Sunshine and Jellybeans

Top 11 Recipes...Ever

2011-04-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

Well, maybe not EVER.

But how about the top 11 recipes on Sunshine and Jellybeans?

In case you were wondering, 11 is my favorite number.

That's why it isn't the top 10.

Click on the name of each recipe to go to the post (and don't forget that at the bottom of each post, there is a link to the printable recipe for your convenience!)...

Try them all!

Let the drumroll begin...

11. Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

Or Canadian Bacon and Pepper-jack Cheese Mini Frittatas, or Bacon, Cheddar and Jalapeno, or red pepper, mushroom, and onion, or...the possibilities are endless!

10. Deviled Eggs (with a kick!)

This one kind of surprised me...not that I don't think that these are little bites of delightfulness - because I do. They are a great twist on your every-day deviled eggs! It's just that they never seemed to get much attention when I first posted the recipe. But it has slowly climbed it's way up into the top 10!

9. Chicken Enchiladas

Sorry for the crappy picture...next time I make these I will post new pics. This is a recipe that I keep going back to over and over again. Another one that is pretty customizable, and very, very good.

8. Macaroni and Cheese a la Steph

I made this recipe again last night for the kids. It's definitely a keeper. Gooey, cheesy, creamy deliciousness. And did I mention it is kid friendly? Score. (Thanks Steph!)

7. Finger Lickin' BBQ Chicken

This is a classic. What else can I say? Who doesn't like BBQ chicken on the grill???

6. Chicken Parmigiana

YUM. I want this right now. The key to this recipe is the crushed up croutons...and a great marinara sauce... which is still a work in progress for me. Steve and I made and canned some this winter that was amazing...but of course I didn't measure anything or write anything down. I'm working on it. But anyway - this Chicken is fabulous and is definitely one of my favorite recipes.

5. Chicken Noodle Soup

The ultimate comfort food. However, the key to this recipe is this:

4. Homemade Chicken Stock

Trust me: homemade chicken stock is the key ingredient to taking your homemade soup to the next level. It's just better. And better for you. I know that it is time consuming, but try to make it in large batches, so that you can freeze a bunch to use later. Mmmmmm Mmmmmm good.

Are you starting to get excited for the top 3??? ME TOO!

Where is that drum roll???

3. Spicy Chicken Tostadas

I pulled this recipe out of my ass. Steve kept going on and on about this Tostada Ensalada that he had at a restaurant and loved. And Steve doesn't get very excited about food...not the way I do, anyway. So I asked him to describe it to me, and I got a relatively vague answer (because people who aren't obsessed with food don't mentally deconstruct every meal that they eat away from their own kitchen). But the idea of tostadas got stuck in my head, and when I finally went to make them, this is what I came up with. DELICIOUS. Keep reading for the key ingredient...(hint: it's the #1 recipe)

2. Pulled Pork and Creamy Coleslaw

This one is kinda unfair, because it's two really good recipes in one post. I don't know why people keep coming back to it - if it's the Pulled Pork or if it is the coleslaw...but I hope it is for both. Because the Pulled Pork isn't complete without a big spoonful of coleslaw on top...trust me. And don't forget the pickles! This is a go-to crowd pleasing lip smacking belly satisfying recipe for any season. Family friendly. And the crockpot does a majority of the work. How can you beat that???

And now...the moment you've all been waiting for!

The number one recipe ~~in the world~~ ~~in the country~~ ~~of all time~~ on this blog...

1. Spicy Shredded Chicken

Awwwwww yeah. It really shouldn't surprise you. There have already been two recipes on this countdown that have this as the key ingredient (#9 Chicken Enchiladas and #3 Spicy Chicken Tostadas). And don't forget that you can also use this chicken to make tacos, quesadillas, nachos, or my Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup! How versatile is that??? Go ahead, double or triple the recipe. Make a huge batch and freeze the rest for later use. And - if you don't feel like grilling it, make it in the oven. Of course the grill is the best way to do it because of the lovely flavor it imparts, but if you are in a bind, just cook it in the oven at about 375 degrees, turning occasionally until the chicken is cooked through.

Thanks everyone! Try one or all of these recipes very soon, and don't forget to ENJOY!!!

Printable Recipes

2011-03-30T17:00:00.000-05:00

This is a public service announcement to remind you that at the bottom of virtually every recipe on this blog, there is a link that says "Printable Recipe".

This link (when clicked) will take you to a special page that is void of my ranting, raving, and shitty photography.

It only contains the recipe...no extra words or pics.

It is here that you should go to print the recipe.

Unless you love to burn ink in your printer.

Or unless you like copying and pasting parts of my blog posts on to separate Word documents.

Or if you like to make fun of me by showing your friends my scatter-brained posts.

Otherwise, this is a convenient way to...you guessed it....print the recipe.

Again, the link is at the bottom of the post.

Leave a comment here with any questions.

Thank you and have a nice day!

Recipe Revamp: Chicken Stir Fry

2011-03-29T21:12:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring Everyone!

Steve and I spent a lovely weekend with my family up at the cabin last weekend.

It was just what the doctor ordered.

I actually got sunburned.

Seriously.

It was the last hurrah before the ice starts to melt.

The next time we go there, it will be by boat.

I'm ready!

But in the meantime, how about a yummy recipe for Chicken Stir Fry?!?!

If you need any further proof that I am a nut job, read the original post here.

Yikes.

As a note: You can sub in whatever vegetables you have on hand - asparagus, zucchini, water chestnuts are all good substitutions. Also - to switch things up, instead of using hoisen sauce (which is a like a sweet asian bbq sauce), you can sub Thai sweet red chili sauce. It will give it a totally different (but delicious) flavor.

Also - 1 cup equals 16 tablespoons. 1/2 cup equals 8 tablespoons. Just so you know!

Here is the recipe without all the crazy talk.

Yay - can you tell that the days are getting longer here in the frozen tundra? I actually have some natural light to take pictures in!

Chicken Stir Fry (serves 6)

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts - cubed
2 teaspoons minced ginger
3 cloves minced garlic
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce, divided plus more for serving
1/2 cup hoisen sauce, divided
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes to make it spicy!(optional)
2 - 3 tablespoons peanut oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon corn starch
1/3 cup chicken broth
5 cups mixed vegetables, cut into bite-sized pieces (I used onion, bell peppers, pea pods, carrots and broccoli)
3 - 4 cups cooked white rice (or brown rice, if that floats your boat)

Marinade the chicken in the ginger, garlic, 4 tablespooons of soy sauce, 4 tablespoons of hoisen, the crushed red pepper, and the sesame oil. Let it marinade for at least 30 minutes (up to 2 hours).

While the chicken is marinading, wash and cut your vegetables and make your rice according to package directions.

Mix the remaining soy sauce (4 tablespoons), the chicken broth, and the corn starch in a separate bowl. Set aside.

Heat the peanut oil in a wok over medium high heat.

Add the chicken and stir fry for a few minutes or until the chicken is just cooked. Remove to a separate bowl.

Heat another tablespoon of oil (if necessary) and throw in the veggies, stir fry until crisp-tender.

Add the soy/broth/corn starch mixture and the chicken to the veggies. Turn the heat down to medium low and stir around to coat until the sauce gets thick. Yum.

Serve over rice (make sure to spoon some yummy sauce to put over the top too) with extra soy sauce as needed.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Recipe Revamp: Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad

2011-03-21T17:00:00.084-05:00

Come to mama.

This is one of my all time favorite dishes.

The flavors are just amazing and it is a great change from traditional Italian pasta salad.

But don't get me wrong, I love traditional Italian pasta salad too.

Just wanted to clear that up so there weren't any hard feelings.

I made this last week for the 100th time, and I realized that the original post about it was confusing and disjointed (why doesn't that surprise me???), so I thought I'd post a new, organized recipe.

As mentioned in the original post, this recipe was an Ina Garten (Barefoot Contessa) recipe, which was revamped by the Pioneer Woman. I chose to use less olive oil and more vinegar than PW though (surprise!). I also sometimes add rotisserie chicken.

It's a "Must Try" recipe if you love sun-dried tomatoes.

Yum - these are a few of my favorite things...tomatoes, fresh basil, and kalmata olives. Look at those colors! During the winter, you may have a hard time finding yummy cherry tomatoes, but don't fret - you can leave them out if you have to.

Making the sun-dried tomato dressing in the blender...

Major YUM.

This one doesn't have cherry tomatoes, but has the addition of rotisserie chicken to make it a delicious one-dish meal.

Sun-dried Tomato Pasta Salad (serves 8)

1 package of rotini pasta
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, washed and cut in half
1 cup (loosely packed) basil, chiffonaded
4 ounces pitted kalmata olives, drained and chopped (you can use more or less to taste)
10 ounces sun-dried tomatoes packed in extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves of garlic, minced
3 - 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of olive oil
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 cups of rotisserie chicken, chopped (optional)

For the dressing:

Put the sun-dried tomatoes and the oil they came in to a blender or food processor. Add the garlic, red wine vinegar and black pepper.

Puree, adding more olive oil as necessary (up to 1/2 cup).

I would recommend putting this in a jar in the fridge for a couple hours to let the flavors combine, but you don't have to.

Cook the pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse with cold water.

Combine the pasta, tomatoes, basil, olives and dressing in a large bowl - stirring to combine. Add half of the Parmesan cheese, stir to combine.

Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top, serve and ENJOY!

Please note: If the leftovers become dry, you can add more red wine vinegar and olive oil to moisten.

Printable Recipe

Grilled Salmon with Blackened Seasoning and Gilled Asparagus

2011-03-20T11:39:00.000-05:00

Happy Spring!

How ironic that I woke up to 2 - 3 inches of fresh snow this morning...

In an effort to eat healthier (have a mentioned that I am in 2 weddings this summer?), I bought a big, fat, red, wild-caught salmon fillet and some perfectly ripe, in season asparagus at the grocery store a week or so ago (yes, I am behind in my blogging).

You can't get much healthier than that, right?

The weather has been pretty gorgeous (until last night), which means that the grill has been calling my name...but first I had to overcome a challenge.

Steve doesn't like salmon.

Let me rephrase that.

Steve doesn't like COOKED salmon.

He loves the raw salmon that we eat at the sushi bar...but he thinks that cooked salmon is yucky.

I agree with him that some fish gets stronger and more fishy tasting the more that you cook it - like salmon and tuna...which is why when we cook tuna, we buy high grade tuna, sear it and eat it rare.

But salmon? I wasn't sure if it was safe to undercook salmon.

Plus, I was craving the full flavor of a grilled piece of fish.

The compromise?

Blackened seasoning.

Click HERE for a delicious, basic recipe for blackened seasoning (and some other delicious marinades and rubs - perfect in time for grill season), or you can buy the premade stuff (I would recommend Chef Paul's - he is the pioneer of Blackening fish).

Traditionally blackening includes dipping the meat in butter, then the blackened seasoning, and then pan frying the meat in hot butter in a cast iron skillet...delicious, but not quite as healthy as I was going for...plus it can stink up your house.

My recipe is more heart-healthy, but still gives an excellent flavor that even fish snobs will love.

The verdict? Steve really enjoyed the fish and said it was by far the best way he had ever eaten salmon.

End of story.

What are you waiting for?

And don't forget the humble (yet delicious and nutritious) asparagus recipe at the bottom.

Grilled Salmon with Blackened Seasoning (serves 4)

2 lb wild-caught salmon fillet, skin still on the bottom
1/2 lemon, plus extra for garnish
2 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoons of blackened seasoning (homemade or store bought)

Rinse salmon fillet and pat dry. Place skin side down on a plate or in a baking dish.

Squeeze the lemon evenly over the top of the fillet, then drizzle the fillet evenly with olive oil.

Rub blackened seasoning all over the parts of the fish that do not have skin (the top and sides).

Let the fish rest while you preheat the grill to 400 degrees.

Put the fish skin-side down on the hot grill, and cook about 6 - 8 minutes, or until the skin is golden brown and the top is starting to get flaky.

Please note: keep a close eye on the fish while it's cooking. If you have smaller pieces, or a hotter grill it will take less time

If desired, remove skin before serving (skin should easily peel off once fish is cooked).

Serve with lemon wedges.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Grilled Asparagus (serves 4)

1 bundle of fresh asparagus, washed and woody ends removed
2 tablespoons lemon juice or balsamic vinegar
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a zip-top bag.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees

Place asparagus in a grill pan and grill for 4 - 6 minutes, or until crisp tender.

Please note: you can also roast these in a 400 degree oven for 4 - 6 minutes instead.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Canadian Bacon and Pepperjack Cheese Mini Frittatas

2011-03-13T14:14:00.000-05:00

These were even better than the Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

I used the same recipe (click on the link above for the recipe post), except that I subbed Canadian Bacon for Ham, and Pepperjack cheese for Swiss. I also added some crushed red pepper and it gave it a nice little bite.

These are so easy and good, and they keep in the fridge for a few days so you can reheat them and eat them as a super fast weekday breakfast.

The worst part about these is trying to clean the pan. I greased these muffin cups with butter and they still stuck. Any suggestions?

Dear Kempton

2011-03-13T14:03:00.000-05:00

I miss you so much.

The house is so empty and quiet, and I think about you 1,000 times a day.

It's so hard to break the 9 year habit of taking care of you and worrying about you...

Did I remember to feed Kempton?

Where is he?

Is he getting into something?

What time do I have to be home to let him out to pee?

Can we bring him with if we go overnight?

Did he take his medication?

And sometimes I forget that you are gone. I left a piece of rotisserie chicken on the floor for 15 minutes the other day before I stepped on it and then realized that you weren't there to clean it up.

Mornings when I wake up and you are not there, and coming home from work are the worst, but night times are hard too and I would give anything to bury my face in your fur, kiss you on your muzzle, or to snuggle with you on the couch.

I am so, so sorry that I couldn't make you better. And that I put you through so much in order to selfishly keep you with me.

You and I went through so much together, and I am so grateful that I had you around to make me laugh, keep me company, talk to (though I still talk to you all the time without thinking...pretty soon I'll just have to admit that I am crazy and talk to myself), snuggle with, protect me, follow me around and keep me from feeling alone.

You took care of me just as much (and probably more) as I took care of you. Do you remember when Grandma Grow was dying and Jim couldn't understand why I wanted to take you up north with me? He thought that it would just be one more thing for me to worry about. But then half way up to Falls, you stood behind me on the back seat and put your head on my shoulder, and made sure I knew that I wasn't alone.

Or when Jim and I were going through the divorce, and I spent the afternoon crying on the couch. As soon as I left to go to the bathroom, you ate the entire pile of wet kleenex...like you were hiding the evidence so no one would know I was crying.

There were so many times like this...like when Steve had surgery to remove his cancer and you laid next to him on the couch with your head across his lap and wouldn't let anyone else get close to him. Or when another dog would run towards me and you would throw yourself in between us or ram them with your chest to protect me...even if I didn't need protecting.

...but there were also funny times, and frustrating times (like when you ate Cal's hacky-sack and then puked it up one week later; or when you chewed up my eyeglasses; or when you accidentally locked yourself in the bathroom and then destroyed it trying to get out).

You were unlike any dog I've ever met.

Maybe it was your breeding.

Maybe it was because you were a rescued dog.

Maybe because I am dysfunctional and needy, so you became dysfunctional and needy too.

I'm not sure, but I appreciated the fact that you were stubborn and naughty.

Your howl never failed to make me laugh, even when you were doing it scold me or talk back when I yelled at you.

You had such a strong and unique personality, and even the vet said that they had never seen a character like yours. Dr.Bouchard sobbed when you died, and two of the technicians and one of the front desk girls bawled as well.

I am not the only one who misses you either. You wouldn't believe the number of cards and emails and phone calls I've recieved. And last weekend, when I went up to the cabin, Grandpa lit off a firework display in your honor.

Your friends miss you too. Steph, Chad and Koho came up this weekend to visit, and Koho wandered around the house and the yard searching for you. He seemed down and out of sorts all night on Friday night. Aly was the same way when Lyndi brought her over last Thursday. She searched for you high and low, and then just went and laid down and gave me dirty looks, like she knew that it was my fault that you weren't here.

I know that you are having fun wherever you are now. I know that Grandma Grow is feeding you milk bones and Bailey and Kody are letting you beat them to the ball (though I'm certain that Bailey still isn't letting you hump her). I hope that you have a big couch to sleep on, and someone to spoon you and listen to you snore.

When we get your ashes back, we are going to sprinkle some in the back yard (and on the other side of the fence, where the deer are and where you always wanted to be); some on Park Point where we used to park the boat and have fires and walk down the beach; on Rainy Lake at the cabin where you loved to be; and in Kempton channel where we got your name. Grandpa said he would like to put some of your ashes with some of Bailey's ashes, so you could be together. Auntie Steph said she would like to have some too, so that someday when Koho dies, you can be with your best friend again. And lastly, I am going to keep some for myself. Because I know that your favorite place to be was right by me. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

You were so much more than just a dog to me, Kempton. You were my best friend. I will always miss you and never, ever forget you.

I love you,

Lindsey

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself. ~Josh Billings

You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us. ~Robert Louis Stevenson

There is no faith which has never yet been broken, except that of a truly faithful dog. ~Konrad Lorenz

In order to really enjoy a dog, one doesn't merely try to train him to be semi human. The point of it is to open oneself to the possibility of becoming partly a dog. ~Edward Hoagland

The dog is a gentleman; I hope to go to his heaven, not man's. ~Mark Twain, letter to W.D. Howells, 2 April 1899

We long for an affection altogether ignorant of our faults. Heaven has accorded this to us in the uncritical canine attachment. ~George Eliot

I think dogs are the most amazing creatures; they give unconditional love. For me they are the role model for being alive. ~Gilda Radner

A dog is not "almost human" and I know of no greater insult to the canine race than to describe it as such. ~John Holmes

"Near this spot are deposited the remains of one who possessed Beauty without Vanity, Strength without Insolence, Courage without Ferocity, and all the Virtues of Man, without his Vices. This Praise, which would be unmeaning Flattery if inscribed over human ashes, is but a just tribute to the Memory of Kempton, a Dog."

Kempton

2011-03-05T11:51:00.000-06:00

Hey guys...

Sorry I haven't been posting - I lost my best friend last week, and I just haven't been able to write about it yet.

I'll try again next week.

Thanks for being patient.

Love,

Lindsey

Steve

2011-02-25T16:13:00.001-06:00

For those of you keeping track, Steve had another surveillance checkup this week.

I am happy to report that the results came back clean!

We are so thankful.

Have a great weekend everybody!

Sent from my iPhone

Snowshoeing in Park Point

2011-02-23T19:32:00.000-06:00

During our blessed warm spell, Steve and I grabbed our snowshoes and headed out to Park Point...the spot that we spent most of our summer months grilling, walking the beach, swimming (when Lake Superior permitted it) and sitting around a fire.

The winter looked a little different on The Point...

Hi handsome.

With all of Kempton's surgeries and the restrictions on his exercise, plus the physical therapy 3+ times per day we haven't had a chance to get away much this winter. It was nice to get outside in the fresh air (even if it was only for a couple of hours) on a gorgeous day.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches and Kempton Update

2011-02-20T16:22:00.000-06:00

Kempton had his second surgery last Wednesday.

I picked him up from the vet on Friday at noon.

Much like his 1st surgery, he was really whiny and obviously in pain.

This time seems to be worse than the first time though.

The whining has lasted a lot longer (or at least it seems that way), his incision looks scarier, has more bruising around it, and seems more swollen.

The surgeon said that we need to take things even slower this time around because he will take longer to heal.

The good news is that I have managed to keep his cone on this time, so hopefully his incision will heal a lot faster, with less scarring.

