Exceptional Eats: Taco Soup

I love it when I try out a new recipe, and it's not only easy, but delicious.

This recipe popped up in my life at such a good time.  I've been struggling to cook meals while tied to these crutches, so we've been relying on easy meals and carry out.  Any recipe that is easy enough for J to handle is a winner in my book!

Plus, tacos.  Who doesn't love tacos?  Only these are tacos in soup form.  Which is perfect on these cold winter nights.

And did I mention how easy this is to make?  Seriously, guys.  It's a matter of opening cans and jars and dumping them into a pot of deliciousness.

This one's a winner!  Thanks, Pinterest, for throwing this into my life.  Check out the recipe here.

Pinspired: Pinned It, Did It! Vol. 4

It's been awhile, I know.  Mostly because the kitchen was an off limits place for me for several months there.  But I'm back at it now, and back to finding and trying many-a new recipe on good ole' Pinterest.

Here are a few of my recents.

Onion Ring Coated Chicken

Source: frenchs.com via Betsey on Pinterest

This one was kinda meh. The crispy onions did not add as much flavor as I would have expected. Not bad, but not one that I'll be adding to the regular rotation. If you do decide to try this one, cook the chicken up on some sort of rack, rather than directly on the baking sheet. This allows the coating to stay crispy.

Balsamic Brown Butter Asparagus.  Have I written about this one before?

Source: the-girl-who-ate-everything.com via Betsey on Pinterest

J L.O.V.E.S. it. He is so excited that asparagus is finding its way to our table more frequently. He actually ate the cold, leftover stalks from my plate one night, and skipped the leftover meat. Craziness. I shorten the cooking time from 12 to 10 minutes, as I like a little bite left to my veggies, and that made all the difference. I also like to roast the spears in this same style, but toss with a little Parmesan cheese to finish. Good eats.

Slow Cooker Parmesan Honey Pork Roast

Source: sixsistersstuff.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

This was a good one. The flavor is nothing like I would have imagined it to be as I was combining ingredients in my trusty Crock Pot. But it was tasty. I love dishes where the meat literally falls to pieces as I'm trying to slice it. This one is worth trying.

Toddler Muffins

Source: allrecipes.com via Betsey on Pinterest

For those of you with picky eaters, these are just a gem. Made with squash, carrots, and mashed bananas, but somehow still taste good! As a matter of fact, I think J ate just as many of them as the nugget did. A word to the wise, however- this recipe made a ton, and I'd advise freezing some to save for later. I tossed all of mine into a Tupperware bowl, but they are SO moist that they started to grow mold before we had made our way through them.

obsessions, vol. 2

Another link up with Saige Wisdom!

Onto a few of my favorite things of late.

~The countdown.  The last day of school is so close, I can almost taste it.  I may or may not have started my countdown to this day somewhere around approximately 110 days.  (I'm excited to join the club of stay-at-home-mommies.  What do you want from me?)  But now, I've made it to the twenties.  Twenty-seven, to be exact.  That's not a lot of days.  Hooray for summer!

~Grey's Anatomy.  I oftentimes get behind on shows, and then suddenly remember them like a friend I'd forgotten to pick up at the airport.  OMG!  I haven't watched Grey's in WEEKS!  HUSTLE!  HURRY!  WATCH ALL OF THE EPISODES!  And that's what I did this week.  And holy cow.  Lots o' tears.  And sadness.  And anger.  And anticipation!  (I won't find out what happens until SEPTEMBER?  Damn season finales.)  Just, holy cow.  If you are a fan and you've gotten behind on you DVR, I suggest you catch up.  Immediately, if not sooner.        

~Corn on the cob.  Okay, I just decided this was an obsession last night.  I made my first corn of the season, and I swear to you, it was the most delicious thing I've put in my mouth in weeks.  Sweet, buttery, salty, goodness.  And I believe I've finally decided upon the best way to prepare it.  Throw it in the oven, still in the husk, at 350 for a half hour.  Weird, right?  I believe I saw that idea somewhere on Pinterest.  Folks, it works.  The husk and silk peeled right off after cooking, and the corn was perfect.  How easy is that?  Try it. I will be trying it again at lunchtime today, when I will be eating more corn.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

~My husband.  Okay, okay, I'm always obsessed with him.  But this week, I'm especially proud of my man.  He's loved working as a contractor at his current company, but yearned (yes, yearned- for reals) to be brought on as a full time employee.  Well, on Friday he received the job offer to end all job offers, and will now be a "real boy," as he says.  He moves out of his contractor's cubicle and into his real boy's office next week.  My heart, it beats only for my Staff Engineer.  Proud wife here.

