Strawberry Fool

I have made this desert 3 times this summer. It is delicious, light, and fresh! And people love it! I thought I should share this treasure before summer ends. 



Ingredients: 
2 cups sliced strawberries
1/2 cup sugar2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice2 cups heavy creamMint leaves, for garnish


Recipe: 
In a blender, combine the strawberries (reserve a few slices for garnish), sugar and lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Push the berry mixture through a sieve and discard the seeds.
Using an electric mixer, whip the cream just until stiff peaks form. Take a large spoonful of the whipped cream and stir it into the strawberry puree to lighten the mix. Fold the strawberry mixture gently into the whipped cream. Gently spoon the fool into a chilled serving bowl and garnish with the reserved strawberries and mint leaves. Refrigerate before serving, at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours.

Easiest Slow Cooker Barbacoa

Don't you hate when you just wanna make an easy slow cooker recipe, but then read on and discover that the recipe requires using multiple bowls and pans before putting the stuff into the slow cooker? That drives me insane. So when I found this beef barbacoa recipe and saw how simple it was, I couldn't wait to try it.

Welp, made it this wknd and can report back that it's bombAF. Here are the deets:

INGREDIENTS
        3 lbs chuck roast (fat trimmed), cut into 2-inch chunks
        4 cloves garlic, minced
        2 chipotles in adobo sauce, chopped (or more to taste)
        1 (4-ounce) can chopped green chiles
        1 small white onion, finely chopped (about 1 cup)
        1/4 cup fresh lime juice
        1 handful of cilantro
        2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
        3 bay leaves
        1 Tablespoon ground cumin
        1 Tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (or regular oregano)
        2 teaspoons salt
        1 teaspoon black pepper
        1/4 tsp ground cloves
        1/2 cup beef broth or water (I used beef broth)

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Combine all ingredients in the slow cooker. Toss gently to combine. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 hours.
2. Using two forks, shred the beef into bite-sized pieces inside of the slow cooker. Toss the beef with the juices, then cover and let the barbacoa beef soak up the juices for an extra 10 minutes. Remove the bay leaves.  Use a pair of tongs or a slotted spoon to serve the barbacoa beef.
3. If not using immediately, refrigerate the barbacoa beef with its juices in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Or freeze it for up to 3 months.

Here's a tip that really makes it though- BROIL the meat in a thin layer before using to get those crispy edges. YUMMMM. Then just top with cilantro, onions, lime, etc etc.

Michelle's Menu - Week of 3/20

Glad Beth managed a pretty healthy week because I have been on a self-sabotaging downward spiral for a while now. Back on the bandwagon though. Even got myself a Fitbit Alta to kick things into gear.

We had a really fun weekend - Amelia's friend Violet invited us and her other friend Charlotte to the butterfly museum and brunch afterwards. Just the girls and the moms. It was fun. Then yesterday after church I took the girls to afternoon tea at the Drake Hotel. Will is building the deck in our backyard. By himself. That's all I'll say about that...

Last night I made our second Blue Apron dinner for the week - Chicken Milanese. I also made a twist on the Korean Beef that Beth posted. I  make it about 1x per month, but last night I had an extra bag of broccoli slaw (broccoli, cabbage, carrots). I added that in to get more veggies out of it. We'll just have that as leftovers one night or I'll bring it in for lunch. So this week....

Monday: Leftovers or order in. Mondays...

Tuesday: Pomegranate Braised Brisket and roasted broccoli but I'm doing brisket in the slow cooker

Wednesday: Date Night got moved to Wednesday this week. Will and I are out. The girls will eat chicken nuggets or soup.

Thursday: Poblano and mushroom tacos + leftover brisket. I can't get enough of these. It's super fast to pull together and since we have to teach the baptismal prep class, I'll whip these up for me and Will after the family leaves. Leftovers are also amazing with eggs over easy.

Friday: Skillet Turkey Meatballs that Lou posted a few weeks ago. Can't wait to try!

If I'm good all week then I'll treat myself and the girls to a donut on Saturday before soccer and swim classes. Goals.