Hopefully he will start feeling better soon - I will keep you posted!

I mentioned in my last post that last week we were blessed with some warm, sunny, spring-like days.

One of the nights we had a fire on the deck and ate BBQ chicken and coleslaw.

It was wonderful and made me anxious for spring.

Today it is freezing cold, with 40 mile per hour winds and snow.

Mother nature is such a tease.

Anyway!

I had one leftover chicken breast, and a little bit of coleslaw, so I made this sandwich.

It is modeled after my Pulled Pork sandwiches, with the addition of pepperjack cheese.

Holy delicious, Batman.

Here's the food porn:

If you don't already have a grilled BBQ chicken breast, you could substitute rotisserie chicken or just regular chicken breast instead.

As usual - check out the printable recipe at the very bottom of the post for a photo-and-rant-free version.

Yeah, baby.

BBQ Chicken Sandwiches (makes 2 sandwiches)

1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, grilled
2 whole wheat hamburger buns
2/3 cup of creamy coleslaw
2 tablespoons BBQ Sauce
2 ounces pepperjack cheese, sliced
2 medium sized dill pickles, sliced thinly

Cut each bun in half, place cut side up on piece of aluminum foil on rack in oven. Turn the broiler on low and leave the oven door cracked. Check frequently (don't walk away). When buns start to get crispy, add pepper jack cheese to the bottom halves of the buns. Continue to broil with the door cracked until the cheese is starting to melt and the buns are getting slightly brown.

Slice the chicken breast thinly (warm it up if it's not warm already). Divide the chicken in half between the 2 buns.

Top each with 1 tablespoon BBQ sauce, 1 pickle and 1/3 cup of coleslaw.

Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

Recipe Revamp: Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken

2011-02-20T15:39:00.000-06:00

Last week, we were given a gift in the middle of a long, cold, snowy winter - 5 days of warm, spring-like temperatures.

It was even sunny a couple of the days.

We just had to break out the grill.

I had a craving for this light, lemony pasta with grilled chicken. I hadn't made it since last summer.

There were three of us.

I made enough for 6.

There were no leftovers.

Enough said.

Here is the link to the original recipe post from last August:

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken

I added cherry tomatoes that I had on hand that needed to get used.

I also noticed that this time the lemons made a lot more juice...they must have been perfectly ripe. This just means that I had more sauce this time and was able to use just over a half of a package of pasta.

I added some salt and pepper, and a little more basil and white wine to the dish as well.

It was so good and absolutely perfect to break up the winter blahs.

Take a look:

YUM.

Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken (serves 6)

For the chicken:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a zip top bag and let marinade for at least one hour.

Preheat grill to 400 degrees.

Cook chicken indirectly until cooked through. Set aside to cool.

Once cool, cut into bite sized pieces. Set aside.

For the pasta:

1/2 package of angel hair pasta (about .5 pounds)
4 lemons, juiced (remove any seeds that fall into the juice)
1 bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed, then cut into 1.5 inch pieces
1 pint of cherry tomatoes, washed
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of basil, julienned
2/3 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1/2 - 1 teaspoon sea salt, to taste
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Artichokes, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Roasted Red Pepper

2011-02-15T18:35:00.001-06:00

For superbowl this year, I made these appetizers:

Antipasto Sausage Skewers

One of the parties we went to had a theme of "Food on a Stick", and I immediately thought of these delightful little skewers that I saw a while back.

I made a double batch because we had two parties to go to, and well, obviously.

Fortunately, I had over a dozen skewers left over (no room for antipasto skewers when there is Buffalo Chicken Dip at the party!!!), and my friend Gina recommended that I use them to make pasta.

YES PLEASE!

The pasta turned out delightful, and the flavors were amazing.

Steve bought the Italian sausage links from the meat counter at my favorite grocery store, and we grilled them before cutting them into bite sized pieces. It gave the meat a wonderful smokey flavor and I would highly recommend grilling them, although you could get away with cooking them in a pan as well.

I used red wine because that's what I had open, but you could use white instead.

This was super easy because I already had everything cut up and prepped, but I wrote the recipe as if you were starting from the beginning - it is a lot of prep work, but would totally be worth it.

Try this, soon.

That's an order.

Please excuse the pictures...it's very dark in Northern Minnesota in February...

Pasta with Italian Sausage, Artichokes, Sun-dried Tomatoes and Roasted Red Peppers (serves 6)

8 oz Italian Sausage links, grilled and cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups of artichoke hearts, quartered
2 cups of sun-dried tomatoes, cut into bite sized pieces
2 cups of roasted red peppers, cut into bite sized pieces
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup of fresh basil
1 can of diced tomatoes (15 oz)
1 cup of dry wine (white or red)
1 cup of grated parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons of olive oil
12 ounces of your favorite pasta (I would recommend short pasta like penne)

Cook the pasta according to the package directions.

In a large pan or dutch oven, heat the olive oil to medium-high heat. Saute onions and garlic until tender.

Deglaze the pan with wine, cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add sausage, artichokes, tomatoes with all the juices, sun-dried tomatoes, red peppers and basil. Heat through.

Toss in the pasta, top with the Parmesan cheese.

Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

Holy Crap

2011-02-11T18:33:00.000-06:00

I'm sorry!

I have been an absent, neglectful, terrible blog parent.

I started a new job last week (which I don't have to wear business suits to everyday, by the way...I originally thought I would have to, but thankfully I don't).

It is going really well, but my brain feels like it could possibly leak out of my ears.

TGIF.

I am working 5 days a week now (as opposed to 4), and even though working Fridays is highly overrated, they do bring us donuts and make us popcorn every Friday, so that is some consolation.

And another reason that my ass is growing wider. But that is a story for another time!

I haven't been cooking a ton, but I do have a few recipes to post as soon as I can get the pics uploaded and string together a coherent thought.

In the meantime, I am drinking a beer and pleading with you to forgive my absence.

I promise I will do better.

Forgive me?

Not yet?

Well, then in other news...

Kempton has to have another surgery.

Our vet (the surgeon that did his first surgery) thinks that he tore some of the filament that she put in his knee.

This sucks for several reasons:

1. He has been in pain for a very long time, and it was suppose to be fixed by now, but it is not.

2. It is expensive.

3. I will have to start over with his physical therapy. This means icing the knee and doing massage and range-of-motion exercises up to 5 times a day.

4. It is expensive.

5. This winter has already been a total bust because Kempton has been so limited that we haven't been able to do the outdoor activities that we like to do. And he hasn't been able to have any of his doggy friends over. And now it looks like it will be another 2 - 3 months before we can do anything fun with him.

6. Steve doesn't think we should do it. He won't say the words "put him to sleep", but I know that is what he is thinking. He has only had kennel dogs (aka - dogs that don't get their own stocking at Christmas, get to sleep on the furniture, have their run of the house or have thousands of dollars worth of vet bills), so he doesn't quite understand. I mostly just cry every time we talk about it, and he just tells me that it is my decision and he will support me regardless.

7. It is expensive.

Now do you forgive me for not posting in almost 2 weeks?

Thank you.

Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas

2011-01-31T11:59:00.002-06:00

Individual little savory muffin delights, these frittatas are easy and convenient. They can be made ahead and taken as a quick weekday breakfast, or used as part of a more elaborate weekend brunch.

They are also highly customizable. I used ham and swiss cheese, but you could use bacon and cheddar cheese, you could leave out the meat to make it vegetarian, add vegetables, onions, herbs - the possibilities are endless!

Make sure that you grease the muffin tin really well - I used butter and the frittatas still stuck on the bottom a little.

Reheat by throwing the microwave for a minute!

Enjoy!

This is the muffin tin I used - it makes six large muffins. If you have one with smaller cups, this recipe would make more than six frittatas.

Ham and Swiss Cheese Mini Frittatas (serves 6)

12 eggs
1 cup of diced ham
3/4 cup of shredded swiss cheese
1/4 cup of milk, half-n-half or heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Generously grease a muffin tin with butter, set aside.

Beat the eggs with the milk in a large bowl.

Divide the ham and cheese equally between the muffin cups, then pour the egg mixture equally over top of the ham and cheese. Top with salt and pepper.

Bake for 25 - 35 minutes or until the top is starting to brown. Note: cooking time will vary depending on the size/number of the muffin cups you use.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Red Curry Coconut Noodles

2011-01-27T10:05:00.000-06:00

This is a delicious change from our regular weeknight meal rotation.

Actually, I don't have a weeknight meal rotation. I just cook whatever sounds good to me, and try to mix it up a couple times a week so that I have some new material to post here.

But this curry was a delicious change from the things we had been eating.

Steve was a little skeptical when I showed him the recipe, but he ended up loving it.

He ate most of the leftovers himself.

It makes a TON. You could easily cut the recipe in half.

He even tried feeding it to his kids...not so much. They've come a long way since they started eating with me, but they aren't big on the Thai cuisine yet.

But that's ok! Because eventually I will turn them to the dark side.

This is also one of those recipes that is really adaptable, which I love because I rarely make the same thing twice.

Did I mention that once the initial prep work was done, it was super easy and fast?

Although if you don't cook Thai very often, some of these ingredients might be a bit foreign to you.

Don't panic - you can find most of them at your regular grocery store in the Asian aisle.

As always, feel free to ask questions in the comments section (at the very end of the post), and I will get back to you.

I loved that we use the solid "fat" from the coconut milk to cook the chicken in...it imparts flavor as well as removes the need for any other "fat" such as butter or oil.

This is another Tasty Kitchen recipe...I adapted it from Nika

Below is the recipe as I made it (yes, I changed things). I wanted more spicy, coconut-y broth so I added more liquid. I also added more ginger, cilantro and curry paste (because I love it) and more Thai Chili Sauce, because I love that too and I like lots of flavor!

Give it a try!

Red Curry Coconut Noodles (serves 8 - 10) adapted from Nika on Tasty Kitchen

6 chicken boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into small bite-sized pieces
2 cans of coconut milk (full fat)
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
1/2 cup of cilantro, minced
1/2 cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce
32 oz fat free, low sodium chicken broth
1 (8 oz) package of rice noodles
1 yellow onion, julienned
2 red bell peppers, julienned
2 cups of broccoli slaw
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon

Open the cans of coconut milk, scoop out the "solids" and place them in a large dutch oven over medium heat (reserve the rest of the liquid). Once the pan is hot, add the curry paste and ginger. Saute for 1 minute.

Add the chicken and saute until cooked through. Add the remaining coconut milk, the Thai chili sauce and the chicken broth. Bring to a slow boil, then reduce heat to simmer.

Add onion, peppers, broccoli slaw and rice noodles. Return to a simmer and cook for about 5 minutes or until the rice noodles are cooked through.

Add the cilantro and remove the pot from the heat. Let sit for 5 minutes and then serve, adding some yummy broth to each bowl.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

New Adventure and New Scenic Cafe

2011-01-24T12:56:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday!

I hope that everyone had an excellent weekend.

I wanted to share some news with you this morning.

I accepted a new job last week!

I will be working full time in my field again, with a new company.

Let's visit the positives and negatives about my decision.

Positive: I will be doing what I went to school for, which helps me to justify the 60 billion dollars I have in student loans.

Positive: I will be (hopefully) expanding my skill set and knowledge base, and doing more challenging work.

Negative: I will be going from wearing jeans to work, to wearing business professional attire...aka: business suit.

Positive: I will be making more money, along with having more comprehensive benefits.

Negative: It isn't enough money for me to retire at age 30, hire a housekeeper, or travel the world. Boo.

Negative: I will be leaving my coworkers, who I love and who have been amazing and supportive and flexible while I went through my divorce and all of the other bullshit that went with it.

Positive: I am feeling stronger and in a much better place now, and I am very ready for a new adventure!

Wish me luck!!!

To celebrate my new opportunity, Steve and I went to my favorite restaurant.

The Scenic Cafe.

Sigh.

We started with the Taleggio Fondue with homemade croutons:

Excuse the pictures - they were taken on an iPhone.

Delicious!

Then we shared a pistachio-crusted goat cheese salad (can you tell that we like cheese?), but I forgot to take pictures of it.

For my main course, I had the Braised Lamb Shank.

Yummy.

Here is the description from the menu:

braised lamb shank
gnocchi béchamel roasted tomato olive oil
capers feta basil

Steve had the Grilled Quail.

The menu description says:

grilled quail
soft polenta wild rice mascarpone cheese
duck liver sherry cream sauce marsala crimini
quail egg peas morels

Steve didn't love his quail...he thought it was a little oily and even a little gamey. He also said the wild rice wasn't cooked. Major bummer.

Steve and I agreed that the best part about The Scenic is their starters. The fondue, the artichoke slather, sashimi tuna tacos, the curried blue mussels - they are all to die for.

The last couple of times that we have went, our entrees have been good, but not quite the level of fantastic-ness that we have come to expect from The Scenic.

But never-the-less, we had a great time and enjoyed the atmosphere, the wonderful service and each other. If you are ever in Duluth or up the North Shore, it is definitely worth stopping in.

Disclaimer: The Scenic didn't pay me to review them or to write anything about them (nor have they ever). The opinions expressed are mine.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup and Fontina Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

2011-01-18T16:11:00.002-06:00

Sweet mother of deliciousness.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup is one of my all-time favorites.

And who doesn't like a grilled cheese?

Especially one made with fontina cheese.

Yum.

The soup recipe is a revamp...I originally posted it here, but it was confusing and without pictures.

It is adapted from an Ina Garten recipe.

...that's right, the Barefoot Contessa.

I love that woman.

Anyway, here is the food porn and recipes.

The ultimate comfort food!

Yes, I realize that I say that about everything.

That is because food in general is very comforting to me, so comfort food is especially comforting...

...nevermind.

Just eat it.

I realize that this recipe calls for ridiculous amounts of fresh basil (4 cups), but just trust me on this, ok?

Oh, you know I had to add Fontina cheese to the soup too! But you could also use Parmesan.

If that doesn't get your tastebuds watering, I don't know what will.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup (serves 6) adapted from Ina Garten

3 lbs ripe tomatoes (preferably roma tomatoes)
1/4 cup, plus one tablespoon olive oil
6-8 cloves of garlic (left whole)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper (optional)
4 cups basil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon butter
1 quart low sodium, fat free chicken broth
1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
1 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes (I use San Marzano)
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Slice the tomatoes in half, throw into a large zip-top bag. Add 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic cloves, salt, pepper, sugar and crushed red pepper. Spread mixture onto a large baking sheet, making sure tomatoes are cut side up.

Roast for 45 minutes.

In the meantime, add one tablespoon olive oil and one tablespoon butter to large dutch oven or soup pot. Saute onions over medium heat until tender.

Add roasted tomatoes and garlic (including all of the juices) to dutch oven. Add broth, basil, bouillon, thyme and can of tomatoes.

Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour.

Using an immersion blender, puree mixture until there are no large chunks of garlic or basil. Cook for an additional 20 minutes.

Check seasonings, add more salt, pepper, or sugar as necessary.

Serve garnished with your favorite Italian cheese!

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Fontina Grilled Cheese Sandwiches (serves 4)

8 slices of your favorite artisan bread (I used rosemary-olive oil)
8 ounces fontina cheese (or other melt-able cheese)
4 tablespoons butter

Butter the outside of all 8 slices of bread. Add 2 ounces of cheese to the inside of 4 slices of bread. Top with remaining 4 slices of bread (remember - butter out, cheese in).

Heat a small skillet over medium heat. Add the sandwiches (working in batches if necessary), cook for 3 minutes or until the bottom of the sandwich is golden brown.

Reduce heat to low. Flip sandwich and cook other side until golden brown and cheese is melted.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Balsamic Chicken Pasta

2011-01-17T11:04:00.000-06:00

Oh yum.

As I write this, I am wishing that I had some of this pasta to eat.

So, so good.

Easy.

Highly customizable.

Awesome.

I found this recipe on Tasty Kitchen, it is by the lovely Natalie at Perry's Plate.

You can see the original recipe here.

As usual, by the time I was done with it, it was almost unrecognizable (although I would be willing to bet the original version is delicious too...I just can't seem to leave well enough alone).

The first time I made it, I doubled the recipe, used rotisserie chicken, added asparagus, subbed feta cheese for the goat cheese and mozzarella cheese, subbed spaghetti for linguine, and added extra balsamic vinegar.

The second time I made it, I used bucatini pasta (I had some left over from a dish that Lyndi made the night before), rotisserie chicken, extra balsamic, dried basil instead of fresh, and mozzarella and Parmesan cheese.

I don't know which one I loved more.

The bottom line is, it's good no matter what.

My only suggestion is to use high quality balsamic vinegar and olive oil.

Take a look at this:

This was the first round. Yum.

And here was the second round. I know you can't really see it, but there is tons of grated mozzarella and Parmesan cheese in there.

I want to eat this now.

Here you go - make this for dinner tonight!

(See bottom of post for printable)

Balsamic Chicken Pasta (serves 4) adapted from Perry's Plate

8 ounces of your favorite long pasta (angel hair, spaghetti, linguine, bucatini)
3 cups chopped or shredded cooked chicken (I used rotisserie)
1 red bell pepper, julienned
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup fresh basil, chopped or chiffonaded
1.5 cups of cheese, crumbled or shredded (goat, Parmesan, feta, mozzarella, or a combination)
3 tablespoons high quality balsamic vinegar
6 tablespoons high quality olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
optional: 1/2 bunch asparagus, woody stems removed and cut into bite-sized pieces

Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and salt and pepper. Set aside.

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain all except for 1/2 cup of pasta water.

While pasta is cooking, saute garlic and red pepper until tender (if using asparagus, add it for the last 2 minutes of cooking).

Add chicken and basil to pan with veggies.

Stir in oil and vinegar.

Toss with pasta and cheese, add salt and pepper to taste.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Blu Ice Bar

2011-01-11T08:03:00.001-06:00

On New Year's Day Steve, Cal, Lyndi and I went and checked out the Blu ice bar up the North Shore of Lake Superior at Grand Superior Lodge. The bar was carved by award winning ice carver Chris Swarbrick of Ice Occasions.

It was pretty cool...although I had been expecting a bit more ice. Only the bar area and one bench with a small table were actually ice. The parts that were ice were really neat though. And we took shots out of ice glasses!

It was definitely a unique experience. Worth seeing but difficult to hang out for any length of time...especially if you go on a cold day/night like we did! After we took our shots out of the ice glasses, we each ordered a drink and went outside to stand around a big fire they had going...then we left to go eat somewhere a little warmer!

New Year's Festivities and Recipe Revamp: Buffalo Chicken Dip

2011-01-10T12:50:00.000-06:00

Ahhhh Monday...why do you hate me?

In an effort to get back into the swing of things, here are some pictures from Tara's party, and a couple from New Year's Eve.

Oh, and the buffalo chicken dip recipe is at the end.

If you are on a diet, I would highly recommend NOT making this.

It is so, so, so good.

And so addicting.

And decidedly not healthy.

Sorry!

...but it was the holidays!

And everyone knows that calories don't count around the holidays.

Why can't it still be the holidays???

Anyway, back to the parties!

Eli and I (right before he gave me a big wet willy!)

Me and my Tara (with Eli trying to get in too)

Deviled Eggs (with a kick!)

Yummy, delicious, Buffalo Chicken Dip. Sorry it is so yellow (artificial light).

These are the best pictures I could get of this amazing dip, without risking my arm getting chewed off

The spread: deviled eggs, buffalo chicken dip, hummus, a delicious olive tapanade-type dip that Erin brought, and an assortment of cheese and crackers (not pictured)

I miss you Tara!

Tanya, Marisa and Erin. Not in any of the pictures: Douglas, Cal, Lyndi and Steve. Don't ask me why.