What are you obsessed with lately?

Pinspired: Pinned It, Did It! Vol. 3

Pan Roasted Lemon Garlic Chicken

Source: realsimple.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Although this pictures looks nothing short of amazing, the dish lacked flavor.  I know that's hard to believe, since it's chock full of lemon slices and garlic cloves, but I have made much more flavorful chicken dishes.  Also, the olive oil was a little overbearing.  Oily chicken?  No thank you.

Ranch Chicken Tacos

Source: pedersenfood.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

THESE. WERE. AMAZING.  Will definitely be adding these to my rotation.  Gotta love a new spin on taco night, especially when the meat is cooked in the crock pot.  Delish.

Melt In Your Mouth Chicken

Source: food.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Didn't really melt in my mouth.  And most certainly didn't form a beautiful crust as shown in the picture.  The flavor was not bad at all, but the dish just wasn't what I was hoping for.  Meh.

"Best" Pork Chops

Source: crazyhorsesghost.hubpages.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Well, the flavor of these may, in fact, be the best flavor I've ever tasted on a pork chop.  But I was a little bummed about the lack of crunch on the breading.  I even baked them up on a rack, but it didn't seem to help.  The underside was soggy.  Maybe next time, I'll flip them halfway through the cooking time?  Most definitely worth trying again.

Oreo Layers

Source: mycupcakejourney.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Yummy.  Oreos, Cool Whip, cream cheese, pudding- what could possibly be wrong with that?

Scarf Organization

Source: bedifferentactnormal.com via Betsey on Pinterest

I did this as part of my closet overhaul.  What a great idea!  My scarves are tucked away nice and neatly.  Success.

Pinspired: Pinned It, Did It! Vol. 2

I know you have all been anxiously awaiting (with baited breath, of course) the next installment in my Pinspired series.  I am happy to report that you may now breathe easy, because here it is.

Source: rockrecipes.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Double Crunch Honey Garlic Pork Chops.  These were okay, but I think if I made them again, they could be great.  I think I used too much oil in the pan, so they got a little soggy.  Also, I think I put them in too early, before the oil was hot enough.  Easy fixes for next time.  The sauce, however, was delicious...at least it was the first time I made it.  I've made it to go with stir fry twice since the initial attempt, and it wasn't quite the same either time.  I will get it right again, I swear.  It was really SO GOOD.

Source: plainchicken.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Cheesy Biscuits.  J loved these.  I thought they were alright.  The flavor was good, but the texture was more muffin than biscuit.  I like my biscuits to be biscuity, ya know?  Not sure I'll make these again. 

Source: foodlushblog.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Tip for cleaning berries. The idea is to soak berries in one part vinegar to ten parts water, followed by a rinse with fresh water. I tried this with strawberries...the claim was that they could go two weeks without getting soft and moldy, because the vinegar would kill mold spores and bacteria. FAIL. I got less than a week out of the berries. If it's possible, I think they started to go bad a little sooner than if I had just rinsed them in tap water, per my norm.

Source: prettygossip.com via Betsey on Pinterest

No-heat wave enhancer. I followed the advice of one of the comments, and twisted these twists up into two buns. I took it a step further and slept this way. (We have established that I am not a morning person- I shower before bed.) Success! This is my go-to hair of the moment. I can even make it last two days by combing, then spritzing hair with a water bottle to dampen, and re-bunning before bed. Day two waves are just as great. This has always been my problem with letting my natural waves go- two day hair just wasn't feasbile, and I'm a two day hair kinda girl. Love this trick. So does my hubby, who prefers my hair curly.

Pinspired: Pinned It, Did It! Vol. 1

New feature!  I have really been utilizing Pinterest a lot these days.  Mostly for recipes, but also a few other crafty things.  I thought that this would be a good place to record all of those efforts- you know, for posterity's sake.

And although I am calling this Vol. 1, I should certainly reference here (birthday party theme courtesy of Pinterest) and here (Pinterest recipe reviews).

Here are a few of my latest endeavors!

Source: recipegirl.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Magic in the Middle Cookies.  I made these awhile back, actually, to put on my Christmas cookie trays.  I have got to say that they were absolutely delicious, and it was fun to watch people bite into them and be surprised by the magic inside (peanut butter really is magical, no?).  That being said...they were a pure pain in the ass to make.  Not sure I'll be making these too often, and definitely not during my Christmas cookie baking extravaganza.

