Nature's Serving Size

A few years ago I dieted and lost a chunk of weight (which I have found has returned since I saw the plus sign on a magic stick a few months ago). One of the best recipes I found while enduring a holiday season without my constant companion - carbs - is for no-carb Stuffed Peppers. Veggie packed scumptiousness, I tell ya!

All you need to make a meal for two is:
2 Green Peppers, tops removed and seeded
1/2 lb ground beef, ground turkey or soy crumbles
1 T. garlic powder
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
3 white button mushrooms, finely chopped
1/2 tomato, chopped (or handful grape tomatoes)
1/4 c. tomato sauce

1. Preheat oven to 350. Pour about a cup of water into a baking dish. Place the peppers in the dish and cover with aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes.
2. Brown beef then drain any fat. Continue cooking with garlic powder, onion, mushrooms and tomato 7-10 minutes until tomatoes soften and onions turn translucent. 
3. By this time the peppers have softened and are ready to be stuffed. Tightly pack each pepper with your meaty veggie mix. Top with each with tomato sauce.
4. Bake for 20 minutes, uncovered. When done, cool for about 3-5 minutes, then serve.

Cooking with Cider

We have a gallon of cider chillin' in the fridge. I cannot imbibe said cider because it is not pasteurized.  Curses! In my cider sadness I decided to make dinner that could incorporate this nectar of the North Carolina Hills. Craving breakfast for dinner, I decided on Cider Spiked French Toast. I can't really say it is a recipe because like most of what I cook I did it by sight and guesstimating.

Shawn has been downing the cider, as you can see, and I wanted a crack at it, too!

 Wisk together two eggs, and equal parts cider and skim milk (for ultra deluxe luciousness use half and half) I think I can safely say I used about a quarter cup of each but it could have been less, a pinch of nutmeg, ground ginger and a dash of cinnamon. Dip each side of your trusty bread slice into the soupy batter, refreshing your spices with each slice. Cook over medium heat on a griddle or frying pan. Cut into adorable triangles and dust with powdered sugar. Serve with your favorite fruit (I suggest warm spiced apple slices) or protein (we chose scrambled eaggs with a hint of Mrs. Dash Table Blend) and warmed 100% maple syrup.

Oil and butter free frying

Filling fiber and a safe way to enjoy cider for those with compromised immune systems like us pregnant or nursing moms.

Lasagna Deliziosa

Much like Garfield the cat, my Hungry Hubby could eat lasagna every night (and afternoon, and most likely morning, too if given the option). Every once in a while I bust out this layered-love for his wide-eyed dining pleasure. This time, I added a secret layer of shredded zucchini. My mother-in-law brought a zucchini the length of my arm and the width of my calf (seriously, this is not really an exaggeration).

How to make this yummtastic meal of tastiness:

• Shred about a cup of zucchini and drain (put zukes in a paper towel-lined strained, dust with salt, let sit at least 30 minutes, squeeze out extra moisture). 
• While boiling a pot of lightly salted water, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add in lasagna noodles. Boil 8-9 minutes. 
• Brown ground beef/turkey/or soy crumbles with 1/2 a Tbsp of garlic powder, a dash of salt, several cranks from a pepper mill. Once you do an initial drain of fat from the beef (once you see it change from pink to brown), add in a couple pinches of dried sage, a couple spinkles of fennel seeds, and a healthy dash or two of dried basil. Cook an additional five minutes. Drain off any remaining fat from the meat. It's okay if some of your herbs escaped with the grease. The flavors infused just enough as you prepare yourself for the oven.
• Coat the bottom of your pan (I use a bread loaf pan since I am only cooking for two + leftovers) with prepared spaghetti sauce. Layer in noodles, followed by beef, dallops of part skim ricotta cheese, zucchini. Repeat starting with sauce until you've achieved the height you predetermined for your masterpiece. Finish off with a mozzarella top. 
• Bake this bad boy for 30 minutes. Wait a few minutes before cutting into. I know, it's painful to wait, but you don't want it sliding around on your plate. Serve with a light salad and garlic bread (or in our case heels toasted, buttered then sprinkled with garlic powder).

Devour!
Bon Appetit!

Liberty Market Love!

I had a lovely morning at Liberty Market with long time friend, Ashley. We go back to middle school, y'all. It was so nice to see her before the Big Move, we get along so well. We pretty much just laughed our way through the entirety of brunch. Holy begeeziness, batman! Liberty Market in Gilbert, AZ is delish! I inhaled the gigantic tortilla of my dreams, sold as "Breakfast Quesadilla." Eggs potatoes green peppers onions salsa cheese and chorizo, yes please!

via

To was that bad boy down, I gulped a Cafe Au Lait. We covered the continents today my friends. If you are ever in th homey lil Downtown Old Town Gilbert. Do not pass this culinary gem up!