We had such a lovely time and it was so good to see Tara and Eli. Thanks everyone!

Now for New Year's Eve.

Wait til you see the food porn.

We had an amazing dinner, beginning with baby potatoes that were baked and topped with melted cheese, sour cream, and bacon crumbles.

For our main course, we had Venison Tenderloin. My brother marinaded it, then seared it on the grill, then wrapped it in bacon and onions and finished it on the grill. It was amazing.

We also had Prosciutto-wrapped shrimp brushed with BBQ sauce, and my Citrus and Herb Shrimp

And we had my Blow Your Frickin Mind Risotto, and a salad (not pictured). Oh, and lots and lots of champagne.

Everything was perfect.

Champagne with berries

Cal and Lyndi

Steve and I

Champagne and Pineapple/Orange Juice

And now, what you have all been waiting for...

Recipe Revamp: Buffalo Chicken Dip! (click here to read the original recipe post at your own risk)

Buffalo Chicken Dip (serves 8 - 10 as an appetizer)

1 pound of boneless skinless chicken breast. (You can also use 2 large cans of pre-cooked chicken)
1 cup of ranch dressing
1 cup of Franks Original Red Hot (do not substitute this please)
1 8 oz block of cream cheese, softened
2 cups of sharp cheddar cheese, shredded
Fritos Scoops and celery sticks for dipping

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Boil chicken breasts until cooked all the way through. Remove chicken to a plate and let cool - then shred it with two forks, or cut it into small cubes.

In a big bowl, mix the chicken, ranch, Franks, and cream cheese together (or use a hand mixer and mix the ranch, Franks and cream cheese until smooth...then stir in the chicken).

Mix half of the cheddar cheese into the chicken mixture, put into an oven safe casserole dish (I have a round glass one I like).

Put the rest of the cheese on top.

Bake at 350 until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Serve with celery sticks and Fritos.

Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

Recipe Revamp: Chicken Fajitas

2011-01-05T15:47:00.000-06:00

As I have mentioned before, while going back through old posts I have noticed several recipes that either have no pictures, have crappy pictures (most), have really confusing recipes, or don't have specific ingredient amounts (some of you are thinking, "So what's new?" He he he).

I don't really want to remove these recipes from the blog. Athough most of them were posted during a time when I was under a huge amount of emotional stress...and probably under the influence of wine...they are authentic pieces of me and what my life was like at the time - blurry, fragmented, rambling, random.

So I'm just going to "Revamp" the recipes as I make them again and again, and add new and improved pictures when I can.

I never set out to start a food blog...I just wanted a safe place where I could vent and tell my side of the story...and if family and friends wanted to pop in every once in a while to see what was up in my world, they could.

Then I found that cooking was a great creative outlet for me, and that it was easier for me to have a post about cooking, intermingled with my commentary than it was to just drone on and on about my personal problems.

Last month I had over 900 hits here on Sunshine and Jellybeans.

It was my highest month ever. Normally I average around 500 hits a month.

I realize that compared to most of the cooking blogs I read, this is minuscule. I would be willing to bet that most of them average several thousand hits a month.

But it's a lot for me, and it kinda makes me proud (and a little freaked out).

I also realize that this isn't a very traditional cooking blog. Most cooking blogs are strictly cooking, with a picture here and there or a once-in-a-while mention of the blogger's private life instead of regular (and very personal) posts. I'm sure that this is annoying to some people ("Quit f-ing TALKING and give me a RECIPE!"), but it's therapeutic for me and I hope that some people like the more personal aspect of it.

Anyway...

Now I'll quit f-ing talking and give you a recipe.

You can click here to view the original recipe, as well as a recipe for Spanish Rice.

I made these fajitas on the stovetop, but I ALWAYS recommend cooking the meat and veggies on the grill. It really makes a huge difference. The recipe has instructions for both.

I always put way too much stuff on my tortilla, and then I can never get it closed. I usually just end up spreading my fixin's out over the open face tortilla and eating it with a fork.

Chicken Fajitas (serves 6)

This recipe is for chicken fajitas, but you can easily substitute beef, pork, or shrimp. Also - feel free to use other veggies such as cherry tomatoes or zucchini.

2 lbs of chicken breasts
2 bell peppers, cut into strips
1 small onion, cut into strips
1 lime, cut in half
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
2 tablespoons of homemade or store bought fajita or taco seasoning (see my recipe here)
8 - 12 flour tortillas (you can sub corn tortillas)
2 tablespoons jarred jalapeno, minced
2 tablespoons juice from jarred jalapenos
your choice of fixins: lettuce, tomato, sour cream, salsa, guacamole, taco sauce, black olives

Cut your chicken breasts into strips, and toss it with the juice from 1/2 of your lime, a generous handful of cilantro, 1 tablespoon of your fajita seasonings and 1 tablespoon of juice from your jar of jalapenos. In a separate bowl/bag, toss your cut up peppers and onions with the juice from the other 1/2 of your lime, a small handful of cilantro, the remaining tablespoon of fajita seasoning and the remaining tablespoon of jalapeno juice. Marinade both for 30 minutes to 2 hours.

To grill:
Preheat your grill to 375 degrees while the meat and veggies are marinading. Put meat and veggies on skewers (separately), or in separate grill baskets (we usually skewer the meat, and then put the veggies in a grill basket coated with oil).

Cook chicken and vegetables, stirring every couple of minutes until chicken is cooked through, and veggies are soft and starting to brown, about 5 - 10 minutes.

Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm on grill for a few minutes.

To cook on stovetop:
Add marinaded chicken and vegetables to a large skillet (including all the juices). Cook over medium heat until chicken is cooked through and veggies are tender.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap tortillas in aluminum foil and warm in oven for a few minutes.

Top warm tortillas and filling with your choice of fixings.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Happy First-Monday-of-the-Year!

2011-01-03T11:01:00.000-06:00

I hope that everyone had a safe and fun weekend.

My weekend was lovely and I have a million posts to write!

I don't have any pictures uploaded yet, but I just wanted to check in and let you know that you have the following posts to look forward to:

1. Chicken Fajita (re-post and pics)

2. Tara's party pics (including a buffalo chicken dip re-post and some really crappy pics)

3. New Year's Eve party pics

4. Ice bar pics

I'll work on that and get back to you!

In the meantime, I just wanted to give you a Kempton update and let everyone know that he is doing really good.

His left thigh is still about 2 centimeters smaller than his right thigh so we are working to get a bit more muscle built up.

We are currently in the 4 - 6 week "fragile" zone due to the sutures dissolving, leaving his knee unsupported (until the muscles get re-built).

After this cautionary period (so in about 9 days), I can start rapidly adding more and more exercise to his routine, as well as some "off leash" time.

Thanks to everyone for all of the support and sweet comments during this whole thing - I appreciate you all very much!

Stay posted over the next couple of days for a whole truck load of pictures of me eating, drinking and getting fatter!

I hope that your New Year's Resolutions are going better than mine.

Have a fantastic day!

~Lindsey xo

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

2010-12-30T12:47:00.001-06:00

Mmmmmm...I love New Years Eve.

Anything that has to do with eating tasty treats and drinking champagne can't be bad, right?

I've got a double whammy this week - tonight I am hosting a get-together for my friend Tara, who is visiting from LA.

And then tomorrow I am hosting New Year's Eve dinner.

I haven't even thought about what I am going to cook for Friday night yet...I believe that my brother is bringing a venison tenderloin to cook on the grill, and then there was some talk about crab legs...and I've been craving risotto...

But right now I need to focus on tonight's party.

It should be a pretty laid back, everyone-bring-an-appetizer-to-share type of evening.

I am making my Deviled Eggs (with a kick!), and Buffalo Chicken Dip. Obviously my pledge to eat healthy(er) is not working out so well.

In my defense I wanted to make dishes with some protein, since there won't be a proper dinner.

Er...yeah...that's it!

Plus I have been craving Buffalo Chicken Dip for months.

I'll try to take some pics and put a post up about it next week.

Until then - have a SAFE and HAPPY holiday weekend.

If you are looking for something to make for your NYE party, check out the categories to your left.

I am still working on getting the printable recipe link on all the food posts, but I probably have 50% done (see the very bottom of each post and click on "Printable Recipe")...here are a few of my favorites that I would recommend:

In charge of the appetizer? Deviled Eggs and Buffalo Chicken Dip just not your thing?

How about:

Citrus and Herb Shrimp

Jalapeno Popper Dip

or - if you can get your hands on some tasty tomatoes - this delicious Tomato and Basil Bruschetta!

Need a main course?

How about this elegant and delicious Chicken Parmigiana?

Feeding a crowd or on a budget?

Try this sweet and savory (and easy!) Pulled BBQ Pork with Creamy Coleslaw!

Or, why not have a FIESTA with my Spicy Shredded Chicken stuffed inside of a Tostada or Enchiladas?

Browse through the categories - there is something for everyone!

Here's to a very happy and healthy 2011!

Cheers!

xoxoxoxo

~Lindsey

Asian Noodle Salad (adapted from the Pioneer Woman)

2010-12-29T06:01:00.080-06:00

Yum.

I know that I've mentioned this salad a few times before (like here and here and here), but I'm not sure I've ever managed a totally coherent recipe post of my version with pictures.

This is delightful.

AND - it counts towards a "more healthy" recipe post!!!

YAY!!!!

This salad is a crowd pleaser - even for meat-and-potato types.

It is packed with veggies and you can customize it with whatever veggies you would like!

For instance - if you don't like cucumbers, leave them out!

If you have romaine lettuce on hand, add it in!

If you only can find red bell peppers, use 3 of those!

It is based on a recipe from The Pioneer Woman, and I believe hers is based on a recipe from Jamie Oliver.

Please try it soon - it is soooooo good!

It makes a lot (about 12 as a side dish), but could be cut in half.

I like to serve it as a main course too, with my recipe for Chicken Satay Skewers...the two go perfectly together!

Asian Noodle Salad - adapted from the Pioneer Woman (serves about 12 as a side dish)

Salad:

1 lb linguine noodles (I've used both white or wheat and they are both good)
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 large or 2 medium cucumbers, sliced
3 bell peppers (for maximum color use red, orange and yellow)
1 (14 oz) bag of shredded coleslaw mix
1/2 bag of baby spinach
1 bag of bean sprouts
1 can of halved cashews

Dressing:

6 tablespoons olive oil
3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
8 tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2 fresh jalapenos, minced
the juice of one whole lime (or more to taste)
3 tablespoons fresh minced ginger
3 cloves of garlic

Combine all dressing ingredients in a mason jar with a lid. Shake enthusiastically until emulsified (meaning the oil is mixed in with the soy). Store in fridge for at least 2 hours before using (if possible), shaking occasionally.

Cook linguine noodles per package directions...let cool or run under cold water until cool. Place in a very large bowl. Add remaining salad ingredients except for the cashews. Shake dressing well and pour over all. Mix salad well.

Toast cashews in a shallow pan over medium heat. Top salad with cashews, serve immediately.

Leftovers may be refrigerated for about two days, but note that vegetables may start to wilt and cashews may lose their crunch (but don't worry - it will still taste good!).

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Christmas 2010

2010-12-28T14:00:00.000-06:00

Can you believe how fast I got these pictures up?!

It's a Christmas miracle!!!!

Thanks Steven.

These are just pictures from his camera, because I haven't seen the pics that my mom or my uncle Joey took.

Anyway, here are some pictures from my family's celebration. We are waiting to do Christmas with the kids until they get back from Hawaii.

Here are a couple of the Christmas tree at my parents' house on Christmas Eve. Steve was playing with the light and shutter speed.

Here are a couple of pictures of my dad's side of the family...from left to right:
Cal, Lyndi, Georgia, Steve, me, my dad, my uncle Kirk (the tall one in the back), my mom, my uncle Joey.

And no Christmas post would be complete without pictures of our beloved dogs, right? Unfortunately Steve didn't get any good pictures of Logan...which is a shame because he is a gorgeous monster of a dog (112 pounds).

How cute is Tilly? As Lyndi pointed out, she looks like she could be the daughter of Aly and Kempton. You know, if they weren't COUSINS and all that. And if they weren't all fixed. And if Kempton wasn't from North Carolina, Aly wasn't from Montana, and Tilly wasn't from Washington.

Aly and Tilly napping under the table.

We kept the dogs separate for most of the evening, but by the end we just decided to give up and see how it went with Grandpa Kempton in the mix. Over all it went really well! Logan and Aly seemed to almost know that they needed to be gentle with Kempton, and they pretty much left him alone. Tilly is only 6 months and a little crazier than the others, but she did really good too. Kempton did try to hump her a couple of times, and there were a couple of times that I may have come close to having a heart attack...but everything worked out fine.

And now for the food...

My dad made a delicious pork tenderloin on the charcoal grill, and served it with a yummy brown sauce. The marinade recipe that he used was fantastic - I'll see if I can get it from him to share.

My aunt Georgia made this gorgeous wild rice pilaf.

I made PW's Asian noodle salad (recipe post to come).

And my mom made two brand new recipes that we hadn't tried before. The top one is a squash au gratin with spinach, and the second is a bacon, apple and leek bread pudding. The bread pudding was amazing. A total keeper. I have to get that recipe.

Yum.

What a lucky girl I am to have such a totally rad family.

And to have them all be good cooks, on top of it!

Thanks everyone!

Love you!

How to Roast Garlic (and other random thoughts)

2010-12-27T17:44:00.001-06:00

Happy Monday!

I hope that everyone had a wonderful weekend...and for my friends that celebrate Christmas - a wonderful and Merry Christmas!

Santa was very good to me this year, and I was fortunate enough to spend the weekend with my family.

I ate (and drank) waaaaaay too much.

I'll post pictures later (blame Steve).

So...I was thinking that I might need to scale back on the heavy comfort foods for a little while.

Like, forever.

Or at least for a couple days (New Years Eve, anyone?).

And another thing that I need to do is start working on posting pictures for the recipes on here that don't have any; as well as rewriting some of my more confusing recipe posts.

These are things that I will be working on over the next few months, so bear with me if there are less "new" recipes posted and more re-runs.

I'll try to slip in a "healthy" recipe here or there too.

I use the term loosely.

Here's one now!

Garlic is really good for you, and roasting garlic mellows out the flavor as well as making it easy to spread.

Also - it may or may not keep vampires away.

Use this for pasta sauces, soups, salad dressings...or just spread some on a loaf of good crusty bread!

How to Roast Garlic

1 head of garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sheet of aluminum foil

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Peel as much of the papery outside off of the garlic as possible, while still keeping a layer on the cloves, and the cloves attached by the root.

Slice off the top of the head of garlic, exposing the cloves.

Drizzle the olive oil over the exposed cloves, and wrap the entire head in the aluminum foil (you could also use a garlic cooker if you have one).

Bake for 45 - 60 minutes, until the cloves are soft throughout.

Let cool and then squeeze the roasted garlic "paste" out of the head and use.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Cone of Shame

2010-12-22T11:56:00.000-06:00

Sorry for the grainy pic - I took it last night on my phone.

As bad as I feel when he gives me this look...I still can't help but chuckle when I see this picture.

Pathetic.

It's a crazy busy week for me this week so I don't know if I will get around to posting another recipe, but I wanted to give you an update on Kempton and wish you a very Happy Holiday(s)!

Kempton is doing really well.

His surgeon and his therapist agree that his range of motion is excellent, and he has already lost 4 pounds (he is suppose to lose 7) - quite the feat considering his is leash-bound and until Friday, wasn't allowed any exercise except to go to the bathroom.

He won't stop licking his incision (hence the cone of shame), no matter what I try. He now has to wear his cone all day when I am gone, and for most of the night. By keeping the cone on, about 2/3 of the incision has healed, but there is about 2 inches on top that hasn't closed yet. I am hoping that it heals by Christmas so that I don't have to embarrass Kempton by making him wear his cone in front of the other dogs.

We are approaching the 4th week since his surgery, and weeks 4 - 6 are a very delicate time because the sutures are dissolving and the knee is very unstable. We are working hard to rebuild the muscle in his left leg, but it is still about 5 centimeters smaller than his right.

Hopefully we can get through Christmas with 3 other dogs (2 2 year olds and one puppy) without re-injuring his knee, which (as the surgeone said) would be "catastrophic". It will be interesting to say the least, and I am anticipating a very stressful weekend for myself.

Hopefully someone bought me wine for Christmas.

I'll update you all after the holidays - please send us positive thoughts!

I also wanted to take a moment to say "Thank You!" to everyone who is reading this. I hope that you all have a wonderful holiday season and I will catch up with you next week at the latest!

Love,
Lindsey

Meaty Lasagna

2010-12-21T10:48:00.001-06:00

The answer to your question is yes.

I do weigh 6,000 pounds due to all of the hearty comfort food that I have been consuming.

I promise that after the new year, I will try to post something healthy.

There is no point in even pretending like I am going to eat healthy before then.

Please note: for this recipe I used uncooked lasagna noodles. If you are going to cook your noodles first, do not use cottage cheese. Use ricotta cheese because it is less runny (though quite a bit higher in calories...not that we are counting).

Having homemade (or store-bought - I won't tell) marinara sauce on hand makes this recipe a cinch to throw together.

Yum.

It doesn't get much more comforting than lasagna.

Meaty Lasagna (serves 8**)

1 lb lean ground beef
1 lb Italian sausage (spicy or mild, whatever your preference)
8 cups marinara sauce
1/2 large yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
24 oz cottage cheese
1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 large egg
1 lb grate mozzarella cheese
1 lb uncooked lasagna noodles (you probably won't use the whole box...save the rest for next time!)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Brown beef and sausage in a large saucepan over medium heat. Throw the onions and garlic in the with the beef for the last few minutes of cooking. Drain grease.

Add marinara sauce to saucepan and stir to combine. Heat through.

Combine cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese and egg in a large bowl.

In a large lasagna pan, put enough meat sauce on the bottom of the pan to cover it (about 2 cups). Place uncooked noodles in a single layer on top of sauce. On top of noodles, spread 1/2 of the cottage cheese mixture and 2 cups of mozzarella cheese. Place about 2 cups of meat sauce on top of mozzarella cheese, then another layer of noodles. Put remaining cottage cheese mixture on top of noodles, followed by remaining meat sauce and then top with remaining mozzarella cheese (and additional Parmesan cheese if desired)*.

Cover with aluminum foil, place on top of a baking sheet (to catch drips) and bake for 45 minutes.

Remove aluminum foil and continue to cook until cheese is bubbly and brown.

Remove from oven and let sit for 10 - 15 minutes.

Enjoy!

*If you have a deeper lasagna pan (or if you don't use any meat), you could probably do a third layer. Mine was almost overflowing so I could only do 2 layers.
**This recipe is easy to cut in half if you want to use an 8" x 8" baking dish instead of a 9" x 13". Cut all ingredients in half except for the egg - you can still use a whole egg (plus, how do you cut an egg in half? Don't answer that.).

Printable Recipe

Good News!

2010-12-16T11:21:00.000-06:00

I have a couple bits of good news for you all on this gorgeous Thursday!

And by gorgeous, I mean that the temperature is above zero.

The first bit of info is on a personal note...

A judge signed the stipulation granting me the ownership of my house this week!

Translation: I pay Jim out half the amount of equity and his name comes off the title of the house!

So my little cottage is mine all mine - to sell, fix up or add on to!

For those of you in the area, a ~~saging~~ housewarming party is in the making...but it probably won't occur until after the holidays!

The second bit of good news impacts most of you a little more, because it is about the blog...

Thanks to the help of the lovely and talented Dara of Cookin' Canuck, I will soon be including a link at the bottom of each of my recipes for a printable recipe!