Source: papervinenz.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

52 Reasons Why I Love You gift.  I took the time to craft this for J as a Valentine's Day gift.  He told me that if our house were to ever catch on fire, this would be the one thing he'd want to save from the flames.  (After me and the nugget, I'm assuming.)  Not sure I could have received a higher compliment.  BEST. GIFT. EVER.

Source: threepinkdots.com via Betsey on Pinterest

The Sock Bun.  I have become a little OBSESSED with the sock bun.  I just can't quite master it- I think because of the layers in my haircut?  I'm not exactly sure, but I do know that I will get it someday.  I really love this easy look.

Source: forkinit.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Crockpot BBQ Chicken.  This was only okay.  I think that boneless, skinless chicken breasts tend to get a little dry in the slow cooker.  This may have been better with dark meat, but I am most definitely not a dark meat eater.  Next time, I'll stick to the grill.

Pinterest Recipe Review

Lately, I have been feeling really rather cool.  Like I am way ahead of the trends.  Like, I've been on Pinterest since waaaaay before everybody and their mother joined up.*  It was a sweltering August day when I received my invite.  (I wrote about it here.)  Booyah!

Anywho, since that fateful summer day, I have become even more obsessed.  Of course, there is an app for that, and I could spend hours on my phone just scrolling through recent pins, and pin, pin, pinning away onto my own boards (of which there are now a whopping TEN).

I have been particularly excited about the recipes that I have pinned.  This week, I attempted four of them.  Here is a brief review:

Source: candcmarriagefactory.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Balsamic Glazed Pork Tenderloin- this recipe was delish. I am a sucker for the crock pot, and am always looking for recipes that don't involve chicken. This pork turned out so incredibly tender (as crock pot meats tend to do), and the sweet glaze was fantastic. Definitely making this one again.

Source: amateurgourmet.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Roasted Broccoli- I made this alongside the pork. This broccoli was talked up as the broccoli to beat all broccolis. Let me preface by saying that I am NOT a broccoli lover- in fact, I am a broccoli HATER. But I thought I'd give it a try, given that the chef's husband declared that biting into this broccoli was better than biting into a steak. After trying it myself, I declare that man to be a LIAR. J, who IS a broccoli lover, declared that this tasted weird. As such, I declare that I will not be roasting broccoli again.

Source: lemondropsfoodie.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Lemon Blueberry Loaf- again, delish. The bread (or cake?) turned out so moist and yummy. A word of advice to those who may attempt this: I found that the suggested cook time wasn't long enough. I baked for a total of 65 minutes. I also found that I did not grease my loaf pan well enough, and I left the bottom of the loaf in the pan. Sad face. :( Although the loaf didn't look so pretty, it still tasted amazing.

Source: ifyouwantgoodfood.blogspot.com via Betsey on Pinterest

Crock Pot Sesame Chicken- I call bullshit on this one. It tasted nothing like the beloved Chinese takeout version. (Shocking! I know, as I used only chicken breasts and they weren't breaded or fried.) However, the meat was tender and the sauce was good, so it was not a total waste. It just isn't something that will go into my permanent rotation. And I had high hopes for this one. Shucks.

There ya' have it.  Bon apetit.  

* Just to clarify, I am not upset that everyone and their mother has joined up.  In fact, I quite enjoy following so many of my people.  Keep pinning, friends!

Exceptional Eats: Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites

Holy wow, are these things good.

I made them as my one pre-dinner snack on Thanksgiving.  Since people were drifting in at different times, some coming from one celebration to the next, some arriving utterly starving, I wanted to have a little snack available for those who needed one.

I found this recipe on Pinterest, and when I saw the pin, I knew I had to attempt these.  Aren't they just so pretty?

I'm quite sure the Martha would be totally amazed at my mad skillz if she saw these.

Turns out, they are also delicious.

Neither J nor I had ever actually eaten a fresh cranberry.  So when I brought them home from the store, I was  anxious (and scared!) to try one.  I made J eat one first.  And even though he made a scrunched up, unhappy face and declared that they tasted like something you're not supposed to eat, I tried one as well.  Turns out, he was right.  Fresh cranberries are not good.

But then, following the recipe, I sweetened them up.  And suddenly they tasted magical.

Pairing them up with crackers and Brie made for a delightful little appetizer.  (I also put the leftover sugared cranberries out in a silver bowl, and I seriously couldn't stop eating them.  Like candy, I tell you.)

