-dried dill (can be omitted)

-a squeeze of a lemon

-celery, diced (I make two batches one with and one without)

Combine all ingrediants into bowl and mix well. Toast bread, and make a sandwich using a couple spoonfuls of the chicken salad, some lettuce, tomato slice, and two cucumber slices. ENJOY :)

Habanero Salsa

2009-08-06T12:15:00.000-07:00

I love salsa, especially the kind at Mexian resturants but my favorite salsa is my own version. I've had a number of friends tell me it's just as tasty if not better than most resturant salsa. The best part is that it's inexpensive and makes a large amount! It's got a lot of heat but you can adjust that by the ammount of jalapenos you use. The slow burn of the habenero also gives it quite the kick!

SuperSalsa
-3/4 red onion (chopped)
-2 to 3 tablespoons of diced green peppers in a can
-1 tablespoon sugar
-1 tablespoon salt
-1/2 tablespoon pepper
-1 tablespoon of garlic
-large can of diced tomatoes (drained)
-2 jalapenos
-1 habenero (seeded and chopped)
-cilantro
-1 lime, for juice

Place jalapenos on baking sheet in put in oven on Broil until skin blackens. After allowing them to cool, remove the skin and seeds from the jalapenos and chop. While waiting on it to blacken you can put chopped onion, green peppers, sugar, and salt & pepper in the blender, pulse until it's a semi-thick consistency. Remove onion mixture from blender and set aside in bowl. Next add the tomatoes and jalapenos into the blender and pulse until smooth. Add the onion mixture, habenero cilantro, lime juice, and remaining tomatoes to the blender. Do a quick pulse so there are some chunky pieces, pour mixture into a resealable container and refrigerate for about 30 minutes to allow everything to come together. Serve with chips

FakeOut TakeOut: Beef Stir Fry

2009-08-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

I love take out food, but I don't like the price. The other day I was in the mood for some hibatchi but didn't want to fork over the $10 for one serving of salad, rice, veggies, and meat. However I did remember that I had some bottom round steaks in the freezer that needed to be cooked, since it was already late I figured I could go ahead and prepare them for the next day's dinner and that would allow the meat to be marinated.

Beef and Veggies over Brown Rice

Marinade mixture:
-Brown Sugar
-Soy Sauce
-Garlic
-Salt & Pepper

Ingredients:
-Beef (either round steak or flank steak)
-vegetables (mushrooms, broccoli, carrots, etc)
-peanut oil
-garlic
-brown rice

Defrost the meat, as soon as it was thoroughly defrosted I sliced the steaks into thin strips, made the marinade, and combined both in a zip top bag. I left my meat marinating until the next evening, almost 24 hours. When I was ready to cook, I added peanut oil to my wok pan and heated it over med-high head. I added a teaspoon of garlic and then the meat. As the meat started to cook I sliced some baby bella mushrooms and added them into the leftover marinade mixture, (you can use any veggie here I was just in a mushroom mood!). At this time I started to cook the rice according to the package. After the meat is almost done remove from pan and set aside. Add the veggies with the sauce and cook on medium heat for a minute or so, remember to stir so they don't stick, then add the meat back to the pan and set heat to low. By this time your rice should almost be done. While waiting for the rice to finish you can make a quick salad using spinach, sundried tomatoes, and a feta or goat cheese, topped with your favorite Asian dressing. I love the honey-ginger dressing by Makoto that's in the produce section. By the time you have the salad made your rice should be ready to serve. I serve my Stir-Fry in deep bowls placing the rice on the bottom, then the beef and veggie mixture topped with the sauce. It's delicious! :)

Simple Recipes: Tuna Sandwiches

2009-07-29T07:48:00.000-07:00

Simple recipes use kitchen staples to make quick and easy meals. It’s almost lunch time and I know I don’t want to have the same old tuna sandwich. Here’s three delicious ways to upgrade your traditional tuna with ingredients that are already sitting next to your cans of tuna or hiding in the fridge!

Basil-Pesto Tuna on Toasted Swirl Bread
4 slices of Pumpernickel-Rye Bread
6oz can of tuna in water
1-2 tablespoons of basil pesto (I use the Classico brand in a jar)
salt & pepper to taste

First, drain the tuna. Then, in a small bowl mix pesto and tuna together; make larger pieces of tuna smaller by flaking with the fork. Meanwhile, toast the bread in the toaster. Season the mixture with salt and pepper, place on bread and serve.