Dara was kind enough to walk me through how to do this, so over the next couple of weeks I will be working tirelessly (or in between shopping, wrapping and eating) to add the link to the bottom of all of my existing recipes!

I hope this makes it easier for you to try and share your favorite recipes.

On another note, tomorrow is Steven's birthday and we have a collection of festivities to attend to over the weekend, so you may not hear from me again until Monday.

Boo! Wah! Hmpf. Snort.

Don't worry - I will try to cook up something delicious this weekend so that I have some good stuff to share with you next week!

In the meantime, stay warm and have a fabulous weekend!

Hot Jalapeno Popper Dip

2010-12-15T11:12:00.002-06:00

Monday after work Marisa and Erin came over to have a little "Happy Hour" get together and so they could meet my sister-in-law-to-be, Lyndi (who is currently staying with me).

I had been eying (eyeing?) this recipe on Tasty Kitchen that I came across for Hot Jalapeno Popper Dip, and I decided that this was the perfect time to try it out.

Yum.

It was really good - it was creamy with just the right amount of heat, and it tasted very similar to a jalapeno popper (which was the goal).

The recipe was for 6 or more people, and the 4 of us almost ate the whole thing.

Here is the recipe...I only made a couple of slight adjustments (which I noted below). This is perfect for your next party!

Hot Jalapeno Popper Dip (serves 6 - 8) by babskitchen on Tasty Kitchen

2 whole (8 Oz. Each) Pkgs. Cream Cheese, Softened
½ cups Sour Cream
½ cups Mayonnaise
1 can (4 Oz.) Chopped Green Chilies, Drained I used fire-roasted
5 whole Jalapeño Peppers, Seeded And Diced (leave In A Few Of The Seeds To Give Dish Some Extra Heat)
½ cups Parmesan Cheese, Grated
½ cups Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs)

Preheat oven to 400ºF.

Stir together cream cheese, sour cream, and mayo in a large bowl until smooth. Stir in green chiles and jalapeños. I used a hand mixture to blend it all together once the cream cheese was soft.

Pour mixture into an oven safe serving dish and sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and panko crumbs. Bake, uncovered, for 15 minutes, then put under the broiler for 1 – 3 minutes to lightly brown the top.

Serve warm with tortilla chips, crackers or a crusty bread.

*Cut recipe in half for 6 or fewer people.

** I think putting a layer of grated sharp cheddar cheese (or mixing a half cup in with the mixture) would be delightful. I also think it could have used a 1/2 teaspoon or so of salt.

Printable Recipe

Chicken Parmigiana

2010-12-14T13:12:00.001-06:00

Yummy Yummy Yummy.

Chicken Parmigiana is one of my favorite dishes of all time.

It's a bit labor intensive...especially if you make your own marinara sauce (which I did), but totally worth it.

It's comfort food that is fancy enough for company.

Come to mama.

Make this very soon.

If you have leftovers, you could make it into a Chicken Parmigiana hoagie!

I didn't include a marinara sauce recipe below because I'm still tweaking it.

You can use your own favorite recipe, a jar of premade, or below are a couple of my tomato sauce recipes that would also work:

Roasted Tomato Sauce (this is yummy and probably the closest thing to my marinara sauce that I have on the blog)

Spaghetti and Meatballs...from scratch (this is a little more labor intensive, but a yummy recipe to make for someone that you love)

Also - this recipe will give you a generous amount of coating for the chicken breasts...you could easily make 6 breasts with this amount of egg wash, flour and bread crumbs. Or you could cut the recipe in half if you were only making 2 or 3 breasts.

Chicken Parmigiana (serves 4)

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 cups of flour
1 tablespoon of salt
1 tablespoon fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 eggs, beaten with two tablespoons of water
1 cup of crushed croutons (I used cheese and garlic croutons, Italian would also work well), you could also use Italian style breadcrumbs, but the croutons have a wonderful texture
2 cups Panko breadcrumbs
6 cups of your favorite marinara sauce (see above recipes)
2 tablespoons Italian seasoning (thyme, oregano, etc.)
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 cup olive oil
1 pound spaghetti or angel hair pasta
1 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Place chicken breasts in a large zip-top bag. Using the flat side of a meat mallet, pound breasts until they are thin. This will help them cook uniformly (is uniformly a word?).

In one bowl (I use a pasta bowl) or plate, combine flour, salt, pepper and garlic powder .

In a second bowl/plate, put eggwash (beaten eggs plus water).

In a third bowl/plate, combine crushed croutons, Panko breadcrumbs, Italian seasoning and basil.

Dip each chicken breast first in the flour mixture, then in the eggwash, then in the breadcrumb mixture, making sure to coat both sides. Set aside.

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

Warm your marinara sauce on the stovetop in an oven-safe pot or dutch oven (I used my Le Creuset). Make sure that the pot is large enough to fit all of the chicken breasts because this will be the vessel that you will be using to finish the dish.

Cook pasta according to package directions.

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan to medium heat. Add the coated chicken breasts to the hot oil (working in batches if necessary), and cook until the bottom of the breast is starting to get nice and brown. Flip over and repeat on the other side.

Place browned chicken breasts on top of the marinara sauce in an oven-safe pan, sprinkle each breast generously with Parmesan cheese. Place the dish uncovered into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until sauce is hot and cheese is melted and bubbly.

Plate by adding some noodles, topped with a chicken breast and some extra sauce. Finish with more grated Parmesan cheese, if desired.

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

It must be Monday...

2010-12-13T13:32:00.000-06:00

Because I'm tired and I want to go to sleep at my desk.

Because I have a recipe to post for Chicken Parmigiana, but I can't get my brain to work in the right ways in order to get it done.

Because I made Chicken Wild Rice soup last night and forgot to pull out my camera. (Though I have leftovers that I can re-heat and snap a picture of...maybe if I think of it.)

Because Steve and the kids came over last night to decorate my Christmas tree and I didn't take one picture of the cuteness.

Because I should go home and exercise, plan meals for the week and make a grocery list...but instead I am going to go out for Happy Hour with a couple of my girlfriends.

Because I am a rockstar.

Have a lovely Monday!

Poor Baby!

2010-12-08T15:40:00.000-06:00

Finger Lickin' BBQ Chicken and Kempton Update

2010-12-07T13:46:00.001-06:00

Happy Tuesday droogies!

Is it Thursday yet?

My mom and dad are coming to town on Friday and staying with me Friday night, then Lyndi is coming on Sunday and staying with me for a little while (until she finds a place)! My hide-a-bed is going to be busy!

I'm having a hard time stringing together coherent thoughts today, but I wanted to give ya'll an update on Kempton.

I brought him home from the vet on Friday, and I'm pretty sure they were ready to be rid of him. The ladies at the front desk said (kindly) that he had been whining and howling all day. The surgeon said that he was making good progress - already "toe-touching" and allowing them to do some range-of-motion exercises.

Steve and I loaded him up in the car and brought him home. Steve had to go back to work, and by the time he got home I ~~had 2 bottles of wine down, er...already started drinking, um~~ was ready to pull my hair out.

The ladies at the vet were right.

Incessant whining.

Whining like I have never heard before.

I literally was waiting for him to go hoarse.

It never happened.

It was the most frustrating thing about this whole experience...it didn't matter what I did.

Hug you? No. Pet you? No. Ignore you? No. Feed you? No. Ice your leg? Warm pack it? Leave it alone? Take you out to pee? Make you rest? No no no no no.

He had his pain patch on still, as well as taking an anti-inflammatory, glucosamine and anti-biotics. There wasn't anything else I could do for him. I laid down on the floor next to him and snuggled him and talked to him...he just whined the entire time.

Thankfully, by Sunday he had calmed down and given into the fact that he was exhausted (so was I).

Now his personality is pretty much back to normal. He isn't quite as fiesty, but that is to be expected (and it's probably good because he needs to take it easy).

He and I are meeting with his physical therapist tomorrow after work to get more exercises and massage techniques that will help get his range of motion back and also help with his hips.

The only issue that we are having is with his cone.

You know, that ridiculous collar that looks like a lampshade?

Yes, he is suppose to wear one of those when we are not home.

He is an escape artist.

It doesn't matter what we do or how tight we put it on, he can get out of it.

He thrashes around and plows into stuff (we sat downstairs and listened one day), and I am worried it is going to do more harm than good. So I've been leaving it off, but he has been licking his incision and not allowing it to heal. I am waiting for the surgeon to call me back and give me some suggestions.

I have some pictures, but I haven't had a chance to upload them yet.

In the meantime, I am going to post my recipe for BBQ chicken on the grill (charcoal grill).

I know grilling season is over, but Steve has a hard time letting go so we continue to shovel the deck off and use the grill during the milder days of winter.

The real gem here is the method...you can use whatever rub and/or sauce you would like.

The thing you need to remember is that bbq sauce is high in sugar, which burns at a relatively low temperature...so don't add your sauce until later in the process. That is where a rub comes in handy...it imparts flavor while the chicken is cooking, but doesn't burn and get all bitter.

Check it out - and try this soon (as soon as you can chisel your grill out of the snowbank).

Finger Lickin' BBQ Chicken...On The Charcoal Grill (serves 4)

6 chicken breasts (I use the bone-in kind for this...boneless, skinless dries out too fast)
3 tablespoons BBQ rub (I use Penzey's BBQ 3000, but you could also make your own)
3 cups of BBQ sauce (plus extra sauce stored separately to serve); you can find a recipe for my bbq sauce here

Pat your chicken breasts dry with paper towels, and then liberally add bbq rub and massage into chicken. Set aside.

Start your grill, and when the coals are hot, move all of them over to one side. This makes one "hot" side and one "cold" side (don't worry, the cold side isn't actually cold...just cooler than the hot side).

Place the chicken on the cold side of the grill, skin side down, and cook covered until skin starts to brown (about 15 - 20 minutes)*.

Flip chicken and move it to the middle of the grill. Start flipping and basting with bbq sauce every five minutes for 20 minutes...the chicken should start to get nice and sticky.

Move chicken to hot part of the grill, basting and flipping until chicken becomes crusted on the outside, and a meat thermometer inserted into breast reads 165.

Remove from heat and let rest for 5 - 10 minutes. Serve with extra sauce.

Enjoy!

* You might need to do this in batches if you have a small charcoal grill

Printable Recipe

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce

2010-12-06T15:40:00.001-06:00

Yum. I posted this recipe last spring (which is a similar recipe), in anticipation of a long and plentiful tomato season.

It is adapted from a recipe that my "Auntie" Gale made for me when I was living in North Carolina and she came to visit.

That was 8 years ago, and I have been making different adaptations of it regularly since.

Kempton was just a tiny baby then.

This time of year, I am either using frozen tomatoes out of my summer stash, or the canned/boxed kind, but you could also use fresh.

To be honest, if you really needed a fast dinner you could buy a jar of pre-made Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce.

But I would recommend making your own - it tastes better and you will feel better serving it your family.

Plus, what would I do to relieve stress if I wasn't making complicated recipes from scratch on weeknights?

So you're support of this blog is actually contributing to the improvement of my mental health!

Huh?

Anyway...

For my recipe I also used Steve's family's homemade Italian sausage, but you can use store bought bulk or links.

If you don't know how to roast peppers, check out my previous post for a step-by-step!

One other thing - you could add mushrooms if you had them on hand. Just saute them while you are sauteing the onions and garlic!

Try this soon - you'll love it!

Pasta with Italian Sausage and Roasted Red Pepper Tomato Sauce (serves 8)

1 lb penne pasta
1 lb hot Italian sausage
52 ounces of undrained diced tomatoes (I used 2 26 oz boxes of Pomi tomatoes)
2 roasted red peppers (see previous post for step-by-step), peeled and diced
1/2 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
4 oz sun-dried tomatoes packed in oil, drained and chopped
2 tablespoons dried basil
1/2 - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper (less if you don't like spicy)
1 teaspoon kosher salt (or to taste)
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white sugar (or to taste)
4 oz crumbled feta cheese (you could sub goat or Parmesan cheese), plus more for serving

Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium high heat. Add Italian sausage, onion and garlic. Cook until sausage is brown and onion is tender.

Add tomatoes, roasted red peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, basil, red pepper, salt, pepper and sugar and bring to a low boil.

Reduce heat and simmer sauce for 30 minutes or until it is your desired consistency, adding salt, sugar and red pepper to taste.

While sauce is cooking, cook pasta according to package directions.

Toss cooked noodles with sauce (adding half at a time - you want to make sure you have plenty of sauce), add feta cheese and toss to combine.

Serve with extra feta

Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

How to Roast Bell Peppers

2010-12-03T08:55:00.002-06:00

This is a prequel to my next recipe post, which is a delicious pasta dish that uses roasted red peppers and tomatoes as the base for the sauce.

Before I realized how easy it was to make them at home, I would buy bottled roasted red peppers at the store.

Now I make my own at home all the time.

Not only is it easy and cheap, but it eliminates the additives and preservatives that you find in the stuff in the jar.

Here is the step by step:

1. Wash peppers and place them on a baking sheet and into the oven.

2. Turn on the broiler (mine has a high/low setting, and I use the high setting), and crack the oven door.

3. Keep a close eye on these babies - the temp is very hot! When the side that is facing up begins to blacken, turn peppers over to blacken the next side. They will start to look like this:

4. Continue turning peppers until all sides are blackened.

5. Remove from heat and immediately place in a bowl covered tightly with plastic wrap. I used a zip top bag this time, and I wouldn't recommend it...those peppers are HOT and can easily melt a hole through the plastic.

6. Once peppers are cool, removed them from bowl and peel the skin (it should come off easily).

7. Remove the top of the pepper, and the seeds.

8. Slice/dice and use as desired. If you want to roast peppers in bulk, you can freeze them between sheets of wax paper (these should last for several months), or cover them in olive oil and refrigerate them (should keep for a couple of weeks).

Use the peppers in sauces (recipe coming soon), salads, on sandwiches, or puree and use in dressings or hummus. Yum!

Printable Recipe

Macaroni and Cheese A La Steph! (Kid Friendly!)

2010-12-02T10:35:00.001-06:00

It's been a while since I posted a recipe.

Things have been busy and I have been preoccupied, but don't worry!

When I stress, I cook.

When I cook, I eat.

When I eat, I feel better!

I just haven't got around to posting much...

To break the cycle, I am going to tell you about a recipe that I adapted from a recipe that my sweet soul friend Stephanie gave me.

Macaroni and Cheese.

Who doesn't love it?

She gave me this "lightened up" version almost a year ago, and I have to admit...I was a little scared to try it.

One of the main ingredients is...light mayonnaise.

Now don't hate or close your browser window - I know what you are thinking.

Mayo? And not just any mayo, but light mayo?

Trust me, it scared me off for a long time.

But last week, I was craving hearty comfort food (preferably without the love handles), and this came to mind.

So I dug it out.

When I bought the ingredients, I was planning on it just being me for dinner.

But then Steve called and said the kids would like to come by (it's the excuse he uses when he wants to see me but doesn't want to admit it...blames it on the kids...hee hee), and I figured I would use them all as guinea pigs!

That's how I roll.

I was really impressed.

The kids loved it.

Even Andy.

The picky one.

And then I kicked myself for not trusting my Stephanie's judgment sooner.

A lower fat mac and cheese that's kid friendly too?

Brilliant!

Don't get me wrong, this isn't necessarily healthy.

Very few dishes that involve 3 cups of cheese and a pound of pasta are healthy.

But it probably has less calories than most mac and cheese recipes (or at least that is what I am choosing to believe).

I changed a couple of things (surprise!), and I am going to post the recipe that I made...but I will put some tips/variations at the end for you so you can make it your own, ok?

Ok!

Macaroni and Cheese A La Steph (serves 8)

1 lb of your favorite short pasta (I used rotini but you could use elbow macaroni or other)
1 can of cream of chicken soup
1 cup of light mayo
3 cups of grated sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup of milk to thin
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cook noodles al dente, drain. Add remaining ingredients and stir and completely combined, adding salt and pepper to taste as necessary.

Transfer to an oven safe casserole dish or pan.

Cook uncovered for 15 - 20 minutes or until heated through.

Enjoy!

* To really make it light, you could use low fat cream of chicken soup and reduced fat cheese. Be careful though, as this might change the texture
* Steph said she usually crushes up whole wheat crackers and sprinkles them on the top...you could also use panko or Italian bread crumbs. I did none of these, because Andy likes things very plain.
* Steph also mentioned that you could add cooked chorizo sausage, bacon, or Italian sausage to this...I have not tried that yet (again, for fear that Andy wouldn't eat it).
* You could also add cooked broccoli, asparagus, spinach, cauliflower, or anything else that would contribute to your illusion of healthiness.

Thank you for the recipe, Steph! I will never doubt you again. xo

Printable Recipe

Kempton's Surgery

2010-12-01T15:19:00.000-06:00

Just wanted to update everyone that Kempton's surgery went well! He got sick before and so now he is on meds for that too, but the surgeon said she was pleased with the surgery. He is just starting to wake up now.

I am allowed to go and see him, but the surgeon advised against it...she said that it will most likely make him depressed after I leave, so if I can stand not seeing him for a couple of days that would be best. I want to do what is best for him - and I know that what she is saying is true...I have had friends and family tell me about how Kempton was lethargic, whiny and pouty when I am gone on vacation, etc. So I will try to stay away.

She is going to call tomorrow with an update though.

Thanks for all of your thoughts, prayers, comments, emails, phone calls and text messages - I appreciate it very much!

I Am Thankful

2010-11-30T11:42:00.000-06:00

...I really am.

Despite everything that is going on.

It's been a roller coaster of a year and I have leaned hard on my friends, family and Steve...and they have all risen spectacularly to the challenge.

I am looking forward to 2011...I know it will be a great year for me.

11 is my favorite number, so how could it not be?

Here are some of the things that come to mind when I think of my many blessings (not necessarily in order):

1. Steve. And the fact that he is much calmer, much more rational that me. Oh, and much more patient, and much stronger. And he's not a complainer.

2. My family. I know that my divorce and everything that went with it was very hard on them too, and I appreciate the fact that they have supported me and put their own issues aside to help take care of me. I am very lucky to have them.

3. My friends. Unconditional love is something that you expect from your family, but not always from your friends. I am lucky to have some wonderful, beautiful, non-judgmental friends in my life. Thank you!

4. Kempton. You all know how I feel about him...

5. My coworkers. They have also shown me tons of support and compassion over the past year. I am thankful that I have a job, and also that I work with some great people.

6. My tiny little house. That very soon I will be able to call MINE. Just waiting for the judge to sign the papers taking Jim's name off of the title.

7. Steve's family. He has an amazing family - which isn't a surprise considering how amazing he is. His kids are smart and funny and sweet; and his parents, siblings and their families have been supportive and accepting.

8. Italian food. What is it about winter that makes me an Italian food freakshow? It's all I want to cook and eat. Pizza, spagetti, lasagna, risotto, antipasto (especially olives, fresh mozzarella cheese, provolone cheese, artichokes...you get the picture). YUM.

9. You guys. My droogies, groupies, friends. Some of you I've never even met before, and you show up here all the time and offer your thoughts, prayers, opinions and support. Some of you I've known my whole life, and you never seem to tire of me...ha! This blog has been an excellent release for me and I hope you guys enjoy it too.

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and ate way too much!

Update on Kempton

2010-11-29T15:45:00.000-06:00

Last week, when I was thinking about what I was going to post for annual "I am thankful" Thanksgiving post (shut up - I did it last year...that makes it annual!), I was overwhelmed by feelings of stress, anxiety, and self pity.

Most of these were brought on my Kempton being hurt and his impending surgery.

I know that sounds ridiculous for those of you out there who have never had the opportunity to fall in love with an animal, but for those of us who understand that the bond we have with our pet, while very different than the bonds we have with another human, is very, very strong - you will understand my drama.