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Bad Wife

I poisoned my husband!

Food Poisoning is a rotten, dirty trick, especially when it is one's love-of-one's-life who does it to you (however unintentional). I made a rather tasty jambalaya on Tuesday night. We ate heartily but left enough for leftovers on Wednesday night. Something that tasty absorbs even more tastiness when you wait overnight between eatings. I never thought is that my Cajun Creation would also absorb some cursed, evil bacteria while sealed in my refrigerator. My guess is that we ate some undercooked andouille (pork) sausage or some type of freak contamination occurred.

I am totally off all pork products for a long time (my tummy rumbles as I think about it). And I am disinfecting my kitchen. And I am sterilizing my fridge. And I am charring all of my meat products for the next several weeks.

So if you see me wearing a haz-mat suit flipping a flaming burger you will understand, if not sympathize.

**I would offer the recipe, but I can't imagine too many of you dying to have it after this post. Trust me when I say it is awesome tasting, it was!**

Candy Coated Everything

There is nothing like taking something beautifully nutritious and drowning it in caramel, chocolate and cookie chunks. 'Tis the season, right?

Isn't Happy Husband cute?

The Joy of Baking!

Let the Season of Sugar officially commence!

Every December, as far back as I could remember, I bake Christmas cookies - a lot of them. I have done the tried and true recipes (the chocolate chip, the oatmeal, and the holiday staples - sugar cookies and snickerdoodles). A few years ago, I dove into Mom's cookbook collection and selected the Betty Crocker Cooky Book from the 60s or 70s. I cannot praise that masterpiece of baker's delight enough!

I have tried to recreate a couple German cookies that I fell for during that year: Zimtsterne and Pffernusse. Hubster and I love spiced cookies and these two have a real zing! Zimtsterne, so heavenly-cinnamony,  are rolled out then cut into star-shapes and basted with an eggwhite-wash before baking. I have also seen them iced.* Pffernusse have a good dose of black pepper in them, but that heat is subdued by the dusting of powder sugar on the outside (after baking). The cloves, ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, and nutmeg make this a real warming treat in a white snowball.

*My Zimtsterne were a bit different because I do not own a cookie cutter that is not in a Halloween shape. So I made mine into a drop cookie, making them a softer-pillowy texture unlike the hard and crunchy texture they are "supposed" to be. Also, the photo above is from audrinapatridge.com (I am writing this at a time inconvenient for plugging my camera into computer... tee hee hee)

Im going to get you my pretty...

Halloween is my favorite holiday. Happy Husband and I began dating right around Halloween 2003. We have been to countless scary-thrill-tastic movies and Haunted House ranging from campy-kitschy fun to screaming-laughter inducing terror. To us, this is a season of love. I love to make Halloween themed edibles. Above are my almond flavored Witches' Fingers a creepy and delicious treat.

1 c. butter, softened
1 c. powdered sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. almond extract
2 2/3 c. all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder (make sure this isn't old - otherwise they don't turn out)
1 tsp. salt
Raw Almonds for finger nails
Green Food Coloring

Mix all (except almonds) ingredients together until coloring is fully incorporated (I use my hands since I like the color to be thoroughly kneaded in). Form into dough ball and refrigerate approximately 30 minutes (or one Twilight Zone episode, he he he).

Preheat oven to 325 F. Remove 1/2 dough ball. Pick out small chunks (my guess is a heaping Tablespoon worth), roll into small ball then into a log form, gently squeezing in a section in the rear and a section just above the middle of the log. Slightly flatten this lumpy log, then using a chilled knife press three lines into the knuckle-area, then press almond-nail into tip of dough.

Repeat with remainder of dough. Keep formed fingers in the refrigerator until ready to bake. Bake for 20-25 minutes. Voila! You have a cauldron worth of severed fingers. Everyone you know will be envious.

Listening to: "The Ghost Inside" by Broken Bells, "High Road" by Broken Bells

Two Courses

Here are a couple of meals I have made recently that went over very well in my Happy Household.
Not a lot of work!

Clam Sauce over Thin Spaghetti
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 T. Olive Oil
1 T. Butter
Pinch of saltWhite Pepper, to taste
1/2 bunch parsely, diced (or as I like chiffon)
2 servings Whole What Thin Spaghetti
1 can o'clams
Shredded Parmesan, to taste

Cook pasta according to package instructions (usually boiling 5-7 minutes). Drain and put aside. Sweat your onion and garlic in pan with 1/2 T. butter. When become translucent add in clams, oil and remaining butter. Reduce (if too watery, wisk in some all purpose flour until become more saucey). Toss in your pasta, coating in all of the buttery and garlicky goodness. Sprinkle in parsley. Dump your portion on your plate, garnishing with remaining parsley and shredded parm. Slice up a hunk of french bread for sopping up the sauce and serve it on the side.
There you have it! Dinner in 10 minutes with little to no effort, but always sounds impressive.