For Easter Sunday I made us brunch reservations at a really good restaurant that is also setting up an egg hunt and activities for the kids. So excited :)

xo

Beth's Weekly Menu - 3/20/2016

Managed to have a pretty healthy weekend! Ryan, on the other hand, had 4 Quesalupas from TacoBell on Friday and multiple donuts this morning. I had a bite of a Crunchwrap Supreme while he ate the quesalupas and it was gaaaa-ross. No thank ya- to the trash.

I have, however, been craving candy like a mofo all. weekend. long. Sort of a miracle that I'm not shoving Sour Patch Kids into my mouth right now.

We have a week of Skinnytaste recipes ahead of us...

Sunday- Ancini de Pepe leftovers

Monday- Thai basil chicken and rice

Tuesday- Tuscan white beans with spinach and shrimp

Wednesday- Book club- ryan on his own

Thursday- Orecchiette with chicken sausage and broccoli

Friday- Family in town! Trying to get a babysitter so we can go out to dins

Also have my eye on this Skinny Buffalo Chicken Strips recipe cause I think it would make Ryan really happy :)

Beth's Weekly Menu - Week of 3/13/16

OOPS! Forgot to post this last night...

I've been trying to cook a lot more lately now that Reed is eating so much grown up food! He's still allergic to all dairy so any cheese or milk is out. He also hates eggs and avocado. Big into chicken, black beans, rice, kale burgers (these are surprisingly delicious), and sweet potatoes.

So here we gooooooo-

Sunday- Ryan's out at Taylor's SXSW show so I'm just having some salad (and M&Ms)
Monday- Finale of The Bachelor! Having a pajama pizza party with my gf Kerri. We agreed to be responsible and have salad and ONE PIECE OF PIZZA EACH... ugh. UGH!
Tuesday- InVision SXSW event, but will scarf down some picadillo and roasted veggies (Lorena's making us/Reed a big batch- pumped about it) before I go and leave the rest for Ry
Wednesday- Trying Ancini de Pepe
Thursday-Sausage and white bean cassoulet (loved this last time)
Friday- Ryan's cooking

I complained above about only having 1 pc of pizza tonight, but I think I'll be ok. I ordered a bunch of food from a very popular Tex Mex BBQ food trailer called Valentina's and picked it up today at lunch. Split it with Lorena but am completely and utterly STUFFED. Mich, how are you so good at portion control? I've got NO CONTROL. Look at this magical spread of tex-mex BBQ... holy heaven! The corn pictured below is smoked and is the best corn I've ever had in my life.

Michelle's Weekly Menu - Week of 2/28/16

Hi everyone!

I neglected to post last week but did some minimal cooking - nothing to write about. I made the pork shoulder in the slow cooker. I <3 my slow cooker. The pork shoulder was super simple:

Salt and Pepper
Garlic Powder
Liquid Smoke
Pineapple juice

Then in the slow cooker on low for 11 hours (because that's how long I was away). I then shredded it and doctored it up in different ways - we made tacos one night, threw it in a salad another night. I'm going to make it into a ragu for Monday's dinner.

We had the girls' school gala Saturday night and Will and I danced too much. Before that I got together with a friend for lunch, who then came over while I got ready (1 bottle of wine and 1 bottle of prosecco later...) so needless to say Sunday was a recovery day.

Here's what we have going on this week -

Sunday: Chicken soup (recipe below since I kind of threw things together that I ended up loving)
Monday: Pork Ragu + Pasta for the girls, roasted broccoli for me and Will. I'll probably do this recipe, but use pork instead of ground beef or turkey.
Tuesday: I have an appointment after work, so Will will probably feed the girls.
Wednesday: Slow Cooker Asian Sweet Chili Chicken I'm traveling for work so will have this cooking for them during the day.
Thursdays: Leftovers because....
Friday-Monday: In Houston for Eva's baptism!!

So excited to celebrate Eva. The girls, especially Annelise, will randomly proclaim their love for baby Eva. Heart-melting.

Here's the Chicken Soup that I made last night:

1/2 stick of butter (I swear this is the worst part)
1/2 cup of flour
You're going to make a roux so if you want to use something else beside butter (bacon grease), proceed.