Not only am I concerned about the surgery, the 4 month recovery, the things that could go wrong, the money it is going to cost and the long term effects it will have on him...I have also found that it makes me physically and emotionally distressed to see him in any kind of pain. Watching him hop and hobble around on 3 legs, struggling to find a comfortable position to lay down in and struggling even more to try to get back up has been torturous for me.

Finding out after his x-rays that both of his back hips have arthritis and that it was probably painful for him to do these things before he tore his ligament makes me feel even worse.

Do I put him through surgery?

Can I afford to fix his other knee if the ligament in that one tears too (which is quite likely)?

Once he has recovered from knee surgery, is he going to have to have hip surgery?

Where do I draw the line?

He is already 8 years old...do I want his last few years to be plagued with painful surgeries and even more painful recoveries?

Can I handle putting him to sleep?

Am I ready for that?

Will I die if I no longer have him around to bury my face in his fur while I snuggle with him?

These are the things that have been going round and round in my head.

Last night, Steve and I decided to go ahead with the knee surgery. I'm pretty sure that Steve is skeptical but he is respecting the fact that emotionally I can't handle not having Kempton around, and that I can't stand to see him in pain.

The arthritis in his hips we will treat with anti-inflammatory and supplements for as long as we can keep him comfortable, and we will do what we can to avoid having him injure his other knee.

Beyond that, all I can do is hope that I am lucky enough to have him healthy and in my life for a couple more years.

I got tagged, yo!

2010-11-29T13:26:00.001-06:00

Gina tagged me! And my brain feels like chilled gravy (you know what I'm talking about - when you put gravy in the fridge overnight and it turns from liquid to that weird jello texture?), so I'm going to do it. Thanksgiving post, Kempton update and new recipe to come...er...later.

RULE #1 : People who have been tagged must write their answers on their blogs and replace any question that they dislike with a new question formulated by themselves.

RULE #2 : Tag 4 people to do this quiz and they cannot refuse. These people must state who they were tagged by and cannot tag the person whom they were tagged by. Continue this game by sending it to other people.

1. If you have pets, do you see them as merely animals, or are they members of your family?
Um...have you ever read my blog? Kempton gets treated better than pretty much anyone else in my life. And to prove it, I am spending two months worth of my salary on surgery for him this week. Don't worry, Steve is going to help me out...so I will still be able to eat! :)

2. If you can have a dream to come true, what would it be?
Hmmmm...I guess to be independently wealthy so I could travel and pursuit my hobbies instead of always having to worry about all the "work" bs.

3. What is the one thing most hated by you?

This is a tough one. I'm not a hater, and the things I've been through the last couple of years have made me more compassionate to everyone (including myself). I'd have to say...bugs, heights, empty stomachs.

4. What would you do with a billion dollars?
Yay! I would quit my job, travel, learn how to take photographs, buy a whole new wardrobe and do basically everything that being poor for so long has prevented me from doing. Oh, and I would totally hire someone to do my grocery shopping for me. I love cooking...grocery shopping not so much.

5. What helps to pull you out of a bad mood?
Steve. Wine. My friends. Kempton. Wine. Really good food. A good book. Yoga. Wine.

6. Which is more blessed, loving someone or being loved by someone?
My first instinct is to say being loved...but some of my biggest regrets in life are not loving people enough.

7. What is your bedtime routine?
Take out contacts, dental hygiene, wash face, take vitamins, turn fan on to block out Steve and Kempton's snores, say goodnight to Kempton, snuggle Steve.

8. If you are currently in a relationship, how did you meet your partner?
He owns a company that the company I work for subcontracts work out to. What?

9. If you could watch an creative person in the act of the creative process, who would it be?
I don't know...I guess I wouldn't mind getting inside someone's head who was writing a really good book.

10. What kinds of books do you buy?
Ones that get recommended by several people...I don't like to waste my money on mediocre books...most of my books have been read several times by me and passed around to my friends or family.

11. How would you see yourself in ten years time?
Holy crap. Hopefully still happy and in love. Maybe with a kid or two of my own...lots of dogs and lots of money and doing something that I like!

12. What’s your fear?
That I'm going to have to put Kempton to sleep. And that I will never be content with my life.

13. Would you give up all junk food for the rest of your life for the opportunity to visit outer space?
I don't really eat junk food (unless you call wine junk food)...but I don't really have a strong desire to visit outer space either. There are still thousands of places on this planet that I would like to visit.

14. Would you rather be single and rich or married, but poor?
Hmmmm - being poor sucks and sometimes so does being married (ha!) but I guess I don't care if I am married/single/rich/poor as long as I am happy and still Lindsey.

15. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up?
Curse and whine and try to rationalize why I deserve to sleep in longer. Then I hit the snooze button.

16. If you could change one thing about your spouse/partner what would it be?
The mother of his children wouldn't be nuttier than squirrel poo. Other than that, he is pretty much fantastic.

17. If you could pick a new name for yourself, what would it be?

Ruler of the Universe. Because...obviously.

18. Would you forgive and forget no matter how horrible a thing that special someone has done?
Oooooh - I'm kind of a grudge holder/vengeful bitch. I'm working on it though.

19. If you could only eat one thing for the next 6 months, what would it be?
Wine. Does that count? Otherwise probably pizza.

I don't really know who to tag...how about Tara (this could give you an excuse to start writing in your blog again!), Kara, Douglas, and Eli

Kempton Update

2010-11-24T11:18:00.000-06:00

Bad news...

Kempton tore his Cranial Cruciate Ligament and will be needing surgery.

Poor baby, it breaks my heart to see him hobble along...he can't put any weight on his back left leg.

I am waiting to hear from the surgeon today, to find out more specifics, schedule the procedure, and find out if he is allowed to travel for the holidays.

Once the procedure is done (assuming it is successful), it sounds like the recovery time is up to 3 months...with the first 8 weeks of very limited activity.

Not cool.

But, what do you do?

He's family.

Thanks for all of your thoughts and prayers...

Monday Randomness

2010-11-22T13:01:00.000-06:00

I wonder how many times I've actually managed to put together a coherent Monday post?

I bet it's less than 30% of the time.

Something about Mondays just makes me feel the need to spew bits of randomness at you.

Sorry!

How about a list?

Lists make everything better.

1. Two of my favorite people are moving back to MN. My bestie Stephanie, and my soon-to-be seester Lyndi!

I am peeing myself I am so happy.

Stephanie is moving from Kansas City, Missouri to the Twin Cities (as soon as she finds a job. Which she will very soon because she is ridiculously smart, driven and organized. So if you know of any HR job openings in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area, please let me know and I will send you her resume.)

Lyndi is moving from the Olympic Peninsula of Washington to DULUTH!!! To my couch!!! We are going to be roommates! (Until she finds a house/apartment. But even then I will still force her to hang out with me all the time.) And eventually (unless he wants his ass kicked) my BROTHER will be moving to Duluth too! Which means that I can cook them dinner and watch their dogs and do everything that a big sister should do!

2. I am actually Cal's little sister.

3. I've actually had several people assume that I was Cal's big sister, however.

4. It has nothing to do with wrinkles or age lines.

5. Kempton hurt his leg last night.

He was running around at Steve's shop and came back limping.

Today he can't put any weight on his back left leg.

I couldn't sleep last night because I was so worried about him...losing Kempton is one of my worst nightmares.

That dog means the world to me. He has gone through more with me in the last 8 years than most of my friends and family have gone through with me...and we still manage to love each other!

Even though he humps and leaves dog hair on my pillow and sometimes eats poop...he is still extremely loyal and protective and snuggly and probably the cutest dog that ever lived.

See?

After what happened to Tick, I am scared that Kempton will hurt himself beyond what I could afford to fix...

And then I'd have to put him down.

Makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it.

So I am going to stop thinking about it, and instead focus on thinking positive that after a few days of R&R, some Rimadyl and extra love from his momma, he will be ok.

6. I want these boots:

Frye "Jane" Tall Leather Boot

In both Redwood and Dark Brown.

And if they had them in Black, I would want those too.

But they are $300 each and I am poor and Steve and I aren't buying Christmas presents for each other this year.

7. Steve and I went and saw the new Harry Potter movie last night.

It was totally rad.

I want to watch it again tonight.

But I'm pretty sure that Steve had enough of my dorkiness to last him for a while.

8. That's all.

9. Have a great Monday!

Date Night Dinner: Filet Mignon, Citrus and Herb Shrimp, Baked Potato and Salad

2010-11-17T15:52:00.002-06:00

Yum.

I love food.

Have you noticed?

And I love Steve.

Hence, the following dinner was born:

Grilled Filet Mignon, Grilled Citrus and Herb Shrimp, (Grilled) Baked Potato, Salad.

Steve has been ridiculously busy lately.

Like, I would probably be sitting on the floor at Miller Dwan, rocking back and forth in my straight jacket if I was that busy.

But instead, he's tired but calm.

And still going out of his way to do sweet things for me like picking up Kempton's holistic, expensive, and difficult to find dog food from the feed place in Wisconsin...even though I didn't ask him to.

Yes, I do realize that I am crazy.

Why do you ask?

Anyway...I wanted to make him a nice dinner to show him that I appreciate him and everything he does.

Take a look:

Delicious little filet...we don't eat a lot of red meat. One small filet is enough for us to share. Steve likes simple flavors, so I simply rubbed the meat with sea salt, fresh cracked pepper, and a little olive oil.

Citrus and herb shrimp...my favorite way to eat shrimp right now. I'll post the recipe below - you should try it immediately!

Po-ta-toe! We split this too, because I knew that we had plenty of food. To prepare this little bugger I scrubbed it, poked some holes in it with a fork...then wrapped it in aluminum foil that was drizzled with olive oil, salt, pepper and some dried herbs. We cooked it on the grill (along with the steak and shrimp). Yum!

Are you hungry yet?

Everything turned out phenomenal. It's hard to see in the pictures, but the steak was medium rare - exactly how we like it (I am giving Steve full credit for this, and I would also like to apologize to him for running around squawking about how they were going to be overdone), and the shrimp were perfect.

We shared a bottle of red wine and had a lovely evening.

I use the term "shared" loosely.

Try this shrimp and let me know what you think - it is oh-so-good and the nice thing about this recipe is that you can customize it using whatever citrus and herbs you have on hand...I hope you enjoy it!

Citrus and Herb Shrimp (serves 2)

1 lb uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 cup citrus juice: orange, lime or lemon...or a combination of the 3. I usually use 1/2 cup of orange and 1/2 cup of either lime or lemon depending what I have on hand
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons kosher salt (or sea salt)
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
3 tablespoons fresh or 1 tablespoon dried herbs of your choice: try thyme, oregano, basil, cilantro, tarragon, marjoram or rosemary...or a combination. I usually use an Italian blend; or thyme, oregano, and basil...but I have experimented with other combinations and everything seems to turn out really good
1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Marinade for one hour, stirring occasionally. Preheat grill to 375 degrees. Thread shrimp on skewers (unless they are JUMBO and not likely to fall through the grates) and cook for 2 - 3 minutes per side, or until they are cooked through. Be careful not to overcook! These suckers cook fast and get rubbery when overcooked. Yum!

Printable Recipe

Delicious Grilled Pizzawich With Warm Marinara Sauce!

2010-11-16T13:35:00.001-06:00

Oh my.

If you are on a diet, please look away.

I invented the most amazing sandwich the other day...

I had purchased all of the ingredients to make a turkey cobb salad (I know, healthy right?), when I decided that I really, really didn't want to eat a salad.

I wanted something cheesy, gooey, greasy and delicious.

Like pizza.

But I didn't want to take the time to actually make the pizza.

Have you noticed that I have instant gratification issues yet?

Anyway.

I looked in the fridge and saw I had everything for pizza, except for the crust.

Then I looked at a loaf of bread.

Then I light bulb went off.

Oh yes, that's right.

Check this baby out:

Layers of Canadian bacon, pepperoni and provolone cheese.

Like a grilled cheese, but with pizza toppings, yo!

To.Die.For.

And easy as pie!

You could use whatever pizza toppings you wanted (including some veggies, if you were feeling healthy like that)!

Make this for lunch tomorrow.

Grilled Pizzawich With Warm Marinara Sauce

2 pieces of bread
4 slices of pepperoni
4 slices of canadian bacon
2 slices of provolone cheese
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces of your favorite marinara sauce

Butter the outside of two pieces of bread. Put one slice (butter side down) in a skillet or grill pan over medium-low heat. Arrange cheese and meat on top of bread, top with remaining piece of bread (butter side up). Slowly cook over medium-low heat until the bottom is golden brown. Flip sandwich over and cook until this side is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Serve with your favorite warmed marinara sauce. Yum!!!

Printable Recipe

Happy Monday and Steve Update!

2010-11-15T10:59:00.000-06:00

Holy winter storm, batman.

We got pounded on Saturday with about 8 inches on heavy, wet snow on Saturday.

It covered the trees and the houses and power lines, making my neighborhood look like a winter wonderland.

Did I mention that Steve has a plow truck?

He was there on Sunday morning before I'd even had breakfast, plowing out my driveway and shoveling off my walking paths/Kempton's peeing paths.

Reason number 9,318 why I love him.

On a related note, I am happy to report that on Friday (exactly one year after his first dose of chemo), Steve met with his doctor after another surveillance checkup, and was given a clean bill of health.

Yay!

I am extremely thankful, and we've been extremely lucky.

You can read about his cancer saga here.

On a totally unrelated note, I have some new recipes for you this week!

I won't tell you what they are, but I'll give you some clues...

One involves a very unhealthy combination of pizza toppings.

And one involves a healthy combination of citrus fruits.

Sorry Joey - no meatloaf yet. I'll work on that for you.

Enjoy you day, everyone!

Thank You Sunshine.

2010-11-09T11:47:00.000-06:00

For being you.

And for making me chicken teriyaki skewers on the grill last night for dinner.

I appreciate you very much!

Chicken Noodle Soup

2010-11-08T11:56:00.001-06:00

As I mentioned last week, a sudden winter storm put me in the mood for the ultimate winter comfort food: Chicken Noodle Soup.

I posted my recipe for Homemade Chicken Stock on Thursday, and you should make it as soon as possible.

I wasn't going to post my recipe for chicken noodle soup, because once you have the stock the rest is a cake walk.

Although I'm not really sure what a cake walk is.

But then I got really lazy this weekend and didn't take any pictures of any of the food I cooked.

You see - Steve and I went up to the cabin for one last weekend before we had to put the boat away. If you've been reading this blog since the beginning, you will remember that we went up the same weekend last year (you can read about it here).

Except last year we had the shadow of Steve's forthcoming chemo treatments (that started the following week) to worry about.

Thankfully we didn't have those worries this year.

Like last year, the weather was gorgeous and we had a blast - boating, saunaing, relaxing, eating...

And this year we had the bonus of hanging out with some friends Saturday night/Sunday morning (thanks Mark, Gale and Georgia!)!

The weekend flew by and I didn't want to go home.

We ate some delicious food - on Friday night we marinaded and grilled some fresh partridge that my dad gave us (the original organic, free range poulty!), and on Saturday I made a big pot-roast in the crock pot.

But I was a total slacker and didn't take any pics.

All weekend.

Not one!

So today I am going to post the chicken noodle soup recipe instead.

I hope you don't feel like it is too much of a consolation prize...

It's delicious, easy and it will warm you from the inside out!

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!

Chicken Noodle Soup (serves 8 - 10)

6 quarts Homemade Chicken Stock
2 lbs cooked chicken, shredded or diced
6 celery stalks, washed and diced
6 large carrots, washed and diced
1/2 a large yellow onion, diced
3 tablespoons butter
1 lb dried egg noodles (less if you want the soup less thick/hearty)
2 - 4 tablespoons chicken bouillon (to taste)
salt and pepper
dried herbs such as basil, oregano, thyme, and/or parsley (optional - to taste)

Saute celery, carrots and onions in melted butter until crisp-tender. Add chicken and stock, bring to a low boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and check seasonings. Add bouillon, salt and pepper to taste. Return to a boil, add egg noodles and simmer until cooked through. Check seasonings again and if desired, add dried herbs (but if your stock is really flavorful, you might not need to add any herbs). Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

i carry your heart with me

2010-11-05T10:00:00.002-05:00

i carry your heart with me (i carry it in
my heart) i am never without it (anywhere
i go you go, my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing, my darling)

i fear
no fate (for you are my fate, my sweet) i want
no world (for beautiful you are my world, my true)
and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you

here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life; which grows
higher than soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart

i carry your heart (i carry it in my heart)

~ e.e. cummings

I know you are resting in peace, Grandma G.
I miss you and think about you all of the time!

Homemade Chicken Stock

2010-11-04T08:37:00.005-05:00

Last week we had our first winter storm.

It dropped (on average) 7.1 inches of snow in Duluth.

Typically, I am not a fan of winter.

Since I met Steve, however, it has become more tolerable.

First, because he loves winter.

I mean loves it.

And he convinces me to get out and play in the snow, which makes it go by faster.

Second, because if I am going to be cooped up in the house while it's snowing and blowing and dark (have I mentioned how much I hate daylight savings time?), at least I will be cooped up with him.

Third, because he has a snowplow.

Fourth, because he has a shovel, and he's not afraid to use it.

Besides Steve, the only other things that get me through winter are good books and soup.

And SmartWool socks.

Anyway...

One of the main ingredients in several of my favorite winter soups is chicken stock!

Now, you can always buy store-bought chicken stock...

...but it's expensive.

And the flavor isn't as rich (which means it won't make as yummy soup!).

And if you are watching your sodium intake, store-bought stock is higher in sodium, even though you still need to add salt to it for most recipes.

My point is, homemade stock is better, even though it adds steps/time to your soup recipe.

Yum.

My solution is to make large amounts of it.

I have a large stockpot that must be around 20 quarts that I use (after I remove the chicken and veggies and strain the broth, it leaves me with about 2 7-quart dutch ovens full). This makes enough for 2 - 3 large pots of soup.

Whatever I don't use right away, I put in containers or zip-top bags and freeze it.

Here is a basic recipe for homemade chicken stock, and then please see my notes below for more specific instructions and substitutions.

Homemade Chicken Stock

8 pounds of chicken pieces (carcasses, wings, roasting chickens, etc.- whatever you have)
6 large carrots, washed and cut into large pieces
4 celery stocks, washed and cut into large pieces (leaves and all!)
1 medium onion, quartered (skin and all!)
10 or more sprigs of fresh dill (trust me!)
10 - 20 sprigs of fresh thyme, oregano, and/or rosemary
10 whole peppercorns
6 cloves of garlic
water

Throw everything into a large stockpot or dutch oven and cover with water. Bring to a boil and let it simmer for 4 - 6 hours. Strain stock through a fine-mess strainer into another container. Let it chill overnight or until fat solidifies on top. Remove fat. Use immediately, or place in plastic containers/zip-top bags and freeze.

* If I am going to make chicken noodle soup (or some other soup that calls for chicken), I will throw a whole chicken in the stock pot, bring it to a boil and simmer it for about 45 minutes (or until the legs pull away easily). At this point, I will remove the whole chicken from the stock, let it cool, pick the meat off the bone, and then throw the carcass back in. You don't want to simmer any chicken that you are going to eat for 4+ hours - it will be like rubber. You can also use the carcasses from rotisserie chickens.
** If you aren't watching your sodium, substitute some of the water for fat-free, low sodium chicken broth. This will provide a richer flavor.
*** If you don't have fresh herbs, you can substitute dried, or use a combination. Last time I used fresh thyme, but dried oregano and also some red pepper flakes. Try to use the fresh dill though! It adds something extra (though it doesn't impart a strong dill flavor on your soups).
**** If you don't want to wait overnight to skim the fat off, cool stock down enough to pour into a fat-separating pitcher; or pour into large zip-top bags, seal top of bag, cut bottom corner off of bag (fat will have risen to the top) and pour the stock into a pot, pinching the corner of the bag to prevent any of the fat from going in the pot...discard bag with remaining fat in it. I prefer to plan ahead and chill it overnight...because it is so much easier to skim the fat off:

Stay tuned for a recipe for delicious chicken noodle soup...using homemade chicken stock, of course!

