Quiche Night Photo Post!

Ryan and I called each other after work from the grocery store(s). I was at the Central Market (which is just like another Whole Foods) north of our house, and he was at the Central Market south of our house. We were both shopping for quiche ingredients at the same store and didn't plan it! How funny right??

We decided to make 2 so we can have breakfast/lunch leftovers for the next couple days, and because I wanted a veggie quiche and he wanted meat. We cheated a little and used store bought pie crust. Sometimes ya gotta do what ya gotta do to save a little time.

Quiche 1:
BABY SPINACH, GREEN ONION, SMOKED GOUDA

Quiche 2:
CHORIZO & MANCHEGO

Sauteed green onions (1/2 C.) & baby spinach (3 C.)

Topped with 3/4 C. grated smoked gouda

Cooked chorizo (3/4 C. or 1 link) with green onions and manchego

Topped with eggs (8 total), lowfat milk (2 C.), salt, pepp

Baked in oven at 350 for approx. 40-45 mins. Let rest for 10-15 mins.

Served w/ mixed green salad w/ balsamic dressing and tomatoes (not for Ryan- he doesn't like raw tomatoes)

Sooo DELISH! Highly recommend.

Is today THE DAY?

How we feelin' Mama Mich? Is it baby time yet? Update us all on how you're doin!!

LOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE

Spicy Spaghetti Meat Sauce

THIS IS THE BEST SPAGHETTI SAUCE EVER!
* 2 lbs. spicy Italian sausage (Central Market & Whole Foods sell turkey version for a healthier option than pork... but pork tastes better)
* 1 onion, diced
* 3 -4 garlic cloves, minced
* 2 cups diced tomatoes
* 2 cans tomato paste
* 2 cans tomato sauce
* 2 cups water
* 3 teaspoons basil
* 2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes
* 1 1/2 teaspoons brown sugar
* 1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
* 1/4 cup red wine
* Salt & Pepper to taste

1. Brown sausage, breaking up as you stir.
2. Add onions until softened.
3. Add garlic, tomatoes, tomato paste, tomato sauce and water.
4. Add basil, parsley, brown sugar, salt, crushed red pepper, and black pepper.
5. Stir and barely bring to a boil.
6. Stir in red wine.
7. Simmer on low for 1 hr.

HUGE Best Wishes and Weekly Menus

Our very own LouLou is now engaged! Let's take a moment to send best wishes to Louise and a HUGE congrats to JP for catching the greatest girl in the world :) Can't wait for the planning and festivities to begin!! Also, I think a post of how it all went down is in order... what do you say Lou??

Weekly menus seems thoroughly unimportant but in an attempt to remain consistent with our posts, here's my menu for the week.

Mon- Sloppy Joes and baked sweet potato fries
Tues- Chicken and dumplings
Wed- Chicken chilaquiles
Thurs- Leftovers
Friday- Sunday: Off to Palm Springs for the Babymoon! Whoop!

I made Louise's salmon with yogurt dill sauce last Friday. Amazing. Will definitely make that again. I've been craving salmon a lot lately and that sauce is just to die for.

What have you got going on??

Pretty- Slam Poetry

Perhaps it's the hormones combined with the fact that I'm having a girl, but this brought me to tears. Slam poetry? I know. Not my thing. But this is really good.

Reminder

Happy St Patrick's Day!

Anyone attempting any Irish dishes tonight?! I still have shepherd's pie left overs. Does that count?

It's Guessing Time...

So, believe it or not, Michelle is having actually going to give birth to this little turkey soon. Haha, I say this because part of me just thought she'd be pregnant forever! The time would neverrrr come that she'd actually be holding her baby! Welp, I think it's closer than we think so I figured as Domestic Goddesses in Training, we should all place some friendly wagers on when we think the world will welcome the precious little Amelia--one thing is for sure, it's going to be a much brighter and more beautiful world when she arrives! (so bright, we'll all have to wear shades!)




Here is what I'm going with....

Day: March 31st
Weight: 8 lbs, 2oz
Height: 20 inches

Your turn...

Eli's Weekly Menu 03.14.11

Sunday: Michelle's Chicken Sausage Bake (it was delicious!)
Monday: Turkey Burgers & Sweet Potatoe Fries
Tuesday: Lite General Tso's Chicken (still havent made it...)
Wednesday: Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Brussel Sprouts
Thursday: Cobb Salad
Friday: Eggplant Parmesan
Saturday: Beef and Broccoli over brown rice

Weekly menu

I'm getting back on track w/ the menus... can't handle having to go to the grocery store every night to figure out what groceries I need for dinner. SO this is this week's menu:

Monday: Shepherd's Pie remix (i'll love having lunch leftovers)
Tuesday: Dijon pork chops (where is the recipe for this?)
Weds: Chilaquiles (I'm making Ryan make them this time b/c I have an hair appt til like 8pm.)
Thurs: Corn chowder (Ryan's recipe. I will get it and post it soon) and leftovers
Fri: Out (SXSW and Will W. will be in town)

Congrats to Michi for her new car!!

Must. Make. These.

These will be made tomorrow. It's the first Friday of Lent, and I hadn't accounted for Lent in my weekly menu. So, here comes another audible!

Homemade Fish Sticks!!

Healthy Homemade Fish Sticks from How Sweet It Is

Froots Mediterranean Wrap

FIRST POST EVER!!! Sorry this has taken me so long to do -- and sorry my first post is not a recipe but more of a "mmmmmm I had this for lunch and it would totally be easy to recreate."