Make the roux, then slowly add in coconut milk, whisking the entire way to make sure the roux is smooth - I probably add a total of 1 cup of coconut milk.

Add 1/4 cup of each of onions, carrots, celery, potatoes (definitely add more if you want!). Continue whisking.

Add 4 cups of chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil.

Add shredded chicken (I bought a rotisserie chicken and shredded it). Keep the soup at a simmer at this point. Taste for seasoning - add salt, pepper (I use white pepper in soups usually), thyme, whatever floats yer boat.

Add orzo and cook until soft.

I also added in corn, but might do peas next time. I think the big difference is the roux and coconut milk. Made it creamy but light.

What do yall have going on this week?? xo

Lou's Weekly Menu - Week of 2/14/16

Hi!

Happy (belated) Valentine's Day to you all! We didn't do much around here-- a bike ride to River Oaks Donuts and then a donut party in the park with our friends. We were going to go out to dinner, but B didn't nap so I pulled an audible (nothing worse than dining out with an overtired toddler...or just a toddler in general ;) So I threw some brats on the grill with an arugula side salad (fresh lemon juice and a little parm). I used to hate arugula but am really loving it lately. B even ate it too!
Saturday we ventured to the Katy Mills Mall. Whoa. That was exciting. I scored a few awesome things for the kids at Neimans outlet (Splendid and EGG brands), but I don't think we will need to go back anytime soon. And last night we went out with friends to Provisions (of Pass & Provisions). I had heard good things and was excited to try, but it kind of fell flat for us. The dishes were weird and we left full, but not in a satisfied way. Hate "wasting" calories like that.

Also, did everyone see this article in the NYTIMES this past weekend-- 36 hours in Houston. You guys grew up in such a hip place!

Ok, up this week:

Monday: OUT
Tuesday: Stuffed Peppers (JP hates bell peppers so I just made these for myself. I already ate about half the filling and it was delicious. Think this might become a new staple. Only 4 WW pts!)
Wedensday: Coconut Chicken Salad
Thursday: Out for a wine tasting party at JP's colleagues
Friday: One pan skillet turkey meatballs (I've made these before. They are easy and delicious.)
Saturday: Birthday celebrations- out with friends to a surprise location

Michi, good luck with all your travel! Have fun with Beth and super adorable Reed!

X

Beth's Weekly Menu - Feb 14, 2016

Mich, your V-day wknd was so cute! Ryan kinda dropped the ball on Sunday, but today is our 3 yr wedding anniv (8 yrs together total) and he appears to be making up for it so far. We will see :) SOOOOOO (sosososososososo) excited to hang on Thurs.

Going to LA in 2 weeks for my bday with some chicas, and trying hard to dial back on carbs and sugar til then. I think if I stick to it, I can drop 5 lbs before my trip.

Here's what's on tap the rest of the week:

Mon- Made fajitas for me, Ry, and my friend Kerri (we watch The Bachelor together every Monday). No tortillas, no beans- just meat, onions, peppers. I love fajitas so it was still really good.
Tue- Oops forgot it was our anniv when I was grocery shopping so we're having chipotle lime salmon and roasted broccoli as planned. We went out to dins somewhere romantic on Sat night, so I'm not too bummed.
Wed- Chili with avocado-tomato salad (I'm sad I won't be making cornbread. sigh.)
Thur- Mich in town! Might have to ditch Ry and go out to dins somewhere delicious. #girltime
Fri- Steak with mushrooms and cauliflower puree. I love this recipe.
Sat- Hitting up a new brewery Sat afternoon but will be home to put Reed down at 7. Seared scallops and asparagus.

Michelle's Weekly Menu - February 14, 2016

Hello! Hope everyone had a great Valentine's Day/President's Day weekend. Will planned out a really great weekend - probably to make up for the fact that we couldn't go out to dinner with friends on Friday because he and the girls were sick. I came back from Seattle, Will was sick, the girls were sick, and dinner was already canceled. Sad. But thankfully, everyone is on the mend.

Saturday, we went to the art museum and made about 23 Valentine's day cards at the kid's center. Briefly saw the Van Gogh exhibit and then hauled it to Chinatown for dim sum because we were hangry by that point. The girls loved dim sum, were mildly impressed by the Van Gogh exhibit, but the Valentine's day cards were a huge hit.