Printable Recipe

Delizioso!!

2010-11-03T11:58:00.000-05:00

Be still my heart.

Steve's sister in law, Brooke, has made me a very happy person.

She works for this company:

Manicaretti imports high quality Italian foods: oils, vinegars, pastas, rice/grains, pasta sauces, etc.; and sells them to restaurants, Italian grocery stores, etc.

Brooke and Steve's brother Tim live in California, but were up for a visit late this summer.

Last week, Steve brought me a large box that Brooke had sent to us.

I opened it up, and here is what I found:

The box was full of imported Italian olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried pasta, pesto and tomato sauce.

I died and went to heaven.

My heaven will be full of delicious Italian food.

I was so excited, my first instinct was to hoard it all.

Seriously.

I thought about using it sparingly and savoring it for years to come.

Then Steve mentioned that there might be a small chance that there was more where this came from.

And then I thought about drinking the balsamic vinegar straight out of the glass jug.

Pounding it.

Like water.

Or wine.

But now that I've had a little while to calm down, I think I'll just be cool, you know?

Maybe I'll use some of the products next time I have friends over for dinner.

Maybe I'll give a bottle to my mom.

Maybe I'll whip it out when I'm making something special for Steve next time.

Maybe I'll use it on a perfectly normal weeknight, for a simple salad or a quick bowl of pasta.

Either way, THANK YOU Brooke!

You just made this girls month.

PS - in case you were wondering, this was the first thing I did with it:

Dipped some crusty Italian bread into a mixture of oil and balsamic. YUM.

After tasting it Steve said to me, "This is so good, it doesn't even taste like balsamic vinegar!"

And I said, "No, honey - this is what balsamic vinegar is SUPPOSE to taste like."

The end.

Go Vote!

2010-11-02T11:51:00.000-05:00

90 years ago, women were finally granted the right to vote.

That wasn't that long ago, people.

My grandmother was born in 1923.

Please get out and vote today, ladies and gentlemen.

It would be a dishonor to all of the people that worked so hard to make it possible if you didn't.

PS - Yes, I realize that I still haven't posted pictures from our trip to Kansas City. Yes, I also realize that I need to post the recipe/pics from making chicken stock and chicken noodle soup. I'm on it.

I Miss Summer...

2010-11-01T15:46:00.000-05:00

...and so does Kempton. You are looking at the most spoiled dog EVER. I wouldn't have it any other way.

Oh The Weather Outside is Frightful...

2010-10-27T13:13:00.000-05:00

This photo was taken last Friday...as in, 5 days ago.

Steve and I took the afternoon off (well, he took the afternoon off...I don't work on Fridays), and we took the boat out.

The weather was perfect: 65 degrees, not a cloud in the sky...the water was like glass.

We floated around on Lake Superior for a while, and then pulled up at the end of Park Point and walked on the beach, barefoot in the warm sand.

It was fantastic.

And it made me feel lucky, and blessed, and happy to live in such a beautiful place.

And then this is what I woke up to today:

This is the shot from my patio door, looking at the southeast corner of my deck.

5 days later.

Yes, that is 3 inches of SNOW covering my grill and patio furniture.

Yes, I did wear winter boats, a winter jacket, and mittens to work today.

Yes, it is only October 27th.

Yes, on top of a winter storm, we also had a wind advisory and a flood advisory last night.

Yes, I do love living in this ~~frozen tundra from hell~~ beautiful, diverse climate.

Yes, I did make chicken stock last night, in preparation for the large batch of chicken noodle soup that I am making tonight.

Send wine.

Monkey Bread with Katy

2010-10-25T16:19:00.001-05:00

A few months ago, my mom, a few of her sisters, my grandmother, and a few cousins were in Duluth. We took my Aunt Sherry, who was diagnosed with ALS early this year, on a scenic train ride up the north shore.

It was lovely.

Except that they served our wine in plastic glasses. Which was weird.

Despite how beautiful the town is that I live in (and I may be just a little biased), we don't get a lot of family coming to stay.

I wanted them to have a great time in Duluth.

So...I invited everyone over for brunch the following morning!

Have you seen my house?

Its about 800 square feet.

There were 10 of us.

It was tight.

But luckily it was a lovely day outside, and I have a large deck.

Just to make things even more difficult for myself, I also asked Steve and the kids to join us!

Anyway, to make a long story short...

One of the dishes I made was Monkey Bread, from Pastor Ryan on The Pioneer Woman website.

Steve's daughter Katy loved it.

I mean, who wouldn't? It's sticky and sweet and warm and delicious.

It also has 2 sticks of butter in it.

For real.

And she has been bugging me to make it ever since.

But my thighs have been begging me not to.

I finally gave in.

We had fun making it and I think that my thighs have forgiven me.

As long as I promise not to make it again soon.

Here is Katy, quartering the biscuits. Out of a can. Yes, you heard me.

Here she is, assembling the pieces into the pan once they were coated in cinnamon and sugar, so that I could pour over the hot melted butter and brown sugar. Yup.

And this is what the boys did while we slaved away in the kitchen!

Oh yeah baby. I actually ended up throwing it back into the oven for a few more minutes because it wasn't as brown as I wanted it.

But it was so very delicious.

Let the dark side seduce you.

Make this.

Soon.

And love it.

Monkey Bread (feeds 6 - 8 monkeys) adapted from The Pioneer Woman

3 cans of non-flaky buttermilk biscuits (2 if you use the big ones)...or you can make your own
2 sticks of butter (gulp)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 cup of white sugar
3 teaspoons of cinnamon
chopped pecans (optional)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. In a small saucepan, slowly melt butter and brown sugar, stirring occassionally to combine.

Quarter each biscuit, and toss into a large zip-top bag. When you have quartered all 3 cans and put them into the bag, add the cup of white sugar and cinnamon. Toss to combine (and this will also prevent the biscuits from sticking together).

Sprinkle pecans (if using) into an ungreased pan (you can use a glass pan like I did, or a bundt cake pan). Dump the biscuit chunks into the pan, and pour the butter/sugar mixture over top.

Bake it for 30 - 40 minutes or until the top is golden brown. Let it sit for 10 - 15 minutes, and then invert it onto a plate or platter. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich

2010-10-21T15:39:00.002-05:00

Here is a super simple and delicious sandwich that tastes like a buffalo chicken wing, except better because of the lack of fried parts and the addition of pepper-jack cheese! You can modify the recipe for however many servings you need!

Buffalo Chicken Sandwich (makes 3 sandwiches)

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts (my package had 3)
1/2 cup Franks red hot, or your favorite wing sauce, divided
3 buns/hogies/kaiser rolls
pepperjack cheese
lettuce (optional)
tomato (optional)
ranch or bleu cheese dressing

Toss 1/4 cup of the wing sauce with the chicken breasts and marinate for at least 1 hour. Preheat grill to about 375 degrees. Cook chicken breasts until done all the way through. Assemble sandwiches: bun, chicken, lettuce and tomato (if using). Top with remaining wing sauce and ranch or bleu cheese dressing. Enjoy!

Printable Recipes

A Week of Change

2010-10-21T13:54:00.000-05:00

Wow.

It has been a long week.

Today is my Friday, and I am looking forward to the weekend even more than usual.

Forgive me if this post is a bit morose, but this week has been emotionally exhausting.

As you may have seen in my previous post, Steve's children's dog, Tick, died on Saturday night.

He was with the kids' mother (the kids and Steve were at my house), and ran off to chase a deer.

Somehow he must have got his leg stuck or caught while he was running...she took him to the vet and found that his leg was broken, and his hip joint shattered.

The surgery was going to be too expensive, so she had him put to sleep.

Of course, the kids were crushed.

Chris commented to Steve on Saturday night that it felt like his parents getting divorced all over again.

Monday came, and after over 7 hours in mediation with lawyers and social workers, Steve emerged with happy news:

He was awarded almost 50% custody, which means an additional 4 days a month during the school year, an extra 6 days a month over the summer from what he had! (let it be known, for the record, that he was actually awarded 50% custody by the Family Law attorney and social worker, but that she-who-must-not-be-named would not comply. In order to avoid a long and expensive court battle that would involve the kids having to testify, Steve settled for 44%)

The kids were ecstatic. This is what they have been begging for over the last year and a half.

I was ecstatic for them. It should have been 50%, but at least it was better than what they had together, which wasn't enough.

But everything that affects them, that affects Steve...it affects me too.

And suddenly that is 4 extra days a month (6 in the summer), that Steve is with the kids, and not with me.

And I can see them, sure.

I can hang out.

I can tag along.

I can pretend like it doesn't suck that I have to go home to an empty house and sleep alone.

I know that it will get better, eventually.

Sometimes I really appreciate the time to myself.

And I know that it's the best thing for the kids to be eased into our relationship, instead of having it forced on them.

I know they need time to get used to the situation. To get used to me.

So here I am...a largely selfish person, put into a situation which demands that I patient, giving, and above all things - selfless.

Talk about life lessons, all crammed into a very short amount of time.

I'm not perfect, and sometimes I pout. Sometimes I think, "What about me?" or "When is it going to be my turn?".

Sometimes I struggle so much that I want to walk away. Want to find a path of less resistance. Want to be taken care of. To be the 1st priority in Steve's life.

But then I wonder...is that really what I want?

Do I really want a partner who would sacrifice the needs of his children in order to take care of my every whim?

It's no secret that I am a princess.

But do I really want to be the kind of person that can't look beyond what she needs, in order to take care of others? And not just random strangers, but innocent kids that so obviously love and need their father.

It is a balance.

Just like with every relationship, it is a fragile, delicate balance.

I don't envy Steve, being in the middle. Trying to take care of 3 kids and a girlfriend that beg for his undivided time and attention whenever they can get it.

It's hard. For everyone.

Sometimes it flat out sucks.

But sometimes it seems totally worth it.

Like Tuesday night, when Katy asked if they could take Kempton home with them...I knew they were missing Tick, and I had yoga anyway, so I let them take him for the evening.

A win-win situation. The kids got to love a dog again, and Kempton got to be tortured by children (just kidding).

Or last night, I went and helped them carve pumpkins.

Andy invited me to his birthday party.

Chris told me that when he went to see a therapist, he told her that he liked me.

Katy started telling me that she loved me, and last night she called me her friend.

Progress.

Here are some pics from pumpkin carving last night:

Andy, with his almost finished pumpkin...

Katy...

At this point Andy stole my camera and was taking random pictures. Chris had soccer practice so he got home late.

Andy's pic of the spaghetti that Steve made for us for dinner...

And finally, just as I was getting ready to leave, Katy decided she needed a nice long hug.

We still have a long way to go, but I feel like we are slowly moving forward. I wish that the kids didn't have to deal with any of it - the divorce, their dad having someone new in his life, their dog dying...I wish none of us did.

...but I feel like they are going to be ok.

And I think I am too.

RIP Tick

2010-10-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

"You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us."

-Robert Louis

"Many who have spent a lifetime in it can tell us less of love than the child that lost a dog yesterday."

-Thornton Wilder

You will be greatly missed!

Chef Salad

2010-10-14T12:03:00.000-05:00

I feel like I have been posting a lot of comfort food lately.

I know that my ass looks like I've been eating a lot of comfort food lately.

And maybe like I've been sitting on it a little too much.

So today, I am going to post a relatively healthy recipe!

Er...even if it isn't low in fat/calories after you add the meat and cheese...and dressing...

At least you will be getting your vegetables!

It's totally customizable too.

Add whatever veggies you have/want...peppers, cucumbers, tomatoes, sprouts, etc.

Add whatever meat you want...turkey, ham, bacon, chicken, etc.

Use whatever lettuce you like.

For the below pictures, I used romaine hearts and spinach; tomatoes; cooked wild rice; ham, turkey and bacon; and cheese!

It was definitely missing hard-boiled eggs though.

I'm not going to post a formal recipe, because really? I think you might know how to make a salad.

I just wanted to give you a dinner idea.

Plus, I made chicken fajitas on the grill last night, and I am making jambalya tonight (per Steve's request)...so I don't have much for new material. This one is from the vault.

Enjoy it anyway!

Start with your base...I used romaine hearts and spinach.

Then add your meat...turkey, ham and bacon...

Then once you realize that you should probably put something other than meat on your salad, move your meat over and add fresh tomatoes and cooked wild rice (if you want).

Top with cheese and enjoy with the dressing of your choice! YUM!

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction

2010-10-11T14:16:00.001-05:00

Mmmmmmmmmm.......

This recipe puts together 4 of my favorite foods of all time.

Vine ripened tomatoes.

Delicious fresh mozzarella cheese.

Pungent basil leaves.

Balsamic reduction.

Oh my.

I made this version with cherry tomatoes, so I decided to cut the mozzarella into bite-sized pieces and toss everything together in a bowl. Delicious and everything is distributed evenly.

But...

You can also use larger tomatoes, and layer tomato slices with slices of mozzarella and leaves of basil, and then drizzle the balsamic reduction over the top. This makes for a prettier presentation, since the cheese likes to soak up the balsamic and turn a little brown.

See?

Either way, this is wonderful and super easy.

I could just eat the balsamic reduction by the spoonful.

Here is the recipe:

Caprese Salad with Balsamic Reduction (serves 8 as an appetizer)

2 lbs ripe cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 lb fresh mozzarella cheese, cubed
1/4 cup of basil, chiffonaded
1 cup of balsamic vinegar

For balsamic reduction:
Put vinegar in a small saucepan over medium heat, simmer until reduced by about half. The mixture will continue to thicken as it cools...if it gets too thick, stir in a tablespoon of warm water.

Combine tomatoes, cheese and basil in a bowl. Pour cooled balsamic reduction over and toss to combine. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Tara's Going Away Party, Part I

2010-10-11T13:46:00.000-05:00

Good afternoon!

I hope everyone is having a wonderful Monday.

Steve and I got home from a visit to Kansas City late last night, so I am tired today.

However, the Vikings play Monday night football tonight, so it'll be no rest for the weary.

I can feel your pity for me.

I'll get those pictures uploaded and posted just as soon as possible.

In the meantime....

As I think I've mentioned in previous posts, my friend Tara recently moved to Los Angeles, and I have been waiting to do a post about her going away party until I get pictures from our canoe trip.

However, the pictures must be unflattering, illegal, highly inappropriate, or top-secret classified because I have been unsuccessful in my attempts to acquire them.

So - I have decided to just post the ones that I have...hence the "Part I" in the title of this post. If I do have the fortune of obtaining said photos at a later date, I will construct a "Part II"...until then...

The first event of the going away party/weekend was a ladies night dinner at Marisa's house. We had sushi and copious amounts of wine. It was delightful.

Here is the group...minus Marisa, who was taking the picture...Tanya, Gina, Lindsey (me), Tara, Katie and Erin.

Mmmmmm, sushi!

A familiar site...Tara with her camera

Erin and Katie, enjoying the edamame

Tara enjoyed the edamame too!

Tanya!

Time to open presents! This is a life jacket for your wine bottle...you know, just in case.

Erin!

We had a great time with lots of drinking and bonding. Thanks Marisa for letting us use your house and thanks Tara for buying the sushi!

For the second leg of our party weekend extravaganza, we got up in the morning and met at the Delta Diner, in Iron River, WI. The diner is a restored Silk City Diner and the food is amazing.

The ladies outside the diner...from left to right: Tanya, Tara, me, Marisa, Erin.

After breakfast...Eli, Tayna, Tara (showing off her full stomach), Marisa and Steve.

Tara getting a wet willy from Eli while I'm chewing on a toothpick. As a side note, my head looks huge in this picture.

Miss you Tara!!!

After we left the diner, we headed to the outfitter to pick up our canoes...

.................to be continued (hopefully).......................................

Happy Belated Birthday Lyndi and Tara!

2010-10-06T08:11:00.046-05:00

I realized in the shower this morning that didn't do blog posts for two of my favorite ladies on their birthday!

I'm sorry ladies!

It's not like I wasn't thinking of you!

I am a bad friend.

Forgive me?

Tara Lana and Lyndi,

I miss you both like crazy. I wish I would have been there to celebrate your birthdays with you! I hope that this year is the best yet for both of you - you both deserve it!

That's Lyndi on the left, with her friend Alex. I don't have very many of my picture with me at work, so I didn't have one of the two of us together. Lyndi is getting married to my brother next summer, and I am very lucky that she is going to be my sister! Love you Lyndi!

Tara and I at her going away party (which I haven't posted pics from because I don't have all of them...maybe I'll just post what I have...), she recently moved to LA and I miss her very much. In case you are wondering, she has a piece of edamame in her mouth. Love you Tara Lana! Wish you were here!

Deviled Eggs (with a kick!), and How to Hard Boil Eggs.

2010-10-05T11:09:00.001-05:00

I have a couple of confessions...

Some of these things, you might already know.

Some are going to knock your socks off!

Not really, I just like to be dramatic.

1) I love Miracle Whip. I know - the foodie police are on their way to get me. But whatever, it's true. Mayo is kinda yucky to me, while Miracle Whip is zingy and delicious. Deal with it.

2) I have serious problems making hard boiled eggs. Don't laugh! I know that for most people, this probably comes as easy as tying your shoe. But it almost never works for me...with the exception of this time - and that still wasn't perfect - but it was my best result ever. The egg white part almost always comes off with the shell when I peel them. Which is fine if you are making egg salad, but not when you are making deviled eggs and people are going to see the egg white! I have researched countless recipes to figure out what I am doing wrong...and I think I am finally on the right path. The recipe I used is below.

3) I have a problem leaving any recipe alone. Whether it be one that I created, one that is tried/tested/true, or one that I've never tried before. I can't help it - it's an illness. I rarely make something the exact same way twice (current exceptions of this rule for the moment would be my Pulled Pork and Coleslaw recipe and my Spicy Shredded Chicken recipe...but this could change at any time), and I almost never try a recipe exactly the way it's written.

Which brings us to today's recipe...Deviled Eggs.

I just couldn't leave well enough alone.

So, I combined my love for Miracle Whip with my love for a little spice...and viola! Deviled Eggs (with a kick!)!

First things first:

Hard-boiled but not yet peeled...oh the suspense! Did it work? Will they turn out? Did I screw it up again?

Whoo-hoo! Look at that beauty! Perfect. Here's how:

How to Hard Boil Eggs:

1) If possible, use old eggs. Old eggs peel better than fresh eggs (or so they tell me). I didn't say rotten eggs...just eggs that are almost to their expiration date.

2) Place the eggs in a single layer in the bottom of a saucepan, cover with cold water to 2 inches above the eggs.

3) Bring to a boil. Cover pan and turn off heat (but keep them on the hot burner), let sit for 10 minutes.

4) When the 10 minutes is up, remove eggs from hot water and place them into an ice water bath. Leave them here until you are sure that they are cool (adding ice if necessary).

5) Peel and use for Deviled Eggs (with a kick!)...or however you wish. Recipe below.

Never mind my deformed hand. This is the egg yolks getting all mixed up.

Yum. I could eat this with a spoon. I know that might make some of you gag, but I freakin' LOVE deviled eggs.

Overexposed picture, but you get the drift...