Try these.  For real.

Sparkling Cranberry Brie Bites
makes about 16

Sugared Cranberries:
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 cup good maple syrup
1 cup granulated sugar

Rinse cranberries and place in a medium bowl.  Heat syrup in small sauce pan just until warm.  Pour over cranberries when syrup is warm, not hot, or cranberries may pop.  Cool, cover, and let soak in the refrigerator overnight.

Drain cranberries in a colander.  Place sugar in a large bowl or baking dish.  Add cranberries in two batches and roll around until lightly coated in sugar.  Place on a baking sheet until dry, about one hour.

16 crackers
8 oz. Brie cheese
cranberry chutney or relish
fresh mint for garnish

Assemble crackers with one slice of Brie, a light layer of cranberry relish, and three or four sugared cranberries.  Garnish with fresh mint.

Food Rut

As I have written about food and cooking many times before, you all know that I love to cook.  But lately, I am finding myself in a food rut.

I am sick of the same old recipes week in and week out.

J is of absolutely no help here.  Every week I ask him  if there is anything he feels like for dinner in the upcoming week.  I can count on his answer being either "not really" or "meatloaf."  Hmph.

Although I love meatloaf (and coincidentally have it on this week's menu), I am in need of some new ideas.  I won't get rid of my tried and true, but I need some new dishes to add to the mix.

After all, one can only eat so many meatloafs before one wants to throw said meatloaf out the window.

Can anyone out there in the blogosphere be a pal and throw some recipes my way?  I'd be eternally grateful, and you may save the life of a poor, innocent meatloaf.  Consider it your good deed for the day.

Adventures in Baby Food

You all know how I try to be the less crafty, more law abiding, better looking version of Martha Stewart, right?  Well, in true Martha form, I decided to give homemade baby food a whirl.

I put my trusty assistant in his seat on the counter, put some JT on the Pod, and set to work.

SUCCESS.

It really is much easier than I anticipated.  I started simple, with pears and apples (two of the nugget's faves).  Fruits are cut, cored, and steamed.  Steamed fruits are popped in the food processor, pureed, and voila!  Baby food!  Easy peasy.

To be completely truthful, there was one difficulty.  The tricky part was removing the skins after steaming.  Apparently, it's best to steam them with the skins on, as removing the skin beforehand takes mucho nutrients away from baby.  But I powered through and peeled away all remnants of skin. 

I bought a baby food cookbook to guide me.  It is divided up into sections based on baby's age, and the recipes get more complex as baby gets older.  I've gotta say, some of the later recipes look so good that I want to make them for myself!  Roasted red pepper and goat cheese spread?  Yes, please!  The book is great for the early stuff, too.  You can buy it here. 

I like the idea of making Gabe's food, as I can buy organic, and know everything that is going into his mouth.  (Funny that I should care about the food that goes into his mouth, when I clearly have no problem with him ingesting copious amounts of pet hair each and every day- but hey, my kid probably won't be sickly, as he's already been exposed to all kinds of germs.).

Excited to try more recipes, and hoping that this endeavor turns out to be healthy for Gabe and cost-effective for my wallet!

Another Martha moment, for sure.

30 Day Challenge | Day 2: Something I Ate Today

Not gonna lie...this is not exciting.

Meatless tacos for lunch today.  I'd wait and take a more exciting picture of dinner tonight, but we're having spaghetti.  Also not exciting,



And since I've locked myself into this 30 Day Challenge, I can't pick and choose my posts, and wait for a more gourmet day to show off my culinary talent.

Looks like Martha has bested me today, that's for sure.

Exceptional Eats: Roasted Pears

These exceptional eats are another gem I adapted from my favorite boring and monotone Contessa, Ina Garten.  (Seriously, she seems so lame, yet she hosts fabulous Hamptons soirees.  I don't quite understand her!  But in any case, her recipes are simply divine.)

I typically serve these as a side dish next to chicken or pork, but they'd be great as part of a salad with peppery arugula, or even as a dessert.  Definitely one of J's favorites.

Ingredients:

3 firm pears (I've used several varieties, and all have been fine)
Lemon juice
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup apple cider or juice (cider is better, if you have it, but juice works fine, too)
1/3 cup lightly packed brown sugar

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.


Peel the pears and slice them lenthwise into halves.  Using a spoon, remove the core and seeds from each pear, making a little well for the filling.  Trim a small slice away from the rounded sides of each pear half so they will sit in the baking dish without wobbling.  Toss the pears with some lemon juice to prevent them from turning brown.  Arrange them, core side up, in a baking dish large enough to hold the pears snugly.