I had Froots for lunch today and it was really good and like 300 calories.... I had the Mediterranean wrap and this is all that was in it:

Whole wheat tortilla
Hummus
Feta cheese
Onion (red onion)
Tomato
Black olives
Cucumbers
Spinach
Balsamic vinaigrette

Wrap it up and yummmm. Great for lunch & its easy!

Weekly Menus on Wednesday... Meh- why not?

Rules are made to be broken. If my week starts on Wednesday, I'm just that much closer to the weekend, right?? Below is my menu, nothing too exciting as I'm trying to get used to adding new go-tos to the weekly rotation.

Monday: Sushi
Tuesday: Spaghetti and homemade turkey meat sauce
Wednesday: Salmon- probably simple prep with rice. Haven't decided yet...
Thursday: Dijon Pork Chops- I still haven't made these. Poor guys have been sitting in my freezer.)
Friday: Chicken in White Sherry sauce- Got the sherry!!
Saturday: PW's Chicken + Dumplings

I like making casseroles or serious comfort food recipes on the weekends. What are you guys cooking this week??

Deep Thoughts on a Sunday Night

I tend to have mental fights with people. Arguments in my head that are purely fictitious, but they get me really worked up. Fight- imaginary. My physical reaction to the fight- very real. Goes something like this:

He'll say, 'blah blah blah blah,'
and then I'll say, 'yada yada yada'
and then he'll say ' well, blah blah'
and then I'll say 'well YADA'

And then I'm anxious, and can't sleep.

All in my head. All crazy.

It usually happens on Sunday nights, when I'm getting ready to go back to work and I'm not excited about it. I know it's pointless, and doesn't help me resolve the situation because it NEVER goes down like it does in my head. So I'm wasting my energy and losing my sleep fer nothing.

Mom sent one of these forwards a few years ago and I happened upon it in my emails tonight.

Here's what a wise angel said:

Never borrow from the future. If you worry about what might happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you will have worried in vain. If it does happen, you will have worried twice. 

Easier said than done, but just something to think about at the start of the week. xo

Another Audible + Recipe Mashup: Roasted Chicken Piccata

Pulled another audible with a recipe that wasn't in the menu list for the week- that's ok right? I'm crazy like that.

Despite the craziness, I LOVED how this recipe turned out. It was a mashup of traditional chicken piccata (all the same ingredients) and the chicken tarragon I made a few weeks ago. For some reason, I wasn't in the mood to saute the chicken breasts on the skillet. I wanted to throw it in the oven and not have to babysit it. Also, I loved the method of making the sauce for the chicken tarragon, so I took a little bit from that recipe, transferred it into this recipe.... no bigs. It was awesome! Below is what I did:

[Imagine a beautiful picture of a roasted chicken breast, lightly dotted with capers and a lemon sauce, gently nestled in a bed of whole wheat linguine. I need to work on my food photo skills.]

* 3 Chicken Breasts with skin on (it's my new obsession- it's still chicken breast, so totally heart healthy, but roasting the chicken gives you the awesome skin that isn't that bad for you. Do skinless if it gives you the heebs.)
* Dijon Mustard
* S&P
* A couple of tbsp of butter (2-ish)
* 1/2 Shallot, minced
* 1 garlic clove, minced (or more if you feel like it)
* A couple of tbsp of flour (2-ish)
* 1 C of chicken stock
* 1 lemon
* Capers

- Set oven to 425*. Put chicken breasts on roasting rack and coat with dijon mustard. Sprinkle with s&p.
- Roast chicken for 45 minutes (approximately. If you have a thermometer - cook until the breast's internal temp reads 170*)
- When you have about 15 minutes left on the chicken: Melt butter in a skillet, add in minced shallots and garlic and cook for about 30 secs. Add flour and whisk until all combined and pasty (you've made a roux! go you!)
- Slowly add chicken stock and continue to whisk feverishly
- Add the juice of one lemon (start with 1/2, if you love it, add in the other half), throw in the capers (as many as you like. I like it capery)
- Add s&p to taste.
- Now, the chicken is hopefully done by now- Place the chicken chests (haha) onto your plate or serving platter BUT add the pan drippings into the sauce on the skillet. This is magical. Stir to combine.
- Pour the sauce over the chicken chests and serve with pasta or rice.

Happy Birthday Beth!

Pulled an Audible: Chicken Sausage Pasta Bake

This wasn't at all in my menu for this week, but it also is one of our standard go-tos. If I ever mention it to Will as an option for dinner, he chooses this above all others, every time. I love it too because it's super easy and forgiving with substitutions. The leftovers are also great for days afterwards.

Like most recipes, I sort of wing it. To be honest, I don't even remember where I got the original recipe. Last night for instance, I had no ricotta, so I used cottage cheese.  Below is the general outline I follow:

* One onion, chopped
* One bell pepper, chopped (I use green bc they're more nutritious, but red are sweeter)
* One package of chicken sausage like Aidelle's, cut into bite size pieces
* One can of diced tomatoes (I use the kind with peppers)
* Red pepper flakes, to taste (I use a lot)
* Ricotta cheese, approx 1/2 cup
* One package of cooked short pasta like Fusili
* Parmesan cheese for topping

- Preheat oven to Broil
- Put water to boil and cook pasta per packaging instructions to al dente
- Saute onion and bell peppers until soft
- Add chicken sausage. Cook until heated through
- Add in tomatoes and red pepper flakes and stir to heat through
- Add in ricotta and stir to combine
- Prep baking dish with cooking spray
- Pour in al dente pasta, then cover with the sausage/tomato/cheese mixture, and top off with parmesan cheese
- Broil uncovered for 10 minutes

TA-DA!

Seriously?

Racist comment o' the day

Great blog post

I love everything about this post:

color obsession