Open-Faced Tuna Melt
2 English muffins
¼ cup green onions (chopped)
¼ cup mayo
Splash of Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon yellow or Dijon mustard
Dash of red pepper flakes
1 can of tuna in water (drained)
4 slices of tomato
½ cup of shredded cheddar cheese

Cut English muffins in half and lightly toast, set aside. In a bowl combine onions, mayo, Worcestershire, horseradish, mustard, red pepper flakes and tuna, mix well. Turn on oven to Broil. Place muffins halves on baking sheet and top with tuna mixture, tomato slice and sprinkle cheese on top. Place in oven and heat for 4 minutes, or until the cheese is melted.

Tuna Salad Sandwich
Sourdough bread slices
1 can of white tuna (drained)
6 tablespoons of mayo
1 tablespoon parmesan cheese
1/8 teaspoon dried onion flakes
¼ teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon dried dill
dash of garlic powder

In a bowl combine tuna, mayo, cheese, and onion flakes together. Add curry powder, dill, and garlic powder, mix well. Serve on sourdough bread, I like to toast mine first, and enjoy.

Turkey-Ricotta Pasta Bake

2009-07-24T07:53:00.000-07:00

I often have days when I get home from the office and just don't feel like doing all the prep work for a meal. Thankfully I have a few dishes that I can prepare ahead of time that I can just heat and eat! I love pasta dishes because they are very filling and nutritious. This next recipe I make at least three times a month, it's easy filling and a big hit. I didn't even get to take a picture before it was devoured up!

Ingredients you will need:
- olive oil
- 2 garlic cloves or 1 tbsp minced
- 1/4 cup red onion, diced (OPTIONAL)
- 1/2 lb ground turkey
- 1/2 cup-3/4 cup jarred basil tomato pasta sauce
- 3/4 cup of whole wheat penne pasta
- 1/2 cup ricotta cheese
- 1/4 cup shredded Italian mix cheese

Heat oil in pan over med-high heat, saute garlic (and onion). Add ground turkey and cook until brown and crumbly, break up the larger chunks. Mix in sauce with the meat and let simmer for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, heat boiling water with a pinch of salt, add pasta. Cook for about 6 minutes, you don't want to cook it any longer since it will be baked. After pasta has been drained add to meat sauce, stir in ricotta cheese and mix it all together. Grease a loaf pan, then add pasta mixture, top with shredded cheese. *I make all this part ahead of time, that way I can come home from the office and just place it in the oven, but it can be baked immediately as well. * Bake 30 minutes at 350 degrees :)

Money saving tip: I use leftover sauce, this last time I had a 1/2 cup vodka and 1/4 cup spicy basil and just added them both it was very flavorful and I didn't have to open a brand new jar.

Better Safe than Sorry: Kitchen Staples

2009-07-21T11:47:00.000-07:00

There are some things that you should always have in at your house…the little black dress, a flashlight, an umbrella, a pair of jeans, you know the basics. That same rule also applies towards your kitchen; there are some items you should always have on hand. I’ve compiled a short list of items that should be in your pantry. You might already have these but I figured I would share them with you so you can have a master list of these ‘must-haves’ of the pantry. Always remember to purchase when they are on sale, and stock up so you save money. For a great deal on spices go to the bulk stores (Sam’s, Costco, etc) they usually have restaurant size containers of spices for right around $3.

· olive oil
· vegetable oil
· balsamic Vinegar
· red wine vinegar
· kosher salt
· black pepper
· sea salt
· cayenne pepper
· chili powder
· red pepper flakes
· oregano
· thyme
· nutmeg
· rosemary
· ground cinnamon
· paprika
· chicken broth
· jarred pasta sauces (get both red and white)
· canned tuna
· canned beans (kidney and/or black)
· rice (white and/or brown)
· pasta (stick with the basics: ziti, linguini, spaghetti, macaroni)
· flour
· white sugar
· garlic (I use the already minced in a jar, last longer and the work is done for you)
· white wine
· red wine
· potatoes
· onions
· butter
· milk
· eggs
· dijon mustard
· cheese (choose a variety)
· lemon
· lime
· chicken breast
· ground beef or turkey
· bread

A few tips:

-usually you can find coupons for McCormick’s grinders or get them BOGO for the sea salt & blk pepper
-olive oil, pasta and pasta sauces are often BOGO at the groccery stores
-use coupons on tuna, pasta sauces, and pasta.
-remember the wine can be the cheap stuff, if it’s just for cooking
-buy meats at bulk clubs seperate into 1 or 2 lbs and freeze :)