Gently toss the crumbled blue cheese and dried cranberries together in a small bowl.  Divide the mixture among the pears, filling each well (with heaping mounds!).



In the same small bowl, combine the apple cider and brown sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar.  Pour the mixture over and around the pears.  Bake the pears, basting every ten minutes or so with the cider mixture, for 30 minutes, or until tender.  Set aside and serve warm or at room temperature.

YUMMO.

Take THAT, Martha

Happy 4th!

Exceptional Eats: Panzanella

I've been meaning to add a food feature to the ole' blog for quite some time.  You see, I love to cook.  I fancy myself a bit of an amateur Martha Stewart- minus the crafty abilities.  I can't even sew on a button, but I am a domestic goddess in every other sense.

The kitchen is my favorite room in the house.  I not only get enjoyment out of feeding my friends and family, but I also find cooking to be relaxing and stress-relieving.  Like any good foodie (yes, J, it's a word!), I am always in search of fabulous new recipes to add to my repertoire.

Seeing as how it's officially summer, and all of you gardeners are about to enjoy the fruits of your labor (ha!), I thought I'd start my new feature by sharing one of my favorite producey recipes.  I cannot take credit for this one- it comes from the Barefoot Contessa herself, Ina Garten.  We LOVE this salad, and so does everyone else** I've ever made it for! 

**This is a test, Laura...are you reading?  ;)

GRILLED PANZANELLA

Ingredients:
Olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
salt & pepper
1 hothouse cucumber, unpeeled, seeded, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
2 large ripe tomatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
10 large basil leaves
3 tablespoons capers, drained
1 red onion, sliced into 1/4 inch rounds
1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1 yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 french baguette, cut into 1-inch thick slices

Directions:
1. Prepare charcoal or gas grill, or if working indoors, a grill pan.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together the garlic, mustard, vinegar, 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.  Set aside.
3. Place the cucumber, tomato, bell peppers, basil, and capers in a large bowl, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and toss together.  Set aside.
4. When the grill is ready, brush one side of the onion slices with olive oil.  Place them, olive oil side down, on the grill and cook for 4 minutes.  Brush the other side with olive oil, turn them over, and continue cooking an additional 4 minutes.  Remove the vegetables from the grill and place them on a cutting board.  Separate the onion rings and add them to the cucumber mixture.  
5. Brush the bread slices on both sides with olive oil and toast them on the grill until golden.  Add them to the cucumber mixture.
6. Pour the reserved vinaigrette over the vegetables and toss together.

The original recipe calls for the bell peppers to be grilled in the same manner as the onions, however, I like the flavor and crunch of the peppers raw.  But if you prefer that grilled  flavor, by all means, grill away!  And this vinaigrette...TO DIE FOR.  It would be delicious on any salad.  But the best part of this dish?  Bread- my favorite!- in the salad.  Way better than a crouton.  Pure genius. 

Perfect summer eats.  Enjoy!

Christmas Cookie Extravaganza!

I'm not sure exactly what came over me.  Nesting in the kitchen?  I felt the need to spread my culinary love to friends and neighbors?  In any case, I recently went on a very serious baking spree.

We're talking ten kinds of holiday treats made in one weekend.

I was obsessed.  I made my list and gathered all of my ingredients.  J was frightened when he saw what I was taking on.  I had my trusty Mrs. Claus apron, and I was ready to go!

A few photos of what I have dubbed Christmas Cookie Extravaganza 2010!

Supplies are gathered...let the baking begin!

My grandmother's soft sugar cookies- soft and fluffy like muffin tops!  Mmmm...

Peanut Butter Blossoms- some of my favorites.  Just FYI, all you bakers out there- if you run out of milk chocolate Kisses, don't use the dark chocolate ones as a substitute- they melt!

Spritz cookies made with my favorite Christmas cookie tool- the Super Shooter!  Thanks to my awesome MIL for giving me hers!

Fantasy Fudge- 'nuff said.

Chocolate Toffee Caramel bars- or as I call them, "Everything But the Kitchen Sink bars."  We're talking chocolate chips, white chocolate chips, toffee bits, caramel...sinfully rich and beyond tasty.

My Tupperware overfloweth.

A finished tray for our friends the V's!

 And now, I am exhausted.  I may not bake again until Christmas 2011.

Also- J and I will be eating cookies for weeks.  But it's okay- I'm eating for two.  We'll manage!