Sunday after mass Will treated all of us to get our nails done (he got a pedicure and complained afterwards that they stole his calluses). Then we went to Trencherman for a really delicious Vday lunch (Lou remember that place??).

Today, we left the girls with the nanny, Will and I went to breakfast at a diner nearby, went to look at tile for the basement (house construction is still chugging along) and ran a few more errands before lunch at Eataly and then THE FORCE AWAKENS! It was so good. The girls have been watching Star Wars Episode III all weekend. I love it.

This week we have the below lined up! BTW - I like putting my name in the title like Beth did last week. If I'm looking for a recipe, I generally know who posted it, so that's a good way to search.

Monday: On Lou's recommendation, Acini di Pepe soup. Currently on the stove. Can't wait to try it!

Tuesday; Chicken and Mushrooms. Have made this a few times and it's really tasty and easy.

Wednesday: Slow Cooker pork shoulder so the team here as leftovers because....

Thursday-Friday: I'm traveling for work again. Upside is I get to spend the night with the Vanderkolks on Thursday night!!

Travel has really been kicking my butt lately, but only a few more trips left on the horizon. By the second week in March I'll be done for a while.

What do yall have planned for the week??

xo

Hi everybody! 

After my hiatus during the end of my pregnancy/beginning of motherhood, I am really loving to cook again. I have these few recipes to share that I've tried recently and really liked. So I'll be working them into my rotation. 

Trisha Yearwood's Raspberry Chicken 

Pioneer Woman's Enchiladas

Pioneer Woman's Peppercorn Parmesan Salad Dressing 

Back in the Weekly Meal-Plan Saddle

Love having you guys back! Have missed you and your kitchen inspiration. I've been really making it a priority to cook since we've moved to Houston. It's so nice to have homemade meals. After putting on a million pounds during pregnancy, i've been attempting to cut back on carbs and fat. Unfortunately, according my measurements by the trainer at the gym this morning, I haven't been doing a very good job. SO, it's officially game on. Back on WW and hopefully when I stop breastfeeding (6 more weeks!) I'll be able to loose a good chunk-- my body seems to hold on to it when I'm producing milk which is probably good for baby but not good for the numbers on the scale.

Anyhoooo, I've been doing a lot of Skinnytaste recipes-- I bought the cookbook and love her website. I really love them bc they give you the WW pts and don't have anything "diet" about them. They are delicious, just without the extra calories.

Monday:Leftover Superbowl Chili -- not skinny but delicious
Tuesday: John traveling - individual skinny enchilada (I've totally caught the texmex bug from living down here). One corn toritlla filled with chicken (been making a big cockpot of shredded chicken every week), covered in green salsa, sprinkle a little low-fat cheese, and bake at 350 for 30 mins.
Wednesday: Acini di Pepe Soup- this is super delicious. I usually make with ground turkey to cut down on fat, but ground beef is way more decadent.
Thursday: Simple grilled pork chop and roasted butternut squash
Friday: BBQ Pulled Pork Sammie (sans bun for me)
Saturday: St Martins Gala. I haven't been to a black tie function in forever. Shopping for a dress feels like PROM. Everyone has warned me (including Lucia!) that Houston women get decked out for these things. Still working on a long dress, but it's hard to invest in such a piece when I'm still not at my finest. Have a few on hold at Tootsies. Wish me luck with that one....
Sunday: Valentine's Day! Probably out.

Big hugs to all,
Lou

Beth's Weekly Menu - February 7, 2016

I have also been feelin' very mehh about cooking. It was so nice when Reed was super little bc he'd sleep at restaurants. Now he needs to go to bed in his room at 645-7pm or it's kind of a disaster. So that means we're kinda trapped at home for dinner on the reg. I miss restaurants!