Underexposed picture, but who cares? These eggs were delicious. Steve and I ate the entire batch ourselves. In one night. I don't want to talk about it. Here's the recipe:

Deviled Eggs (with a kick!) serves about 8 as an appetizer (unless you are like us and just eat the whole plate yourself)

one dozen eggs, hardboiled and peeled
2 tablespoons mayo
2 tablespoons Miracle Whip (don't hate)
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons curry powder
cayenne and paprika for garnish

Slice each egg in half. Scoop out yolk and place in a medium sized bowl. Set egg whites aside. Mix mayo, Miracle Whip, mustard, Worcestershire and curry powder in with the egg yolks until relatively smooth. Spoon mixture back into egg whites. Lick bowl (optional). Sprinkle cayenne and paprika on liberally for garnish and move to a serving platter. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Summer Houseboat Trip

2010-09-29T10:59:00.000-05:00

I am still sick.

Still.

I can't seem to shake this cold, no matter how much sleep I get.

I'm getting ready to lay down on the floor, cry, and kick my legs in a temper tantrum.

Plus, She-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, who lives for the sole purpose of torturing me, has got my panties all worked up in knot.

Again.

SO.

Instead of dwelling and seething and wasting all kinds of energy being angry or feeling sorry for myself, I am going to write a happy post!

About something we did this summer!

Remember summer?

Once upon a time, on a beautiful, warm, sunny day - Steve and I were invited along with a group of my parents' friends to take a houseboat trip!

It was a riot!

We had delicious food, plentiful drinks, and wonderful company.

I've probably mentioned it before, but my mom and dad are very lucky to have a wonderful group of friends...and now I am even luckier to count them as my friends too.

What a great group of people.

Here are some pics!

Heading up into Voyageurs National Park...boys at the front, girls in the back...just the way we like it!

Steve and my dad, lounging at the front of the boat...

My mom, Jan, and Vicki smiling big for the camera!

Me and my dad...

Spontaneous dance parties started to break out...

Um....er.....there are no words. Don't ask. I have no idea how Gale came across a giant, penis shaped balloon. I don't want to know.

Me and my mommy...

Too soon, the sun started to set and it was time to make our way back.

Our fearless navigators...Jim, Mark, Terry, Steve and Cal

And last but not least...

Thanks Mark and Sue for inviting us! We had an awesome time!

What a beautiful day!

What a beautiful summer!

And now, if Tara would only send me some pictures from canoeing the Brule for her going away party (ahem...hee hee)...I think that would get me caught up through Labor Day weekend.

I hope everyone is having a great week!

How to Freeze Basil

2010-09-27T13:11:00.000-05:00

Yummy basil.

Why does it seem like no matter how much basil I grow in the summer, I never have enough to get me through the winter?

And then I have to pay $45 for 5 leaves at the grocery store.

Because I live in the frozen tundra of Minnesota.

And they have to send us basil from Mexico, or some place equally tropical.

It's an injustice.

But the good news?

You can freeze basil!

Yippee!

There are several different methods for this...

You can make a simple basil pesto, and freeze it in small containers.

You can chop your basil and freeze it with a little water into ice cube trays.

Or, you can freeze the leaves whole - with no additives!

That's what I do.

I like this method best because I don't always like to have the addition of olive oil or water in whatever dish I'm cooking.

Does that sentence even make sense?

Please bear with me...I am sick and should be in bed, eating homemade chicken noodle soup and having Alejandro (my imaginary pool boy) rub Vicks Vapor Rub on my body.

Instead, I will stare at my computer, eat leftover beef stew, and cry because my nose is raw from blowing it 96,472 times.

Anyway, back to the basil...this is how I like to do it:

1. Thoroughly wash and DRY your basil leaves.

These are not dry enough.

2. Spread in one layer on a baking sheet.

3. Place in freezer until the leaves are frozen...or be like me and forget about them overnight...whatever works!

4. Once frozen, remove baking sheet and transfer frozen leaves to zip-top bags or plastic containers (working quickly as they thaw fast).

5. Label and return to freezer.

Use these later in soups, stews, sauces, etc. I usually measure the leaves before they are frozen so that I can write that on the bag (example: 2 cups basil, 9/10). Keep in mind that some discoloration will occur when you freeze them...and possibly even more when you thaw them for use. They won't be pretty enough to use for garnish, but the flavor stays true and they are perfect for use in my Roasted Tomato Basil Soup!

Enjoy!

Moving On...

2010-09-20T12:59:00.000-05:00

Ultimately we have just one moral duty:
to reclaim large areas of peace in ourselves,
more and more peace,
and to reflect it towards others.
And the more peace there is in us,
the more peace there will also be in our troubled world
~Etty Hillesum

My divorce is final.

Actually, it was final August 27th, but evidently it took the court system a few weeks before they decided that they should probably let me know.

Now I am stuck in limbo between using my maiden name (which is legally what my name is now), and my ex-married name (which is what my drivers license, passport, social security card, and Cooking Light subscription say). Remember how much it sucked to change your name when you got married? What a pain in the ass. Well, imagine that like 3,000 times worse...because when people congratulate you on getting married (why do people assume that's why you are changing your name?), you have to watch them stick their foot in their mouth when you tell them it's actually a divorce.

And did I mention that you have to pay $14 to get a certified copy of your divorce decree (which you need to change your name on everything)? Really? I didn't pay enough already for my divorce?

The good news is that I am ok.

Really.

Just the fact that I can bitch about the little details because THAT is what is bugging me is proof.

I even celebrated...for like a week straight.

Steve and I went to The Scenic for dinner the day I found out...and then that weekend we ate our way through Grand Marais!

Not that I was celebrating the fact that Jim and I failed at our marriage - that is a tremendously sad thing that caused immeasurable amounts of pain for almost everyone involved.

Not cool.

But I celebrated the fact that that chapter in my life is closed. That I flipped the page to a brand new chapter and that I can decide exactly what I want to write in this story.

Isn't that worth celebrating? And again, by celebrating I mean eating delicious food and drinking ridiculous amounts of wine.

Do you think it was a coincedence that I got the news on a Wednesday...the same day that my favorite restaurant offers half priced bottles of wine?

Of course it wasn't.

I waited for a while to post the news on the blog because there was one thing left to do before it felt final...Jim had to come down to Duluth last Friday and get the rest of his stuff.

Fun!

Thinking that I would get a jump-start on it, I started going through boxes and closets on Thursday night.

The first thing I came across was a letter from my Grandma Grow written to Mrs. Peterson (me), that included newspaper clippings from my hometown newspaper of my friends' happy events: Gina and Michael's wedding announcement and an article announcing the birth of Jenica's daughter, Destry.

Instant water works. Grandma was always sending me these types of articles (because she was the cutest woman in the entire universe), along with articles on why I should quit smoking, and recipes that she came across that she thought I might like to try.

Did I mention that I also had PMS?

Great idea, Lindsey.

As I continued to go through stuff, I also found my old wedding planner, wedding cards, our engagement pictures, folders packed with ideas for our wedding: dresses, centerpieces, flowers, etc.

And I continued to bawl my eyes out.

There is just something about realizing (for the 100th time) that all of those dreams and expectations that you had (while you were smiling away in those pictures, or ripping the pages out of a wedding magazine, completely oblivious) were dead and gone, that has a tendency to break me down a bit.

I totally thought I was screwed for when Jim got there Friday.

But want to know something funny?

I was perfectly fine.

I didn't shed one tear.

I didn't feel angry, or sad, or guilty...

I felt...peaceful.

Maybe my (almost) daily meditations are helping.

Maybe I finally forgave myself and him.

In Tupac's words:
"You can spend minutes, hours, days, weeks, or even months over-analyzing a situation; trying to put the pieces together, justifying what could've, would've happened... or you can just leave the pieces on the floor and move the fuck on."

Maybe I did that?

Either way, the peace I found felt damn good.

I've been so busy feeling sorry for myself that I've began to notice over the last several months that I have become way more negative about life in general than I used to be.

This weekend, I tried to let that negativity go and instead cling to that little chunk of peace that I felt...

Success.

I hope that I can continue to reclaim that peace within myself.

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-09-14T14:37:00.002-05:00

Looking back at some of my old posts, I realize that some of the first recipes that I shared with you were kinda confusing.

Or unnecessarily complicated.

Or both.

Or, some of the recipes didn't include pictures.

So, as I make my favorite meals over and over, I will try to update the recipes and pictures.

If the original recipe is confusing or complicated (as is the case with my original Chicken Enchilada recipe), I will just re-post a whole new recipe.

If I do an update (like add a pic, or make a correction), I will just amend the original post.

Ok?

Ok.

Now that we have that all straightened out...on to the food!

Remember my Spicy Shredded Chicken recipe?

Are you tired of hearing about it yet?

I hope not, because that is what I used for these delicious Chicken Enchiladas.

If you want to, you can substitute any cooked and shredded chicken, pork, or beef.

Just make sure to season it to taste, ok? For me?

But because I made copious amounts of Spicy Shredded Chicken for my fiesta, I had a huge container full in the freezer.

I made 3 pans of enchiladas, and one pot of Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup.

Holy Mexican goodness.

You can leave out veggies or add them to your taste. And if you h ave extra filling - save it! Freeze it! Use it for nachos! It's delicious!

These are pictures from before I baked them. Unfortunately by the time they came out of the oven it was dark out, and Steve and I devoured them. So this is the best I can do for the assembled product.

And as a side note: These freeze well. Assembled a pan of enchiladas, wrap it in plastic wrap (un-baked), then aluminum foil, and put it in the freezer. Don't forget to remove the plastic wrap before you put it in the oven though!

Chicken Enchiladas (makes about 3 8-inch square pans, each pan feeds about 4 people)

1 lb Spicy Shredded Chicken (or any other cooked and shredded chicken, pork or beef)
1 can black beans
1 can Rotel tomatoes
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 (7 oz) can of diced green chiles
1 lime, juiced
1 tablespoon taco seasoning, or to taste
12 large flour tortillas (you can sub smaller ones or corn tortillas is you desire)
4 (12 oz) cans of enchilada sauce (I used 2 hot and 2 mild)
2 cups of your favorite salsa
3 cups shredded monterey jack cheese
sour cream, for garnish (optional)
black olives, for garnish (optional)
lettuce, for garnish (optional)

Combine meat, beans, tomatoes, chopped bell pepper, chopped onion, and green chiles in a large pan over medium heat. Add lime juice, and if necessary add taco seasoning to taste. Stir until heated through.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Combine all four cans of enchilada sauce and salsa in a large bowl.

Cover the bottom of 3 8x8 baking dishes with one cup of sauce mixture (each).

Spoon mixture into tortillas and roll, placing them seam-side down in the baking dish. One 8x8 dish held 4 filled tortillas of the size I used. Repeat until all dishes are filled.

Top each pan with one cup of enchilada sauce; finish each pan with one cup of shredded cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees until cheese is melted and bubbly, and enchiladas are heated through.

Top with sour cream, black olives and lettuce.

Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta!

2010-09-13T10:37:00.001-05:00

Oh, yum.

You know how much I love tomatoes + basil.

Add some balsamic vinegar, and you've got one happy girl on your hands.

If you have ripe tomatoes out of the garden, this is a must make.

Or even if you don't.

The best part about this is that it's oh, so easy!

I used a mixture of cherry and roma tomatoes because that is what I had ripe.

You can use whatever you have on hand!

Drool.

Tomato and Basil Bruschetta (serves 8 as an hors d'oeuvres)

6 - 8 fresh, ripe Roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup julliened or chopped basil
2 tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
1 - 2 tablespoons olive oil (start with one, add more if necessary)
1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder (or, you could finely mince 1 - 2 garlic cloves)
1/4 teaspoon of pepper (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon of salt (or to taste)
1/4 teaspoon sugar (optional)

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl, stir to combine. If possible, let this sit for at least an hour to combine flavors. Spoon onto thinly sliced, toasted baguette. Or, if you need convenience, put it on Melba Toast. Another idea: use it to top grilled chicken breasts. Enjoy!

Printable Recipe

Happy Monday!

2010-09-13T10:09:00.000-05:00

I can say that because my week is short this week...

My work week ends on Wednesday at noon!

WHOOO HOOOO!!!

Even though I won't be saying whoo hoo when I get my paycheck in two weeks.

But I just can't be sad about that right now.

I had a fabulous weekend and this is the face I wake up to every morning....

You totally thought I was going to post a picture of Steve, didn't you?

Ha!

Well....

Kempton is my best boy...

...but I guess he comes in at a close second...

Not bad, eh?

And the best part?

They fight over who gets to sleep next to me.

It's always nice to feel wanted.

Although they both snore very, very loud...

But I think Kempton sheds a wee bit more.

Stay tuned for a delicious recipe to use up some of your garden tomatoes and basil!

Things I Love Right Now

2010-09-07T11:22:00.000-05:00

Here are some things that are on my mind and making me happy right now:

Kempton. It is his 8th birthday today. That dog has been through more with me in the past 8 years than anyone else in my life. And I'm very glad he can't talk...hee hee hee. I don't know what I would do without him. But most of the time, I don't know what to do with him...naughty bad boy.

That the weather is cool enough to start the oven. Normally I hate when summer leaves, because winter and I are not friends. But exercising and cooking are more fun in the fall, and those are two things that I am trying to do regularly right now. I made 3 pans of Chicken Enchiladas last night...one "mild" version for Steve to feed the kids tonight, one delicious pan for dinner last night, and one to put in the freezer for future use. Did I mention that I also made Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup? Soup tasted so good with the cold wind blowing and rain beating against the windows last night. Yes, I made all of these things using leftover Spicy Shredded Chicken. Make it. Now. I'll post pics later (you've heard that one before, right?), but I have a lot of catching up to do.
That I got to snuggle with my sunshine for an extra hour this morning. Usually he is up and gone by the time I get up for work, but today he got to sleep in because he was going to take pictures of his kids on their first day of school this morning instead of going to work. It was so chilly out, I didn't want to get out of bed. Yes, I was late for work. But Steve has the perfect body temperature for snuggling. It couldn't be helped.
That when I left Steve's parent's house yesterday to go home, Katy hugged me so tightly I almost didn't leave. But I wanted them to have some daddy time without me there...and I was in desperate need for a nap. I don't know how you parents do it.
Labor Day weekend. I will post pictures later, but it turned out to be a wonderful weekend. At first I was sad because I wasn't spending it at the cabin like I did every year, but I ended up having a great time.
Pot roast, lasagna, spaghetti and meatballs, macaroni and cheese, chicken noodle soup and risotto. Comfort food. It would make me happy if someone would bring me one of each, please? Or better yet - just make it summer again, so I feel like eating salad and fresh veggies instead of pasta and meat. Thank you!
That it isn't Monday today. HA! It's already Tuesday...I have a 3 day work week this week, droogies!

Enjoy the cooler weather everyone!

Camping on Rainy Lake

2010-09-01T11:34:00.000-05:00

Our totally kick ass campsite...one of my favorites in Voyageurs National Park. Hauling all of your gear, coolers (we don't really like to rough it), therma-rests, etc. up the rock is not fun. But once you are set up...beautiful, beautiful, beautiful.

I know that I am biased, but is there a more beautiful lake anywhere?

As we were cruising around, exploring the little bays around our campsite, we came across this tiny little deer swimming across the channel.

The poor, tiny thing was either so scared or so tired, that when it reached the shore it just stood there, shaking. It wouldn't jump out of the water. I wanted to take it home and raise it and love it and protect it. But I'm not sure that Kempton would be cool with sharing the tent with a baby deer for the next couple nights.

While Steve was catching walleye, I was catching tiny bass that were barely bigger than the bait I was using.

Almost every time we dropped our hooks down, we had a bite and reeled in a fish...most of them were small, but a couple of them were around 19 inches.

Finally I catch a walleye! Wanna kiss, little fishy?

Taking a rest in the front of the boat...fishing is hard work!

Breakfast on Sunday morning...fried eggs over the campfire!

Chef Steve (he specializes in breakfast entrees)

Loons...the sound of Rainy Lake...

I've seen a lot of sunsets on Rainy Lake, but this one was up there in the most beautiful ever. Did I mention that a huge storm blew in right after this? Steve and I sat on the rock at our campsite, and watching the lightening and sipping wine for about an hour before the rain started. And the wind. And then for the next couple of hours, we stood outside in the hurricane-like conditions holding our tent from blowing away. Literally. But we continued to enjoy ourselves (and continued to sip wine)!

Jambalaya!

2010-08-23T14:33:00.002-05:00

Yum.

This is one of Steve's favorite meals that I make.

He just told me that last week when I made it.

He said that he doesn't ask for it very often because he always thought it was really complicated to cook.

Wrong!

It is very easy.

Delicious and simple...gotta love that!

It's also pretty hearty, but doesn't require the use of the oven, so if you are getting tired of the light, cool meals of summer and looking for something a little more substantial, this would be perfect!

You can make substitutions to use what you have on hand (or because you can't find andouille sausage anywhere in town...boo!); sometimes I leave out the ham, sometimes I sub out andouille sausage for kielbasa or hot Italian sausage or chicken (although, that makes it less authentic...but still delicious!). I use red pepper instead of green pepper, because it's what I had in the fridge.

Go ahead and play around with the spices, too. I used all dried herbs (crazy, I know), and like to make it spicy.

Go ahead and show your surprise.

I will leave you with the basic recipe and you can tweak it however your heart desires! Just make this soon!

I serve it with some crusty bread and if I'm feeling ambitious, a salad.

And it is even better the next day.

Jambalaya (serves 4 very hungry people, or 6 moderately hungry people)

1 pound of raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (I take the tails off too)
8 ounces andouille sausage, sliced
1 cup of cubed cooked ham (you could also sub cubed cooked chicken)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/3 cup chopped celery
3/4 cup uncooked rice
2 cups of low sodium chicken broth
1 14.5 ounce diced tomatoes (regular or fire-roasted), undrained
3 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
2 bay leaves
1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a large skillet or dutch oven; add onion, bell pepper, celery and garlic; saute until tender. Note: if you are using bulk Italian sausage like I did last time (instead of cooked sausage), brown the meat at the same time...it imparts a great flavor on the veggies too). Stir in the chicken broth, tomatoes, rice, sausage, thyme, basil, bay leaves, and red pepper. Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and cover. Simmer, covered, until the rice is tender (about 15 - 20 minutes). Check seasonings and add salt and pepper as needed. Increase heat to boiling again and add raw shrimp. Cook until just opaque. Add ham and heat through, checking seasonings one more time. Discard bay leaves...Enjoy!!!

Printable Recipe

CONGRATULATIONS!

2010-08-23T13:22:00.000-05:00

My bff Stephanie and her wonderful boyfriend Chad got engaged last Friday! Congratulations to the happy couple!

They were on an adventure vacation in Wyoming when Chad popped the question. I am such a sucker for romance...I nearly burst into tears when I heard the good news. And guess what?! I am the maid of honor!!! And it is an honor. Steph and Chad - I love you both very much and I am so happy for you! Here's to years and years of happiness together! xoxoxoxo YAY!!!!

Garden Update 4: The Tomato Plants That Took Over The World

2010-08-19T12:45:00.000-05:00

Holy crap.

My tomato plants went wild this year.

I don't know if it was the "new" soil in my brand new garden...

...or the fact that it has been a beautiful, warm summer...

Or maybe it has something to do with me being a stellar gardener?

Either way - my tomato plants were about 7 feet tall, and wide enough that they were choking out my basil, corn and pepper.

Were.

I chopped their heads off the other day.

And several arms.

I hope that they survive it, and start putting all their energy into the bazillions of fruit that already exist, instead of trying to take over the world.

And I hope that my peppers survive.