And for dessert...

Delicious Summer Treat!

Kiwi-Strawberry Tart

A sleeve of Graham Crackers, crushed into dust ;) (should yield about 1.5 c.)
3 T. melted butter (or nonfat plain yogurt, for you health conscious ones)
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 T. brown sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix above ingredients and press into 9 inch pie pan (might help to dip your spatula into water before using it spread into pan as the mixture will be a bit sticky. Bake 5 minutes.

Mix 2 c. skim milk (or almond milk, yum!) into Jell-o Instant French Vanilla Pudding (I also add in 1/8 tsp vanilla for extra oomph). Mix and let it st up. While waiting for that, slice 1 kiwi and approximately 10 strawberries. Once the pudding is set, spread evenly into crust, topping with rings of strawberry and kiwi.

Use whatever fruit is in season. I made this during summer so the farmer's markets were bursting at the seams with fresh berries.

Bon Appetite!

Listening to: "Teenage Dream" by Katy Perry

Vegetarian Delishes

I have resolved to eat Vegetarian dishes a few nights a week. I refuse that mean "salads" so I dove into my favorite website, allrecipes.com, for some inspiration.
Vegetarian Korma! Happy Husband said he missed the chicken, but still fell in love with this dish. I used too much coconut milk (never thought one could ever use too much of this treasure) so I tripled the amount of curry powder. Next time I plan on using the more powerful Madras curry powder for some kick.



2.25 tsp canola oil
1 small onion
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger I used a full tsp
2 cloves garlic
1 yukon gold potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 T. crushed cashews
1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
4 oz. tomato sauce
1 tsp. salt
2 1/4 tsp curry powder (I used 2 T.)
1/2 c. frozen peas
1/2 red pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 green pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 c. coconut cream (I did a full cup... a very sweet whoops)
1 bunch fresh cilantro for garnish (essential for maximum flavor)

1. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the onion, and cook until tender. Mix in ginger and garlic, and continue cooking 1 minute. Mix potatoes, carrots, jalapeno, cashews, and tomato sauce. Season with salt and curry powder. Cook and stir 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
2. Stir peas, green bell pepper, red bell pepper, and cream into the skillet. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Garnish with cilantro to serve.

We have also enjoyed Chunky Summer Tomato Soup (cold and garden fresh) and Meatless Confetti Chili (using leftover peppers from the Korma). Tonight we'll have Zucchini Crab Cakes (use shredded and drained zucchini instead of crab) and bake, not fry.

If I ate like this all the time, I might not miss meat (for long).

Enjoy, my veggie friends!

Reading: "Pride & Prejudice" by Jane Austen
Listening to: "I've Just Seen a Face" by The Beatles

Holy Delish!

Made Greek Souzoukaklia (pic and recipe from Allrecipes.com) last night (really have no idea if it is actually Greek). Man, it was good! I thought the ingredients were a bit odd, but what they hey! I used what I had in the pantry so the website's recipe is a little longer. 1 lb. ground beef or turkey, 1/3 onion-chopped, 1/8 tsp coriander, 1/8 tsp cinnamon, 1/2 dash nutmeg 1/8 tsp paprika (I didnt have cayenne pepper, and paprika is red so...), 2 T. chopped raisins, 1/2 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley, mix and grill. I did burgers, but should be skewered meatballs.

Our Calendar of Cookery is a resounding success. We have discovered several new staples to our pantry and I have found that cooking for Happy Husband each day make him happier and even more helpful around the house.

He popped up from playing video games and asked if he could help me clean up, gave me a hug and a kiss and said thank-you. He did a load of laundry in the morning. When asked, "What brings this on," he responded with "I don't know. Just being nice." Just goes to show you how a little effort goes a long way in maintaining the peace in your household. Happy Wife and Happy Husband indeed.

Listening to: "Howl" by Florence + the Machine
Reading: "Sarah's Key" by Tatiana de Rosnay

Commencement of Cookery

Today is the first day I pledge commitment to my Calendar of Cookery. I have planned out five meals a week for the remaining three weeks of July. I went with an ethnic theme for July as I truly enjoy multicultural cuisine. I'll post some recipes as I go along, if they are up to par (quick and easy and mighty tasty). Tonight ... Chicken Paprikash {HUNGARIAN}. Later this week we'll have Tandoori Fish {INDIAN} and Shrimp Etouffee {CAJUN} just for a couple samples.

I made sure to leave a (2) day of leftovers/day of takeout/day of dining out per week just in case I don't feel like cooking. I made a weekly shopping list so that we can save on our grocery bills. A major component to my manifesto. Eat groceries, not money. Simple.

Let you know how it goes.

Listening to: "Headlock" by Imogen Heap
Reading: "A Reliable Wife" by Robert Goolrick