Anyway, here's what's on tap for this week:

Sun- I was so exhausted from visiting Ryan's fam in Dallas. Ryan went to a SB party and I put Reed down, sat in the shower with the lights dimmed for like 45 mins, had a bowl of cereal, and passed out. Go team!
Mon- This is great and I love it- can easily add chicken or just double the broccoli (that's what I do) 20 Min Lemon Pesto Penne
Tue- Trying Mich's Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet with salad
Weds- Breakfast for dinner (always love- runny eggs, bacon, fruit, mixed greens)
Thur- Chipotle salmon, roasted sweet potatoes and broccoli
Fri- Maybe mom can babysit?? If not, poblano mushroom tacos

I kinda miss Blue Apron but haaaaaate having to deal with the packaging it all comes in.

Going through a phase where I want wine like every single night and trying to resist!

Weekly Menu - February 7, 2016

Hi everyone!

I have been feeling rut-like lately in the kitchen. Life is just really crazy - lots of travel, a new dog, schedule juggling. Sharing menus might help me feel inspired again! I'm in Seattle Wednesday and Thursday night of this week, come back on Friday afternoon. The below menu is something that Will can even handle!

Sunday: Will made chili - the old standby at our house is PW's Frito Pie Chili recipe This is the foundation of mine as well but I've  modified over the years.

Monday: Order in. Since I was in Houston over the weekend, I'm not having Peapod delivered until tonight. The cupboards are bare.

Tuesday: Italian Sausage + Turkey Bolognese Sauce. Will and I eat it over veggies, girls over pasta.

Wednesday: Sausage and White Bean Cassoulet

Thursday: Leftovers

Friday: Will and I are going out with friends to Table Donkey and Stick. Girls will eat Mac and Cheese probably :)

Saturday: Brisket! I make this in the slow cooker with a bunch of quartered onions, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and liquid smoke. Makes so much that we have leftovers for days.

Please share your menus!! I'm kind of over ground beef/turkey. I've made Bolognese and/or Chili every week all winter long and could use a break from those two dishes!

What are yall up to?? xo

20 Minute Lemon Pesto Penne

So quick and easy- really delicious. Could add in chicken if ya want. Also, it's 1 pot dish! Luhhh dat.

20 Minute Lemon Pesto Penne

8 ounces whole wheat penne
2 cups broccolini (could use regular broccoli instead) I used 1 large bunch
1 cup oven roasted tomatoes (I used sundried tomatoes in oil and rinsed first)
2 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ cup pesto (I had a little jar in the pantry)
¼ cup feta cheese
1 lemon
fresh basil, cut into ribbons


1. Cook the penne according to package directions. 

2. Add the baby broccoli to the pot of boiling water for the last 1-2 minutes of cooking. It should turn bright green. 

3, Drain in colander- don't put back in pot yet.
4. Add the tomatoes and garlic to the pot you cooked the pasta in. Saute 1-2 minutes or until fragrant.

5. Add pasta and broccolini back in.

6. Add the pesto, half of the feta, and the lemon juice. 

7. Toss in the pan until well combined.

8. Remove from heat and add the basil.

9. Sprinkle with remaining feta before serving.

Rachael Ray's Linguini

Yall Rachael Ray is annoyingAF sometimes, but this recipe is too legit to quit. Make it! Make it for a group- it's so easy. It's much prettier with the mussels, but you can easily omit them from the recipe.

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound bulk sweet Italian sausage with fennel seed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 small fennel bulb, finely chopped
4 large cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 small red chili pepper, finely chopped or 1 teaspoon flakes
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry vermouth or white wine
4 cups chicken stock, plus one cup of water
1 pound box of linguini
About 32 mussels (around 1 pound, you want to serve 6-8 per person), scrubbed
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Preparation

1. In large, wide pan or deep skillet with a tight-fitting lid, brown and crumble the sausage in olive oil over medium-high heat. 
2. Add onion, fennel, garlic, chili pepper, salt, pepper and thyme. Cover pan and cook to soften, 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
3. Uncover, stir in tomato paste and add vermouth and stock. 
4. Bring to a bubble, add pasta, cover and cook 7-8 minutes, tossing with tongs occasionally. If the pasta is sticking to the bottom of the pan, loosen the pasta with water.
5. Add mussels, cover and cook 3-4 minutes more to al dente, adding more stock or water if needed. 
6. Add parsley and adjust salt and pepper to taste.
7. Serve.