The basil and corn already look great, but the growing season is getting short, and I feel like my poor baby vegetables still have a way to go! My green beans are just flowering now...my onions and carrots are still babies, my basil could get bigger...

PLEASE, Mother Nature, let it be summer for another month or so! Is that too much to ask?

Anyway, here are some pics...

My "Early Girl" tomato plant, after I viciously hacked it off. See all of the fruit? All of the very green fruit??? Early Girl my ass.

Beans! In the last week or so, they have climbed all the way to the top of the fence (6 feet), and started flowering. I hope there is enough time for them to produce beans.

A mess of two ginormous cherry tomato plants, choking out my corn...but I showed 'em...this was before I had my way with them.

Remember the Giant Marconi pepper plant that my dad gave me for my garden? After the rabbits got in (and before we reinforced the mesh with chicken wire) and ate most of the limbs, it never fully recovered. This is the only pepper on it. Boo hoo. I hope it lives to turn red.

THIS is why I garden. A perfectly ripe, bursting with flavor, home grown cherry tomato. Don't mind my dirty fingers. You are lucky that I waited to eat it long enough to get a picture...delicious. And the very first one of the season.

Bell pepper...one of only a few. Darn tomato plants.

Jalapeno!

Here is some corn, after I cleared out some of the cherry tomatoes that were trying to kill it. I wonder if it will produce any ears?

Here is some of the bounty...basil (yay!), onions, peas, cherry tomatoes, baby carrot. And for the record, there was no Miracle Grow used here...no sir, my garden is organic! Just poop (manure), humus, and some compost that I got from Steve's mom and dad!

Sweet and Savory Chicken Legs and Grilled Zucchini Chips

2010-08-19T10:00:00.001-05:00

My hot water heater shit the bed last night.

Steve and I went out for sushi and then to the movie Eat, Pray, Love (I didn't even have to take him against his will! I think I'll keep him), and when we came back it smelt like something was burning/melting...

It was the hot water heater. I don't know what is wrong with it or if it's fixable or how much it will cost to replace. All I know is that if it would have started my house on fire with Kempton inside of it, there would not be words for how unhappy I would be right now. Just that fact alone makes me want to bring him to work with me every day.

Or put in a doggy door.

Except that it would probably also be a skunk door, a raccoon door, a mouse door, and a spider door. UGH.

Either way, everyone is fine and the hot water heater is no longer hooked up to a power source and Steven is going to help me figure out what I need to do.

Preferably today, because after I go running I will be in need of a warm shower.

In the meantime, at Georgia's request (and because I totally forgot), I am going to turn my attention towards food and post the recipes for the Sweet and Savory Chicken Legs and the Grilled Zucchini Chips that I made a couple weeks back...

The chicken was good - I am not a huge fan of chicken thighs/legs/drumsticks, but I wanted to try this recipe exactly as is for the first time. Next time I might use chicken breasts instead. The flavors were really good, and you could definitely tweak it to turn down the heat if you were cooking for those with sensitive palettes, or turn it up for people like...me!

Turns out I didn't make the recipe exactly as is.

Shocking, I know.

I only used one package of legs instead of two, but I used the full amounts of everything else (I wanted extra sauce because I put it over white rice).

Also, it was hot out and I didn't want to start the oven. So I used the grill instead!

I will post both methods, as well as the zucchini recipe I used for the side dish. These turned out really good.

Unfortunately, Steve doesn't like zucchini so he wasn't super impressed.

The other bad news is that I didn't get any "after" pictures...just "before" ones. We didn't eat until really late that night and it was very dark out by the time we pulled the food off of the grill. Here are the before pics:

The chicken, before it went on the grill. Imagine the perfectly cooked chicken bathed in the sauce, the sugars all caramelized, making it thick and dark.

Imagine this raw zucchini marinated, grilled, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and delicious, ok?

Enjoy!

Sweet and Savory Chicken Legs (adapted from the recipe Hot & Sweet Drumsticks by Teri L. on Tasty Kitchen*) this version will serve 3, but can be easily doubled

1 package chicken legs/drumsticks (a little over 1 pound...my package had 6 legs in it)
1 cup of apricot preserves
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce (I used Sriracha, but you could use anything)

Combine preserves, ketchup, soy sauce, garlic and hot pepper sauce in a small saucepan and heat (stirring frequently) until the preserves are melted and everything is combined to form a sauce that is about the same consistency as honey.

For the oven: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place drumsticks in a single layer in a baking pan and pour apricot mixture over the top. Bake for 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through, spooning the sauce over the chicken periodically.

For the grill: Preheat the grill to 400 degrees. I lined a baking dish with aluminum foil (easier cleanup) and put the drumsticks in a single layer, then I poured the sauce over top. Cook until chicken is done (on the grill it took about 60 minutes, but I cooked it indirectly for the first 40, then realized it wasn't cooking fast enough and put it directly over the coals for 20 minutes and they were done. If you cooked them directly the whole time it would probably only take 30 - 35 minutes), frequently spooning the sauce over top.

Let the chicken sit for about 5 minutes before serving. Serve over white rice to soak up the yummy sauce!

Printable Recipe

Grilled Zucchini Chips

One large zucchini, sliced into thin rounds
1/3 cup of olive oil
1/3 cup of balsamic vinegar
kosher salt and fresh cracked black pepper
a couple pinches of crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 cup of grated Parmesan cheese

Toss sliced zucchini with olive oil, balsamic, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Marinade for at least 30 minutes. Preheat grill to 400 degrees. Grill each side of the zucchini rounds over direct heat for 2 - 4 minutes per side, or until they are browned (I ended up flipping some of the larger slices a couple of times until they were done). Working quickly, remove them from the grill and lay them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle immediately with parm cheese. Serve.

Printable Recipe

* A note about Tasty Kitchen: for those of you who do not know, this is a recipe sharing site that The Pioneer Woman created. It is not made up of celebrity chefs (though there are some seriously awesome food bloggers on the site), but mostly home cooks like you and me. I would encourage you to check it out the next time you are looking for a recipe. Here is the website: http://thepioneerwoman.com/tasty-kitchen/
And if you decide to create a profile and start sharing recipes, my profile name is: Lindsey @ Sunshine and Jellybeans...look me up and be my friend!

Pulled Pork and Creamy Coleslaw Sandwiches

2010-08-17T11:55:00.001-05:00

Does anyone ever actually make any of my recipes?

I just wonder because I rarely get any feedback on them...and right now according to Google Analytics (thanks Tara!), I am averaging around 400 visits per month (On my silly little site! Can you believe it?! So proud!). I realize that there are a handful of people that visit several times per month, but people usually only post comments or send emails when it is something about my personal life...

Which I love and appreciate very much, by the way. I was just wondering, you know - if anyone tries the recipes...and if so, do you like them?

You know what they say about opinions...

...feel free to shout out yours! It can even be negative feedback, as long as it is respectful. Or perhaps any suggestions?

But even if no one else on earth makes one of my recipes, I will continue to post them. Mostly because it makes me happy. And hungry. And this is a great way to keep all of my favorite recipes on file! And I not only have the recipe, but I have my thoughts on the recipe, as well as (sometimes) some pictures.

Which brings us to today's recipe...

I know I have posted a Pulled BBQ Pork recipe here before, but I have since tweaked it (surprise!) and made it my own, so I wanted to give it another post. Plus I actually took some pictures. And I found a coleslaw recipe that both Steve and I really like (and we are picky coleslaw eaters!).

Oh yum. Juicy pulled pork with coleslaw and sliced dill pickles. This is a great recipe for a crowd because it makes a lot of pork, and it is easy because you cook it in the crockpot! It is also kid friendly (if you lay off the cayenne pepper).

Here is the pulled pork recipe first, then the coleslaw recipe...Enjoy!!!

Pulled BBQ Pork (serves 16 - 20)

5 lb pork butt (pork shoulder)*
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups ketchup
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup of brown sugar
5 tablespoons Worcestershire
5 tablespoons yellow mustard
1 tablespoon paprika
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 - 2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (more or less to taste)
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons pepper

Throw chopped onion in the bottom of a large crock pot, lay pork on top. Whisk together remaining ingredients. Taste. Does it need more vinegar? More cayenne pepper? More salt? Adjust seasonings to taste, then pour 2/3 of the bbq sauce over pork in crock. Cook on low heat for 8 - 10 hours or until pork shreds easily with a fork. Once pork is shredded (keeping it in the crockpot), you can add remaining sauce, if necessary. I like my pork to be saucy...if you don't, you can pass remaining sauce with pork when you serve it. Just make sure that pulled pork stays moist. Serve on a bun with sliced dill pickles and coleslaw (recipe below). PS - this is a great bbq sauce recipe for bbq chicken or ribs too!
* If you use a leaner cut of meat, you may need extra sauce.

Printable Recipe

Creamy Coleslaw (serves 8 - 10 on sandwiches and can easily be doubled)

1 14 oz bag of coleslaw mix (yes, you can certainly shred your cabbage and carrots at home if you want to)
1/2 cup of mayo
1 tablespoon of olive oil
2 - 4 tablespoons of sugar (3 is just about perfect for me, but start with 2 and add to your liking)
2 tablespoons Cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
fresh cracked pepper

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, cover and chill for at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve on top of pulled bbq pork (or chicken). Don't forget the pickle slices!

Printable Recipe

Finally!!!

2010-08-17T10:40:00.000-05:00

I finally managed to get some pictures off of my camera so that I could put together a post!

Sorry it took so long.

We forgot Steve's camera up in the Falls last weekend, so I won't be able to get the pictures off of his camera for another week...

...remember that camping trip that he and I took, um, LAST MONTH? Yeah...I haven't taken the pics off from that yet. The pics from Spicy Chicken Tortilla Soup? Nope, not those ones either.Who knows what other pictures are even on there...it's been so long, I can't remember...

But luckily, I am so far behind, that I have several other posts I can write in the meantime!

Yippee!!!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous week so far...I'll kick off this blog-fest with some pics from Steve and my romantic little dinner at Bellisio's a couple weeks back:

This isn't my favorite restaurant in Duluth (ya'll know by now how I feel about The Scenic), but any place with a wine bar is like home to me. Seriously...the wine list is an actual book, Droogies. A book! Happiness!!!

After sharing two flights of wine, we finally decided on this bottle of Italian Chardonnay. It was delightful.

See how happy I am? Take notes - this is all because of delicious wine. And the baby clams didn't hurt either. Oh, and my sweet, sweet Sunshine.

Rigatoni Balsamico. Yum. Look at all that delicious grease and balsamic vinegar. This picture makes me want to lick my computer screen. Pure food porn. Here is the description from their menu:
Rigatoni pasta cooked al dente and prepared with crumbled Italian sausage in a rich marinara sauce with Modena balsamic vinegar reduction, chopped sautéed spinach, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, garlic, salt, and pepper.

Steve had the Walleye Milanese which he loved and ate every bite of. The menu description for that one is as follows (I didn't get any pictures of his because I didn't want to have my arm chewed off): A lightly breaded and sautéed Canadian walleye topped with a lemon butter caper sauce. Served with Parmigiano-Reggiano mashed potatoes and honeyed wild broccoli rabe.

We had a lovely time. We were both really impressed with our food (and the wine, of course), and sitting outside on the patio on a cool summer evening made it even better. One of the problems I usually have with Belisio's is that the indoor seating can get pretty cramped. I also sometimes feel like their food tastes a little...pre-packaged. Does that make sense? Like something you would get at a chain restaurant. But Steve had never been there before so I thought I'd give it another try. Sitting outside felt much more relaxed and enjoyable than being inside, the service was great and the food wonderful. Not to mention that I had fantastic company.We will go back.

Are you hungry yet?

You're welcome!

Steve Update

2010-08-12T16:47:00.002-05:00

The tests came back clean!!! Thanks everyone!!!
Sent from my iPhone

Update and Poem

2010-08-11T10:29:00.000-05:00

I've been getting a lot of emails and texts, so I just wanted to let everyone know that we haven't heard anything yet regarding Steve's tests...

I am assuming that no news is good news (because if something was really wrong I would think that they would get him in right away)...

...but then again, it is possible that they just love to torture us.

I will let ya'll know as soon as I hear something.

Thank you so much for all of your thoughts and prayers! I mean it - we can use all of the good karma we can get.

And now, I am going to leave you with a poem that I read yesterday and loved.

Because it's hump day.

Enjoy!

The Journey

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Monday, Slacking, and Surveillance Checkup #3

2010-08-09T11:13:00.000-05:00

I am going to write this post in color today instead of boring black...because it's Monday, and because I ate 2 pieces of quiche for breakfast...and I'm still hungry.

And because I feel like it.

I know I have been slacking and neglecting you.

I have 62 million pictures that I need to upload and then I will be able to post about our camping trip, about making grilled zucchini and sweet and spicy chicken drumsticks, about hanging out with my mom, aunts, grandma and cousins last weekend, and about my sweetheart taking me out for a delicious dinner and mucho vino last night because he loves me and because it was one hell of a week.

The first thing (is it technically the first thing if we have already talked about a handful of other things?) that I wanted to talk about is Steve's 3rd surveillance checkup...then I will take my own advice and think positive and talk about other things...but since this is first and foremost on my mind...

...Steve had his 3rd surveillance checkup last Monday, and his doctor called on Thursday to tell him that they saw something on the CT scan and that he needs to come back in for chest xrays. Does this sound familiar? Something similar happened last time, except it wasn't in his chest. And thankfully it turned out to be nothing. And like last time, the doctor told us not to worry. Which, like last time, is impossible. He goes back in this afternoon, but we probably won't get results until he goes in to meet with his doctor on Thursday afternoon.

Please think positive, pray, or cross your fingers that everything comes back clean. Now and in the future.

Sigh.

Now I can't remember what else I was going to talk to you about.

Oh yeah - I was going to talk about food. Surprise!

I was going to tell you that my mom and I made brunch for my family that was in town on Saturday morning...we made 2 different kinds of quiche (hence the leftover quiche in my belly this morning), and delicious monkey bread. Do you want the recipes?

Also, I am making a chef salad tonight (because I have leftover ham, bacon and spinach from making quiche...and because it is suppose to be 90 degrees out today and salad is a wonderful summer food), and then later this week I think I will be making jambalaya and my favorite pulled pork. I just wanted to let you know so that you have an idea what you can look forward to. Then I can fail to upload all of the pictures and put off posting the recipes for several weeks! Ha!

Enjoy your week and I will keep you posted with any updates!

Thanks Droogies!

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken

2010-08-03T15:43:00.001-05:00

I decided just to post the recipe without the pictures, because you should make this while the weather is warm and you don't feel like starting the oven...when I make it next time, I will try to snap some pics and add them...

...and I WILL make this again...I thought it was delicious. I looooooove lemon + pasta.

Have you tried my Shrimp Scampi Fresca? Yum.

Anyway, I have been seeing recipes around on other food blogger's sites for lemony pasta, because it is a very summery dish...

...however...

...most of them contain heavy cream. Which, in my world, does not equal a happy bikini season. Or a happy tummy for me.

So I set out to make a lighter lemon pasta, but I still wanted to keep some of the elements of the other dishes I saw out there, like the grilled chicken, and basil.

Here is what I came up with!

Angel Hair Pasta with Lemon, Basil and Grilled Chicken (serves 4)

For the chicken:

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup of dry white wine
1 - 2 cloves of garlic, minced
Salt and Pepper

Combine all ingredients in a zip top bag and let marinade for at least one hour. Preheat grill to 400 degrees. Cook chicken indirectly until cooked through. Set aside to cool. Once cool, cut into bite sized pieces.

For the pasta:

1/2 package of angel hair pasta
4 lemons, juiced (remove any seeds that fall into the juice)
1 bunch of asparagus, washed and trimmed, then cut into 1.5 inch pieces
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/3 cup of basil, julienned
1/3 cup of dry white wine
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup of olive oil
1 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

Cook pasta according to package directions. Melt butter in the bottom of a large skillet over medium heat, saute garlic and asparagus until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add wine and cook for another minute. Stir in lemon juice, olive oil and basil. Add cooked pasta (half at a time, to make sure you have enough sauce...I had more than enough), cooked chicken, and Parm cheese. Toss to combine. If you were being really fancy you could top with extra basil leaves and Parm cheese...I was starving to death so I just started eating it out of the pan. In addition to the asparagus, you could also add cooked broccoli, mushrooms, and/or cherry tomatoes...whatever you have on hand! ENJOY!

Printable Recipe

Monday Monday

2010-08-02T16:06:00.000-05:00

Here is a Monday afternoon list for you! Because lists make me happy (and only Stephanie knows why)...

1. Thanks for all of the super sweet emails, texts and comments that you guys sent after my super heavy post last week. I could feel the love and it was (as always) much appreciated! I am grateful and proud to have such wonderful people in my life.

2. There was some uproar about being called "Groupies"...for whatever reason, some of you don't like to be referred to as some sort of screaming young girl that breaks into tears whenever I come around.........

.......I can't figure out why............

..........but my uncle Joey had a great idea! He said that ya'll should be called "Droogies", like from A Clockwork Orange. Have you even seen A Clockwork Orange? I did, many years ago...I remember it being really weird (um, hello Stanley Kubrick), but really enjoying it. I should probably watch it again. Or better yet - read the book by Anthony Burgess.

Anyway! I looked on Urban Dictionary for some definitions of the work Droogie, and I thought I'd better share a few with you...I thought they were pretty funny...but maybe I should give up on the whole nickname thing and just call you guys "Dudes" and gals "Betties" (and yes Eli - Steve would totally rather have a sweet nickname like Iron Man or Super Stud, but that wouldn't be nearly as funny as Mr. Sunshine...or would it?). Anyway, back to the Droogie definitions (keep in mind, this could be you):

playful term to describe your significant other or even a hobby. usually used to describe something you really really really (you can see where i'm goin' with this) like. succinctly stated, your fix. abbreviation: droog
In reference to droog. A term first dubbed in the book A Clockwork Orange. It describes an ultraviolent gang member. It's time for a little ultra violence, droogies!
a drunken boogie when on a good night out!
woman: hmmmmm dancey dancey, i'm drunken
woman 2: woooo let's droogie!

For the record, I like the last description the best...but what do you think? Droogies better or worse than Groupies???

3. Steve and I went camping up in Voyageurs National Park last weekend...it was beautiful and peaceful and relaxing (except for the violent thunder and lightening storm on Saturday night), I will post pictures later.

4. I tried making that delicious Spicy Shredded Chicken again, but this time in a crock-pot. With a pork roast. To use on tacos. The result? Not nearly as good as the chicken. I had to use way more Bloody Mary mix, way more seasonings, and it still wasn't the same. It was good, mind you, and very easy (I didn't even brown it, I just threw all of the ingredients in and left it overnight)...but not as delicious (or as spicy) as the chicken. I will continue to tweak. Is it sad that I could eat that yummy chicken every week? I am already plotting a Fiesta so I can make copious amounts of it and feed it to someone else (I need guinea pigs!).

5. I made a delicious, light lemon and basil pasta with chicken (similar to a recipe that I saw on The Pioneer Woman website but without the cream and with additions of asparagus and some white wine), it was yummy but I didn't get a chance to take pictures because we were trying to get ready for camping so we didn't eat until 11 o'clock at night. I haven't decided if I should post the recipe without pics, or if I should wait until I make it again and take pictures. Decisions, decisions!

6. Steve's mom is dropping off more fresh basil and a couple of big zucchini from her garden, so expect some recipes with one or both of those things in the near future!

7. I am going out for a drink and dinner with a couple of friends tonight...cucumber press here I come!!!

8. Have a fantastic evening and week......until we meet again, Droogies! (I had to try it out.)

PEACE!